This vegan apple pie has a flaky, golden double crust wrapped around layers of tender, juicy apples flavored with cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. It's a simple recipe that you can make with a homemade or store-bought pie crust.
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Classic vegan apple pie
This apple pie has the perfect, flaky crust and the apples cook up tender and sweet without falling apart. Lemon zest brightens up the warmly spiced filling and cornstarch thickens the juices that the apples release during baking so you don't have to struggle with a runny filling!
There's no need to pre-cook the apples: just toss the filling together in a bowl, pile it into my easy, three-ingredient vegan pie crust, and finish with a lattice or full-top crust. It's the perfect, all-American dessert that you can serve for fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or whenever you are craving a cozy, homemade apple pie.
Although this recipe is vegan, it captures all of the flavor and nostalgia of a classic apple pie. That's because apart from the vegan butter in the crust the recipe stays true to a traditional apple pie recipe.
This recipe makes a large pie - you need a deep-dish pan that's 10 inches in diameter and two inches deep. I like making the bigger size because this is my family's favorite pie recipe. It also bowls guests over, even those who are decidedly not vegan. The only problem you might run into is that everyone will want more. But then, that's a good problem to have.
Why you will love this apple pie recipe
- You don't have to pre-cook the apples. Just toss the apples with the spices, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and set aside for 15 minutes before adding to the crust.
- The filling sets beautifully. Cornstarch thickens the apple juices released during baking and the six-hour cooling time allows the filling to set correctly.
- Warm, distinctive flavor. Cinnamon, a classic apple pie spice, is complemented by ginger and cardamom. Lemon zest and juice brighten up the flavor and provide balance.
- Holiday- and make-ahead friendly. Because it needs a long cooling time, this is the perfect dessert to make a day or two before Thanksgiving or a family gathering.
- It is dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free and nut-free. Be sure to check the labels of store-bought crusts and vegan butter for dietary information if you are soy-free or nut-free. You can use a gluten-free crust.
More vegan apple desserts
- Vegan apple tart
- Vegan apple strudel
- Vegan apple cake
- Vegan skillet apple pie
- Vegan slab apple pie with salted caramel-pecan drizzle
Recipe card
Vegan apple pie recipe
Ingredients
- 2 vegan pie crusts
- 7 apples (about 2½ pounds. I used golden delicious apples. Peel the apples for best texture, then halve and core them. Cut each half into eight slices, then halve each slice).
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Prepare the crust
- Roll out the bottom crust of the apple pie and carefully lift it into the plate. You can fold the dough once, transfer to the pie plate, and unfold. Tuck any overhanging edges under and flute or crimp the edges with your fingers or with a fork. Place the pie plate in the fridge while you make the filling.
Prepare the filling
- Place the sliced apples in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix.
- Add the remaining filling ingredients to the bowl--sugar, cornstarch, ground cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
- Mix the filling ingredients with a ladle or spatula. Make sure there is no dry flour in the bowl. Set the filling aside for 15 minutes.
Assemble the apple pie
- Pour the filling into the pie pan along with any juices that have expressed from the apples. Spread evenly.
- Prepare the top crust. You can either do a lattice top, like this one (see FAQs for directions), or just place the rolled-out crust on top of the filling, tuck the edges under the bottom crust and flute or crimp the edges to seal them, then cut four vents in the center with a knife for the hot air to escape as the pie bakes. Place the pie in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Bake the pie
- While the pie is chilling, position a rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
- Place the chilled apple pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices that escape during baking and place on the oven rack. At this point you can make a vegan "egg" wash by adding a tablespoon of nondairy milk to the bowl that contained the filling and mix it with any residual juices stuck to the bottom of the bowl. Mix and brush the juices on the top crust for a lovely, golden-brown color.
- Bake the apple pie for 30 minutes. Then turn down the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius. Continue baking 35 to 45 minutes until the juices are bubbling through the lattice vents and the crust is golden brown.
- Remove the baked pie to a cooling rack and cool at least 6 hours or overnight. Then slice and serve!
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
My top tips for success
- Choose the right variety of apples. For the most reliable texture use firm baking apples such as golden delicious, Granny Smith, honey crisp, pink lady and Braeburn. Apples like red delicious and gala can turn powdery when baked so avoid them. Adjust sugar slightly if your apples are especially tart or sweet.
- Slice apples evenly. Cut the apples lengthwise, into ¼-inch thick slices, then halve each slice. Making sure the slices are uniformly sized will ensure the filling cooks evenly.
- Keep the pie dough cool. Keeping the dough as cool as possible will help keep the larger bits of vegan butter in the pie dough from melting. Those pockets of butter melt in the oven, creating flaky little pockets of crunchiness. Roll out the dough on a cool surface like a stone or marble countertop, or a metal baking sheet turned upside down. Chill the pie dough or unbaked pie anytime you are working on another task.
- Perfect the crust. A crispy, flaky crust is an essential for apple pie! Follow my easy vegan pie crust recipe made with just three ingredients. If making a pie crust sounds like too much work, use a store-bought pie crust.
- Bake the pie on a rack in the lower third of the oven. This helos the filling cook thoroughly without the top crust burning or browning too much. No need for a pie shield!
- Use a deep-dish pie pan. This recipe is designed for a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan. It might still look like a lot of apples when you put them in the crust but they will bake down.
- Cool the pie thoroughly. It's so tempting to eat that pie right away but let the pie cool at least six hours or overnight so the juices thicken up nicely.
Recipe FAQs
You don't have to, especially if you are using organic apples. The skins will add a little more texture to the filling and if you don't like that just peel the apples.
Adding the juice of half a lemon to the filling will help keep the apples from browning. The juice and the zest also add a pop of unexpected, fresh flavor to the filling. The cornstarch helps the juices released by the apples to thicken as the pie bakes.
To make a lattice top, roll out the pie crust to the diameter of the top of the pie plate. Cut into 12 strips. Then place six strips over the pie, using the shorter sides for the edges of the plate. Roll three alternating strips all the way back and place a strip of pie dough crosswise. Then unroll the strips you had rolled back and roll back the other three alternating strips. Place another ribbon of dough crosswise, and so on, until you've used up all 12 strips. Tuck in any overhanging dough around the edges and pinch in the seams.
To make a gorgeous and extremely easy apple pie without a top crust, try this stunning vegan French apple tart.
Store the vegan apple pie in the fridge for up to six days. You can also freeze the assembled but unbaked pie for up to three months and bake the pie without thawing. The baked pie can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw and warm in the oven before serving.
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