Vegan Apple Pie
This deep dish Vegan Apple Pie recipe combines the best flaky pie crust with generous layers of sweet, tender baked apples. It’s a classic vegan pie with a saucy, homemade apple pie filling. See my tips for making easy apple slices and lattice tips.
For more vegan apple recipes, try these Vegan Applesauce Muffins or this delicious Vegan Apple Crisp. For a light, easy dessert, try this simple Baked Apple Slices recipe.
It’s a tradition in our family to have apple pie at our family dinners, especially Thanksgiving. So, one day I realized I could be the one making that pie. And, of course, I would be making my apple pie vegan. It’s just what I do!
Easy Vegan Apple Pie
Is it possible to make vegan apple pies? Well, actually, yes it is. And this one is more than that, it’s a beautiful, latticed-topped deep-dish apple pie. The apple pie is the motherland of desserts and I feel so satisfied with this one.
For me, the higher the layers, the better. I like biting into a slice with a nice, flaky crust, and lots of apples.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Using a variety of apples blends together different textures and both sweet and tart flavors
- Arranging apple slices in layers avoids large gaps in the filling, allowing it to cook more evenly
- Lemon juice added to the filling brightens the flavor and cuts the sweetness, while tenderizing the fruit and encouraging it to release its juices.
Key Ingredients
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Pie Crust — I use my vegan pie crust recipe, which makes a double crust. You’ll use both for this recipe.
- Apple slices — Here’s a guide on the best apples for apple pie, along with a visual guide on how to prepare them.
- Flour — I recommend all-purpose flour
- Lemon — You’ll need one lemon, and we’ll be using both the zest and the juice from it.
- Pumpkin pie spice — I love this combination of spices. If you don’t have any on hand, make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- Vegan creamer — I prefer to use a soy-based creamer for my vegan egg wash.
- Agave nectar — Most syrup sweeteners will work, whether it’s agave, maple syrup, or even corn syrup.
What Pie Crusts Are Best for Vegan Apple Pies?
Many store-bought pie crusts are not vegan because they’re made with lard (animal fat). However, you can find some store-bought crusts these days that are made without animal products, especially at health food stores. However, it’s easy to make a homemade vegan pie crust. Besides, homemade pie crusts deliver the best buttery flavor and the ultimate flaky pie crust.
How to Make Vegan Apple Pie From Scratch
Here are the steps you’ll follow to make the best vegan apple pie ever:
- Roll out the bottom pie crust to about 12″ in diameter, arrange it in a pie pan, and refrigerate.
- Peel, core, and slice the apples until they measure 11 cups. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Combine the rest of the filling ingredients and sprinkle over the apples, gently tossing to coat.
- Add layers of apple slices flat in the pie crust, filling in any gaps.
- Roll the second pie crust into a 12″ circle and cut into 1-inch strips. Lattice the strips over the pie crust.
- Crimp the pie crust edges
- Brush the top crust with vegan egg wash.
- Bake the pie for about 20 minutes, then add a pie shield, lower the heat, and bake for another 30 minutes.
- Allow the baked pie to sit for 2 to 3 hours to cool and for the filling to set.
Here are more detailed step-by-step instructions.
Step One: Prepare the Bottom Crust
- Remove the pie crust from the fridge.
- Roll out the bottom pie crust to about 12″ in diameter.
- Place it in your pie pan and tuck in the dough so it fills the pan.
- Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
Step Two: Prepare the Apples
- Peel, core, and slice the apples until they measure 11 cups. (See more below on preparing the apples)
- Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Make the filling by combining the rest of the filling ingredients. Add this to the apples, and gently toss to coat.
- Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.
Step Three: Fill the Crust
- Lay the filling-coated apple slices flat along the bottom of the pie crust, filling in any gaps.
- Add another layer, followed by another, etc.
- It may seem like there are too many apples, but keep adding layers, filling up blank spaces wherever you can.
- Discard the juices at the bottom of the apple slices bowl.
Step Four: Apple Pie Topping
- Remove the other chilled vegan pie dough disc from the fridge.
- Roll the dough into a 12″ circle and use a pizza cutter or knife to cut it into 12 strips that are 1″ wide.
- Use these strips to create a lattice topping crust. (See lattice tips below)
- Flute the pie crust edges to seal.
- Create a vegan egg wash by stirring vegan creamer with agave nectar (or maple syrup).
- Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the creamer wash.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet. Place this in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Add a pie crust shield (to prevent the edges of the pie crust from getting too brown). Turn the oven temperature down to 375°F/190°C and bake for an additional 35 minutes.
- Remove the pie from the oven and set it aside to cool for 2 to 3 hours. Either cover and refrigerate or serve.
For a vegan gluten-free apple pie, use a gluten-free pie crust and use gluten-free flour for the filling.
Resting the Pie
Although it’s tempting to dive right in, there is residual baking that happens after an apple pie is removed from the oven and you don’t want to disturb this process.
I like to allow the pie to rest for 2 to 3 hours. This accommodates the residual baking and allows the filling to set. You can either serve the pie after this time or store it for serving later.
Reader Reviews
★★★★★
Lucinda
I had a craving for apple pie so I made this one and I’m so glad I did. It’s perfect!
How Do You Prepare Apples for Pie?
Follow these steps to prepare your apples for apple pie:
- Cut off Stems — Cut a thin slice off the stem end, creating a flat edge.
- Peel the Apple — That flat edge helps your peeler grab hold, so use a peeler and peel down, away from the cut flat edge.
- Remove the Core — Cut the apple in half and use a melon baller to cut a little circle to remove the core and any stem parts at the top.
- Slice Apples — Slice the remaining apple vertically in thin slices, about 1/4″ each.
- Drizzle — Immediately drizzle cut apples with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown as you cut the remaining apples.
Want a deep dive about preparing apples for apple pie? Here’s everything you need to create the best apples for apple pie along with a tutorial for preparing and slicing apples.
How to Make a Lattice Topping
To make the lattice topping, roll out the second disk of pie dough into a 12″ diameter circle. Use a pizza cutter to cut it into 12 slices, roughly 1″ each. A ruler can help keep the slices equal in size.
A Strips. Place 6 strips of the dough across the pie, equally spaced apart. We’ll call those the A strips.
B Strips. Let’s call the remaining strips of dough the B Strips. Pull back every other A Strip of dough and lay one of the B strips down. Pull the A strips back up, over the B strips. Now alternate and pull back the other A strips and add another B strip of dough. Pull those up over that strip. Continue with that process.
Here’s a great video showing how to lattice a pie.
Favorite Apple Pie Tips
- Use Apple Slices. Some vegan apple pie recipes call for chopped apples, but I prefer apple slices so they can be layered high.
- More is Better. You may wonder how you can get all the apple slices in the pie, but trust me, you can pack a lot of apples into this pie crust. You’ll be glad for this when you’re eating it!
- Add the Right Toppings: Top your vegan apple pie slices with some vegan ice cream or vegan whipped cream. I also recommend a drizzle of Vegan Caramel.
Sure, you can use a special deep-dish pie pan, but I just used a simple 9″ pyrex pie pan and it worked great!
Frequently-Asked Questions
Is apple pie vegan?
It’s possible to find store-bought vegan apple pies these days. For example, the apple pie sold at Costco happens to be vegan. It all comes down to the crust. Because many store-bought pie crusts use lard, which is not vegan or vegetarian. So, read the ingredients and look for ingredients like lard, eggs, or dairy.
What apples are best for apple pie?
The secret to a perfect apple pie is to use a variety of apples. I like to use a combination of sweet and tart apples. Choose uniformly-sized apples that stay firm and crisp like tart Granny Smith, and combine it with a sweet Honey Crisp or Yellow Delicious that will get softer when baked.
More Vegan Pie Recipes
Sure, you love this deep-dish apple pie! So, of course, you will love these vegan pie recipes too:
Vegan Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Foolproof Vegan Pie Crust
- 11 cups apple slices 6 – 7 apples are peeled, cored, and sliced into thin slices 1/4". See note
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 medium lemon, zested and juiced (should equal 2 tsp zest + 2 Tbsp juice)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tablespoons vegan creamer
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar
Instructions
Vegan Pie Crust
- Follow the link above and prepare my vegan pie crust recipe through step 5.
Apple Pie Filling
- Add apple slices to a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon zest and lemon juice. Toss to combine. (See post for peeling and coring tips)
- In a separate small bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and spices. Stir to combine. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples and toss until all the apple slices are coated. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
- While the apple filling sets, remove one of the chilled vegan pie dough disks from the fridge. Prepare to roll the dough by tearing off a long sheet of waxed paper and laying it on the counter, letting part of it hang over the edge of the counter. Place one of the pie dough discs on the waxed paper. Remove the plastic wrap. Top with another sheet of waxed paper. Lean up against the counter (so you're holding the bottom part of the waxed paper in place) and roll the dough. Turn it a quarter turn and roll again. Continue until the dough is roughly in the shape of a circle approximately 12" in diameter. Carefully transfer the rolled dough into a 9" pie pan. Position the dough carefully, smoothing it out so it fits snuggly against the pan (not pulling away in the bottoms). Use your fingers to position the apple slices across the bottom of the crust. Continue laying the slices flat in layers. Discard the juices at the bottom of the apple slices bowl.
- Remove the other chilled vegan pie dough disc from the fridge. Use the process above to roll the dough into a 12" circle. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut it into 12 strips that are each 1" wide. Use these strips to create a lattice topping crust. (See post tips) Flute the pie crust edges to seal.
- Stir together the vegan creamer with agave nectar (or maple syrup). Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the creamer wash.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet. Place this in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Add a pie crust shield (to prevent the edges of the pie crust from getting too brown). Turn the oven temperature down to 375°F/190°C. Bake for an additional 35 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove the pie from the oven and set it aside to cool, for 2 to 3 hours. At this point, either cover and refrigerate or serve. To store, cover refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I had a craving for apple pie so I made this one and I’m so glad I did. It’s perfect!
Marly, your pie is absolutely picture perfect! We’re talking magazine quality here. SO gorgeous!! It looks divine!! Would it be okay for me to be lazy here and just dump the apples into the crust?? Lol Can’t wait to try this out, your recipes never disappoint! Thank you for all of your amazing vegan recipes that you share with the world! I just love your blog!
Thanks Alison. Your note means a lot! Yes, you can dump the apples into the crust, but just be aware of a couple of things: 1) Because they’re not put in as orderly, you may end up with more apple slices than can fit in the pie (it’s like the car trunk – you can pack more things in it when you go about it with intention) and 2) Your finished pie slices may not look as precise as the photos here. But however you decide to do this, I’m with you. There are days where I’m just all about getting ‘er done in whatever way possible! I hope you love your pie as much as we do!
I was wondering, could one substitute Stevia for the granulated sugar?
Hi Benjamin, I’ve had great luck substituting stevia and other zero calorie sweeteners (like monkfruit and truvia). I think it would work great in this recipe!
Wow! I did not know that a lot of the store-bought pie use lard in their crusts! I do not eat pork so I will have to look out for this!
Thank you for sharing this amazing article 🙂
Hi Chahinez! It’s surprising the number of store-bought products that have lard or even beef fat in it. For example, I used to love snack cakes (I don’t eat these anymore), but then I realized they had beef fat in them. It’s just another reason I’m a fan of making things from scratch!