Apple Pie with Egg Custard Topping

Sep 3, 2026

It’s the season for gorgeous English apples. What better excuse – if you need one - could there be for tucking into a freshly baked apple tart? And while we’re at it, why not top the whole damn thing with a rich, creamy, egg custard?

Doesn’t sound too shabby does it? 

The other good news is that low carb, grain free pastry made with almond flour is every bit as delicious as standard wheat pastry - imho. In fact I’d venture to say it tastes even better. Admittedly it isn’t quite as simple to roll out and mould into the tart dish as wheat pastry but who cares? This isn’t the Bake Off. No-one will see your pastry base once it’s covered all over with a generous layer of spicy apples and custard. You’ll be too busy scoffing it still warm from the oven to care.

This pud takes a little time to prep and cook but it’s so worth it. 

Pastry Base (for 20 cm ovenproof tart dish)
150g almond flour
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tbsp sweetener*
1 beaten egg
20g melted butter

Apple Mix
2 medium sized apples cored and thinly sliced
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp milled sweetener sweetener*

Egg Custard
2 eggs
60ml crème fraiche 
60ml Greek yogurt
3 tbsp milled sweetener*
1 tsp vanilla paste
½ tsp nutmeg powder

*Natural sweetener options could include xylitol, erythritol, allulose. I used erythritol brown sugar replacement for this recipe. I milled it to icing sugar consistency. See Alternative Sweeteners page for more info. Each sweetener will have slightly different levels of sweetness. Adjust to taste.

Method for the pastry
Pre heat the oven Gas Mark 4/180C
Put almond flour, ginger, and sweetener into a bowl and mix well.
Melt the butter over a gentle heat in a saucepan.
Beat the egg in a bowl and add the melted butter to it. Give the mix a quick stir.
Gradually add the egg and butter into the flour, mixing it in well.
As the pastry starts to form and come together, use your hand to bring it into a ball. If it needs a little more almond flour or melted butter at this stage, to bring it to a good pastry consistency for rolling out, add it now.
Put a little melted butter around the inside of your tart dish.
To roll out the pastry, put it between 2 large sheets of baking paper.
Once the pastry is rolled out evenly and large enough to cover the tart dish, remove the top sheet of paper. Put the bowl onto the middle of the rolled pastry and flip the dish and the pastry over.  Then gently remove the baking paper.
Don’t worry if the pastry breaks a little as you try and get it into the tart dish. Almond pastry is not as pliable, nor as easy to handle as wheat pastry. Usually the tart base has to be patched up. All you have to do is ensure that the dish is evenly covered with pastry, including the sides. It doesn’t need to look neat. 
Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes until the pastry starts to brown.

Method for the apples
Melt the butter in a medium sized pan.
Add the sweetener, ginger and cinnamon and vanilla paste and stir in well.
Put in the apple slices and stir the spice butter over the apple to ensure the slices have a covering of the mixture.
Lay the slices into the tart base in a circle until the layers are almost at the top of the tart.

Method for egg custard
Beat the eggs in a bowl and stir in the crème fraiche, yogurt, sweetener, vanilla past and nutmeg thoroughly.
Spread the custard evenly over the top of the tart.

Cook for approximately 45 minutes, checking frequently to ensure that the pastry is not overcooking.
At some point before the egg custard sets, you will probably need to cover the tart with foil to stop the pastry from getting burned.
As soon as the custard has set, remove from the oven and let it stand a little while.
Serve warm or chilled with Greek yogurt, crème fraiche or cream.