The ultimate healthy apple pie recipe that’s secretly vegan! Topped with a flaky crust and caramelized cinnamon apples, you’ll never know this apple pie filling has no sugar added!
Is there anything more classic than an apple pie made from scratch and just out of the oven?
Seriously, I mean, I hope someone is starting to understand my deep love for all things fall! Recently, Jared and I went apple picking and basically came home with the whole dang orchard haha!
So naturally, there was no better time to share my favorite fruit pie of all time. I can’t believe I’m just sharing this recipe too, because truth be told, I’ve been making it for about 9 years now…I know, that’s longer than I’d like to admit haha!
But I’m overjoyed to share it with you because this healthy apple pie has been a family favorite for a while now, and it’s just so shockingly simple.
Filled with cinnamon coated sweet apple slices and layered with a flaky (yet undetectably vegan and gluten free) lattice crust, this apple pie has my heart, and it’ll have yours soon too!
The best part? Serving it warm with a scoop of ice cream 😉 Truly, nothing better!
Does this homemade apple pie taste healthy?
Not in the slightest. In fact, you’d never know that this was a vegan apple pie, nor a gluten free apple pie.
I’ve actually been making this particular recipe since high school (sad to say, that is over 10 years for this particular pie haha!), and it’s one that I always come back to.
It just goes to show you that nature can be pretty fantastic on it’s own! While I’ve really went to town explaining the ins and outs of making a lattice crust (which you don’t need to do!), this recipe truly is simple.
You’re just making a pie crust, tossing apples in a few spices and baking it.
What could be better?!
I promise that none of your guests, nor you, will know that this healthy apple pie is indeed vegan and gluten free (and can easily be made Paleo and nut free!).
It’s all in the easy apple pie filling. Not to mention, the crust is so flaky, no one will know this apple pie is vegan.
How to make a healthy apple pie filling
This apple pie filling recipe consists of only apples, cinnamon and a few other spices, lemon, and just a dab of coconut oil to place on top of the apple slices once they’re in the pie crust and ready to be sent to the oven!
The real trick to getting a super gooey apple pie filling without loads of added sugar is slicing the apples paper thin.
The whole process of slicing 7-9 apples takes about 15 minutes, but it’s so worth it.
You’ll also want to make sure that you remove all the skin from the apples, as this will help them bake together and create that gooey lovely texture of a more traditional apple pie.
And thirdly, just a little bit of cassava flour (or tapioca flour), and the filling just melds together in the oven heat.
How to make a lattice crust
Now, for this easy apple pie recipe, you do not indeed need to make a lattice crust to go with it.
Of course, I find them to be fun, but I find all baking challenges to be fun! Sometimes, you just want a really straight forward apple pie, and trust me, that will still an amazing apple pie because it’s all in the filling.
In that case, just place the second rolled out pie dough crust over the apples in the pie dish, make a few slits (or you can even poke out a few shapes!), and you’re good!
But if you want to make a lattice crust like this one…read on 😉
So you have your first pie dough in the pie dish, and you have your sliced apples coated in their spices sitting in the dish. Now it’s time for you to get your lattice crust ready!
Here are my basic steps for making a lattice crust:
- Start by rolling the dough out to about 12 inches in diameter.
- Next, slice 12 strips, each 1-inch thick. You’ll then have 6 strips for each direction. I recommend using a ruler and a pizza slicer here.
- Place the first 6 strips in one direction onto the pie, but do not seal anything off. You’ll be lifting these strips up again and again until your lattice is made!
- Now for the weaving. Fold back 3 strips, alternating which you fold back (in other words, fold back-let be-fold back-let be-fold back-let be).
- Place one of the unused pie dough strips over the non-folded pie dough strips.
- Fold back the folded pie dough strips to go over this new strip.
- Now fold back the opposite 3 pie dough strips, and place another strip over the unfolded strips. Repeat the same process that you did for the previous strips.
- Repeat this process until your lattice crust is complete!
Not too bad, right?
Then you just brush with a little melted vegan butter or coconut oil, sprinkle on some raw sugar or coconut sugar, chill, and bake!
Healthy Apple Pie Tips & Tricks
Now for my best tips and tricks for making your apple pie from scratch taste like you got it from a professional bakery 😉
- You can use several different flours, depending on your needs! This recipe works great with all purpose flour, a gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour, and cassava flour.
- Slice your apples very thin for the apple pie filling. This ensures that they caramelize and cook evenly when baking.
- Which apples to use: if you like a sweeter pie, like I do and what I recommend since we’re not adding any sugar to the filling, go for fuji, gala, and golden delicious. I highly recommend using a mix of apples for the best results! For less sweet, go for granny smith!
- Let your pie settle after it bakes. I know you’re probably eager to dig into your healthy apple pie, but you need to let it rest for about 3 hours after you bake it! This ensures everything sets so that you can pull out a nice clean slice.
- Serve a la mode! I mean, it’s not apple pie without a dollop of vanilla ice cream right? Serve it with coconut milk ice cream for dairy free, but feel free to use whatever floats your boat!
I hope you love this healthy apple pie recipe as much as I do!
If you end up making it, let me know in the comments below, and as always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there 🙂
Happy apple slicing, lattice weaving, and pie eating!
More healthy apple recipes and fun fall treats:
Vegan Paleo Chocolate Marbled Pumpkin Bread
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If you make something from The Banana Diaries, I would love to see your creations! Don’t forget tot rate this recipe and leave a comment below! Also, follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Facebook for more vegan recipe inspiration!
PrintBest Healthy Homemade Apple Pie
The ultimate healthy apple pie recipe that’s topped with a flaky crust and caramelized cinnamon apples. You’ll never know this apple pie filling has no sugar added! Perfect for adults and kids alike!
- Prep Time: 75
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Healthy Apple Pie Crust:
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1flour*Â or my cassava flour crust
- 1 cup cold vegan butter or coconut oil, cubed
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar or regular sugar
- 6–8 tbsp cold water
- 1 tsp sea salt
Apple Pie Filling:
- 9 large apples, skinned, cored, and sliced very thin
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp cassava or tapioca flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp vegan butter or coconut oil, chilled
Vegan “Egg Wash”
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp raw sugar
Instructions
- First prepare the pie crust. Start by pulsing together the flour, sea salt, and cubed vegan butter or coconut oil in a large food processor. The texture should be very crumbly.
- Add in the maple syrup and 3 tablespoons of water at first.
- Pulse until well combined, continuing to add in the remaining tablespoons of chilled water until you have a pie dough.
- Press the pie dough together into a large ball using your hands and then divide into two.
- Shape each pie dough ball into a semi-flat spherical disk and wrap each one with parchment paper to chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Next, prepare the apple pie filling. Combine the thinly sliced apples in a bowl with the lemon juice, cassava flour, vanilla extract, and spices until evenly coated. Set aside.
- When your dough is ready to roll, grease a 9″x2″ pie dish (or deep pie dish), remove one pie crust from the fridge, and roll out to be about 12 inches in diameter.Â
- Place the rolled out crust gently onto the pie dish and press the dough lightly into the sides to make sure everything is even.
- Pour the apple pie filling into the crust and slice 1 tablespoon of butter into tiny cubes to dot around the pie.
- Prepare the next pie dough by removing it from the fridge. You can either make a lattice crust here, like I did, or roll the dough out to be 12 inches in diameter again, place the dough on top of the filling, and slice little cuts into the top to create vents.
- Alternatively, if you’d like to make a lattice, roll the dough into a 12 inch diameter circle, and use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 12 1-inch strips.
- Place 6 strips over the pie crust in one direction. Gently fold back 3 strips, alternating between each one. Place 1 new strip over the 3 strips that are not folded back, then gently place back the folded strips.Â
- Next, fold back the 3 strips that were not originally folded. Place one of the remaining unused strips over the non-folded strips. Place back the folded strips over the new strip of dough. Repeat for the remaining dough, alternating between which strips are folded and unfolded.Â
- Regardless of how you chose to create your top pie crust, whisk together the coconut oil and maple syrup for the vegan “egg wash” and brush the pie crust. Sprinkle with coconut or raw sugar.
- Refrigerate the pie for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375F.Â
- When the oven is ready, place a pie onto a baking sheet and into the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, cover the crust with tin foil and bake 35-40 minutes, or until the crust looks lightly golden.
- When the crust is golden and the filling is soft, remove from the oven and let cool for 3 hours to set before slicing into it.
- Serve with homemade cashew milk ice cream or Paleo vegan ice cream and enjoy!
Notes
If using gluten free 1:1 baking flour, please add in 2 tsp arrowroot powder to the flour, then create the pie crust as directed.
Keywords: healthy apple pie, gluten free apple pie, vegan apple pie, homemade apple pie
WOW that crust is a work of art! Not to mention, this really is the BEST apple pie I’ve ever had! 🙂
★★★★★
Aw thank you so much!! That means the world to me! 🙂 Enjoy!
I feel like I can’t help but comment when I see something like this. I came to snag some good looking recipes. This is the most beautiful pie I have ever seen. I second the comment above that says the crust is a work of art. I am so excited to make this!!!
★★★★★
Hi Falynn!
Aw this just is so wonderful to hear, thank you very much! I hope you love it, let me know how it goes! Have a wonderful weekend!
My crust came out super crumbly when I took out of the fridge. I really had a hard tome rolling it. Any suggestions?
Hi Stacy, I’m so sorry to hear that! A few things: it could have needed more water, sometimes if the crust is too crumbly, it just needs an extra tbsp of chilled water worked into it. Second, which flour did you use? If you were using a GF flour that didn’t have xanthan gum, it will have a hard time sticking together. However, cassava flour is the only GF flour I’ve found to be good without any gums in it!
Can I just use normal butter instead of vegan butter?
Yes absolutely!
Always love a healthy option. question for you: when do I utilize the melted butter in the pie filling?
thanks!
★★★★★
Aw thank you so much!! You’ll use the melted vegan butter as a wash over the crust just before you put it in the oven 🙂 Enjoy!
This recipe was so simple, yet everyone loved it!! The pie crust you’d never know was dairy free and the filling was so sweet! I was shocked!! Will definitely be making again!
★★★★★
Aw I’m so happy to hear it!! Thank you so much for the kind words 🙂 Have a beautiful day!