Easy dairy-free, homemade apple pie is a simple recipe for a delicious and tart-sweet pie with the amazing cozy flavors and aroma of apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg, made without butter.
Easy dairy-free homemade apple pie may look complicated, but it’s incredibly simple to make from scratch.
You can save time by preparing a quantity of apple pie spice in advance and using it as needed.
And, instead of using a knife, use an apple peeler (there are two kinds, one that just peels and one that peels and cores, and I recommend you get one you plan on making apple pie frequently).
Also, if you prefer to skip the lattice top, simply lay a solid sheet of pie dough over the apple filling, flute or pinch the edges to seal, and then cut a few small slits on top to vent the steam. You can even use pie crust cookie cutters or molds to easily decorate the edges.
To prevent over-browning, protect the pie edges with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield while baking. Don’t worry if the filling forms a large mound before going into the oven; it will naturally flatten and set beautifully as it bakes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for dairy-free homemade apple pie
Can I make the pie dough ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the dairy-free pie crust in advance and store it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months before rolling and assembling the pie.
What are the best apples to use for a dairy-free apple pie?
Firm, tart-sweet apples hold their shape best and provide the ideal texture. Great baking varieties include Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or a combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp for balanced flavor.
How do I store baked apple pie?
Store leftover homemade apple pie covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days, or keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. Reheat individual slices in the oven or microwave before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for baking:
Why do recipes have salt in the ingredients of baked goods?
Even though salt tends to make foods, well, salty, it actually plays other roles in baking as well.
For example, the right amount of salt balances flavors in baked goods; it can bring out the sweetness of sugar and, at the same time, prevent them from tasting overly sweet. It also can help dull the bitterness of cocoa.
Salt prevents baked goods from tasting bland, while it balances the richness of the fats. It also helps develop flavor in yeast breads and works with proteins to strengthen gluten and make it more elastic.
Salt also slows down yeast fermentation because it prevents the yeast from eating up the sugars too quickly, which otherwise would cause the dough to rise too fast and then ultimately collapse, causing bread to come out flat instead of fluffy.
Salt helps baked goods stay a little fresher for a little longer and helps delay mold from growing on them.
What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?
Baking soda and baking powder are both synthetic leavens that help baked goods rise, but there is a difference between them.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, which needs another ingredient that is acidic in order to be activated. When the baking soda touches the acid, it creates a carbon dioxide gas, which helps the baked good rise. Baking soda is between 3 and 4 times stronger than baking powder, and if too much baking soda is used, your baked good will end up with a metallic flavor.
Baking powder is baking soda that is already mixed with an acid and a stabilizer and will be activated by moisture and heat. Nowadays, baking powder is called double-acting because it activates twice—once when it gets wet (when you mix the ingredients together) and again when it heats in the oven.
Replacing one with the other can be tricky, and it’s not recommended. However, if you have no choice, then do solid research for substituting one for the other for the baked good you are preparing so you don’t ruin it.
What is the difference between butter and margarine?
Butter is a dairy product that is made by churning heavy cream until the fats separate from the milk (i.e., buttermilk). Margarine, however, is made from vegetable oil. Butter generally has a lower melting point than margarine as well as a lower water content (and the soft tub margarines have a higher water content than bar margarines).
Using butter in baking cookies can create a crisper, more flaky cookie, while cookies will come out softer and more cakey when made with margarine. It is also generally believed to be better to “cream” using butter rather than margarine.
Using butter adds a kind of toasted nut flavor to baked goods, while margarine doesn’t add flavor (however, sometimes with margarine, one might have a waxy feel on the roof of one’s mouth after eating something with a high margarine content).
If one wants to make a dairy-free baked good that calls for butter, a dairy-free margarine is a good substitute.
What is the difference between dairy-free margarine and vegan butter?
Vegan butter and margarine have similarities. In fact, all vegan butter is a type of dairy-free margarine. The difference between them is in the content and the baking performance.
Vegan butter is made from fats such as coconut oil, shea butter, or cocoa butter and behaves like butter in that it creates more flaky and crisp textures and has a toasted nutty flavor, while margarine is typically made with the less expensive vegetable oils.
What is the difference in using oil vs. butter or margarine?
Both margarine and butter are solid fats at room temperature, and both contain more saturated fats than oil.
While margarine and butter will change from a solid to a liquid when heated, they will change back to solids when cooled again. Oil stays liquid at all temperatures. Oil also coats flour better in the preparation process before baking.
Butter “creams” better than margarine, but one cannot cream oil at all.
When converting a recipe from butter or margarine to oil, the general conversion rate is 1 to ¾ (although if you are doing more than one batch, you might need to reduce the oil because I have found that baked goods come out oily in this case).
And when converting from oil to margarine or butter, typically the ratio is 1 to 1¼.
What is the difference between white granulated sugar and brown sugar?
The short answer is that white sugar is just pure sweetness, while brown sugar is white sugar with molasses mixed into it.
Here is how that change affects your baking:
- Flavor: White sugar is neutrally sweet. Brown sugar tastes like rich caramel or toffee.
- Texture: White sugar makes things crisp and light. Brown sugar traps moisture, making baked goods (like brownies) dense, soft, and extra chewy.
- The Look: Brown sugar is dark and wet; white sugar is dry and clear.
Tip: If a recipe calls for brown sugar and you’re completely out, you can actually make your own by thoroughly mixing a tablespoon of molasses into a cup of regular white granulated sugar. If you want dark brown sugar, then you mix in more molasses.
What is the difference between real vanilla extract and imitation vanilla?
Real vanilla is made from soaking vanilla beans in alcohol, imitation vanilla is synthetic, and real vanilla costs quite a bit more than imitation. Whether or not there will be a taste difference in your baking depends on the baked good, so do some research before you decide.
I personally always use the imitation as long as I have a really good brand because it’s not worth it to me to spend the extra money.
A little bit about Apple Pie
Apple pie is a pie with the main ingredient being…you guessed it…apples! Any apple can be used, but it seems that the most popular are the tart Granny Smith apples, which are used in Easy Apple Pie recipe.
Apple pie is considered by Americans to be synonymous with patriotism. Thus, the term “as American as apple pie” and the saying by American soldiers during World War II, “fighting for Mom and apple pie.”
However, apple pie actually originated in England at least as far back as the 14th century and was only later brought to America.
Since apples were not accessible in the American West, however, settlers would make “mock apple pie” using crackers and spices. Even today, one can find recipes for mock apple pie using buttery-flavored crackers and no apples at all.
One can use any apple in this Easiest Apple Pie recipe. However is seems that the most popular apple for use in apple pies is the tart Granny Smith apple (shown in the photo above with the pie), which was named after Maria Ann Smith.
Granny Smith apples were first cultivated in New South Wales, Australia. There are different versions, as the discovery of Granny Smith apples, however, they seem to be an accidental cross between an orchard apple and a French crabapple.
Baking and Dessert Pantry Essentials
In addition to typical baking equipment, there are the baking ingredients that I try to keep in the house at all times:
- flour
- white granulated sugar
- brown sugar (light/dark—I usually keep dark)
- confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- salt
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cocoa powder
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- ground ginger
- ground cloves
- baking chocolate
- chocolate chips
- instant dry yeast
- vanilla and/or vanilla sugar
- cooking oil/cooking spray
- margarine or butter
- eggs
- honey
- instant coffee
- various extracts (real or imitation)
I also make sure that I have the following on hand to be able to make a variety of fillings, frostings, and toppings:
- whipping cream
- powdered pudding mix
- powdered sugar
- a good chocolate spread
Then, there is the following to make last-minute quick desserts:
- packaged pie dough or ready-made pie crusts
- puff pastry dough
Lastly, it’s not a bad idea to keep fun toppings, such as chopped walnuts, raisins, and the oh-so-important container of sprinkles.
A little about apples
Apples originated in Central Asia, where they grew wild thousands of years ago. They spread along the Silk Road trade route and have been cultivated in thousands of varieties all over the world, although there are only several dozen that can typically be found in grocery stores.
Some of the more popular types of apples include Granny Smith, Delicious, Honey Crisp, Gala, Pink Lady, and Jonathan. Different types of apples have different flavors, textures, and colors. Apples are made up of skin, pulp, and approximately 25% air.
Apples are eaten fresh as well as being used in a variety of ways, such as in cooking, baking, salads, smoothies, and to make cider.
A lot of recipes for apple baked goods call for Granny Smith apples in the ingredients. Granny Smith are green tart apples that are firm and hold their shape and won’t get mushy when baked. Pink Lady apples are similar in that they are also firm, but they have a balanced tart-sweet flavor. Honeycrisp, on the other hand, is a very sweet apple that is a softer type, similar to Gala apples, but the Gala have a milder sweetness.
Apples are fat-free and relatively low in calories. They have impressive health benefits and are rich in nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, and help support heart health and digestion. They are also believed to possibly help lower blood sugar.
Contrary to popular belief, apples are not native to North America, but rather it was the early colonists from Europe who brought trees and seeds. Apples thereafter became an important food, and cider became a common drink, so settlers established apple orchards.
Who hasn’t heard the legend of Johnny Appleseed? Well, he was a real person, and his name was really John Chapman. John distributed apple seeds across the Midwest U.S. so that apples could be grown for making cider. And this is how he earned the nickname Johnny Appleseed.
Sometimes, TV shows and movies will mention cyanide made from apple seeds used as a poison. While it is true that seeds from apples contain amygdalin, which can release cyanide, an adult would typically need to crush and eat a very large amount of apple seeds for this to be a problem. So, if you swallowed a few, you probably don’t have to worry. Still, it is highly recommended not to let young children or pets have apple seeds.
Do you love apple baked goods? Then, you’ve got to try Easy Dairy-Free Apple Fritters!
Or do you want to try something a little unusual Easy Mock Apple Pie tastes very similar to apple pie but…it contains no apples!
How about that apple pie spice flavor? Want to have it in other baked goods or even your coffee? Then, Apple Pie Spice is just what you’re looking for.!
And if you want to make cozy individual apple pies:
Use the same ingredients and instructions, but instead of pouring the mixture into one pie shell, pour it equally into mini pie shells or tins so that they are heaping with the apple mixture (the mixture will reduce to approximately 1/3 the height while baking). The, cover each with a circle of dough or lattice, and bake until the top is golden-brown.
Easy Dairy-Free Homemade Apple Pie Recipe
Delicious and easy homemade apple pie, made without butter.
Ingredients
- 8 medium green Granny Smith (tart) apples, peeled and sliced thin*
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar (optional)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or flavoring (optional)
- 2 dairy-free deep-dish pie crusts (homemade or store-bought) or one crust and pie dough (dairy-free) for the top if you are going to create a lattice top as shown in the photo.
Instructions
- Place sliced apple pieces in a large bowl.
- Add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and salt (and brown sugar or vanilla).
- Mix well.
- Pour mixture into one pie crust.
- Create a lattice top with pie dough or just top with second pie crust, pinch edges together, and cut off excess dough.
- Cut slits into the top.
- Cover the edges with aluminum foil or other protector, so they don't cook sooner that the middle and end up too dark.
- Bake in an oven that has been pre-heated to 425°F.
- Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until top is a golden brown.
- Let cool before slicing.
Notes
*If you don't like tart, then you can use other apples.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 272Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 313mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 2g