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Golden brown, warmly spiced, and perfectly caramelized, this deep-dish vegan apple pie is ideal for any celebration or a cozy weeknight treat. The juicy filling bursts with apple flavour and is easy to prepare, while the homemade crust is flaky, tender, and delicious.
You can serve your pie plain or elevate it further with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream or a drizzle of rich vegan caramel sauce. This recipe has a simple gluten-free adaptation if needed.
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If you don't have an excellent vegan apple pie recipe in your collection yet, why not? Maybe you just haven't found one you like, or everything you've come across is complicated, but that ends here because I have THE ONE for you!
Making a pie with a golden, buttery, flaky, tender, yet crisp crust (with no soggy bottom!) is so important to ensuring an amazing pie everyone loves, and you'll get exactly that with this recipe.
And the filling? You’re in for a treat! The sweetness and tartness of the apples are perfectly balanced, and you can adjust the flavour just the way you like it. The filling is also wonderfully spiced, with plenty of thinly sliced, tender (never mushy!) apples that are baked to warm, golden perfection.
Apple pie is the perfect dessert to prepare for any holiday, but especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some people even prefer pie for their birthday instead of cake!
And you don't need a special occasion for apple pie, make it just because you feel like having apple pie if you want. Your friends and family will be so grateful.
Love pie? So do I! I have several other recipes you may like, browse all of my vegan pie and tart recipes to find more ideas.
Ingredients You'll Need
Ingredient and Substitution Notes
Pie Crust - Please follow my vegan butter pie crust recipe (see the green box below for info on making a gf crust). This is a double-crust recipe, so double the recipe you choose to make. I provide plenty of helpful tips in that post, so read it thoroughly before making your pie crusts. I recommend making the recipe twice rather than doubling the measurements and then dividing the dough into two unless you have a scale and can split the dough accurately.
For Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Pie: Make my vegan gluten-free pie crust recipe and for the flour that goes into the filling, use a gluten-free flour blend or oat flour.
Apples - I usually use two types of firm apples when I make apple pie, which I find is best for flavour. While testing this recipe, I tried several different combinations and there wasn't one combination that I preferred over the other, they all made perfect apple pies.
For the pie you see in the pictures, I chose to use ⅔ Granny Smith and ⅓ Golden Delicious. Other apples that are good for pie are Gala, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, Pink Lady, Fuji, and Braeburn. You can use any combination you like but for your filling to have great texture, you need to choose firm apples so they hold their shape and don't turn to mush as the pie bakes. You also want to choose apples that have great flavour.
Lemon Juice - Lemon juice helps to prevent the apples from browning and it also adds a little tartness to the pie.
Sugar - You'll need both regular and brown sugar. I give a range in the recipe, the amount you use will depend on the type of apples you use and your preference for a sweet or more tart pie.
Flour - Flour is used to thicken the juices that the apples release while baking. Without it, the pie will be a juicy mess when sliced. This ingredient cannot be left out. (Use a gluten-free flour blend or oat flour if you need the pie to be gluten-free.)
Spices - You'll need cinnamon and nutmeg. Cinnamon is the dominant flavour of the two spices, and the nutmeg flavour is very subtle but present. If you want the nutmeg to be more prominent, bump the quantity up to ½ teaspoon.
Vegan Heavy Cream - Use this to brush the top of the pie so it browns evenly and has that golden-brown glow when done. If you don't have heavy cream, you can use dairy-free milk instead.
Turbinado Sugar - Feel free to use any type of course sugar, my preference is turbinado.
How to Make It
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make this recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
IMPORTANT: Before beginning this recipe, make sure to prepare the pie crusts in advance. They need at least 2 hours to chill, so plan ahead. You can even make the crusts up to three days in advance to save time on your pie-baking day!
Wash, peel, core, and slice the apples, toss them with lemon juice, mix in the combined sugars, flour, and spices, and gently coat the apples.
Roll out the first pie dough into a 12-inch circle, place it in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, press it into the corners, and mend any cracks if necessary.
IMPORTANT: Make sure to use a deep dish pie plate for this recipe, anything smaller will not be able to hold all the apples and the pie will bubble over and make a mess in the oven while baking.
Spoon the apples evenly into the pie crust without gaps and discard any excess juice. It will look like a lot of apples and the pile will be slightly domed, but keep in mind that they will lose some volume as they cook.
Roll the second pie dough into a 12-inch circle.
For a Non Lattice Top Pie: Place the rolled dough over the pie, trim excess to an inch, seal and crimp the edges, then cut slits for steam to escape.
To Make a Lattice Top Pie: Trim the dough one either side for straight edges, then cut it into 10 strips of the same or varying widths using a pizza wheel, a pastry wheel (pictured above), or sharp knife.
Place 5 strips horizontally on top of the pie.
Arrange the remaining strips, one at a time, over and under the strips to create the lattice design. (For a visual tutorial, watch this video.)
Trim any extra long pieces of dough so only about 1-inch is left around the edges.
Gently press the edges of the top and bottom crust together, then fold and tuck the excess dough under. You can crimp the edges if you'd like, I just leave them as they are.
Brush the surface of the pie crust with vegan heavy cream or dairy-free milk.
Sprinkle the top and edges with turbinado sugar, then bake!
NOTE: To get a perfectly flaky crust, the pie starts baking at a high temperature, which melts the butter in the dough to release steam, creating those delicate layers we all love. Once the crust is set, the temperature is lowered to allow the filling and crust to continue baking slowly, bringing everything to golden, tender perfection.
You will know the pie is done when you see juices bubbling up through the openings and when the crust is golden brown.
Keep an eye on the crust as it bakes, if it's getting too brown, loosely cover the whole pie with foil or use a pie shield or foil to cover just the edges.
When the baking time is up, remove the pie from the oven and place it on a cooling rack.
IMPORTANT: As tempting as it is to dig into your freshly baked apple pie, let it cool for at least 4 hours before slicing. This resting time allows the filling to set properly, so each slice will hold its shape and not be overly juicy or messy.
Storing and Freezing
Store the fully cooled pie, either sliced or unsliced, in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve cold or warm up before serving. If your pie dish has a lid for storage like mine does, this is the perfect time to use it.
Freezing
After the pie has completely cooled, slice and tightly wrap the individual slices with plastic wrap, store them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze them for up to two months.
When you're ready to serve, allow the slices to thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then enjoy cold or warm them up.
TIP: Holiday meal prep can get hectic, but if you're making this pie for dessert, the good news is that you can make it in advance. Bake the pie and allow it to cool completely. Once it’s cooled, wrap the whole pie, dish and all, in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. When you’re ready to serve, slice it while it’s still chilled, then let it warm to room temperature or heat up before serving.
How to Serve
Serve your pie warm or cold from the fridge, it's up to you. It can also be served plain or with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or even a drizzle of vegan maple caramel sauce.
Tips for Success
- Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smoothly, quickly, and easily.
- Time everything right. Remember that the crust needs to be made in advance, well before you start making the pie filling, so plan accordingly.
- Use a mix of apples for the best flavour. My recommendation is to always use Granny Smith and then use a sweeter apple variety for the other. Try different ones until you find a combination you love. Suggestions on which varieties to use can be found in the "Ingredient and Substitutions Notes" section above.
- Don't take a shortcut by not peeling the apples! Yes, peeling the apples is time-consuming so you may be tempted to not do it, but unpeeled apples in a pie are not good. The texture and taste are not right and the pie won't be as enjoyable. So, take the time and peel them, you'll be thankful you did.
- Make sure to use a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate that is at least 2-inches or slightly more, in depth. Anything smaller will cause a mess as the pie bakes.
- A deep-dish metal pie pan or glass pie plate will work, but I prefer to use a glass pie dish because it heats evenly and you can get a peek at the bottom and sides of the crust as the pie bakes.
- Don't skip placing the pie dish on a parchment-lined baking sheet before putting it in the oven. There is a good chance that the pie will bubble and drip when it's close to being done.
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve included a lot of tips and tricks. Also, read through the full recipe before getting started.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
If You Make This Recipe...
Let me know how your apple pie turned out by leaving a star rating and comment below or you can post a picture on Instagram and tag me so I can see it. I’m @delightfuladventures on Instagram.
If You Like This Recipe...
Then you may like these other vegan apple recipes:
Deep Dish Vegan Apple Pie (Homemade Crust)
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
For the Pie Crust (Prepare In Advance):
- 2 x vegan pie crust (vegan gluten-free pie crust can also be used, see note below)
For the Filling:
- 3 pounds (1360g) apples (roughly 8 apples, weigh them before peeling and coring (see note about apples below))
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed, see note below)
- ½ - ¾ cup (100g - 150g) sugar (see note below)
- ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons (47g) all-purpose flour (for gluten-free, see note below)
- 1 ¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon vegan heavy cream (see note below)
- 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar (or any type of coarse sugar)
Instructions:
Prepare Pie Crust:
- Make a double batch of either my vegan pie crust OR my vegan gluten-free pie crust and chill them for at least 2 hours before making this recipe.
Prepare Apple Pie Filling:
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Wash, peel, and core apples. Cut each apple into quarters and then slice the apples ⅛ - ¼-inch thick and place them in a large bowl.
- Mix the sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl.
- Add the lemon juice to the sliced apples and gently mix.
Roll Pie Crust:
- Remove one of the discs of chilled dough from the fridge.
- Dust a rolling mat or piece of parchment paper with flour and place the chilled dough on top of the flour. Add a little more flour on top of the dough and using a rolling pin, roll out into a 12-inch circle.
- Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and gently press it into the corners of the dish. If there are any cracks, press the dough back together to mend them.
- Spoon the apples into the bottom pie crust, making sure there are no gaps and that they are spread evenly. Take care not to add any juices that have gathered at the bottom of the bowl, discard the juice and do not pour it into the pie.
- Remove the second chilled dough disc from the fridge. Dust your rolling mat or dust the same piece of parchment paper with flour and place dough on top of the flour. Add a little more flour on top of the dough and using a rolling pin, roll out into a 12-inch circle.
- For a Non-Lattice Top Pie: Carefully transfer the dough to the top of the pie and trim any excess pie dough until you are left with about an inch of dough coming out from the pie plate. Tuck the excess dough under and crimp the edges. Cut venting slits in the top of the pie to create space for the steam to escape.
- To Make a Lattice Top Pie: Using a pizza wheel, a pastry wheel, or a sharp knife, slice off a thin strip of the dough from the left and right side so the sides are straight. Slice the remaining dough into 10 strips. Place 5 horizontally on top of the pie and then arrange the other 5, one by one, over and under the strips to create the lattice design. (See the link above if you need a video tutorial for this) Tuck the excess dough under.
- Brush the surface of the pie crust with the vegan heavy cream and then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 375°F (191°C) and continue baking for another 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust as it bakes, if it's getting too brown, loosely cover the whole pie with foil or use a pie shield or foil to cover just the edges.
- Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Allow it to cool for at least 4 hours before slicing.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the information above, as well as the notes below before making this recipe.
- Make my vegan pie crust or my vegan gluten-free pie crust in advance so it can chill for at least 2 hours before starting this recipe. This step can be done the day before. You will need 2 pie crusts (the recipes I link to above make just 1) so I recommend making the crust recipe twice rather than doubling the measurements and then dividing the dough into two unless you have a scale and can split the dough accurately.
- For the best flavour, use a mix of apples. You can use any combination you like but choose apples that are flavourful and firm so they hold their shape and don't turn to mush as the pie bakes. See above for recommendations.
- Use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice if your apples are on the sweeter side, Use 1 if your apples are more tart.
- I give a range for the sugar to be used, use ¾ cup if you are using apples that are more tart or if you prefer an apple pie that is more on the sweet side. Stick with ½ cup if you are using sweeter apples or prefer a pie that is more on the tart side.
- Use a gluten-free flour blend or oat flour to make the filling gluten-free.
- If you don't have vegan heavy cream for brushing the top, you can use any type of dairy-free milk instead.
- Cover and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- The calorie count is for 1 slice of 10 made using my easy vegan pie crust and does not include any toppings. Nutrition data is only to be used as a rough guide, click here to learn how nutrition data is determined on this website.
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