Freeform Honey Walnut Pie
Freeform Honey Walnut Pie: egg-free, nutty, baklava-inspired dessert with a scalable recipe - make a whole pie or half!
Servings: 10
Calories: 482kcal
Equipment
- Baking sheet or pizza pan
- Pastry brush
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 pie crusts (a double batch of my Homemade Pie Crust recipe)
- ¾ cup honey (252 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (5 grams)
- 2 cups walnuts (240 grams; finely chopped)
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons honey (42 grams)
- 4 teaspoons water (20 grams)
Instructions
- Use a baking sheet or pizza pan with a rim, and line the entire surface with parchment paper to protect the surface from leakage.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the honey, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir in the walnuts.
- Roll out one pie crust into a 9- or 10-inch circle. Transfer it to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the filling on the pie crust, leaving a 1-inch border clear along the edges.
Seal the Pie
- Roll out your second pie crust into a circle to fit the bottom crust.
- Wet the edges of both pie crusts with water, then line up the wet edges of the top and bottom crusts. Press firmly to seal.
- Fold the bottom edge up so it's on top, and press the seams of the crust into the top crust, to seal.
- Use your fingertips to make a decorative pattern to the edge crust, if desired. Do not make the dough too thin, however, or the pie may leak.
Glaze and Bake
- Combine 2 tablespoons honey and 2 teaspoons in the same mixing bowl you used for filling, mixing until combined.
- Brush half of the glaze over the pie, including the edge crust. Try not to let it pool in the thinner crimped parts of the dough, though.
- Refrigerate the pie for 15 minutes.
- Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes. Check the pie at 20 minutes, and remove if it's started to leak so the syrup doesn't scorch. Otherwise, bake until golden brown.
- Remove from oven, and immediately brush with the remaining honey glaze. Cool before cutting.
- Store at room temperature. The pie is best eaten within 1-2 days after baking. The crust will soften after that, although leftovers will still be delicious.
Notes
Use a baking sheet or pizza pan that has a rim, and line it entirely with parchment, in case the pie leaks.
If leaks happen, the crust edges will caramelize and be extra delicious, but remove the pie early so the syrup doesn't scorch. The parchment should protect the pan to minimize cleanup. If the syrup does get on the pan, soak it in water early; the syrup is just honey and sugar, and should clean easily in water if not baked on.
I always use a double batch of my Homemade Pie Crust. You can use two storebought crusts; choose ones that need to be unrolled, and not ones that are in pie tins already.
Pecans would work in place of walnuts. Pistachios would be extra delicious substituted for part of the walnuts. If using hard nuts like almonds, be sure they are very finely chopped.
If you run out of honey, you can use agave, corn syrup, or sorghum; the flavor will change. Sorghum is very strong; add brown sugar instead of granulated if using milder agave or corn syrup. Maple syrup may work, but may be runny.
You can skip adding granulated sugar without increasing the honey, but I found the texture of the filling was a little more gooey with sugar included.
If you can't use lemon juice, try a bit of orange juice.
Since the pie crust is unsweetened, DO NOT skip the honey glaze.
Inspired by a recipe for Honey Nut Wedges from Better Homes and Gardens in 2003 or 2004.
Recipe developed using weight measurements, not volume.
Calorie count calculated in MyNetDiary and is an estimate only. It assumes use of my Homemade Pie Crust recipe, and that the pie is cut into 10 wedges.
Nutrition
Calories: 482kcal
