This classic vegan apple pie recipe is one of my family’s favorite desserts, and I completely understand why. It’s complete with a rich spiced pie filling and a super crispy, flaky pie crust recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Dairy-free and Eggless Apple Pie
This eggless apple pie is a pretty decadent dish (with fiber and vitamins thrown in there from some good ‘ole granny smiths). Just like my cherry apple crisp, this apple pie embodies what fall and summer feel like. Curl up with a warm slice of this pie on the 4th of July or for Thanksgiving.
Here are a few more reasons you’ll love this pie!
- Flaky & ‘buttery’ homemade dairy-free pie crust.
- It’s packed with layers of delicious fresh in-season apples.
- Lightly spiced filling for a cozy fall flavor.
The Pie Ingredients
The pie only has a few easy-to-find ingredients…most of which you probably already have in your pantry! They are:
- Granny Smith & Honeycrisp Apples
- Lemon Juice
- Brown Sugar
- Granulated White Sugar
- Cornstarch, also called cornflour
- All-purpose Flour
- Apple Pie Spice
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Apricot Preserves, or another egg wash substitute
- Salted Vegan Butter: You can learn more about which vegan butter brands are the best for baking here!
Substitutions
- Vegan Butter: feel free to substitute the vegan butter in the filling for coconut oil or your butter of choice. Add a pinch of salt to the filling if using coconut oil.
- Apple Pie Spice: sub ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove for the pre-made apple pie spice.
the pie crust
Before we start, let’s talk about the vegan apple pie crust. This recipe uses my Flaky Vegan Pie Crust. It has the perfect texture- super flakey, not a bit soggy, and buttery.
The crust on this classic vegan apple pie is way better than any non-vegan pie I’ve had before (or any store-bought crust).
I recommend making the crust prior to starting on the filling. That way your crust can chill out in the fridge while you prep your apples (this will make it extra flakey!).
📌 A tip for a crisp bottom crust: be sure to poke holes into the bottom crust in a radial pattern to help it stay crisp. And try to not let the filling sit on the crust for too long prior to popping the pie in the oven.
store-bought vegan pie crust
Don’t have time to make the crust, no problem! What store-bought pie crust is vegan, you may ask?
- The ones I’ve used before are by Simple Truth (Kroger’s in-house brand). A lot of grocery store in-house branded crusts may be accidentally vegan.
- Marie Callendar’s Deep Dish crust is also accidentally vegan. Be sure to watch out for sneaky non-vegan ingredients like lard (most Pillsbury crusts use this). Peta also has this article with a few more accidentally vegan pie crusts you can find at most grocery stores.
- If you can’t find any pie crust that is vegan, you could also use puff pastry on top! Pepperidge Farm’s Puff Pastry is accidentally vegan and should be available at most grocery stores.
Helpful Equipment
- Pie Pan or Pie Dish
- Vegetable Peeler
- Pie Shield or Aluminum Foil
- Rolling Pin + Food Processor: to make the crust
Step-by-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Prep the vegan pie crust according to this recipe’s instructions. Roll the crust out on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough out into a circle slightly larger than the pie pan. Place the rolled pie crust into the pan. You can re-roll the excess dough for the lattice top.
STEP 2: Peel and slice the apples.
For the filling, this pie uses a combination of granny smith apples and Honeycrisp apples. Together, they bring the perfect level of tartness, crisp texture, and deep apple flavor to the filling. I recommend using very thinly sliced apples which make the texture of this pie unbelievable.
📌 TIP: The thinner the slices, the more tender they’ll be after baking. If you prefer thicker slices, you may want to add 10 minutes to the bake time (with the crust covered up with aluminum foil).
the filling
STEP 3: Mix the apple slices with the other filling ingredients.
The filling also has a perfect trio of acid (lemon), sweetness (granulated sugar), and richness (brown sugar, vegan butter, and spices).
STEP 4: You’ll want to mound all the apples into the unbaked pie crust, with most of the slices near the center. This helps the pie from looking deflated after it’s baked. I also add a few pats of vegan butter onto the filling to keep the top apples from drying out.
lattice pie crust
STEP 5: Make the top crust with the extra pie dough.
📌 TIP: A second crust on top or a lattice design will add another layer of decadence to the pie, and it will help keep moisture in the filling. The lattice design is up to you, but I opted for alternating between braids and strips.
STEP 6: Crimp the lattice to the bottom crust with your fingers or with a fork to seal everything together. If you want a simple vegan apple pie instead, feel free to just do a solid upper crust or a simple lattice!
STEP 7: To help achieve a nice golden color, apply the vegan egg wash on top and sprinkle some granulated (or turbinado) sugar on the top.
For this pie, I’m using a trick I learned from my mom: brush apricot preserves onto the crust instead of egg wash for the perfect golden color! If you don’t have apricot preserves you can use one of these substitutes.
The preserves add a sweet caramelized layer on top of the crust after baking.
baking the vegan apple pie
STEP 8: Bake the pie covered for about 40 minutes. This is important because otherwise, the crust will crisp up and burn before the filling is tender!
To get the perfect golden crust, you’ll want to bake it uncovered for the last 15 minutes.
STEP 9: Let the pie cool completely.
The pie should also cool completely before cutting into it. I’ll admit, it was pretty difficult mustering up enough self-control not to cut into this before cooled.
📌 TIP: Cooling is important to help the filling set up and to help the pie once sliced retain its shape. I like to place the pie into the fridge for a few hours before serving it.
Serving the Apple Pie
Feel free to chow down on this classic dairy free and eggless apple pie on its own, with some coco-whipped cream, or with a large scoop of non-dairy ice cream.
This pie is super tasty year-round- for a 4th of July celebration or as a fall dessert during Thanksgiving. It’s packed with layers of delicious fresh apples and a crispy, flakey crust. The lemon helps enhance the apples and the spices add a cozy flavor.
If you’re looking for an egg-free apple pie, this is the recipe for you!
Storage
This pie can be stored, covered in an airtight container or with some plastic wrap on top, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
The pie slices can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Pro Tips
Make the crust ahead of time: make the crust the day before making this pie. This will make prepping the pie from start to finish faster and easier.
Thinly slice the apples: thinner slices will result in a more tender filling.
Use a pie shield if the crust is browning too much: keep the pie covered or add a pie crust shield if the crust looks like it is burning.
Let the pie cool: the pie should cool completely (at room temperature or in the fridge) before slicing. Slicing while the pie is hot may result in a slightly runny filling!
Vegan Apple Pie FAQ
Of course! I prefer using Granny Smith since the texture holds up after baking and they have a tart flavor that helps balance the sweetness of the filling. I also prefer Honeycrisp apples since they have a very crunchy, crispy texture that helps add texture and depth to the filling. You could also try Braeburn, Golden Delicious, or McIntosh apples!
Yes, you can absolutely use a store-bought crust. I prefer homemade since it tends to be flakier than pre-made crusts but there are many vegan crusts you can buy. Watch out for sneaky ingredients like lard that are in crusts by brands like Pillsbury.
This article has 21 vegan egg wash ideas if you don’t have apricot preserves. You could try a combination of maple syrup and almond milk. Mix 1 tablespoon of maple syrup with 1 tablespoon of almond milk. Then brush on the crust prior to baking. You can also brush melted vegan butter onto the crust to help it brown. I’ve found that apricot preserves create the best crystallization and golden brown color.
More Vegan Desserts:
- Brown Sugar Strawberry Shortcake
- Easy Strawberry Crunch Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese Danishes
- Classic Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Classic Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
- Vegan Peach Pie
- Healthy Apple Oatmeal Cake
Did you make This Vegan Apple Pie recipe?
I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below!
Easy Vegan Apple Pie
This classic vegan apple pie embodies fall with its perfect texture- super flakey and buttery crust - and the perfect level of deep apple flavor in its filling.
Ingredients
Crust
Filling
- 7-8 apples (I recommend 6 granny smith, and 2 large honeycrisp), peeled and sliced thinly, about 10 cups
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 tsp apple pie spice (or sub 2 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter (for dotting / topping filling in pan)
Topping
- 2 tbsp apricot preserves, or one of these apricot jam substitutes
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- To prep the filling, add the sliced apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, flour, salt, and spices to a large bowl.
- Stir to combine. Make sure all the slices are coated with the mixture.
- Line a 9" pie pan with the crust. Poke holes in the bottom of the crust in a radial pattern with a fork.
- Add the apple mixture into the pan, mounding the apples up in the center.
- Top the apple mixture with pats of vegan butter.
- Add the second pie crust to the top. To create a lattice, cut the crust into 1.5" inch strips to lay on top of the apples.
- To create a nice brown crust, brush the apricot preserves on the exposed crust. Heat the preserves in the microwave for 10 seconds (they should not be melted). This will help loosen the preserves to make it easier to brush on the crust. Using a pastry brush, brush the preserves on all of the exposed crust.
- Sprinkle more granulated sugar on top of the pie.
- Cover the crust with aluminum foil or a pie shield and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil or shield and bake for another 15 minutes to brown the crust (for a total bake time of 55 minutes). *
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting.**
- This pie is best served with coconut whipped cream or a big scoop of non-dairy vanilla ice cream.
Notes
*If the crust appears to be browning to much after removing the foil, replace the foil to prevent the crust from burning.
** I know it's hard to resist cutting into the pie when it comes out of the oven! But the pie will be slightly runny if cut before it is completely cooled. Cooling allows the filling to set up nicely. I recommend placing it in the fridge to cool faster.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 527Trans Fat: 0gFiber: 0gProtein: 0g
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Images updated November 2020
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