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Rosemary Caramel Apple Pie ala Mode

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raw vegan gluten-free Rosemary Caramel Apple Pie ala Mode~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~

You might be questioning the idea of adding rosemary to an apple pie.  If you would, I would like to ask for you to trust me on this. Rosemary adds a subtle, herbal undertone that doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors. It transforms it from an ordinary apple pie to a sophisticated apple pie.

Let’s talk ala mode…

Back when I was living at home, my mom, dad, and I went out to eat at a cafe located in what I refer to as the “boondocks.” It teetered on the outskirts of town in an old stand-alone house that has been converted into a cafe.

My dad used to deliver groceries to them, so he knew the owners quite well.  It was one of those mom and pop types of places that cooked down-home comfort food. The husband stayed in the back cooking and the wife… whom I referred to as mama chef was an elderly woman who tended to everything else. She had a head of gray hair, walked with a hitch in her giddy-up, and had a curved back from the tireless years of serving tables. She shuffled her feet as she walked, was slow to smile, but had a soft and gentle presence about her.

One of the things that they were known for was their homemade pies.  She always had a list of them written out on a chalkboard.  And when I say list… I mean list. She made every flavor imaginable, well except for Rosemary Caramel Apple Pie. :)

One particular day, after completing our meal, mama chef came out and informed us that we could select a piece of pie off of the menu… as she nodded her head back and to the left, to indicate the chalkboard behind her. I hopped up and walked up to the towering board so I could better examine it.  This was a real treat, and I was going to take my time in selecting thee perfect piece of pie. It wasn’t very often that we got dessert at a restaurant.

After some time and much deliberation, I returned to the table where my parents were lost in conversation.  Without being detected, I slid into the booth quietly, waiting for mama chef to return. I wildly swung my legs as they dangled from the height of the bench that we were sitting on… and my mouth was watering like crazy.  As we waited, I kept looking back at the board, double guessing my choice… but I had pretty much settled on it, so I turned my attention to the fierce wind blowing outside.

Soon, Mama chef returned. She stood at the edge of the table, with her weight positioned on one leg and her hands tucked under the apron on her hips. “Well? What is it?” To anyone else, she might have come off abrupt or even possibly a little rude, but even with my young years I could see the tireless days nestled in the bags under her eyes, the back pain she was trying to soften by shifting her weight from leg to leg… and the way she curled her fingers under her apron as if to hide the crippling arthritis that prevented her from writing down the orders…

Dad piped up and requested a slice of warm peach pie. She turned towards mom with that look of, “Well?”… and mom quickly asked for a slice of apple pie. Then mama chef turned her eyes to me; I knew that was my cue, so I happily blurted out, “I will have a slice of Ala Mode please!!”  With a look of question in her eyes, she asked, “A piece of what?” I would like a piece of Ala Mode please… and can I have ice cream with that too?  Everyone started laughing… I felt my cheeks turn pink… I was confused.  “Had I read the board wrong?  Did I mispronounce it?” I am embarrassed to say that it took them about three times trying to explain to me what ala mode meant.  Mama Chef asked me what I thought ala mode pie was.  I told her that I didn’t really know but it sounded fancy, and since dessert was free, I wanted something expensive. lol

She laughed all the way to the back of the kitchen.  As she returned to the table, she placed our pies in front of us. As she slid mine in front of me, she said that I made her day and the whole dinner was on the house.  So every time I see a piece of pie with ice cream on top, I always secretly wish that I too could have a slice of Ala mode with ice cream on top. Hehe, I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please comment below and have a blessed day, amie sue  (editor’s note: this brought tears to my eyes… bob)

single slice of raw vegan gluten-free Rosemary Caramel Apple Pie ala ModeIngredients:

yields 8″ Springform pan

Crust:

Caramel:

Filling:

Preparation:

Crust:

  1. In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, combine the walnuts, pecans, and salt. Process the nuts to a small crumble.
  2. Add the dates and ganache.  Process until the batter sticks together when pinched.
    • If you are unable to make the ganache, you can omit and replace it with 2 Tbsp of water.
  3. Line the base of an 8-9″ Springform pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper.
  4. Press firmly and evenly into the base of the pan, bringing it up the sides a little bit. See photo below. I went for the rustic look. Set aside.

Caramel sauce:

  1. In a high-powered blender combine the almond butter, sweetener, date paste, vanilla, rosemary, and salt.  Blend until creamy.
  2. Spread all but 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce on top of the crust.

Filling:

  1. Wash, peel, and dice the apples into small squares.  Place in a medium mixing bowl.
  2. Add the 1/2 cup caramel sauce, almonds, allspice, and salt.  Mix well with your hands, so the apples are well coated.
    • If you don’t have Allspice, you can create your own by combining the following; for 1 teaspoon of allspice, combine 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, and a pinch of ground nutmeg.
  3. Pour into the crust pan.
  4. Place the Springform pan in the dehydrator and dry at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F) for 2-4 hours.
    • This softens the apples and brings all the flavors together.
    • NOTE: you don’t have to dehydrate this recipe if you are short on time or don’t own one… but I highly recommend it. Nothing beats warm apple pie, plus the warming process really melds the flavors making the pie so delicious.
  5. Enjoy warm, perhaps add a scoop of raw ice cream on top… or enjoy cold later on.
  6. Will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge.

Culinary Explanations:

23 thoughts on “Rosemary Caramel Apple Pie ala Mode

  1. Cygal says:

    Beautiful and attracted pictures, giving you the drive to make them and eat them.

    Keep up the good work, Amie!!!

    I would love to get some other Raw recipes from you.

    All the best!

    • amie-sue says:

      Thank you Cygal! Did you subscribe to the site so you get automatic updates when I release new recipes? have a great evening!

  2. Gina says:

    Aloha Amie Sue,
    I made this and took to a friend’s house for dinner tonight. Everyone raved about it and said that it was their first raw food exposure. Your website is credited and shared with my friends. I LOVE the caramel and it was so pretty that we took pictures of it!

    • amie-sue says:

      That is so wonderful Gina… I would love to see you picture. You know something is good when a person takes a picture. hehe People always laugh at me because I am always photographing food. :) So happy to hear you all enjoyed it. Many blessings and thank you for sharing. amie sue

  3. Kathy says:

    I find that raw apples are getting harder for my digestion lately and I was wondering if slightly cooking the apples will help without destroying the health benefits of raw food?

    • amie-sue says:

      Hi Kathy,

      It is said that cooking causes a loss in enzymes but the most important issue at hand is that you listen to your body and feed it appropriately. In my opinion, it is healthier to eat cooked or slightly cooked foods if you can digest raw. That was a hard lesson for me wrap my head around because I wanted to be 100% raw, but I can’t. Be kind to your body. :) amie sue

  4. I’ve made this delicious pie for my mother’s birthday today and everybody absolutely loved it! The only thing is that it’s a bit too sweet, so next time I’m gonna cut down on the sweetness. That having said, again a great pie! Thank you Amie-Sue for your fantastic recipes

    • amie-sue says:

      So happy that you enjoyed it Sven. Thank you for sharing your experience. The sweetness factor is always subject to the person making it so always feel free to adjust it as you go. Have a blessed and wonderful weekend! amie sue

  5. Lyn says:

    Amie Sue, I’m with Bob on the story!! I love your blog , as much as your recipes!!! You are so gifted on many fronts my friend…..!!! Thank you for another wonderful recipe! Your amazing, Lyn :]

    • amie-sue says:

      Good morning Lyn! So nice to hear from you… I hope this is a sign that you are feeling better my friend. :) And thank you for the kind words *blush* hehe Just telling it as it is. hehe Have a happy day, hugs. amie sue

  6. Jenarihealth says:

    Yum!!! I just made this and it’s wonderful. I didn’t have enough almond butter, so I mixed some Sunflower Butter with it to make enough. It was such a yummy caramel!! Thank you so much for this deliciously creative healthy pie! I will enjoy sharing it . . . maybe. tee hee :>)

    • amie-sue says:

      Perfect addition to it Nancy… sunflower butter is good too. :) Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me/us. This pie was a huge hit with us too. hugs, amie sue

  7. Mary S. says:

    Hi Amie-Sue, I’m excited to be back on your site! Yay!! I have everything here except the pecans, and one of the kids I’m preparing for is allergic to chocolate. Do you have a good simple sub for the crust – maybe in a different recipe? Thanks so much!

    • Mary S. says:

      Also, do you think that peeling the apples is necessary? I ask because of the optimal nutrition and I don’t mind the variety of textures. But you are the queen, so what do you think?

    • amie-sue says:

      It’s wonderful to have you back with us Mary. :) To answer your questions; you can easily replace pecans with another nut such as more walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc. Just be mindful each nut comes with its own flavor profile so it will change up with flavor just a tad. Since you need to leave out the chocolate ganache, you can just omit it. If the batter feels too crumbly to press into a pie crust, you can add a few more moist dates. You can also look through the crust category and use any of the recipes for this pie. https://nouveauraw.com/crusts/

      I hope this helps. Blessings, amie sue

      • Mary S. says:

        Thanks Amie-Sue. I have date syrup, so maybe I can add just a bit of that instead of the ganache. I also have a bunch of dehydrated walnuts. So maybe that’s the direction. Thank you thank you. So excited to be making another of your scrumptious recipes to share with friends. Your recipes are always big winners. I’m also making your cranberry pomegranate relish – which is the best!!!

        • amie-sue says:

          If you add the date syrup, just add a tablespoon at a time, the batter just needs to be moist enough to stick together when compressed. :) I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying the recipes. I love the cranberry pomegranate relish too! Happy Thanksgiving. amie sue

  8. Mary S. says:

    Thanks or the tip! Happy Thanksgiving to you Amie-Sue. Warmest wishes to you and your family.

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