Want to make a show-stopping apple pie…that’s vegan? It’s 100% possible…and delicious. Meet this Classic Vegan Apple Pie! No one would guess that this pie is fully made of plants, because it’s so satisfying. A flaky, golden crust encloses a filling that’s so full of cozy spiced flavor, you won’t want the bite to end. Many of our meals are plant-based around here, so we thought it would be fun to try a vegan spin on our Best Apple Pie. Here are all the tips and tricks for making the most classic apple pie…with no butter to speak of. Another great vegan apple dessert? Try Vegan Apple Crisp.
The key to vegan apple pie: vegan pie crust!
The key to this vegan apple pie is vegan pie crust! Turns out, apple pie filling is easy to make with just sugar and spices. Where you need a little help is the buttery pie crust! You can use either coconut oil or vegan butter as a butter substitute in this pastry crust. Here’s what to know about each:
Coconut oil vegan pie crust (preferred): The pastry comes out beautifully crisp and crunchy! We recommend using refined coconut oil, which has less of a coconut-y flavor. This is our preferred method because it’s very consistent. Vegan butter pie crust (optional): The pastry comes out flaky with a little more of a savory, buttery flavor than coconut oil. The exact texture and flavor depends on the brand of vegan butter and what it’s made of. When you’re shopping for vegan butter, check the ingredient lists and find one that is minimally processed with real food ingredients. We like Miyoko’s Vegan Butter, which is made with mostly cashews and coconut: it happens to be organic, too.
Equipment you need for this vegan apple pie recipe
Outside of the butter substitute, making vegan apple pie is exactly the same as standard apple pie! The required equipment is simply a standard pie plate and a rolling pin. But a few additional items can be helpful to this recipe:
Standard pie plate: Use a standard 9-inch pie plate, not a deep dish pie plate! If you have one, a metal pie plate can help the bottom crust to come out crispier. Pastry cloth and rolling pin cover: These can help to avoid sticking when you’re rolling out the dough. If you don’t have one, dust your work surface and rolling pin generously with flour as you go. Food scale: In baking it’s helpful to weigh flour because it can change based on environmental conditions. If you don’t have one, just measure the flour in cups and adjust the water as needed.
Variation: vegan apple crumble
Feeling overwhelmed by the process? Here’s an idea: make a Vegan Apple Crumble instead! Apple crumble has a very similar flavor to this apple pie, and it’s loads easier to make. No dough rolling or lattice work necessary! But want to keep going? Keep reading…
Best apple for pie: Granny Smith!
What are the best apples for apple pie? We’re glad you asked. First off: if you can, use organic apples. Apples are one of the best fruits to buy organic due to the way that pesticides are used (see the Dirty Dozen list for more). Our favorite type of apple to use for pie is Granny Smith. It’s got the perfect crisp texture and sweet tart flavor. It’s what we recommend hands down. If you prefer using another apple, here are our favorites in order of preference:
Granny Smith Pink Lady Honeycrisp Jonathon or Jonagold Ida Red Golden Delicious (do not use Red Delicious)
How to slice apples…fast
Once you’ve got your apples for this vegan apple pie recipe, it can take a while to peel and slice them. But here’s a trick for how to cut them quickly! This method for slicing apples is so slick, you can slice one up in just a few seconds. Review the video below for how to do it:
How to blind bake the crust
Blind baking is baking a pie crust without the filling. Why do this? It makes sure that crust is perfectly firm before you add the filling. This avoids the soggy bottom problem! It makes a pastry that’s firm and flaky. Here are a few things to know about blind baking this vegan apple pie:
Prick holes with a fork all over the crust. This helps it to puff up less while in the oven. Add pie weights: like dried beans or rice! For the baking step, you’ll need pie weights to weigh down the crust so it doesn’t get too puffy. Guess what? You don’t need to buy anything! Use dried beans or dry rice to fill up your pie crust before blind baking. (It doesn’t harm the beans or rice: you can still cook them as normal.) You can also use ceramic pie weights.
How to make a lattice pie crust topping
The main part of this vegan apple pie recipe that requires technique is making the lattice pie crust. Once you’ve done it once, it’s easy to do; but lattice work can be daunting if you’ve never tried it before. Here’s a video showing how to do the lattice weave for the crust. The pieces in the video below are thicker than you’ll use for this pie, but it gives you an idea of the process.
Serving vegan apple pie
What’s the best way to serve this vegan apple pie recipe? It’s actually extremely tasty as is! The crunch of the pie crust with the tangy brightness of the apples doesn’t need much in the way of improvements. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or as a fall dessert or summer dessert! But if you’re a person who loves apple pie toppings, here are a few vegan ideas for topping it off:
Vegan whipped cream: This Dairy Free Whipped Cream is made with coconut milk: and light and airy! It has a faint fruity coconut flavor, but that doesn’t overwhelm the dish. Vegan ice cream: There are lots of options for store-bought vegan ice creams these days. Even better, make our Cinnamon Vegan Ice Cream! It’s extraordinary.
This vegan apple pie recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
No reviews
2 ½ cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 cup refined coconut oil ¾ cup water + 3 ice cubes
For the pie
3 pounds organic Granny Smith apples (10 to 11 small) 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch 2/3 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
Leftover / reheating instructions: Store leftovers at room temperature loosely covered with foil, plastic wrap, or with an overturned bowl. Reheat at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
