Apple Pie Recipe
Apple Pie is a classic dessert made with a flaky crust and sweet, spiced apple filling. My homemade version is plant based, made without butter and with whole wheat flour for a slightly healthier twist. It’s easy to make from scratch and tastes warm, cozy, and delicious. This pie is perfect for festive meals, weekend baking, or when you’re simply craving a comforting, fruit-filled treat.
About Apple Pie Recipe
Traditional pie crusts call for butter and cold water, but my proven method is even easier and produces a perfectly flakiest crust.
My secret is to use vegan-friendly and healthy olive oil to add just the right amount of fat to the crust dough. The result is a crisp crust that’s great for filling with sweet, tender apples.
You can cover the top of the apple pie completely with the vegan crust dough, or make a decorative lattice pie crust. Either way this dessert is guaranteed to impress!
Unlike classic butter-based crusts that need chilling and delicate handling, this olive oil dough is much more straightforward and beginner-friendly.
There’s no need to worry about melting butter or overworking the dough. It’s also quicker to make – ideal when you’re short on time but still want to bake something comforting and festive.
In my recipe, I use a 2:1 ratio of whole wheat flour to all-purpose flour. Using whole wheat flour not only makes the crust more wholesome, but also adds a subtle nutty flavor that complements the warm spices and natural sweetness of the apples.
The apple filling is gently spiced, not overly sweet, and balances beautifully with the light crispness of the crust.
Whether you’re making this for a celebration, a weekend treat, or just to enjoy the seasonal bounty of apples, this vegan apple pie is a recipe you’ll return to often.
Make this apple pie tonight, and then try these other apple recipes:
How to Make Apple Pie
Prepare Pie Dough
This scrumptious apple pie starts with a simple pie dough that’s plant based.
1. First, in a sieve over a large bowl combine 1 cup of whole wheat flour, ½ cup of all purpose flour, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
2. Sift the ingredients together into the bowl.
3. Next, add ¼ cup of olive oil.
4. Use your fingertips to combine the olive oil and flour to create a breadcrumb-like texture. This is essential for achieving that perfectly flaky, crisp pie crust.
5. Add water to the bowl a splash at a time, and continue using your hands to work everything into a dough.
6. You want just enough water to bind the mixture together and create a tight dough. Do not knead! Gently bring the dough together to form a ball, and cover.
Make Apple Filling
7. Next, prep the apples by peeling, coring, and slicing.
8. Place the apple slices in a large bowl. Then add ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 2 tablespoons of demerara sugar (or brown sugar, or granulated white sugar or raw sugar), and 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour.
9. Use a spoon to combine well, so that all of the apple slices are coated.
Assemble Apple Pie
10. Now it’s time to make the pie! Start by lightly flouring a clean work surface, and then divide the dough in half – or four equal parts if making two small pies. Set aside all but one section of the crust dough.
Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes before you begin baking.
11. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into an even layer that is about ¼ inch thick. Be sure to dust the rolling pin with flour as needed to prevent it from sticking.
12. Next, roll the flattened dough up and over the rolling pin. The dough will still be faintly sticky, therefore it’s important you continue lightly dusting with flour.
13. Thoroughly grease a pie pan before carefully transferring the dough to the dish. Use your fingers to gently push the crust into place.
14. Add an even layer of the apple filling to the crust.
15. Top the apple slices with a few drops of olive oil or dots of vegan butter. This will help to keep the fruit juices from bubbling up and over the crust while the pie bakes.
Make Lattice Pie Crust
16. The pie is ready to cover! You can either completely cover the pie with another layer of crust dough, or cut strips to create a lovely lattice design.
If you want to cover with a solid piece of dough, simply follow the above steps to roll out another section of dough into an even layer. Then, place the dough on top of the pie, and gently crimp the edges together with the pie crust.
Use a knife to make a small slit, about an inch or so long, in the center of the dough to allow steam to escape.
Read on for my photos and tips for making a lattice crust topping, and keep scrolling to see a full video that demonstrates these steps!
17. It’s very easy to make a pretty lattice pie crust using the eggless and dairy-free pie dough.
After rolling and slicing the dough into even strips, lay them one at a time across the pie. Work to gently intertwine them, as I show in the video below.
18. Lastly, use a pastry brush to lightly brush soy milk (or any plant-based or non-vegan milk of choice) onto the pie crust. Sprinkle on a bit more raw sugar and ground cinnamon.
Bake
19. Bake the apple pie in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 50 to 60 mins, until the crust is golden. It took exactly one hour in my oven.
But as oven temperatures vary, it can take less or more time in your oven. Keep an eye on it, and be sure to remove promptly to keep from burning.
Serving & Storing Suggestions
Serve the apple pie warm or at room temperature. It is delicious to enjoy plain, or with a generous helping of vegan ice cream or eggless Vanilla Ice Cream or whipped cream.
To keep leftovers for up to a week, cover the pie with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. You can even freeze for about a month. Before serving, warm the pie in the oven.
Expert Tips
- Apple varieties: You can use any tart-sweet or sweet apple varieties to make this pie. Good options include Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn. In India, Shimla, Kashmir, or Kinnaur apples work very well. You can also mix 2 to 3 varieties for a more complex flavor. I personally prefer sweet apples that don’t become too mushy after baking. Crispness is not essential, but the apples should taste good.
- Flour choices: This recipe can be made with only whole wheat flour (atta) too. Do note that the crust will be slightly denser in that case, and you’ll need to add more water while forming the dough, as whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture.
- Making the crust dough: The dough should be firm and tight, just brought together without kneading. Avoid over-mixing, as that can make the crust tough.
- Fats you can use: Instead of olive oil, feel free to use sunflower oil, any neutral-flavored oil, or butter. For a flaky and rich crust using butter, refer to my All Butter Pie Crust Recipe.
- Sweeteners: You can use any sweetener of your choice – demerara sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, granulated white sugar, coconut sugar, palm sugar, powdered jaggery, or even maple syrup. All work well in this pie.
- Spice substitute: If you don’t have nutmeg, you can simply skip it. The pie will still taste delicious with cinnamon alone.
- Storage: Leftovers can be wrapped in cling film and refrigerated for up to 7 days. For longer storage, freeze the pie and it will stay good for about a month.
- Scaling: This Apple Pie Recipe can easily be halved or scaled to make for lesser or more number of servings.
FAQs
Can I make the pie crust with only whole wheat flour?
Yes, you can make the apple pie with only whole wheat flour. There will be some denseness in the pie crust but it will still taste good. You will need to add some more water while combining the crust dough as whole wheat flour needs more water.
Can I use butter instead of olive oil?
Of course. If you plan to add butter, then check my All Butter Pie Crust Recipe.
Can I replace powdered jaggery with demerara sugar?
Yes – not only powdered jaggery but you can add maple syrup, coconut sugar or palm sugar or brown sugar in place of demerara sugar.
Do I need to peel the apples?
Peeling the apples is recommended for a soft, smooth filling. However, if you prefer more texture and the apple variety has thin skin, you can skip peeling.
Can I prepare the pie dough in advance?
Yes. You can make the dough ahead and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for longer storage. Just thaw it before rolling.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Apple Pie Recipe (No Butter)
Ingredients
For the pie crust
- 1 cup (120 grams) whole wheat flour
- ½ cup (62.5 grams) cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup olive oil or sunflower oil
- ⅓ cup water – at room temperature or add as required
- ½ teaspoon salt or as required
For apple pie filling
- 2 apples (medium-sized) – peeled, cored and sliced
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (cinnamon powder)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg or grated nutmeg (nutmeg powder)
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons demerara sugar (or brown sugar or raw sugar or white sugar)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons oil or vegan butter – to top the filling
Other ingredients
- 1 to 2 pinches ground cinnamon (cinnamon powder) – for sprinkling
- 1 to 2 pinches raw sugar or brown sugar or white sugar – for sprinkling
- 2 to 3 teaspoons soy milk or any nut milk – for glazing
Instructions
Making pie crust
- Seive or mix all the dry ingredients together – whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and salt.
- Add the olive oil and with your finger tips combine the oil in the flour evenly to get a breadcrumb consistency. This step should be done properly and this results in giving a flaky texture to the crust. The whole mixture should look like breadcrumbs.
- Add water in parts binding the whole mixture together. Don't knead. Gather everything and form a dough.
Making apple filling
- Peel, core and slice the apples.
- Mix the ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, demerara sugar and whole wheat flour into the apples.
- Preheat your oven at 180 degrees celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes.
- Grease your pie pan with olive oil.
Assembling pie
- Divide the dough into two or four equal parts depending on the size of your pie pans.
- Take one portion of the dough on a dusted work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into an even layer that is about ¼ inch thick.
- Place one of the rolled pie crust gently on the greased pan and press it towards the bottom and the sides.
- Arrange the apple filling evenly on the bottom pie crust.
- Top the apple slices with a few drops of olive oil or dots of vegan butter.
- Cover the pan with another rolled pie crust and fold the edges of the top crust over and under the bottom edges. Flute the edges.
- Cut through the top pie crust with a fork or knife from top so as to allow steam to pass while baking.
- You can also cut strips from the rolled dough and create a lattice pie crust as shown in the video below.
- Brush with soy milk or any nut milk and sprinkle raw sugar and ground cinnamon from the top.
Baking apple pie
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 50 to 60 minutes or until the crust has become golden and crisp.
- Serve the apple pie warm or when at room temperature.
Storage
- You can refrigerate or freeze the pies.
- Wrap the apple pies when they completely cool down in a cling film or store them in an air tight container and refrigerate or freeze.
Video
Notes
- Apples: Any sweet tasting or a tart-sweet apples work great in an apple pie without it becoming a mush. I personally like sweet apples. Some good apple choices are Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Braeburn and Pink Lady. For the Indian variety of apples, use Shimla, Kashmir or Kinnaur apples. You can always mix and match two to three varieties of apples.
- Demerara sugar: You can add powdered jaggery, maple syrup, coconut sugar, raw sugar or palm sugar or brown sugar.
- Fats: Sunflower oil can be added instead of olive oil. You can also use a neutral flavored oil.
- Flour: You can use whole wheat flour completely in the recipe. There will be some denseness in the texture of the crust but the taste will be good. You will need to add some more water while making the crust dough as whole wheat flour requires more water.
- Scaling: You can halve or double the recipe easily.
Nutrition
Apple Pie recipe from the archives was first published on September 2013.
Very tasty ? ?
Loved it.
First tried few months back. It was amazing. Very tasty. Now we make it very often.?
All your recipes are really good.
Thank you and glad to know. Thanks for your kind words.
Can I use fryer for baking the dish? What would be the time and temperature setting?
You can try. I am not sure about the time, but you can consider a moderate temperature of 180 degrees Celsius.
what a delicious dessert!! your perfectly clear instructions make it so easy and enjoyable 🙂
Amazing
Hi, you have mentioned usage of 6 inch diameter pan for apple pan, can we use a square one?
yes, you can use a square pan.
Looks very interesting. Will try this weekend. Can i use powdered jaggery instead of demerara sugar?
yes, you can use powdered jaggery and thanks.
Hi Dassana, can I make one pie of eight inch tart with this recipe. Also can I use butter instead of olive oil?
yes lopamudra, you can make one large pie of 8 inch. yes, butter can be used instead of oil. make sure butter is cold and then cut it in cubes. add the cold butter to the four and with a knife cut the butter in the flour. or alternatively, with your fingertips break the butter in the flour till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. if the butter starts melting, then keep the bowl in the fridge till the butter solidifies.
This recipe was really easy and the pie tasted very good. What would happen if I used only whole wheat instead of adding maida? Please advise.
tannaz, you can use only whole wheat flour too. a slight denseness will be there in the pie crust, but will still taste delicious. just add some more water while combining the crust dough as whole wheat flour needs more water.
Hi..
I am a very big fan of almost all recipes..????
First time planning to try the pie..
I don’t have nutmeg…can you tell any replacement???
skip nutmeg and thank you.
I once again repeat what most of the other people have said in comments – the pie, especially the crust, turned out amazingly well …
your recipes are very well written ( from a new cook’s point of view) – they are precise and in a proper order, without missing ingredients or even basic steps. And I find your use of healthy ingredients very encouraging.
My only ‘complaint’, if I may say so, would be about the serving size – you mention 2-3 for this recipe but after I gave it to my kid, it turned out to be 1 serving only !! He was not ready to share it at all.
Thanks Sghosh for sharing this awesome feedback on Apple Pie. Glad to know that your kid liked it so much. Serving size becomes sometimes little tricky. Because it depends upon person appetite or whether it is served as a dessert or a main sweet snack.
Hello…a very interesting recipe.
I wanted to ask that can we use any other oil instead of olive oil..or can we use butter too?
you can use butter and a neutral flavored oil like sunflower oil.
This pie turned out absolutely fabulous!!! Though i had a bit of a problem with the crusty dough- it was a bit too dry and without adding a bit more water, it couldn’t have been ruled as it broke before the extra water. Bit overall, after that it turned out a hit!! I used green apples and added a bit more cinnamon than mentioned in the recipe, it was fab!!
thanks sayanee. the dough may look dry, but after baking turns out fine. green apples must have tasted fab and yes you can add some extra cinnamon.
Can it be cooked in pressure cooker?
I was cycling in lwh and one of our cooks bakes it in kitchen tent in an oven with fresh apples from garden… That has been the best apple pie I have had till date… Since then wanting to tey it…. Have you ever tried??
thanks archana. i have never tried making pies or puff pastries in pressure cooker. but it think it should work. if you try then do let me know.
Hey! I’m a great fan of ur cooking. Already tried a few & they came out to b excellent. Today i tried ur apple pie recipe but got some problems with baking. It still seems uncooked.pls help out!
could be that the pie needed to be baked for some more time. oven temperatures vary, so the baking time can be less or more.
Hey thanks for sharing this healthy version…. tried it yesterday… the filling was awesome.. but my crust was very very hard … i hv baked it in convection for 50 minutes… planning to try it today by kneeding it with milk .. is that ok? Or you have any other tip plz share 🙂
aditi, firstly mix the oil with the flour so well that you get a bread crumb like consistency in the flour. this makes the pie have a flaky texture. additions of less water can make the crust hard. so could be that the flour you are using needs more water. so try adding more water till the dough comes together. do not knead. just add enough water to get the whole mixture together. you can use milk too.
Thanks a ton
How do we know if it has properly baked ? And how does it taste ? Because I guess u can only taste the crust the filling also is bland . Sorry for being rude
you are not rude rupashi. i did not find your comment rude 🙂
the filling is sweet. its not bland as apples are sweet. also both cinnamon and nutmeg powder give good aroma. the crust should become golden. if the crust has become golden, it means that the pastry has baked. you should try apple pie. it tastes very good.
This is great as it doesn’t use egg yolk. Soon will make this. Thanks.
thanks akki and hope you will like the recipe.
Won’t the filling get overcooked, dont we need to half cook the pastry before filling it.. pls reply am going to try it tomorrow.. any other substitute for cinnamon and nutmeg, what else will go with apple .
no the filling does not get overcooked. usualy tarts and pastries are made this way, unless one adds a filling which is very moist and liquidy.
can you please suggest the measurement if i have to cook prepare it for 20 ppl….i have a pie tin measuring 8″X1 1/2″. so how many rounds of baking will be needed.. please reply!
just increase all the ingredients proportionately by 9 times. i guess you will need to bake for 6 to 7 rounds.
The filling came out well but the crust was really hard. Not happy with my pie :/
which oven did you use and how long you baked.
I follow your blog very religiously!! Every time me and my husband cook v first refer your recipes.
Can you please tell if this recipe can be made in microwave.if yes then can you tell how?
thanks arpita. if you have the convection option in the microwave oven, then only you can bake this pie. in the microwave mode, the recipe will not work. you can use the same temperature as mentioned in the recipe for baking in the convection mode. just reduce the time to 10 or 15 minutes less.
hey dasana, do we need to use the convection mode alone or microwave + convection mode?
only convection mode. in combination mode (microwave + convection) the crust will become hard and dense. so use only convection mode.
Thanks ma’am for the prompt reply , I did bake it for 20mins in convection more but still the crust was looking uncooked,it never got that golden brown color , what am I doing wrong ?
welcome rakhi, if you bake for some more time then the crust would have become golden. usually for a better golden color, milk can be brushed on the top of the pie.
I did as u suggested and it turned out really good. I got this comment , ” u r very professional in baking , gooooooood taste and well cooked ” , all thanks to u. Ur recipes r a hit at my home ! Thanks for making cooking so easy 🙂
great rakhi 🙂 feeling good to read everyone’s comments for you. all the best. and do continue baking. there will be mishaps and disasters, but continue. eventually you will get the knack of making good if not perfect, cakes, cookies and breads.
Recipe is good can we make it in microwave because I don’t have oven
no dimple. this recipe cannot be made in a microwave oven in the microwave mode. if you have convection mode in the microwave oven, then the recipe can be made in the convection mode.
Hello,
Ur blog is my bible when it comes to cooking….. I just tried apple pie…. It came out so well…. The crust was a bit thin but the flavor was awesome.. Got over in like 5 mins…….
pleased to know this anjana 🙂 glad to know this and thankyou so much.
We tried this recipe on Pie Day with our mom and it came out very good. Thanks for the great recipe. We added 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder to the crust.
welcome sama. thanks for sharing your variation.
Hi there ^.^ can we make this using just all purpose flour/maida instead of using both atta and maida?
aparna, yes you can make just with maida.
Can we use mustard oil instead of olive oil??
apoorva, don’t use mustard oil. as an alternative you can use sunflower oil or safflower oil.
What about using of Ghee
apoorva, ghee will give a different flavor. i would suggest of using butter.
Hi I wanna ask you that can we refrigerate any pie over night so that we bake it the next morning to serve warm n fresh
aliya, i can’t speak for all pie recipes. but for this apple pie, its better to bake it immediately.
I tried your recipe and I am glad I did. I ate three slices in less than ten minutes. This was my first time making an apple pie from scratch and thanks to you, it was a delicious success 🙂
welcome josh. glad to know that you liked the recipe.
Hi,
This recipe was amazingly easy to follow . Even a novice like me got it correct . Thank you so much .
A query . Can we bake this on the gas. I usually bake cakes like that.
God bless
Nupur
thanks nupur. i think this recipe would not be done well if baked on a gas.
Hi, I’ve been going through your recipes in detail. They’re very user friendly, especially for a new baker like me.
For the lattice top layer of the pie we just need to cut strips of the dough and place them? Right? Or it has to be done over a plain upper layer of the dough?
thanks minakshi. for the lattice pie cover, you need to cut the rolled dough in strips and then weave them through. the lattice layer is on top of the apple layer.
I wanted to serve for ten people then how quantity do
increase the quantity of all ingredients proportionately.
Can I use any other oil in place of olive oil?
neera, yes you can use.
You have mentioned in one of the comments that usage of ghee will change the flavour, I have used ghee in banana and mango cakes and have not found any difference. What is your view?
neera, the flavor and aroma in a baked dish due to ghee largely depends on the quality of ghee, aroma of ghee and the other ingredients used. for example in a mango or banana cake, the aroma of ghee would get overpowered due to the strong flavors and aroma of both mangoes and bananas. but in a plain vanilla cake, the aroma of ghee would be distinctly felt. same goes for plain cookies or biscuits too. homemade ghee gives intense aroma & flavor in a plain cake or cookie as compared to store brought ghee. hope this helps.
This is a great recipe base…the crust really amazed me! I did add baking powder to the crust mix, however, and truly magnifique! I also added cinnamon and nutmeg for a richer tasting crust…and to coat the apples – along with juice. I really appreciated the base for this classic dish.. would certainly use again! Thank you!
thanks ashlee for the feedback. in fact when the pie was baked and gave such a good crust, even i was amazed 🙂
hi dasana.this recipe is common in mauritius but with bananas and eggs.Your recipe is interesting without eggs.Please advise me if I can use bananas or any other fruits?
hi gavnisha, you can fruits like pears, mangoes, pineapple and plums. even sweet berries can be used.
Hi,
Can you tell me what size pan you used? Since the crust thickness and the baking time will vary depending on the size of the pan, I want to make sure that I select the right pan size. Thanks for the recipe!
these pan have a width of 6 inches in diameter and are just 1 inch in depth.
Hi Dassana,
Great recipe.. I have a small kid at home and so is there a way can i avoid baking powder/soda in the cake/pie recipes? I am vegetarian too, so wont use eggs as well. Any suggestions??
generally baking powder and soda helps to leaven the cake batter. even in cake recipes with eggs, baking powder or soda is added. you can use aluminium free baking powder and soda.
awesome recipe………………………………..so cool………..!!!!!!!!
thanks shwetha
looks perfect… which oven do you use??
i have a philips OTG.
Why didn’t you post this recipe atleast a three three days before?..We have an apple tree in our backyard.It was full of apples.I really wanted to try apple pie and went through a lot of recipes. I couldn’t find any interesting recipes with good instructions .Now there is now Apple left behind…:-(
hi anu, how will i come to know about the apple tree and its apples : -) and you are lucky to have an apple tree.