Genius: Gluten Free Pies

Genius Gluten Free Pie Review

I first locked eyes with the Genius gluten free pies at the Gluten Free Expo 2015. It’s been so long know I can’t remember if I had seen them in stores before that moment. I knew that I really wanted to try them and when they told me it was four items for $20 I was sold. You see I’d already picked up their crumpets.

The Genius  gluten free pies come in three flavours, two savory and one sweet. They are all vegetarian varieties. They are currently are available in Vegetable Curry, Chilli Bean and Apple Pie. All three pies I found had to be cooked for ten to fifteen minutes over the recommended cooking time on the packaging. They are sold in packs of two for around $7.99, when compared to other gluten free pies in the stores, it is an average price.

Gluten Free Vegetable Curry Pie

 

Vegetable Curry Pie

I tried the vegetable curry pie first; the pastry was powdery and the thin top piece was slightly crumbly. The sides of the pie were thicker and didn’t crumble as much. There wasn’t a strong curry flavour in the pie however there was an overpowering and distinct taste, almost sharp and herby. I found this slightly off-putting and after some thought I believe it was the taste of frozen and re-cooked capsicum. In saying that I love eating both cooked and raw capsicum, I think it is only the frozen and reheated flavour that puts me off. I have heard other people say that they really enjoy the pies so it all comes down to personal preference. The filling itself has, carrot cubes, peas, potato, spinach and capsicum. When I eat the second pie I personally might add some extra curry sauce to kick it up a notch and hopefully it will cover the capsicum taste. If like me you can’t stomach the taste of frozen capsicum then maybe avoid this pie and try the Chilli Bean instead.

Chilli Bean Gluten Free Vegetarian Pie

 

Chilli Bean Pie

The Chilli Bean pie I found to be more to my taste. It was hearty and packed full of beans and thick gravy. Again I wouldn’t class it as a particularly spicy pie; but we know that I do love my chilli so it may be spicy to someone else. The pastry was similar in consistency to the vegetable curry pie, the thin top layer was crumbly and the sides were thicker and beautiful. There was still a powdery texture to the pastry though. Due to my previous experience I already prepared myself to cook it longer, to avoid disappointment over the time frame. There was no weird taste to the filling and when I was scooping up some tomato sauce to have with each bite I almost felt entirely normal. This is a wonderful option for those looking for a hearty type of pie without the beef. Of course this isn’t the pie for you if you don’t like or can’t tolerate beans.

Gluten Free Apple Pie

 

Apple Pie

I don’t know why it took me so long before I got around to trying the final pie in the range; that being the Apple Pie. I would like to disclose at this point in time; that this is my first ever apple pie. After taking a few bites I turned to the world of social media, exclaiming my new found knowledge of why people love a warm apple pie and ice cream so much. As it was my first ever apple pie, my opinion is slightly bias, so I turned to a traditional apple pie loving guy. Brody thought that the pastry was a little chewy and he told me that he could tell it was gluten free; but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The filling he described as being the standard stewed apple of any apple pie. It was just sweet enough and gooey enough for his liking. I thought he was absolutely crazy, the filling was delicious, syrupy and full of apple chunky goodness. He was right that it was just sweet enough though and paired with cool melting vanilla ice cream it was an artful sensation in my mouth. I didn’t think the pastry was chewy, but then again I’m probably used to it. The top layer wasn’t as thin as it had been on the savoury flavours and it didn’t seem to be as dry and crumbled a little less.

I wish someone had mentioned to me how amazing apple pie was before now; I could have been enjoying gluten free apple pies for years. Thankfully that is in the past and now I know, so I won’t be hesitant to devour one in the future.

I guess the big question is would I pay the retail price of $7.99? I probably wouldn’t spend that much on the Vegetable Curry pies as they didn’t suit my liking, however for the Chilli Bean pies I could justify it every once in a while. As I mentioned at the start most gluten free pies sit at around the $3.99 to $4.99 price range, so the price is pretty standard. The apple pies were sensational so I can definitely see myself paying the price for those in the future. Thankfully I don’t eat dessert as often as every night or my wallet would probably start crying.

If you’ve picked these up an tried them, what did you think? Perhaps I just got a bad batch of the vegetable curry pies and should give them another shot later on down the track. Please let me know which was your favourite and do share any apple pie products or recipe you have. I think I’ve found a new obsession.

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Until Next Time;

Ashlee; The Aussie Coeliac.

4 thoughts on “Genius: Gluten Free Pies

  1. Thankyou for your review. I am just heating the curry pie for my son not sure if he will like it and I’ll heat it for that little bit longer… and definitely will try the bean pie and the apple pie.

    1. Hi Sandra;
      I have found personally found these pies located in the freezer section of Coles stores. However I have found that the best way to find your local stockist is to ask them via their facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/GeniusAustralia/

      Thank you for reading and commenting. If there is anything else I can help with please let me know.
      -Ashlee

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