Simple Vegan Apple Pie

I thought making vegan apple pie was impossible until last fall. How do you get that flaky crust without butter? And what about the rich filling that usually needs eggs?

Turns out, vegan apple pie isn’t just possible—it’s actually easier than the regular kind. No need to worry about cold butter or whether your eggs are room temperature. Just mix, roll, and bake. Plus, it tastes just as good as the apple pies I grew up eating, maybe even better.

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What Kind of Apples Should I Use?

Granny Smith apples are perfect for this vegan apple pie because they hold their shape well during baking and won’t turn to mush. Their tart flavor also balances nicely with the sweetness from the sugars, giving you that classic apple pie taste. If you can’t find Granny Smiths, other good baking apples like Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Jonathan will work too. Just make sure your apples are firm and not overly ripe – you want them to have a little bite to them so they maintain some texture after baking. When prepping your apples, aim for slices that are about ¼ inch thick so they cook evenly throughout the pie.

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Options for Substitutions

This vegan apple pie is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need to make changes:

• Granny Smith apples: While Granny Smiths are perfect for their tartness and firm texture, you can use Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Jonathan apples. Just avoid super soft varieties like Red Delicious that might turn mushy.
• Double pie crust: Make sure your store-bought crust is vegan (many contain lard or butter), or you can make your own using vegan butter or coconut oil instead of regular butter.
• White and brown sugar: You can swap white sugar for coconut sugar or maple sugar. For brown sugar, try coconut sugar mixed with a bit of molasses, or just use all white sugar if that’s what you have.
• Vegan butter: Coconut oil works great here – just make sure it’s melted and cooled slightly. You could also use regular vegetable oil, though the flavor won’t be quite as rich.
• Spices: Don’t have nutmeg or ginger? You can use apple pie spice (about 1½ teaspoons total) or just stick with cinnamon and add a pinch of allspice if you have it.
• All-purpose flour: Cornstarch or tapioca starch work well for thickening – use about 2 tablespoons instead of 3 tablespoons flour.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making apple pie is not pre-cooking your apples slightly, which can leave you with a gap between the crust and filling as the apples shrink during baking – try sautéing the sliced apples for just 3-4 minutes to remove excess moisture.

Another common error is making your apple slices too thick, so aim for uniform ¼-inch slices to ensure even cooking and a pie that holds together when sliced.

Don’t skip tossing your apples with flour before adding them to the crust, as this helps thicken the juices and prevents a watery bottom, and make sure to brush your top crust with a little oil or melted vegan butter for that golden finish.

Finally, resist the urge to cut into your pie right away – letting it cool for at least 2 hours allows the filling to set properly so you get clean, beautiful slices instead of apple soup.

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What to Serve With Vegan Apple Pie?

This vegan apple pie is absolutely perfect on its own, but a scoop of vanilla vegan ice cream on top makes it even better – especially when the pie is still warm and the ice cream starts to melt a little. You can also serve it with some freshly whipped coconut cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce if you want to go all out. For a cozy fall dinner, I love pairing a slice with a hot cup of coffee or spiced chai tea. If you’re serving this for a holiday meal, it goes great alongside other classic desserts like pumpkin bread or cinnamon rolls.

Storage Instructions

Store: Your vegan apple pie will stay fresh covered with foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, pop it in the fridge where it’ll keep for up to a week. I actually think apple pie tastes even better the next day once all those spices have had time to meld together!

Freeze: Apple pie freezes really well for up to 3 months. You can freeze it whole (wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil) or cut it into individual slices first. I love having single slices ready to go in the freezer for when I’m craving a quick dessert.

Warm Up: To bring back that fresh-baked taste, warm individual slices in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or heat the whole pie in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes. If it’s frozen, let it thaw overnight in the fridge first, then warm it up. The crust gets nice and crispy again this way!

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2600-2900
• Protein: 16-20 g
• Fat: 90-110 g
• Carbohydrates: 430-470 g

Ingredients

For the crust:

• Double pie dough (enough for top and bottom of a 9-inch pie)
• 2 tsp oil

For the apple filling:

• 6 medium granny smith apples
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp melted vegan butter

Step 1: Prepare the Pie Dough and Preheat the Oven

• double pie dough (enough for top and bottom of a 9-inch pie)

Preheat your oven to 375℉ (190℃).

If using store-bought pie dough, set it out to thaw at room temperature.

This will make it easier to handle when lining the pie pan and forming the crust.

Step 2: Prepare the Apples

• 6 medium granny smith apples
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Peel, core, and thinly slice the granny smith apples.

As you slice the apples, place them into a large bowl and toss them with the lemon juice to prevent browning and add a little brightness to the filling.

Step 3: Mix and Combine the Filling

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp melted vegan butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• sliced apples with lemon juice from Step 2

In a small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar, packed brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and all-purpose flour.

Pour this sugar mixture over the sliced apples from Step 2 and toss to coat thoroughly.

Then, drizzle in the melted vegan butter and vanilla extract, tossing until everything is fully incorporated and the apple slices are evenly coated.

Step 4: Assemble the Pie

• double pie dough (from Step 1)
• apple filling from Step 3

Line a 9-inch pie pan with half of the pie dough (from Step 1).

Trim the edges as needed.

Spread the prepared apple filling (from Step 3) evenly in the lined pie pan.

Cover the pie with the remaining dough.

Trim and crimp the edges to seal the top and bottom crusts.

Use a sharp knife to make 4 or 5 vent slits from the middle of the crust out toward the edges—this helps steam escape during baking.

Step 5: Bake the Pie

Cover the edges of the pie crust with foil or a crust shield to prevent over-browning.

Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

I like to keep a close eye on the crust color toward the end of baking—the filling should be bubbling before removing the foil.

Step 6: Finish Baking and Brush the Crust

• 2 tsp oil

After the initial bake, carefully remove the foil from the crust edges.

Brush the top of the pie with oil to achieve a beautiful golden-brown finish.

Return the pie to the oven and bake for an additional 15–20 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is bubbling through the vents.

Step 7: Cool and Serve

Let the pie cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before serving.

This resting time allows the juices to set, making it easier to slice the pie cleanly.

For an extra treat, I love serving a slice with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.

Simple Vegan Apple Pie

Delicious Simple Vegan Apple Pie recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 24 minutes mins

Cook Time 48 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 12 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2750 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the crust:

• double pie dough (enough for top and bottom of a 9-inch pie)
• 2 tsp oil

For the apple filling:

• 6 medium granny smith apples
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp melted vegan butter

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 375℉ (190℃). If using store-bought pie dough, set it out to thaw at room temperature. This will make it easier to handle when lining the pie pan and forming the crust.
• Peel, core, and thinly slice the granny smith apples. As you slice the apples, place them into a large bowl and toss them with the lemon juice to prevent browning and add a little brightness to the filling.
• In a small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar, packed brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and all-purpose flour. Pour this sugar mixture over the sliced apples from Step 2 and toss to coat thoroughly. Then, drizzle in the melted vegan butter and vanilla extract, tossing until everything is fully incorporated and the apple slices are evenly coated.
• Line a 9-inch pie pan with half of the pie dough (from Step 1). Trim the edges as needed. Spread the prepared apple filling (from Step 3) evenly in the lined pie pan. Cover the pie with the remaining dough. Trim and crimp the edges to seal the top and bottom crusts. Use a sharp knife to make 4 or 5 vent slits from the middle of the crust out toward the edges—this helps steam escape during baking.
• Cover the edges of the pie crust with foil or a crust shield to prevent over-browning. Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. I like to keep a close eye on the crust color toward the end of baking—the filling should be bubbling before removing the foil.
• After the initial bake, carefully remove the foil from the crust edges. Brush the top of the pie with oil to achieve a beautiful golden-brown finish. Return the pie to the oven and bake for an additional 15–20 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is bubbling through the vents.
• Let the pie cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before serving. This resting time allows the juices to set, making it easier to slice the pie cleanly. For an extra treat, I love serving a slice with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.