There’s no better way to end (or start!) a meal than with a slice of apple pie. Thanks to this vegan apple pie recipe, everyone at the table will be able to dig in. Here’s how to make this crowd-pleasing treat without dairy or eggs.
How to make a vegan crust for vegan apple pie
To make any pie crust recipe vegan, you’ll want to use vegetable shortening as your fat of choice. Unlike butter, which is 80% fat, 15% water and 5% milk solids, shortening is 100% fat. So substituting equal amounts of shortening for butter will yield a lighter-textured pastry. This can be delicious, but it’s best to multiply the butter amount by 0.8 to determine a more accurate amount of shortening needed.
You can also make a vegan crust recipe that explicitly calls for shortening instead of butter, which should help simplify your baking!
Editor’s Tip: Make the crust the day before you start baking.
Vegan Apple Pie Ingredients
- Tart apples
- Water
- Lemon juice
- Sugar
- Packed brown sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground ginger
- Salt
- Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the apples
In a saucepan, start by combining the apples, water and lemon juice. Cook over medium-low heat until the apples are just tender. Remove from the heat and cool, but don’t drain the mixture.
Step 2: Assemble the filling
In a separate bowl, combine the sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Add the apples and toss to coat.
Step 3: Make the pie
To assemble the pie, place the bottom pastry in your pie plate. Add the apple mixture and cover with the top pastry. Seal and flute edges as desired. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
Editor’s Tip: You can also use a pie bird for this.
Step 4: Bake until golden
Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350° and bake for another 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. When your pie is finished baking, remove it from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
How do you store vegan apple pie?
Need a make-ahead dessert? This pie’s filling can be made in advance and stored in the freezer until you’re ready to assemble. Once baked, the pie can be kept at room temperature for up two days, and in the fridge for an additional two to three days.
Vegan Apple Pie Tips
Which apples should I use for vegan apple pie?
Crunchy? Sweet? Tart? There’s an apple to meet every taste, but not all are perfect for pies. For baking vegan apple pie, you’ll want to find something that’s more tart and won’t get mushy. Your best bets are Granny Smiths and Honeycrisps, although Golden Delicious and Fuji apples also make delicious pies.
How do you serve vegan apple pie?
To serve, cut the pie into slices and top with a scoop of vegan ice cream!
