Apple and Walnut Pizza with Honey and Brie

Are you a pizza lover? Why not try a sweet slice instead? This apple and walnut pizza (really a pie) is simply delightful. The crisp pastry, tender apple filling and toasted walnuts combine into a flavour that feels like a small piece of heaven—comforting, fragrant and surprisingly elegant.

Why a Walnut Pizza?

Walnuts and apples are a classic pairing. I grew up watching my mum make apple strudel, always folding in walnuts for crunch and depth. Toasted walnuts add a warm, nutty note that complements the sweet, tart apples perfectly. I’ve never been very keen on the cheese-and-raisin version of apple pastries, but the apple-and-walnut combination has always been my favourite.

My real weakness is pastry—Danish, pies, tarts, any home-baked pastry whether sweet or savoury. Give me flaky layers and buttery crumbs, and I’m a very happy person.

There’s a fun reason I’m sharing this pie now: it’s Pi Day. On March 14 (3.14), it’s a great excuse to bake a pie in honour of the mathematical constant π. My pie may not look like the Greek letter, but both pie and π share the same shape: the circle. So slice away and celebrate.

Are walnuts good for us?

Walnuts are a wonderful snack. They’re rich in healthy unsaturated fats, and provide antioxidants, protein, vitamins and minerals. Because their oils are unsaturated, walnuts can go rancid faster than many other nuts if exposed to light, heat or air, so it’s best to store them carefully and use them while they’re fresh.

Note: Among common nuts, walnuts and pecans tend to turn rancid more quickly than others, followed by Brazil nuts, then peanuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews and hazelnuts.

Can I freeze apple and walnut pizza?

Yes. You can freeze the unbaked pie or bake it partway, then freeze for later. If possible, add the walnuts fresh when you bake the pie to preserve their crunchy texture and flavour; they can lose quality when frozen inside a finished filling.

Why I Prefer Whole Walnuts

Ready-shelled walnuts from the supermarket often lack freshness. In my experience, pre-shelled kernels can taste stale or even rancid because they’ve been exposed to air and light. For that reason I usually buy whole walnuts and shell them as needed. If you have access to freshly shelled walnuts or buy them straight from a trusted source, that works well too—freshness makes a big difference.

When you store walnuts in their shells and crack only what you need, the kernels retain their flavour and texture much better. If you buy shelled walnuts, check aroma and taste before using them, as bruising or heat exposure can affect quality quickly.

Now, let’s get this apple and walnut pizza into the oven. Below is the streamlined recipe with clear ingredients and step-by-step instructions so you can recreate this lovely dessert at home.

Apple and walnut pizza

This apple and walnut pizza (a pie, really) is crisp on the outside and soft inside. The apple and walnut filling is warm, fragrant and lightly spiced—perfect served warm with a dusting of icing sugar or a scoop of ice cream.

Course: Dessert, Snack, Tea Time

Cuisine: Home, World Cuisine

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Resting Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 810 kcal

Author: Ramona Sebastian

Equipment

ovenproof dish (20–22 cm)
parchment paper
glass bowl
knife and chopping board
rolling pin
food processor or blender
baking beans (or pie weights)

Ingredients

180 g flour (I used half white, half wholemeal)
100 g cold butter, cut into small cubes
20 g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 egg yolk (organic if possible)
1 kg apples, peeled and cored (organic if available)
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
170 g sugar (adjust to taste)
1 tsp rum essence
2 tbsp semolina
80 g walnuts, toasted, plus a few halves for decoration

Instructions

Prepare a 20–22 cm ovenproof dish: grease it and set aside.
To make the pastry, place the flour, icing sugar and cold butter into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the egg yolk and one tablespoon of water. Pulse to combine, adding a little more water if needed until the dough comes together.
Turn the dough into a bowl, knead briefly, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
While the dough rests, peel and core the apples, then cut them into chunks. Pulse the apple chunks a few times in the food processor until roughly minced and transfer them to a frying pan in batches if necessary.
Chop the walnuts, reserving a few halves for the top. Toast the chopped walnuts briefly—about 1 minute—then set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (375°F). Cook the minced apples with the sugar over medium heat for about 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the cinnamon, toasted walnuts and rum essence. Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool slightly.
Roll out the chilled pastry on a floured surface to about ½ cm thickness, shape it to fit your oven dish and press it into the base.
Line the pastry with parchment paper, fill with baking beans and blind-bake for 8–10 minutes so the base sets but does not puff up too much. Remove parchment and baking beans carefully.
Sprinkle the semolina evenly over the pastry base, then spread the apple and walnut filling across the base.
If you have leftover pastry, cut strips and arrange them on top in a lattice or other design. Scatter the reserved walnut halves on top.
Bake for about 20 minutes at 180°C (355°F) until the pastry is golden and the filling is set. Serve warm or cold with a dusting of icing sugar and a scoop of ice cream if you like.

Notes

I used 170 g sugar because the apples were quite sweet and I prefer the filling not overly sweet. Taste the cooked apples and add more sugar if needed.
Buy whole walnuts if you can, and shell them as needed. The oils in walnuts make them prone to bruising and rancidity if handled roughly. Freshly cracked walnuts will taste best.

Nutrition (per whole recipe)

Tried this recipe? If you make it, share a photo and enjoy—this apple and walnut pie is especially lovely when served warm.