This vegan apple pie is absolutely the best pie you’ll ever make. It’s bursting with flavor from lightly spiced apple filling set between layers of flaky crust.
I have been daunted by the prospect of making a vegan apple pie for YEARS now. I made a vegan apple crisp, vegan apple cake and vegan apple muffins but I steered clear of apple pie.
I had an idea that it would be really hard to make. Boy was I wrong about that!
There are approximately 55 million process photos in this recipe (small exaggeration), so that might make it seem like it is difficult, but really, it’s not.
There are a few steps involved, and you’ll make good friends with your rolling pin, but it’s actually super easy. It’s not that quick, but it is easy.
Love pies? Check out our vegan pecan pie and vegan pumpkin pie too.
How To Make Vegan Apple Pie
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
The Crust
- The crust is a simple mix of all purpose flour, sugar, salt, vegan butter and ice water.
- Add the flour, sugar and salt to your mixing bowl and mix together.
- Then add the vegan butter and mix it in with your hands until you have crumbs.
- Add ice water, only as much as needed, and mix it into a ball of dough.
- Cut the ball of dough in half and form the two halves into two balls.
- Place them into the fridge for an hour. This lets the gluten in the dough relax and helps it to prevent shrinking while it bakes.
- When the dough has been in the fridge for an hour, bring out one of the balls of dough so you can roll it out for your crust.
- Roll out one of the balls of dough into a circle wider than the size of your 9-inch pie dish.
- Spray your pie dish with non-stick spray and then place the dough over your pie dish and press it down into the edges of the dish.
The Filling:
- Add peeled and sliced Granny Smith apples to a mixing bowl.
- Add brown sugar, all purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice and vanilla extract and toss with the apples so that they’re evenly coated.
- Add the filling on top of the pie crust and spread it evenly. Dot the top of the apple filling with vegan butter.
- Then roll out the second ball of dough for your top crust and place it on top of the pie filling.
- Trim off any excess dough and then pinch the top and the bottom crusts together to seal it. Press a fork around the edges to create a pattern and seal it in even more.
- Brush the top with melted vegan butter.
- Sprinkle the top of the pie with brown sugar.
- Cut slits in the top for the steam to escape.
- Place the pie dish onto a parchment lined baking tray (the pie can drip while it bakes) and bake it for 50-60 minutes at 350°F.
- Keep a check on it and at the 50 minute mark if it is showing signs of over-browning and you are seeing the filling bubbling up from the slits, then you can take it out of the oven. If it’s not over-browning then leave it for the full hour.
- Allow the pie to cool for 2-3 hours before slicing and serving.
The Best Apples For Apple Pie
Granny Smith apples are the best apples to use in this recipe. Granny Smith apples tend to hold their shape well in baking. They don’t just turn into mush. The flavor is also really good when baked, they are sweet with a hint of tartness that combines wonderfully with the sugar and spices.
How To Serve Vegan Apple Pie
You can serve your apple pie either hot or cold. It’s better to slice the pie when completely cooled and then either serve it that way, or heat each slice up in the microwave. It’s wonderful served with vegan ice cream or vegan whipped cream or vegan custard.
Recipe Tips
Let the dough rest in the fridge for an hour. It might feel like a waste of time and I’m usually all about cutting corners to save time where I can. But in this case it’s important. It helps the gluten to relax which helps to prevent the dough from shrinking while it bakes.
Bake the pie on a parchment lined baking tray. There can be some drips from the pie while it bakes and you don’t want to have to clean your whole oven.
Let the pie cool completely before slicing and serving. While it cools the flavors are also developing further and really settling in and the filling is thickening up. It also makes it much easier to slice neatly. It might seem a little counter-intuitive to wait for the pie to get cold before serving it but we’ve found the best way is to slice it cold and then heat up the slices individually in the microwave, top with vegan ice cream and serve!
Storing and Freezing
Leftover apple pie keeps really well in the fridge (covered) for 5 days. The pie crust can lose a little of its crispiness but it’s still delicious. Reheat a slice in the microwave as you like.
It is also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and then reheat as usual.
More Delicious Vegan Pie Recipes
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
- Vegan Banoffee Pie
- Vegan Banana Cream Pie
- Vegan Coconut Cream Pie
- Vegan Key Lime Pie
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Apple Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour (312g)
- 1 Tbsp White Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Vegan Butter (225g)
- 3 Tbsp Ice Water
For the Filling:
- 6 cups Granny Smith Apples (750g) Peeled and Sliced
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar (100g)
- ¼ cup All Purpose Flour (31g)
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp Vegan Butter
For Brushing the Pie before Baking:
- Vegan Butter Melted
- Light Brown Sugar
For Serving (Optional):
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Add the flour, sugar and salt to your mixing bowl and mix together.
- Add the vegan butter and mix it into the dry ingredients with your hands until you have crumbs.
- Add the ice water and mix it into a big ball of dough. If needed, add an extra tablespoon or two of iced water (only if it doesn’t want to form into a ball of dough).
- Cut the ball of dough into equal halves and form the two halves into two balls.
- Place the balls of dough into the fridge for an hour. This lets the gluten in the dough relax and helps to prevent shrinking while it bakes.
- When the dough has been in the fridge for an hour, then bring out one of the balls so you can roll it out for your crust.
- Roll out one of the balls of dough into a circle wider than the size of a 9-inch round pie dish.
- Spray your 9-inch round pie dish with non-stick spray and then place the dough over your pie dish and press it down into the edges of the dish.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Prepare the filling: Add peeled and sliced Granny Smith apples to a mixing bowl.
- Add the brown sugar, all purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice and vanilla extract and toss with the apples so that they’re evenly coated.
- Add the filling on top of the pie crust and spread it out evenly. Dot the top of the apple filling with the vegan butter.
- Roll out the second ball of dough for your top crust and place it on top of the pie filling.
- Trim off any excess dough and then pinch the top and the bottom crusts together to seal it. Press a fork around the edges to create a pattern and to seal it in even more.
- Brush the top of the pie with melted vegan butter and sprinkle the top with brown sugar.
- Cut slits in the top of the pie for the steam to escape and then place the pie dish onto a parchment lined baking tray (the pie can drip while it bakes) and bake it for 50-60 minutes.
- Keep a check on it and at the 50 minute mark if it is showing signs of over-browning and you are seeing the filling bubbling up from the slits, then you can take it out of the oven. If it isn’t over-browning then leave it in for the full hour.
- Allow the pie to cool for 2-3 hours before slicing and serving.
Notes
- It’s essential to let the pie cool completely before slicing. This is so the flavors can settle and the filling can thicken. It’s also much easier to slice when it’s cooled.
- You can serve your apple pie either hot or cold. It’s better to slice the pie when completely cooled and then either serve it that way, or heat each slice up in the microwave. It’s wonderful served with vegan ice cream or vegan whipped cream.
- Leftover apple pie keeps really well in the fridge (covered) for 5 days. The pie crust can lose a little of its crispiness but it’s still delicious. Reheat a slice in the microwave as you like.
- Prep time is for hands on time only and doesn’t include the time for the dough to chill in the fridge.
- Nutritional information is for the pie only and excludes vegan ice cream or vegan cream.
My whole family loves this pie! Even the non-vegans! I’ve made this so many times already, it really is a huge hit 🙂
So happy to hear that Sara! Thanks so much for the great review.
I’ve made a lot of apple pies and this is some of the best pastry I’ve ever made. Important not to over-handle the crust while mixing and shaping, a tip I got from my pie-baking mom. I used the vegan butter from Miyoko’s Creamery and added a dash of cloves; planning to add a bit of ginger next time, maybe candied ginger. Made with Granny Smith apples. I didn’t realize I was out of lemon juice until I was committed, so I added about a teaspoon of frozen lemon zest. I know the lemon juice is to keep the apples from darkening but it also adds a little zing and I didn’t want to leave out the lemon element entirely. Definitely making this again and again!
Thank you for the amazing comment and review Barb!
Have made this 3 times now because it’s soooo yummy!! I did cheat and used Tesco pastry but it has turned out fab. Thanks so much. A very easy recipe to follow and to make. I did add a 1/2 tsp of ginger too!
Fantastic! And that’s just clever using Tesco pastry! Thanks for the amazing review!
sooo good my mom is vegan and I made this for her, we both loved it!
Wonderful! Thanks so much Robin!
Absolutely love this recipe, enjoying a second slice as I write this!!! Thank you so much for it, made it for the holidays and one of the best apple pies I have ever eaten! The crust is incredibly perfect and the pie is just the right amount of sweetness. My non-vegan family loved it too, can’t wait to continue making more of your recipes! <3
Yay! Thanks so much Karla!
Could this be made gluten-free, with all purpose gluten-free flour?
Yes I think it would work great!
Can you make a lattice crust topper for this pie? Something like a traditional weave pattern? I’d love to make this for Thanksgiving and hope to be able to make it pretty too! ????
Hi Jen, I’m sure you can, but it’s not something I’ve tried so far. 🙂
We made this over the weekend and it was FANTASTIC. The crust was flaky and divine and the filling was just perfect. This is my new favourite apple pie recipe without a doubt! Thanks so much.
So happy to hear that! Thanks Layla!
I followed this recipe to the letter but found the pastry to be too hard and crispy round the edges. My husband said there were not enough apples in it. Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth, I’m so sorry to hear it didn’t turn out! I’m not sure what might have gone wrong there.
Made this apple pie today. DELICIOUS
Awesome! Thanks Sara!
Love it, love it, love it! How can you go wrong with apple pie. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I ‘ve made this pie twice now and the flavor is consistent. I do recommend slicing the apples thin to avoid biting into an undercooked apple with a crunch. I personally like the apple soft. This apple pie recipe is a keeper and has been entered in my book of favorites.
So happy to hear that Kaz! Thanks so much for the great review. 🙂
Can you use brown sugar or inulin for the pastry? Can you use almond flour or a healthier alternative instead of all purpose flour for pastry and filling?
Thanks
Brown sugar would be fine for the crust, but almond flour would not work.
Isn’t it odd that one always craves something sweet after a hearty meal? This is the perfect recipe for that after dinner snack! Thanks for another winner!
Thanks Anna!
Hi there! Your pie looks delicious! I love apple pie and I make it but the crust never turns out flaky. Where I live I can’t find vegan butter and the vegan margarine doesn’t make a flaky crust. Did you use a homemade vegan butter for this recipe? Do you know of a vegan butter recipe you could please share that would work to finally get a nice flaky crust? Thanks so much.
I think our homemade vegan butter would work great for this.