My family members were never big fans of cake; they loved pies. In fact they usually prefered pie for birthdays. With very little effort you can make healthier desserts. For example, by using just a bottom crust, you cut the fat and white flour content by 50%!

Ingredients

  • One 9-inch deep dish vegetarian frozen pie crust (or use your own recipe and press into a 10-inch pie plate.
  • 1 can red tart pitted cherries or dark pitted cherries in water (drain water and save for filling)
  • ½ cup dried cranberries (soak in hot water for 10 minutes then drain well)
  • 2 cooking apples, washed, peeled and diced (you can leave the skins on if you want the pie to be chewier)
  • ½ cup sweetening (honey, real maple syrup, brown sugar)
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch (I use organic nonGMO)
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp almond flavoring

Preparation

Place liquid drained from canned cherries in a measuring cup and add water to equal 1 cup. (You can also use 2 cups of fresh pitted pie cherries and 1 cup of water.)

Place liquid-water in a saucepan and stir in sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixtures boils and thickens. Remove from heat.

Add cherries, apples, cranberries, and almond extract. Mix gently.

Pour into pie crust and cover loosely with a square of tin foil.

Place pie on a cook sheet in oven preheated to 400º F. and immediately turn heat down to 325º F.

Bake for 60 minutes. Remove tin foil. Bake another 10 minutes to let pastry edges brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool at least an hour before serving so filling can gel.

Serving

Cut into eight wedges and serve. Enjoy.