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Apple pie always takes me back to my childhood. I will never forget my mother’s apple pie. She had a special way of making the crust – I still have to veganize that. But I think I did a pretty good job veganizing a classic apple pie recipe. The filling is everything a good apple pie filling has to be and the crust is a perfect combination of soft and crumbly. Without further ado, let’s dive into my vegan apple pie.
Apple pie – American pride and European delicacy
Apple pie dates back to ancient times. Of course not in the form of today’s apple pie, but crusts filled with fruits, meats, or vegetables have been around for thousands of years. It’s been around well before America was discovered, and I assume Mayans and Inks had their form of pies, too. Fast forward to medieval times, pies became super popular. Cooks and chefs started using larger amounts of fat like butter and lard to make the dough crusty and flaky. The use of spice also became popular. I believe we’re looking at some form of a modern apple pie here.
It was around that time that Columbus sailed to America and the history as we know it today was written. Apple pie traveled from Europe to America, where it became a symbol of the country. ‘As American as apple pie’ became a thing and apple pie is still the most popular in America, I think.
But that doesn’t mean Europe forgot about it. We’re still very fond of apple pies of all sorts. Apple desserts in general, actually. Especially in Slovenia, where apples and pears are a staple, apple pies and strudles keep getting huge amounts of love and affection. Almost as much as brownies, if you can imagine that!
What makes apple pie so enchanting?
What is your idea of a perfect apple pie? In my head, it’s a juicy apple filling hiding inside of a perfectly soft yet perfectly crunchy and crumbly crust.
My mom was usually going as far as creating a lovely topping for the pie. Something like a lattice pattern, using dough, shaped into thin snakes. I’m usually way too lazy for that, but sometimes I even make an effort and decorate the pie. Like this one time when I was creating tiny leaves out of the dough to decorate the pie. It was not as tasty as this one, but it looked beyond pretty.
To answer the question, what makes apple pie enchanting in my opinion are cinnamon and lemon. The combination of sweet and sour with a zesty lemon zing and a generous dash of cinnamon is what makes my heart dance. It’s that nostalgic taste of my childhood.
Nostalgia of a fresh apple pie
When I was little, my mom and I would cook together. I was no more than 2 years old when she already let me use a small knife. I helped her cut vegetables and fruits. I distinctly remember one time, when I was sitting on a countertop and she was making a pie. I must’ve been no more than 2 or 3 years old. She was teaching me English: ‘Lemon pie, apple pie strawberry pie …’
I was playing with something in my hands and looking over at her now and again as she was placing the crust into a pie tin, repeating her words and learning English along the way.
Years later when I was in high school she would still make that same apple pie. But when I was 16 I was old enough to pay attention to what she was putting together to make that pie so enchanting. I am not making the pie the exact same way she did, but I believe my pie is as good as hers. When I make it for our restaurant, people’s feedback is always very positive. I think I have a good reason to believe this apple pie is seriously good.
Almond crust – soft and crumbly
Although apple pie should be juicy and luscious, the crust should not be soggy. For a long time, I was trying to make the crust crunchy but not hard, crumbly but not too soft. I was mainly using (hard) coconut oil, but with time I realized I needed to make adjustments. Experience brings knowledge, adaptation is necessary and only that can bring about better recipes.
I can’t remember when and when I tried a pie with a perfect crust. I only remember it was soft yet crunchy, it reminded me of cake but also a cookie. It was soft in the middle and crunchy around and I knew it was the crust I needed to recreate.
With only this memory in my head, I set out to work on this recipe. A few trials and errors later the recipe was finally here and I love it as much as the first time I created it.
This almond pie crust is a fool-proof recipe because your butter doesn’t have to be just the right temperature and you don’t have to add ice-cold water to it, you don’t have to worry about how long you knead it or where you leave it to rest. You don’t have to think much about it which makes it perfect for a beginner.
Now I mainly use this recipe for pies of all kinds as it is just perfect for everything – apple pies, chocolate pies, frangipane pies … If you wish to try it but don’t feel like making it on your own, travel to Bled, Slovenia and stop by in our restaurant Tavči – you can try it there. 😉
Why do I love vegan apple pie so much?
You already know about my nostalgic love for apple pie. It goes beyond my mother’s apple pie. My grandma makes the best apple strudel in the world, it’s one thing I wish to master, but it’s insanely hard. She makes her strudel with homemade phyllo dough and it’s AMAZING! The filling is quite similar to apple pie filling, full of cinnamon and lemon zest. I can never say no to that strudel. Now you know I adore apple pie and apple strudel because they take me back to my childhood.
But that’s the deep stuff, now let’s get to the reasons why YOU will love this apple pie beyond measure:
-> the almond crust is a perfect combination of soft and crumbly
-> juicy apple filling just melts in your mouth
-> the winter vibes of cinnamon and the zesty freshness of lemon make you want more
Ingredients for vegan apple pie
Ingredients for the perfect vegan apple pie are staples in most kitchens, which makes this recipe even harder to resist. Here’s what you’ll need:
White flour: otherwise known as all-purpose flour is the easiest to use. You could swap it for whole-meal flour or even use oats to make it gluten-free. If you choose the oats, make sure you grind them into flour before using – you can do that in a blender.
Brown sugar: I like to use brown sugar because it has a caramelly taste to it, but white sugar will work just fine.
Vanilla sugar is a fragrant blend of sugar infused with vanilla beans. If you’re using high quality one, at least. If not, it’s just infused with vanilla aroma, but that’s not the point. The point is that vanilla sugar brings depth and dimension to this pie or almost any other dessert for that matter.
Baking powder: a raising agent that will make the crust a tiny bit softer and crumblier.
Coconut oil: in this case hard, but not refrigerated. It’s better if it’s on a softer side as it will be easier to mix into the pie crust dough. You could use margarine or other vegan butter instead of coconut oil, too.
Apples: there’s no apple pie without apples. My favourite are topaz apples, but you should use the ones you like the most. Granny Smith apples work well for pies, and Gala are good, too. Keep in mind that tanginess or tartness will leave its mark in the pie.
Ingredients that make a difference:
Almonds are what makes the crust special. Almonds are there to make sure the crust remains fresh longer. They also add a special aroma and sweetness to the crust.
Lemon zest is the yellow peel of the lemon, grated finely to release its citrusy aroma, adding a refreshing note. It doesn’t bring the sourness but brings a lot of aroma as the lemon peel is full of essential oils. It adds another layer of taste to apple pie and rounds the taste in a way nothing else could. Please, use bio lemons when using the peel in the recipes.
Plan-based yogurt: creamy and a bit fatty ingredient, that adds something special to the crust. This crust is more like a sponge cake or a soft cookie and less like a crispy flaky dough. But it’s what makes this apple pie different and yogurt is one of the reasons why.
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Find more similar recipes from Little Kitchen Vibes
If you’ve fallen in love with these vegan raspberry blondies, you’re in for a treat! Little Kitchen Vibes is brimming with similar delightful recipes that are sure to fulfill your sweet desires:
- Grandma’s Apple Pie: Not really a pie, but not really a cake either. It’s something in-between, amazing for its juicyness of the apples, softness of the cake and tanginess of the cheesy filling. Check it out
- Rhubarb Galette with Blackberries: Sweet and sour fruits, wrapped in crispy crust. A recipe you should not miss if you like simple yet incredible desserts. Dive into the recipe
- Simple Vegan Raspberry Crumble: If raspberries are your fruit of choice, this crumble is a must-try. A crunchy topping paired with a juicy raspberry filling. You could call it a lazy pie. Discover the magic
Are you recreating any of my recipes? Don’t forget to take a photo and tag me on Instagram @littlekitchenvibes
Vegan Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 250 g white flour or oat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 70 g almonds ground
- 1 packet vanilla sugar 8 g
- 50 g brown sugar demerara
- 100 g coconut oil melted
- 100 g plant-based yogurt any natural flavor
Apple Filling
- 800 g apples
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- 50 g brown sugar demerara
- 3 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Grind whole almonds into flour. Place white flour or ground oats, ground almonds, sugar, vanilla sugar, and baking powder in a bowl and mix with a whisk. Then add coconut oil and vegetable yogurt and knead to get a ball of soft dough. This dough will not become a flaky crust, instead it will be soft when baked, yet still crumbly.
- Cut the ball of dough in half. Set one half aside to rest on the counter and not in the cold. Place the remaining half of dough in a greased pie tin. It's easiest to spread it out with your fingers and palms. It's also the least messy. Put the dough in the oven at 180°C for 13 minutes to pre-bake it.
- Grate the apples together with the peel. If the peel bothers you, you can peel the apples beforehand.Do not squeeze the grated apples. We want the juice to stay inside as we want a juicy pie. Add fresh lemon peel, vanilla sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon to the apples. Mix well.
- During this time, the pre-bake of the dough will be over. Take the dough out of the oven and place the apple filling on top of it. Press the apples against the bottom to fit as many of them as possible into the pan.
- Divide the remaining half of the dough into parts and roll each into a thin snake. Place these snakes on top of the apple filling in the baking dish - 5 horizontally and 5 vertically. Carefully intertwine them to get a net or lattice. If desired, the pie can be decorated differently, or you can make the job easier and just grate the dough over the top of the pie to create a crumble on top.
- Bake the pie for at least another 20 minutes at 180°C. When the pie is golden brown, take it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes to let the filling settle a little. It can then be served warm or left to cool completely. It goes well with vanilla ice cream or vegan whipped cream.
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