Rustic vegan apple pie recipe made from scratch using fresh apples and homemade pie crust. This is a the perfect pie to serve on Thanksgiving or any day of the week.
This is my first pie recipe on this blog!
Can you believe that I baked a pie?
What I discovered is that baking a pie is not hard. Why I was intimidated by the process?!?!
I think I might go on a pie baking binge this weekend!
Disclaimer: This recipe is inspired by Hostess At Heart’s Rustic Vegan Apple Pie. Thank you for making it easy for me to bake a pie.
Tips for making this pie
- Since I can’t find vegan pie crusts, I decided to make my own crust recipe. But, you can use store bought pie crust (Vegetarian)
- Use a mix of fiji apples or granny smiths which will give this recipe a delicious sweet and tangy flavor. If you would rather use just one, go with the grannys!
- Since I used homemade pie crust, I broiled the pie for the last 7 minutes. Broiling made the top of the crust turned golden brown.
- I went with a rustic feel to this vegan apple pie by baking it in a cast iron pan. If you are more comfortable with a pie pan or pie dish, use that instead.
- I made the apple filling the day before which was a really good idea. The apples tasted sweeter
- To brush the top of the pie crust, I used a combination of vegan butter, sugar and a dash of cinnamon. I also used a little almond milk for the edges.
Why I love this recipe!
The main reason is that its my first sweet pie recipe on this blog. When I bake a pie at home, it’s usually just for me or a few very close people in my life who will eat anything I make. 🙂
I have never been confident to bake one for the blog. But, this time, I am really really proud of this apple pie recipe, so, I hope you like it too.
The other reason I like this pie recipe is because it is truly a delicious recipe! The flavors in the filling are in perfect harmony with each other. I took Julie’s recipe and added to it, which makes it beyond delicious.
Top this with a little vegan caramel ice cream and I am in a-la-mode heaven!
This thanksgiving, I am going to put this apple pie on the dessert table for everyone to enjoy. I am excited to see the look on their on their faces when they tasted it.
If you want an oven baked apple pie, you will love this super easy apple pie with graham cracker crust by Chenee.
What dessert do you plan to feature at your Thanksgiving table?
Other fillings to try
- Peach pie filling
- Cranberry pie filling
- Blueberry pie filling
- Pear pie filling
- Cherry pie filling (Put leftover in a Babybel strudel)
- Chocolate Pie Filling
Last week, I tried this apple pie recipe using fried apples filling, a recipe by Finding Zest and they came out so good.
Answering your questions
As you bake this rustic apple pie, you may have questions. How to freeze it? What kind of sugar to use? Below, I answer some common questions for you. If you have other questions, please feel free to comment below.
No, most pre-baked and store bought apple pies are not vegan. They are made with eggs and/or egg wash, which vegans can’t eat.
The filling itself can be vegan friendly, if not eaten with the pie crust. I also have a homemade vegan pie crust recipe that is super easy to make.
Finding a crust that is dairy-free and egg-free, which is a tall order! Sometimes, Whole Foods will carry vegan recipes in their frozen desserts section, but its rare. I have had better luck with Publix because they have vegan and GF pie crusts.
Yes, you can use puff pastry instead of a pie crust. Puff pastry is vegan and it will give the apple pie a crusty taste.
Use one of the puff pastry for the crust and the other one for the pie cover. Fold the edge of the puff pastry top or use a (affiliate link) lattice roller to get a fancy look to the rustic apple pie.
Yes, you can absolutely bake it with a crumble top! I love the idea of a crumble top on apple pie. I made a crumble top for my sweet tomato pie and it was delicious.
Here are the steps I took to make the crumble top. Don’t worry, it takes you directly to the steps, so you can skip all the chit-chat. 🙂
It’s also perfect for a blueberry crumble.
Freezing and reheating vegan apple pie
Yes, apple pie is perfect for freezing. First, cook the whole pie and let it cool to touch. Then, cut it into slices and freeze them individually or as a whole pie
To reheat the pie, place the pie in a pie dish directly from the freezer (without thawing) into a preheated oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and heat it for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
More vegan desserts to try
If you prefer to see your whole apple when eating it, then I have just the dessert for you. This baked apple with cashew cream will make you fall in love with vegan desserts. I collected all my best vegan desserts in one place to make it easy for you to find. Which one is your favorite?
Make vegan apple pie from scratch (with step-by-step images)
Start by melting butter in a cast iron pan
Add demerara sugar and swirl the pan to mix it all together. Set aside to cool
Peel the Fiji apple and the granny Smith apple
Cut them into thick wedges
In a large bowl, add the chopped apples and add pumpkin pie spice + cardamom powder
Add the brown sugar, lemon juice and coconut oil
Toss it well so that all the apples are coated with the cinnamon mixture
Once it has cooled enough, place the pie crust on it and press it down gently. The butter mixture should come up along the sides of the cast iron pan
Add the apple mixture to the pie in the cast iron pan. Make it leveled so that the apples are not sticking above the pan. Add pecans for a nice crunch.
In a small bowl, make the butter mixture to brush on top of the pie. Melt the butter and sugar
Add a pinch of cinnamon and mix well
Place the top pie crust on the cast iron pan. Cut a few slits on top to let air escape
Brush the top of the pie with the melted butter. Brush the edges with almond milk too. It will make them crispy
Place the pie in the 350° pre-heated oven on the bottom rack. Place an empty tray at the bottom of the cast iron pan to catch all the juices that come out of it.
Bake for 1 hour and broil for the last 7-10 min. Remove the pie and let it cook before serving
Vegan Apple Pie Recipe (Rustic)
Equipment
- Oven for baking braeburn apples
Ingredients
For the vegan pie crust
- 2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 stick vegan butter
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp ice water
- 2 tsp vegetable shortening optional
For the pie filling
- 1 Fiji apple or braebun apples
- 1 granny smith apple
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup demerara sugar
- 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom optional
- ¼ tsp lemon juice optional
- 1 tsp coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup pecan pieces optional
For Basting
- 1 Tbsp vegan butter
- 1 Tbsp demerara sugar
- ⅙ tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp almond milk
For the skillet bottom
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tsp demerara sugar
Instructions
- Make my vegan pie crust or use store bought
- Preheat oven to 350°
Make the skillet base
- Start by melting butter in a cast iron pan
- Add demerara sugar and swirl the pan to mix it all together. Set aside to cool
To make the pie filling
- Peel the Fiji apple and the granny Smith apple
- Cut them into thick wedges
- In a large bowl, add the chopped apples
- Add pumpkin pie spice and ground cardamom
- Add the brown sugar, lemon juice and coconut oil
- Toss it well so that all the apples are coated with the pumpkin pie mixture
- Add pecan pieces (see notes)
- Once the cast iron has cooled enough, gently place the pie crust in it
- Press down on the pie crust gently so that the butter mixture comes up along the sides of the cast iron pan
- Add the apple mixture to the pie in the cast iron pan. Make it level so that the apples are not sticking above the pan
- Place the top pie crust on the cast iron pan. Cut a few slits on top to let air escape
Make the basting liquid
- In a small bowl, make the butter mixture to brush on top of the pie. Melt the butter and sugar
- Add a pinch of cinnamon and mix well
- Brush the top of the pie with the melted butter.
- Brush the edges with almond milk too. It will make them crispy
Baking the pie
- Place the pie in the 350° pre-heated oven on the bottom rack.
- Place an empty tray at the bottom of the cast iron pan to catch all the juices that come out of it.
- Bake for about 1 hour. I basted the top again at about the 30 min mark.
- Turn the oven to broil mode and broil for 10 min (see notes)
