A classic dessert for the winter season. A vegan apple pie with a crisp pastry and a cinnamon spiced apple filling. Finished with lashings of homemade vanilla custard for a truly warming pudding.
The apple pie
The tartness from the apple is balanced with a generous heaping of golden caster sugar. The finer sugar dissolves easily to form a sweet sticky mixture.
The shortcrust pastry is extra buttery for a rich, golden pie. Shortcrust pastry commonly uses twice the amount of flour to fat. It is imperative you use cold ingredients in order to achieve a beautiful, flaky crust. Add the ice cold water only after the flour and margarine are well combined. This ensures the flour is well coated with fat, decreasing the possibility of gluten developing, which would otherwise result in a tougher crust. For me, the sign of a good apple pie is breaking the pastry lid with your spoon and hearing that pleasing crunch.
Another handy tip is to blind bake the pastry crust to prevent the uncooked apple filling from causing a soggy pastry bottom. Don’t be tempted to skip this essential step as no-one appreciates a soggy bottom!
Finish by crimping the edges together to form a crisp crust with a rustic, homemade flair. Once baked, this vegan apple pie smells divine. The warming scent of cinnamon spiced apple and rich butter can’t help but signify the arrival of Christmas.
The vanilla custard
Now who said vegans can’t enjoy thick, creamy custard? This is a simple, fuss free sauce that enhances any dessert. Use real vanilla pods for that true, rich vanilla flavour. The golden caster sugar and scant amount of turmeric add a pale golden hue to the custard.
Start by heating the milk until just below the boil. Meanwhile, make a roux by combining the cornflour, sugar, salt, turmeric and cold milk and whisking to a porridge like consistency. Pour the hot milk over the cornflour mixture and whisk until extra smooth and silky. Place back over the stove and gently heat, whisking continually until you reach your desired consistency.
More warming desserts to try…
Leave a comment and let me know how you get on making this vegan apple pie. I’d love to see your creations over on instagram!
Vegan apple pie
Equipment
- Baking beans
- 22cm wide/ 4cm deep pie tin
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 375 g plain flour
- 175 g vegan margarine chilled and cubed
- 1/2 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 70 mls ice cold water
For the filling
- 800 g Bramley apples approximately 4 large apples
- 125 g golden caster sugar
- 1/2 lemon zested
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
To finish
- 1/2 tsp golden caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp oat milk
For the vanilla custard
- 1 vanilla pod
- 500 mls unsweetened oat milk
- 2 tbsp cold oat milk
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 75 g golden caster sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of turmeric
Instructions
- To make the crust, add the flour, margarine, sugar and salt to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles the texture of breadcrumbs. Add the ice water and pulse again until the dough stars to come together.
- Turn out onto a work surface and use your hands to form the mixture into a ball. Cut off 1/3, form into a ball and wrap with cling film; this will be the lid for the pie. Form the remaining 2/3 of dough into a ball and wrap. Place the 2 balls in the freezer and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- Now make a start on preparing the filling. Peel, core and chop the apples into fine slices. Add these to a bowl along with remaining ingredients for the filling. Stir well to ensure the apple is well coated.
- Pre heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6.
- Return to the pastry. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger ball of pastry until it is a couple of inches wider than the pie tin. Use your rolling pin to roll the dough over the tin. Press the pastry firmly into the edges and trim off the excess. Then with a fork poke holes in the base. Fill with parchment paper and baking beans. Bake for 10mins in the oven.
- Whilst the pastry is blind baking, roll out the pastry lid and use the excess pastry to form leaf shapes. Remove the pie crust from the oven and fill with the apple mixture. Roll the lid over the top. Crimp the edges and decorate the top with the leaves.
- Brush the lid of the pie with the oat milk, sprinkle over the sugar and finish by cutting 3 air vents into the pie.
- Bake for 50 minutes at 180 fan. The pie is ready when the crust is a beautiful deep golden shade.
- To make the vanilla custard slice the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a knife.
- Add the milk, sliced vanilla pod and seeds to a saucepan and heat until just below the boil. Then reduce the heat and remove the vanilla pod.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl add 2 tbsp of oat milk, cornstarch, sugar, salt and turmeric. Whisk until it forms a porridge like consistency.
- Pour the hot milk over the cornstarch mixture and whisk until smooth and silky.
- Pour the custard back into the saucepan and gently heat until it has thickened to your desired consistency.