This delicious vegan apple pie has tender, jammy bits of apple cuddled within a crispy, flaky, golden vegan pie crust. Serve by itself or topped with vegan vanilla ice cream for a cozy, all-American dessert!
If you love some vegan pie, be sure to try vegan strawberry pie or vegan pecan pie.
That’s the best apple pie I’ve ever eaten! If those are the words you would like to hear when your family and friends dig into dessert, this vegan apple pie recipe is all you need.
The pie has a crispy, perfectly flaky crust, and the apples within cook up perfectly jammy and juicy with the heady flavor of cinnamon, cardamom and ginger woven through.
I’ve been making this apple pie for years and I’ve assembled my best tips and tricks for you here. This is a dessert that always brings oohs and aahs from guests, including those who are assuredly not vegan. It’s cozy and comforting and delicious, and the only problem you might run into is that everyone will want more. But then that’s a good problem to have.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this vegan apple pie
- The perfect homestyle dessert. Apple pie is synonymous with comfort food, and this vegan apple pie lives up to that ideal, and how! It is comforting, delicious and utterly satisfying.
- Classic vegan apple pie. Although this recipe is vegan, it really captures all of the flavor and nostalgia of the classic apple pie. That’s because apart from using vegan butter we stay pretty true to a traditional apple pie recipe.
- Delicious flavors and textures. The cardamom, ginger and cinnamon infuse the apples with a delicate sweetness and aroma. The juices thicken and gel perfectly so there’s no liquid pooling at the bottom of the pie plate: a problem that plagues so many fruit pie recipes. The texture of the soft filling plays perfectly with the contrasting texture of the crispy, flaky crust.
- Soy-free and nut-free recipe. You can make this recipe with a gluten-free pie crust.
Ingredients
- Two vegan pie crusts. You can use my vegan pie crust recipe or use storebought pie crust.
- Apples. I used just golden delicious apples this time, although I also love a combination of golden delicious apples and pink lady apples in my apple pie. They play together beautifully and result in a filling that holds its shape. You can choose from a variety of apples that work well in apple pie, including Granny Smith, honey crisp and gala apples.
- Spices: The combination of cardamom, cinnamon and ginger creates the perfect warmth and flavor in this vegan apple pie filling. You can replace the cardamom with nutmeg, if you like, or use cinnamon alone in the filling.
- Cornstarch or tapioca starch. The starch helps the juices that the apples release during baking to thicken. Don’t use more than a quarter cup, though, because you don’t want the filling to taste starchy and gummy.
- Sugar. Use any granulated sugar. I like the richness turbinado sugar or coconut sugar add to this filling, but cane sugar is perfectly good too.
- Lemon juice and zest. Adding the juice of ½ a lemon to the filling will help keep the apples from browning. The juice and the zest also add a pop of unexpected, fresh flavor to the filling.
How to make the perfect vegan apple pie
Roll out the bottom crust of the apple pie and carefully lift it into the plate. You can fold the dough once, transfer to the pie plate, and unfold. Tuck any overhanging edges under and flute or crimp the edges with your fingers or with a fork. Place the pie plate in the fridge while you make the filling.
Place the sliced apples in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix.
Add the remaining filling ingredients to the bowl–sugar, corn starch, ground cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
Mix the filling ingredients with a ladle or spatula. Make sure there is no dry flour in the bowl. Set the filling aside for 15 minutes.
Pour the apple filling mixture with any juices into the pie pan. Spread evenly. Prepare the top crust. You can either do a lattice top (see FAQs for directions), or just place the rolled-out crust on top of the filling, tuck the edges under the bottom crust and flute or crimp the edges to seal them, then cut four vents in the center with a knife for the hot air to escape as the pie bakes. Place the assembled pie in the freezer for 15 minutes.
While the pie is chilling, position a rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
Place the chilled apple pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices that escape during baking and place on the oven rack. At this point you can add a tablespoon of nondairy milk to the bowl that contained the filling and mix it with any residual juices stuck to the bottom of the bowl. Mix and brush the juices on the top crust for a lovely, golden-brown color.
Bake the apple pie for 30 minutes. Then turn down the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius. Continue baking 35 to 45 minutes until the juices are bubbling through the vents and the crust is golden brown. Remove the baked pie to a cooling rack and cool at least 6 hours or overnight. Then slice and serve!
Tips for success
- Keep the pie dough cool. This will keep the larger bits of vegan butter in the pie dough from melting as you work with it. You want the butter to melt in the oven, creating flaky little pockets of crunchiness. Roll out the dough on a cool surface like a stone or marble countertop, pr a metal baking sheet turned upside down, and chill the pie dough, then the shell and then the whole pie for a few minutes each before baking.
- Slice the apples evenly. You can cut the apples lengthwise, into ¼-inch thick slices, or you can halve each slice, like I did. But making sure the slices are uniformly sized will ensure everything cooks at the same time.
- Bake the pie on a rack in the lower third of the oven. This will ensure the filling cooks thoroughly without the top crust burning or browning too much. No need for a pie shield!
- Use a deep-dish pie pan. Use a pie pan or pie dish that is 10 inches wide and 2 inches deep. There are seven apples in this pie, which is quite a lot. They will reduce in size as they bake and release their juices, but you still need a pie pan big enough to hold all that goodness in.
- Cool the pie thoroughly. It’s so tempting to eat that pie right away, I understand, but be patient. Let the pie cool at least six hours or overnight so the juices will thicken up nicely.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. If you are using organic apples and want to keep the skins on, you can. Keep in mind some apple varieties have tougher skins, so preferably choose an apple with a softer skin that will bake up tender.
To make a lattice top, roll out the pie crust to the diameter of the top of the pie plate. Cut into 12 strips. Then place six strips over the pie, using the shorter sides for the edges of the plate. Roll three alternating strips all the way back and place a strip of pie dough crosswise. Then unroll the strips you had rolled back and roll back the other three alternating strips. Place another ribbon of dough crosswise, and so on, until you’ve used up all 12 strips. Tuck any overhanging dough from the strips underneath and pinch in the seams.
Here’s a simple way to get a gorgeous, golden-brown crust. After you add the filling to the pie crust, don’t throw the bowl into the sink. It will still have a little bit of residual juices that will pool to the bottom of the bowl. Add in a splash of 1 tablespoon nondairy milk, mix, and brush the mixture on the top pie crust. The sugars in the juices will caramelize in the oven, giving your pie a lovely, golden-brown color, and you just avoided waste!
To make a gorgeous and extremely easy apple pie without a top crust, try this stunning vegan French apple tart.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Store the vegan apple pie in the fridge for up to six days.
- Freeze: You can freeze the filling and the pie crust separately for up to three months, then thaw in the fridge and assemble before baking. Or freeze the assembled but unbaked pie for up to three months. You can also freeze the baked pie for up to three months. Thaw and warm in the oven before serving.
More delicious vegan pie recipes
Vegan Apple Pie
This delicious vegan apple pie has tender, jammy bits of apple cuddled within a crispy, flaky, golden vegan pie crust. Serve by itself or topped with vegan vanilla ice cream for a cozy, all-American dessert!
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Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 413kcal
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Instructions
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Roll out the bottom crust of the apple pie and carefully lift it into the plate. You can fold the dough once, transfer to the pie plate, and unfold. Tuck any overhanging edges under and flute or crimp the edges with your fingers or with a fork. Place the pie plate in the fridge while you make the filling.
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Place the sliced apples in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix.
-
Add the remaining filling ingredients to the bowl–sugar, corn starch, ground cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
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Mix the filling ingredients with a ladle or spatula. Make sure there is no dry flour in the bowl. Set the filling aside for 15 minutes.
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Pour the filling into the pie pan along with any juices that have expressed from the apples. Spread evenly.
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Prepare the top crust. You can either do a lattice top, like this one (see FAQs for directions), or just place the rolled-out crust on top of the filling, tuck the edges under the bottom crust and flute or crimp the edges to seal them, then cut four vents in the center with a knife for the hot air to escape as the pie bakes. Place the pie in the freezer for 15 minutes.
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While the pie is chilling, position a rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
-
Place the chilled apple pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices that escape during baking and place on the oven rack. At this point you can add a tablespoon of nondairy milk to the bowl that contained the filling and mix it with any residual juices stuck to the bottom of the bowl. Mix and brush the juices on the top crust for a lovely, golden-brown color.
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Bake the apple pie for 30 minutes. Then turn down the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius. Continue baking 35 to 45 minutes until the juices are bubbling through the vents and the crust is golden brown.
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Remove the baked pie to a cooling rack and cool at least 6 hours or overnight. Then slice and serve!
Recipe notes
- Refrigerate: Store the vegan apple pie in the fridge for up to six days.
- Freeze: You can freeze the filling and the pie crust separately for up to three months, then thaw in the fridge and assemble before baking. Or freeze the assembled but unbaked pie for up to three months. You can also freeze the baked pie for up to three months. Thaw and warm in the oven before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 265mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg