Making blueberry pie without sugar?

giftmerain
giftmerain Posts: 14 Member
in Recipes
Hello,

I'm looking for a way to make blueberry pie without sugar, and also without dairy products or eggs. I'm in the middle of a "challenge" so to speak, and I've been doing quite alright without sugar, but now I can't get blueberry pie out of my head.
It doesn't have to be made in a conventional way, obviously, but I'm not very experienced with baking. Would a banana help sweeten it up? How would that work and how should one incorporate it?

Thank you in advance!

Replies

  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,464 Member
    edited March 2021
    Would a blueberry crisp work? I have made one with no sugar in the berries, but I put sugar in the crisp mixture.
    Do you mean no added sweetener, like honey or maple syrup, too?
    Maybe you could incorporate applesauce or banana in the crisp somehow?
    Have you ever used apple fiber in cooking? I’m not sure I’d like that in it, but maybe?

    https://www.oatmealwithafork.com/cinnamon-spiced-blueberry-pie-bars-oil-free-no-sugar-added/
  • giftmerain
    giftmerain Posts: 14 Member
    corinasue1143 wrote: »
    Would a blueberry crisp work? I have made one with no sugar in the berries, but I put sugar in the crisp mixture.
    Do you mean no added sweetener, like honey or maple syrup, too?
    Maybe you could incorporate applesauce or banana in the crisp somehow?
    Have you ever used apple fiber in cooking? I’m not sure I’d like that in it, but maybe?

    That could work, yes! As said, I don't know much about baking, but that's alright.

    I don't have any sugar at home, and no syrup (and I don't intend to buy any). I do have some honey, so if I absolutely need to add something I suppose I could add that.

    I have never used apple fiber in cooking, no, I'm not sure what exactly that is :joy:
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,100 Member
    Without knowing what strict rules you're trying to follow, perhaps another sweetening option would be apple juice concentrate? You can buy concentrate frozen, or cook down apple juice or cider to a concentrate yourself. (I wonder if "apple fiber" in the PP was a typo for "apple cider".)

    All of these natural sweeteners we've mentioned are chemically the same as sugar, more or less, though. Sometimes people bake with non-calorie sweeteners (natural or artificial), but I can't comment on those: Don't use them because most of them taste "off" to me, and I don't avoid sugar (while I don't eat much of it)

    Or, if you're open to the unconventional, you could do something like an apple-banana mixture in something like a pastry made with coconut oil instead of butter, for example.

    My usual feeling about cooking is: Experiment. What's the worst that could happen? 😉

    A great way to become an experienced, maybe even skilled, cook is to try stuff, fail, and learn from it. In 50 years or so of cooking/baking (I'm 65), I've failed *a lot*, and learned some stuff, too.
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    For blueberries I think you'll have to add a sweetener of some kind, because they'll probably taste really, really tart without it. Some fruits are so naturally sweet you can get away with reducing sugar, sometimes by a lot, but I don't think blueberries are a good candidate for that. The banana could work, is very naturally sweet, and could also give some of that syrupy texture once they're cooked, which is one of the best things about pie, in my opinion. I would probably mash it and add the blueberries. Maybe a little cinnamon and nutmeg, too. A little cornstarch or flour could absorb any excess liquid so your bottom crust doesn't get soggy, which is standard in many fruit pie recipes (sometimes bakers pre-cook the filling too, but I typically don't.)

    I don't ever use eggs in pie crust (sometimes I brush a beaten egg on before baking to make it look nice and shiny, though). I actually don't typically use butter either - I use lard. Which isn't what people think of when they think "healthy," but it is dairy free, and creates a very flaky crust. It's also easy to handle for inexperienced bakers and forgiving. You can experiment, but pie crust is one of those things I feel very strongly should be made right, so that's how I'm going to recommend it!

  • giftmerain
    giftmerain Posts: 14 Member
    Thank you all for the suggestions! Guess I will have to experiment :wink:

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