If you have never heard of, much less tried, Green Tomato Pie, it tastes so similar to apple pie that you might not even know the difference! It's a great way to use up all those garden tomatoes so none of them go to waste!
We have really been enjoying using green tomatoes this year as a way of keeping up with a bumper crop of tomatoes in our garden. If you have lots of green tomatoes too, you might also want to try Fried Green Tomatoes or Green Tomato Strawberry Jalapeno Jam!
One of the most popular recipes on House of Nash Eats every year is my southern tomato pie. It's one of the first things we always make when our tomatoes come one, and it's savory and wonderful if you have never tried one.
So when we were enjoying our first tomato pie of the season a few weeks ago and talking about all the things to make with tomatoes, the idea of a green tomato pie using the sour/tart green tomatoes popped into my head and I just couldn't shake it.
The acidic, unripe tomatoes mellow and soften as they cook, much like tart apples, and a quick google search revealed that, yes indeed, you CAN make a pie from green tomatoes! So that's precisely what we did!
Why make apple pie with green tomatoes instead of apples?
Mock apple pies have been an American tradition for generations! Some are made with ritz crackers or saltines. My friend Carlee has one made with sliced zucchini instead of apples. In the Little House on the Prairie books, Caroline Ingalls makes one with a green pumpkin. So why not green tomatoes?
Whether your garden is overrun with tomatoes or it's late in the season and the weather turns cool before all of the tomatoes can ripen on the vine, green tomato pie is the answer. When we have more ripe tomatoes than we can handle, I like to "thin out" our tomato plants by picking the green tomatoes before they have a chance to ripen and using them for baking!
Truth be told, this pie was an experiment for us, but one with a happy outcome. Not all my first-try recipes make it to the blog, but this one is definitely a keeper and I can definitely see us making this again when we are overwhelmed with fresh tomato dishes and looking for a change of pace!
Everybody loved it and although I could tell a difference between green tomato pie and classic apple, Paul said he didn't notice it at all. I would love to know if you try this whether you notice any difference between the two.
To me, this is slightly more tangy and the texture is every so slightly different. But there is a strong chance that this was all in my head since I was the one who made it and knew what went into it, so I'm curious to hear about other's experiences.
How to make green tomato pie
- Start out by making a double-crust pie crust and rolling out the bottom crust. Use it to line a 9-inch pie plate (affiliate link), while setting the top crust aside in the fridge to stay cold while you make the filling.
- For the filling, wash and slice the green tomatoes into thin slices, just like you would would apples if you were making apple pie. We didn't peel or deseed the tomatoes and didn't have any problems with the filling not setting up. Toss them with flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then dump them (and any liquid coming off of them) into your pie crust, spreading the filling into an even layer.
- Roll out the top pie crust and gently lift it to cover the pie filling. Trim and crimp the edges, then brush the top with an egg wash so it bakes up nice and golden brown. We sprinkled the top of our pie crust with sanding sugar for sparkle and crunch that was very nice on this green tomato pie.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown on top. You may want to use a pie guard around the edges of the pie to protect them from getting too dark. Let the pie cool completely before slicing! This is the hardest part because it smells so darn good! But the filling needs to cool down all the way so that it can set up. If you slice right the pie while it is still warm it will be all soupy. You can always reheat for 10 minutes in a 375 degree F oven or put individual slices in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Like apple pie, this green tomato pie is fantastic served a la mode. You can go with plain vanilla, or branch out and try this with a scoop of Maple Walnut. Next time I make this, I want to have caramel sauce with it to drizzle over the top!
Making homemade pie crust from scratch
While you could certainly just buy refrigerated pie crusts from the store to use for this recipe, it's so much better when it's homemade. Use my perfect pie crust recipe for the best crust of your life and watch me show you how in this video tutorial I posted on my YouTube channel.
More delicious pie recipes
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Sour Cream Raisin Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Blueberry Pie
- Indiana Sugar Cream Pie
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie
- Southern Peach Pie Perfection
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Green Tomato Pie
Ingredients
- 1 [double-crust pie crust recipe]
- 5-6 cups green tomatoes about 5-6 raw, unripe, green tomatoes about 2 pounds
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make the pie crust and roll out the bottom crust. Line a 9-inch pie plate (affiliate link) with the bottom crust, then set aside. Refrigerate the top crust while making the filling.
- Wash the green tomatoes and slice them thin, like you would apples for apple pie.
- In a large bowl, combine the sliced tomatoes, brown sugar, flour, vinegar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Toss well to evenly coat the tomatoes, then transfer the filling to the pie crust along with any accumulated juices.
- Roll out the top crust and gently lay it across the top of the pie filling. Trim and crimp the edges of the crust. Brush the crust with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown on top. You may need to cover the edges of the crust with a pie guard to keep them from browning too much.
- Cool completely so the filling can set up before slicing and serving.
I am a 71 year old home maker and had just put out a call to friends to see if anyone had idea's for using the plethora of green tomatoes from my garden...then I found this recipe. My mom used to make a green tomatoe/mock apple pie. She also used ritz crackers sometimes. It was exactly the same as what I see in your recipe....easy, sliced no deseeding....all the steps other recipes had...too much work for me. I am going to try this today...I am so excited to try this. LIke a taste of home back in the 50's and 60's.
Has anyone tried bottling this (tomato pie filling) 🤷♀️ ~ I have about a hundred pounds of green tomatoes & looking for different ways to preserve them ie: mincemeat pie filling, enchilada sauce & jams. Becky@skish.net if you have any ideas 👍
Apple cider vinegar is on the ingredients list, but I don’t see it in the recipe. Does it go in the filling?
It goes in with the filling and serves a similar purpose as if you were to use lemon juice, which would be an acceptable substitute.
Being I have never had green tomato pie, I was curious. Should the tomatoes be soft or have a little crunch to them when finished? Mine had a little crunch to them, kinda chewy. Other than that, everyone enjoyed it. I was afraid to cook the pie any longer. Didn't want to ruin the crust. Thanks!
Rich.
They keep a little texture rather than being mushy. If you prefer, you could cook the filling down a bit before baking to soften them even more. I'm glad you liked it!
Can this pie be frozen or will the tomatoes become too watery?
I haven't tried freezing this one as written. I think it would do better to cook the filling a bit first, which will draw out the liquid and thicken it. Then let it cool, add to the pie crust, and the whole thing should freeze just fine.
I have over 50 sliced in the freezer. Im trying it.
Ha ha go for it! It's so good!