Baking a vegan gluten free apple pie with a crust that has no refined sugar or oil can be a daunting task. That’s why I’m sharing my recipe and some pro tips with you.

The great thing about this apple pie is that the crust looks and tastes just like a regular pie crust once it’s baked.

This is the pie you wish your Nanna used to cook, it’s that good. Bold claim, I know, but just wait until you try it!

Working with a gluten free dough that is also free from refined fats is a little different to working with a traditional pie dough. But by following the recipe and steps outlined below you’ll be mastering a vegan, gluten-free apple pie in no time!

How to make a Vegan Gluten Free Apple Pie!!

First off get those apples cooking for the juicy apple filling. Using dates to sweeten the apples gives them a delicious caramel flavour which is irresistible. Cook the apples and dates over a low heat, stirring occasionally until they are softened but still retain their shape. Watch carefully in the beginning to make sure the apples don’t catch on the bottom of the pot and burn. If the apples seem a little dry add a tablespoon of water, the apples will release moisture as they cook so don’t add too much water. Once cooked turn off the heat, remove the lid to allow the steam to escape while they cool and you make the pastry.

Now for the shortcrust pastry

Traditionally a shortcrust pastry contains flour, butter and iced water. A popular shortcrust recipe is a 3-2-1 pastry, containing three parts plain flour, two parts butter and one part water.

However, in making a gluten free crust that has no added butter, I’ve had to change things up in order to get the best shortcrust for this pie. Honestly you won’t believe how good it is.

Firstly this recipe calls for a combination of almond meal, white rice flour and tapioca flour. When replacing plain flour with gluten free flours, a combination of gluten free flours gives the best results as they all have different properties that act differently in baking. Almond meal provides healthy fats and protein. Rice flour helps to give the pastry structure and the shortness you want from a pastry. The tapioca flour works to increase flexibility and assists in binding everything together.

Next up is baking powder, an unusual ingredient in a shortcrust. Usually this type of pastry contains butter and when baked the butter melts and releases steam that gently rises and lightens the pastry. As this recipe doesn’t use any butter, the baking powder gives the same result.

In order to keep this pastry free from refined oils but still provide that buttery taste I use cashew spread. For best results, use a nice creamy cashew spread. This is not the time to finish off that old jar in the back of the cupboard that only has a hard bit left at the bottom.

And finally add some cold unsweetened soy yoghurt (or favourite unsweetened dairy free yoghurt). The yoghurt enhances the buttery flavour and adds a bit more flexibility that is often lacking in gluten free pastry doughs.

Making the shortcrust pastry

Once you have all the dough ingredients blended, pour ingredients out onto a clean bench top and briefly knead to form a nice smooth ball. Just knead until the ball is formed, over working can cause the oil from the almonds to separate and the dough will feel oily, however this oil will be absorbed back into the dough when baked and will not effect the final result.

Now press the dough flat, wrap it in an airtight wrap to prevent it drying out and refrigerate for 10 mins.

 

 

The base

Between two sheets of baking paper, roll two thirds of the dough into a circle about 5mm thick and large enough to line a 23cm pie tin.

Line the tin with the pastry, the easiest way to do this is to invert the pastry while still on the bottom piece of baking paper. Then peel off the paper and gently press the pastry into the tin.

This is the trickiest step in making this pie and the pastry will probably crack a little. Press any cracks together by gently lifting and moving the pastry into position rather than stretching and creating thinner patches.

Now trim the edges neatly with a sharp knife. Fill any holes or gaps with the trimmed off dough, and add the remaining to the reserved dough for the pie top.

Prick the bottom of the uncooked pie dough with a fork several times, as shown. This prevents the dough from bubbling while baking, in case of any trapped air pockets. Bake in a preheated 170°C/340°F oven for 8-10 minutes. Partially baking the pie crust prevents it from going soggy when the apples are added. There is no need for pie weights and this dough doesn’t shrink.

Finishing the pie

Now roll out the remaining pastry for the top. Roll the dough to a circle between two sheets of baking paper, until the it is approx. 5mm thick and large enough to cover the top of the pie.

The pattern design shown here looks wonderful when baked and is completely optional. For a decorative pie top only roll the pastry to approx. 7 mm and then lay a doily or other pattern on top of the dough and continue to roll until the dough is 5mm thick. Remove the doily and using a 3cm square biscuit cutter carefully cut the dough into squares.

Once the dough for the pie top is prepared, fill the pie shell with the cooked apples. Arrange the pastry on top of the apples. Brush with a little soy milk and bake at 180°C/350° for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and enjoy hot with ice-cream or custard.

This apple pie is best enjoyed on the day it is baked. If saving it for later store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat, covered, in the oven at a low heat until warmed through. You can also reheat in the microwave however the pastry will soften.

 

Variations

Add cinnamon or vanilla to the apple filling.

Replace 1 of the apples with a cup full of berries or rhubarb. If you have added a fruit that is very juicy to the filling a good tip is to sprinkle a light layer of almond meal onto the cooked base. Then add the filling and the almond meal will absorb the extra liquid keeping your base crisp.

Substitutions

If you don’t have a food processor then the shortcrust pastry can be made by hand, in this instance I recommend substituting the almond meal for almond flour. I rarely buy almond flour as it is almost double the price of almond meal and I don’t find it cost effective. To make the pastry by hand, rub the cashew spread through the combined dry ingredients and then mix in the yoghurt.

You can easily substitute the cashew spread for almond spread, however, it does leave a distinct almond flavour and change the colour of the shortcrust.

I don’t recommend making other substitutions when making this apple pie as all the ingredients have been carefully selected to give you the best possible vegan, gluten free, refined oil free and refined sugar free shortcrust. If you make your own substitutions, I would love to know how they worked out for you, please leave a comment to also let other readers know.

I also recommend using kitchen scales to weigh the ingredients for best results.

Looking for a super easy, and totally amazing bake?! Try this recipe for Choc Orange Spice Muffins

And for another delicious, fruity dessert try:

Nectarine Frangipane Tarts

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