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Based closely on the "$25,000 Apple Pie" from Greg Patent's iconic dessert book Baking in America, this veganized version has been tweaked to have all of the splendor of the original without animal products. With the best balance of apples that still have some life left in them wrapped in a legendary golden, flaky crust, this pie will blow the minds of vegans and non-vegans alike.
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Apple pie is the epitome of autumnal comfort food, perfect for rocking alongside other Thanksgiving classics like my vegan pumpkin chiffon pie recipe. But, it's also a great picnic blanket classic to serve for a Fourth of July or Memorial Day weekend family meal alongside stuff like vegan hotdogs, plant-based Italian sausage sandwiches, and vegan buffalo wings.
Selecting the right balance of sweet and tart apples as I do in my vegan apple fitters and apple cider donuts (which I have won awards for!) is an essential detail in a pie recipe that requires no special gadgets, looks stunning on any table, and delivers on the promise of 'just like Grandma used to make' - but better. (Sorry Nana…)
Ready to turn the dang page on what you thought was possible with vegan baking? Let's make pie history together!
Omg, this apple pie is everything you say it is, the best I've ever had in my 79 years!
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🥰Why you'll adore this vegan apple pie recipe
✊ Vegan AF: Just like all of the vegan dessert recipes I whip up, this one's made without cracking a single egg, or harming any kind of sentient being. Friggin' why, you ask?!? Because food tastes better when no creature is harmed, and as an added benefit there is no cholesterol to harm you either. Karma, right?
Tested and Approved Worldwide. Like all of my vegan recipes, this pie was perfected with feedback from a global team of recipe testers, ensuring that no matter where you are, you can count on this pie to turn out beautifully every time.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🍎Ingredients for this easy vegan apple pie
Pie Crust Dough
The foundation of any great pie, the crust should be crispy, tender, and golden. My vegan pie crust recipe has a perfect flaky texture that rivals any traditional crust, and I use the same recipe for my vegan pumpkin pie too.
Store-bought vegan dough can be a convenient substitute if you're short on time, or you can opt to make a gingersnap or graham cracker crust, but that will require you to separately cook the filling in a pan rather than baking it in the crust, which I don't think yields as wonderful of a pie.
Sugar
My recipe calls for both regular sugar and a little brown sugar. If you don't have brown sugar, you can use all cane sugar and add a few drops of molasses. Coconut sugar or palm sugar (my go-to for Southeast Asian desserts like Malaysian Klepon, Indonesian Bubur Sumsum, and Filipino Suman) both make excellent substitutions for the sugar in this recipe.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is an essential flavor in any classic apple pie recipe and I particularly like this one from Burlap and Barrel, but any will work.
Ground Cloves and Nutmeg
I use a tiny bit of ground cloves and nutmeg in my recipe, which deepens the subtle muskiness of the autumnal flavor this pie rocks.
Flour
Serving as a thickener for the apple filling, all-purpose flour ensures the pie has a hearty, consistent filling without being too runny. For a gluten-free pie, a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend works just fine here.
Apples
Apples are the star of the pie, with their natural sweetness and slight acidity balancing the rich flavors of the spices. Granny Smith apples are often favored for their firmness and tartness, but mixing them with sweeter varieties like Honeycrisp (which I use to make vegan apple muffins), or Pink Lady can add some nice complexity to the overall pie. Texture-wise, I think it's important to peel the apples, but if you aren't about that, I can't stop you, right?
Coconut Cream
Coconut cream (not "cream of coconut", which is that canned bullshit for making the lowest quality piña coladas, the likes of which you might get at an airport) adds a luxurious richness to the filling. Since you only need a wee little bit for this recipe, whatcha gonna do with the rest of the can? For SURE, use it to make some easy Kem Chuoi ice cream bars, vegan panna cotta, or Vietnamese Che Ba Mau.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Bramley-Style Vegan Apple Pie
In the UK, particularly in England, Bramley apples are often the choice for apple pies due to their tart flavor and sorta fluffy texture when cooked. You can use this recipe but substitute with Bramley apples if they are available in your area. Enhance the British flair by serving it with a side of the vanilla-speckled custard that I fill my vegan bomboloni with.
Vegan Appeltart
This dutch pie style is characterized by being baked in a deep pan, topped with a mildly spiced streusel topping instead of an upper crust. Think of it more like an apple crumble, but with a crust. You might want to add rum-soaked raisins or currants to the filling.
📖 How to make the best vegan apple pie you ever had
Nail this pie on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Baking Prep:
Start by adjusting your oven racks to the lower and middle positions and place a baking sheet on the lower rack. This is to shield the bottom of the pie from direct heat in your oven, and to catch any drippings, should your pie ooze as it bakes. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
Roll out a portion of pie crust dough on a surface lightly dusted with flour. Aim for a circle that will fit your pie pan, allowing the edges to drape over (if you are using a 9-inch pan, your crust should be 11-12 inches in diameter). Once the pie crust is in the pan, prick the bottom all over with the tines of a fork to prevent bubbling, and chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes to firm.
There are a few easy tricks to move the rolled pastry into the pan without tearing it. One way is to fold the dough in half, and then in half again, forming a triangle of folded dough. Then move that into your pan with the "point" of the triangle facing the center and simply unfold the dough from there.
Another way is to wrap the circle of dough around a floured rolling pin, and then unroll the dough over the pan. Personally, I use this method less, because it gets more flour onto the outside of the dough, which can cause the crust to brown externally before the internal flakes develop when blind baking. If you use this method, you can use a pastry brush to brush off any extra flour from the formed crust before baking.
Step Two
Chill and Bake:
Gently prick the base of the dough all over with a fork to prevent puffing during baking. Place in the fridge for another brief chill.
Cover the dough with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill it with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice. Bake for 18-20 minutes in your preheated oven.
Step Three
Filling Mix:
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugars, spices, flour, and salt. Add apples, lemon juice, and coconut cream, mixing until the apples are thoroughly coated. For added tenderness, gently crush the apple slices by hand as you mix.
Transfer the apple mixture into the pre-baked bottom crust, dotting the surface with bits of vegan butter.
Step Four
Top and Seal:
Roll out the second dough piece, cover the filling, and seal the edges. Create a decorative edge or a lattice top if preferred, but either way, make sure the top is securely fastened to the sides.
Step Five
Slice and Dice:
If making a solid top, make slits or pricks in the top layer for steam to escape.
Step Six
Golden Finish:
For a golden finish sprinkle the top with sugar, and bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling, about 18-24 minutes.
💡Serving Ideas
Most people love the balance of hot and cold in a dessert, so serve a warm slice with a side of vanilla ice cream or a cool dollop of vegan mascarpone or vegan whipped cream.
Apple pie begs for a nice tea to be served with it. Two of my family's faves are Bandrek, a spiced herbal tea from Indonesia, and Cha Yen, an iced Thai tea made with Ceylon tea.
👉Top tips
- Variety is Key in Apples: Combining Granny Smith apples with Pink Lady, Empire, Honeycrisp offers both tartness and a sweet, firm bite that holds up well during baking. Avoid bland, mushy, or mealy apples such as Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, both of which are, well, not that delicious in a pie. If you can only use one type of apple, just make sure it's a firm and a slightly tart variety such as granny smith. Sweet varieties that aren't acidy, like Macintosh or Fuji make kinda lifeless tasting pies.
- Minimal Handling of Dough: This might be the most important thing.Overworking pie dough can lead to gluten development, making the crust tough instead of crisp and tender. Additionally, you want to retain the tiny bits of vegan butter throughout your crust, which helps it to develop the flakiness that is the difference between a good pie, and an amazing one. Excessive handling will cause the fats to melt or break down.
- Thickness of Apple Slices: The thickness of your apple slices can impact baking time and texture. Thinner slices will cook more thoroughly, ensuring your filling is perfectly soft while still having life and flavor. ⅛-inch (2-3 mm.) slices will yield the best results.
- Cooling Time: Don't get impatient! Give your pie time for the filling to set, and the crust to become nicely textured as the fat cools. I recommend waiting at least ten minutes, but some folks wait hours so that the filling sets into a more cohesive form.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
To keep your Vegan Apple Pie fresh, let it cool down, then cover it loosely and keep it at room temperature for up to two days. If you want it to last longer, store it in the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze the pie; first freeze it uncovered, then place the pie in an airtight freezer bag or container.
A well-cooked bottom crust is crucial for a good apple pie. Placing the pie on a hot baking stone or pizza steel in the oven can help cook the bottom crust more thoroughly if you are using a thicker pie pan. Having large enough spaces in the top crust also helps more moisture escape as the pie bakes, making it so that the liquid that comes out of the apples doesn't end up pooling up at the bottom of the pie. If you have VERY juicy apples, consider adding a tiny bit more flour to the filling recipe to help absorb some of the extra moisture.
Glass pans are popular for baking pies because they distribute heat well and allow you to see the crust browning. Metal and ceramic pans also work fine.
You can also roll your pie dough and cut it with a 3-inch (about 7.5 cm.) linser cutter (or even just the rim of a sharp glass) and make little mini apple pies inside a muffin tin!
I have a metal pie pan with tiny holes in the bottom that bakes a GLORIOUS pie, so if you have one like that, make sure to use it!
✌️My faves to serve with vegan apple pie:
For just $1: Take a fun vegan dessert cooking class with Cinnamon Snail's Chef Adam Sobel and Chef Amanda Bankert from Boneshaker, Paris.
$25k Vegan Apple Pie
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar firmly packed
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ lbs. apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons coconut cream
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter room temperature
To bake:
- Vegan pie crust dough
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- First, prepare your oven by placing one rack at the bottom and another in the middle. Put a baking sheet on the bottom rack. Turn the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Now, take your vegan pie crust dough. Roll one piece on a lightly floured surface into a circle that fits into a 9-inch pie dish. Don't stretch the dough. Let any extra dough hang over the edge and place it in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. This prevents the dough from puffing up in the oven. Chill the shaped crust in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking. Place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil over the chilled crust and fill it with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice to keep the crust flat during baking.
- Bake the crust in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes. Then, carefully remove the weights and the parchment paper. If the pie crust edges have slid down a little, that's ok! You will be able to hide that when you add the filling and top crust.
- For the filling, mix sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Work out any big lumps in the brown sugar with your fingers. Add sliced apples, lemon juice, and coconut cream. Mix everything until the apples are well coated. I like to squeeze the filling as I mix it by hand to crush and break up the apple slices into smaller pieces, which makes the filling more tender, and allows some of the smaller pieces to break down as the pie bakes.
- Place the pie filling into the baked pie crust, and scatter bits of the room-temperature vegan butter (or coconut oil) around the top of the filling.
- Roll another piece of dough into a larger circle on a floured surface. Then, place the second dough circle on top of the pie. Press the edges together well, trim the excess, and fold the edge under to make a nice rim. Pinch it to create a decorative edge. Alternatively, you can cut the top circle of dough into strips and weave it into a lattice top.
- If you are using the top dough as a solid layer, make 6 slits or fork pricks in the top crust to let steam escape. If you have one and want to use it, you can make a small circle cut out of the center of the dough and insert a pie bird to release steam.
- Sprinkle the top with sugar if you wish.
- Return the pie to the oven and bake for an additional 18-24 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and fully cooked.
Notes
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Karen Franks says
Omg, this apple pie is everything you say it is, the best I've ever had in my 79 years!
Deb Z says
Please everyone, make sure your sugar is organic. Regular sugar has animal bones ground up in it to make it white. I couldn't believe it so I called the sugar company and yup.....bones it is.
Adam Sobel says
True and important, dear Deb. The linked sugar in my recipe is vegan. Beware: There are organic sugars processed with bone char filtration too. So don't just assume that sugar's got to be organic to be vegan. You've got to do a little research to get the answers. Typically beet sugar is less often processed with bone char than cane based sugars, but there's only one way to know for sure: YOU MUST FIND OUT BY EMAILING THE PRODUCERS.
Batsheva says
Also unless stated contains meat, kosher supervision will insure that it is bone free. Look for a kosher symbol on the pkg
Adam Sobel says
I don't think that is correct. Most kosher supervising agencies don't accept that bone char filtration is a kashrus concern because the bone doesn't end up in the food itself. In fact, OU and other large certification services agree that the bones used in bone char filtration don't even need to come from kosher animal bones, and that they don't even need to be charred to be used. If you have info that contradicts that, I would love to hear about it.
Meena Ananth says
In the vegan carrot cake recipe , instead of oil is there a substitute that can be used??.
Adam Sobel says
I haven't made it oil-free personally, but one of our testers replaced the oil with apple sauce and said it worked out for them. If you make it that way, please let me know how it works out!