Vegan Apple Pie – American Pie

This vegan apple pie is a fully plant-based take on the classic American double-crust pie, with a spiced green-apple filling tucked between two layers of flaky vegan butter pastry. It bakes up golden and comforting, tastes like the real deal, and uses no eggs, dairy, or animal products at all. If you have been missing a proper apple pie since going dairy-free, this is the one to make.

The world-famous American apple pie is a homey comfort food that has enchanted entire generations of family meals, picnics, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dinners. Throughout the past two centuries it has become a national symbol of prosperity, and during World War II American soldiers commemorated the dish by commonly answering “for Mom and apple pie” when asked why they were going to war, which truly shows, I think, the love people have for this dessert. Now that I have convinced you how amazing and definitely American apple pie is, let me show you how I transformed the traditional recipe into its vegan version, using green apples for the filling and vegan butter for the homemade dough.

I tried to keep the recipe as close to the real deal as possible, so I am sure anyone can make it at home. It is the same double-crust method as the original: pastry on the bottom, spiced apples in the middle, and a lattice top brushed and sprinkled with sugar so it bakes to a deep golden color.

What goes into this vegan apple pie

Everything here is a swap you can find easily. The two things doing the heavy lifting are the apples and the vegan butter, so it is worth knowing what each one brings:

• Green apples — five peeled and sliced. Their tartness holds up in the oven and keeps the filling from turning flat and one-note sweet.
• Vegan butter, chilled — 18 tablespoons for the dough. Keeping it cold is what gives you a flaky, tender crust rather than a dense one.
• All-purpose flour — for both the pastry (2 1/2 cups) and to thicken the filling (1/2 cup), plus a little for dusting.
• Brown sugar — 3/4 cup in the filling and a tablespoon for the top, for a warmer, slightly caramel note.
• Lemon juice — 1/4 cup, to brighten the apples and keep them from browning while you work.
• The spice mix — cinnamon, cardamom, anise powder, allspice, and nutmeg. This blend is what makes the filling taste layered and festive instead of just “sweet apples.”
• Apple cider vinegar — 1 teaspoon in the dough, which helps keep the pastry tender.
• Dairy-free milk — 1 tablespoon of your choice, for brushing the crust so it browns.

Why the cold-butter method works

Flaky pastry comes down to temperature. When you keep the vegan butter chilled and add ice-cold water, the fat stays in small solid pieces through the mixing and rolling. In the oven, those pieces melt and release steam, and the pockets they leave behind are the flakes you want. That is also why the dough rests in the fridge for an hour before rolling: chilling relaxes the gluten so the crust does not shrink or toughen, and it firms the butter back up after handling. Warm dough spreads and goes greasy, so cold is the whole game here.

How to make it step by step

Start with the dough so it can chill while you prep everything else. Put the flour, chilled vegan butter, sugar, salt, and apple cider vinegar in a mixing bowl and mix until incorporated, then add the ice-cold water a little at a time until the dough forms a ball. Knead it briefly by hand on a lightly floured surface, shape it into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for one hour.

While it chills, make the filling: add all the filling ingredients to a large bowl and stir well to coat the apples in sugar, flour, and spices. Set it aside. Preheat the oven to 180C and brush a pie pan with a little oil. Roll out half the dough into a disk, dusting the dough and rolling pin with flour to stop it sticking, then press it into the pan and trim the extra edges. Fill it with the apple mixture and spread it evenly.

For the top, roll the second half of dough into another disk and cut it into strips. Arrange the strips over the pie in whatever lattice or pattern you like, then press the edges shut with a fork. Brush the top with dairy-free milk and sprinkle with brown sugar, then bake for about 45 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden and the filling is bubbling.

Tips for a flaky crust and a filling that sets

• Keep everything cold. If your kitchen is warm and the dough gets soft while you roll, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes. Cold dough is far easier to move into the pan without tearing.
• Do not skip the hour in the fridge. It is tempting, but resting the dough is what prevents a shrunken, tough crust.
• Toss the apples well. The 1/2 cup of flour in the filling thickens the juices as they cook, so make sure every slice is coated or you may end up with a watery center.
• Watch the color, not just the clock. Ovens vary, so 45 minutes is a guide. You want a deep golden top and filling that bubbles at the edges.
• Let it rest before slicing. Cutting a hot pie lets the filling run. Giving it time to cool lets the flour-thickened juices set into a proper sliceable filling.

Variations to try

• Swap the apple. Green apples give the tartest, most classic result, but a mix of tart and sweet varieties works too if you prefer a mellower filling.
• Adjust the spice. If cardamom, anise, and allspice are not your thing, lean harder on cinnamon and nutmeg for a more traditional profile.
• Go rustic. Instead of a lattice, lay the second disk over the top as a full lid, cut a few steam vents, and seal the edges. Same pie, less fuss.
• Flip it upside down. If you love a caramelized top, try my upside-down apple pie or the open-face, French-inspired Tarte Tatin for a different take on the same idea.

What to serve it with

Apple pie is happiest warm with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream melting into it, the vegan version of “apple pie a la mode.” It is also a natural finish to a holiday spread, so it fits right in on a vegan Thanksgiving menu alongside the mains. If you are building a whole dessert table, a batch of mini apple and cinnamon rolls or some vegan whole grain cookies rounds it out nicely and keeps the whole spread plant-based. For more of this comfort-food style, browse my American cuisine recipes.

Storing and making it ahead

This pie keeps well, which makes it a great make-ahead for a busy holiday. Once fully cooled, cover it and keep it at room temperature for up to two days, or in the fridge for up to four. A few minutes in a warm oven brings back the crispness of the crust before serving. You can also make the dough a day ahead and keep it wrapped in the fridge, then roll and fill it when you are ready to bake. Baked apple pie freezes well too: wrap slices or the whole pie tightly and freeze, then reheat from frozen in a moderate oven until warmed through.

If you make this vegan apple pie, I would love to know how your lattice turned out and which spice balance you landed on. Please rate the recipe and leave a comment below with your tweaks, so other readers can learn from your kitchen too.

Vegan Apple Pie – American Pie

Apple Pie is a classic American dessert loved all over the world! Here’s how to make a delicious vegan apple pie that preserves the authentic flavors of the American apple pie recipe.

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Prep Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Choose Serving Size 6

Ingredients 

MetricUS (Imperial)

• 1 Tbsp oil for brushing
• 1 Tbsp dairy-free milk dairy-free version of choice, for brushing
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar for topping
• 2-3 Tbsp all-purpose flour for dusting

For the filling:

• 5 green apples peeled and sliced
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp cardamon
• ⅓ tsp anise powder
• ⅓ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp sea salt

For the dough:

• 18 Tbsp vegan butter chilled
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 10 Tbsp water iced

Instructions

• First, make the dough:
• Put the flour, butter, sugar, salt, and vinegar into a mixing bowl and mix until incorporated. Add the ice-cold water step by step while mixing, until the dough forms a ball.
• Knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface. Form a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling.
• In a large bowl, add all the filling ingredients and give it a stir to mix well. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 180C.
• Brush a pie pan with a little oil. Set aside.
• Use half of the dough to form a disk by rolling it on a floured surface with a rolling pin. To make the process easier, lightly flour the top of the dough and the rolling pin.
• Place it in the pie pan and remove the extra edges.
• Fill it with the apple mixture and spread it evenly on the pie crust.
• To make a top layer, knead the second part of the dough to form another disk.
• Cut it in strips with a sharp knife.
• Arrange the dough strips on top of the pie using your favorite design.
• Fix the edges with a fork.
• Brush it with a little vegan milk and sprinkle with some brown sugar.
• Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden on top.

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