How Swedish Apple Pie Combines 2 Iconic Baked Goods Into One

Hearing the phrase "Swedish apple pie" probably conjures some pretty delightful images in your mind. Cinnamon-coated apples, a flaky crust, and intoxicating smells of warm butter. That's almost the right idea ... except this pie skips the crust. And it's not technically a pie, nor is it the same as the version we know stateside.

While the name in English can be a bit confusing when compared to the iconic American apple pie, there are similarities between this dessert and an actual pie. Instead of a crust, sliced apples are placed directly into a pie dish and then covered with a mixture made of flour, egg, sugar, and butter. When baked, the batter drips down slightly into the apple filling, creating a rich cookie-like texture with a slightly crisp, golden top.

There is a similar variation of this dessert made in Sweden called smulpaj, which translates to crumb pie. Instead of batter over the top, this version uses a mix of butter, sugar, oats, and chopped nuts, more closely resembling an apple crisp or crumble. Whichever variation you choose, know that this is intended to be a rustic dessert, so the topping does not need to turn out neat or pretty!

When it comes to choosing your apples, green ones are the top choice for pie, but Honeycrisp can also be used and still maintain their crisp texture after the oven. After being cored, sliced, and peeled, the apples should be tossed with cinnamon, sugar, a little lemon juice, and sometimes even cardamom. As you can see, this doesn't vary much from the American apple pie filling.

The batter or crumble toppings are both super easy to put together, making this pie recipe perfect for amateur bakers. While some pie recipes call for shortening in the crust, butter is a better swap for flavor, and it is used in either variation of the Swedish apple pie. Dairy-free bakers or vegans can use coconut instead. The batter topping can be as simple as flour, sugar, and melted butter mixed together, while the crumble can consist of just oats, butter, sugar, and (optional) chopped nuts.

If you want to cut down on time even further, then don't bother with apples. Instead, grab a bag of frozen berries and mix with sugar for the quickest pie filling. While the Swedish-American version most commonly uses apples, smulpaj incorporates a wider variety of fruits, including blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, and rhubarb. You could top it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, but the Swedish way to do it is to finish with a vanilla cream sauce.