Apple Pie Recipe (No Butter)

Apple Pie is a classic dessert made with a flaky crust and sweet, spiced apple filling. My homemade version is plant based, made without butter and with whole wheat flour for a slightly healthier twist. It’s easy to make from scratch and tastes warm, cozy, and delicious. This pie is perfect for festive meals, weekend baking, or when you’re simply craving a comforting, fruit-filled treat.

About Apple Pie Recipe

Traditional pie crusts call for butter and cold water, but my proven method is even easier and produces a perfectly flakiest crust.

My secret is to use vegan-friendly and healthy olive oil to add just the right amount of fat to the crust dough. The result is a crisp crust that’s great for filling with sweet, tender apples.

You can cover the top of the apple pie completely with the vegan crust dough, or make a decorative lattice pie crust. Either way this dessert is guaranteed to impress!

Unlike classic butter-based crusts that need chilling and delicate handling, this olive oil dough is much more straightforward and beginner-friendly.

There’s no need to worry about melting butter or overworking the dough. It’s also quicker to make – ideal when you’re short on time but still want to bake something comforting and festive.

In my recipe, I use a 2:1 ratio of whole wheat flour to all-purpose flour. Using whole wheat flour not only makes the crust more wholesome, but also adds a subtle nutty flavor that complements the warm spices and natural sweetness of the apples.

The apple filling is gently spiced, not overly sweet, and balances beautifully with the light crispness of the crust.

Whether you’re making this for a celebration, a weekend treat, or just to enjoy the seasonal bounty of apples, this vegan apple pie is a recipe you’ll return to often.

Make this apple pie tonight, and then try these other apple recipes:

Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Apple Pie

Prepare Pie Dough

This scrumptious apple pie starts with a simple pie dough that’s plant based.

1. First, in a sieve over a large bowl combine 1 cup of whole wheat flour, ½ cup of all purpose flour, and ½ teaspoon of salt.

2. Sift the ingredients together into the bowl.

3. Next, add ¼ cup of olive oil.

4. Use your fingertips to combine the olive oil and flour to create a breadcrumb-like texture. This is essential for achieving that perfectly flaky, crisp pie crust.

5. Add water to the bowl a splash at a time, and continue using your hands to work everything into a dough.

6. You want just enough water to bind the mixture together and create a tight dough. Do not knead! Gently bring the dough together to form a ball, and cover.

Make Apple Filling

7. Next, prep the apples by peeling, coring, and slicing.

8. Place the apple slices in a large bowl. Then add ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 2 tablespoons of demerara sugar (or brown sugar, or granulated white sugar or raw sugar), and 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour.

9. Use a spoon to combine well, so that all of the apple slices are coated.

Assemble Apple Pie

10. Now it’s time to make the pie! Start by lightly flouring a clean work surface, and then divide the dough in half – or four equal parts if making two small pies. Set aside all but one section of the crust dough.

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes before you begin baking.

11. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into an even layer that is about ¼ inch thick. Be sure to dust the rolling pin with flour as needed to prevent it from sticking.

12. Next, roll the flattened dough up and over the rolling pin. The dough will still be faintly sticky, therefore it’s important you continue lightly dusting with flour.

13. Thoroughly grease a pie pan before carefully transferring the dough to the dish. Use your fingers to gently push the crust into place.

14. Add an even layer of the apple filling to the crust.

15. Top the apple slices with a few drops of olive oil or dots of vegan butter. This will help to keep the fruit juices from bubbling up and over the crust while the pie bakes.

Make Lattice Pie Crust

16. The pie is ready to cover! You can either completely cover the pie with another layer of crust dough, or cut strips to create a lovely lattice design.

If you want to cover with a solid piece of dough, simply follow the above steps to roll out another section of dough into an even layer. Then, place the dough on top of the pie, and gently crimp the edges together with the pie crust.

Use a knife to make a small slit, about an inch or so long, in the center of the dough to allow steam to escape.

Read on for my photos and tips for making a lattice crust topping, and keep scrolling to see a full video that demonstrates these steps!

17. It’s very easy to make a pretty lattice pie crust using the eggless and dairy-free pie dough.

After rolling and slicing the dough into even strips, lay them one at a time across the pie. Work to gently intertwine them, as I show in the video below.

18. Lastly, use a pastry brush to lightly brush soy milk (or any plant-based or non-vegan milk of choice) onto the pie crust. Sprinkle on a bit more raw sugar and ground cinnamon.

Bake

19. Bake the apple pie in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 50 to 60 mins, until the crust is golden. It took exactly one hour in my oven.

But as oven temperatures vary, it can take less or more time in your oven. Keep an eye on it, and be sure to remove promptly to keep from burning.

Serving & Storing Suggestions

Serve the apple pie warm or at room temperature. It is delicious to enjoy plain, or with a generous helping of vegan ice cream or eggless Vanilla Ice Cream or whipped cream.

To keep leftovers for up to a week, cover the pie with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. You can even freeze for about a month. Before serving, warm the pie in the oven.

Expert Tips

1. Apple varieties: You can use any tart-sweet or sweet apple varieties to make this pie. Good options include Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn. In India, Shimla, Kashmir, or Kinnaur apples work very well. You can also mix 2 to 3 varieties for a more complex flavor. I personally prefer sweet apples that don’t become too mushy after baking. Crispness is not essential, but the apples should taste good.
2. Flour choices: This recipe can be made with only whole wheat flour (atta) too. Do note that the crust will be slightly denser in that case, and you’ll need to add more water while forming the dough, as whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture.
3. Making the crust dough: The dough should be firm and tight, just brought together without kneading. Avoid over-mixing, as that can make the crust tough.
4. Fats you can use: Instead of olive oil, feel free to use sunflower oil, any neutral-flavored oil, or butter. For a flaky and rich crust using butter, refer to my All Butter Pie Crust Recipe.
5. Sweeteners: You can use any sweetener of your choice – demerara sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, granulated white sugar, coconut sugar, palm sugar, powdered jaggery, or even maple syrup. All work well in this pie.
6. Spice substitute: If you don’t have nutmeg, you can simply skip it. The pie will still taste delicious with cinnamon alone.
7. Storage: Leftovers can be wrapped in cling film and refrigerated for up to 7 days. For longer storage, freeze the pie and it will stay good for about a month.
8. Scaling: This Apple Pie Recipe can easily be halved or scaled to make for lesser or more number of servings.

FAQs

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

Apple Pie Recipe (No Butter)

By Dassana Amit

Apple Pie is a classic baked dessert with a flaky crust and a sweet, spiced apple filling. My homemade Apple Pie recipe is wonderfully easy to make and delicious. This plant-based version is made with olive oil and whole wheat flour, and is comforting and full of warm flavors – perfect for celebrations or cozy everyday baking.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe

Making pie crust

• Seive or mix all the dry ingredients together – whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and salt.

• Add the olive oil and with your finger tips combine the oil in the flour evenly to get a breadcrumb consistency. This step should be done properly and this results in giving a flaky texture to the crust. The whole mixture should look like breadcrumbs.

• Add water in parts binding the whole mixture together. Don’t knead. Gather everything and form a dough.

Making apple filling

• Peel, core and slice the apples.

• Mix the ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, demerara sugar and whole wheat flour into the apples.

• Preheat your oven at 180 degrees celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes.

• Grease your pie pan with olive oil.

Assembling pie

• Divide the dough into two or four equal parts depending on the size of your pie pans.

• Take one portion of the dough on a dusted work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into an even layer that is about ¼ inch thick.

• Place one of the rolled pie crust gently on the greased pan and press it towards the bottom and the sides.

• Arrange the apple filling evenly on the bottom pie crust.

• Top the apple slices with a few drops of olive oil or dots of vegan butter.

• Cover the pan with another rolled pie crust and fold the edges of the top crust over and under the bottom edges. Flute the edges.

• Cut through the top pie crust with a fork or knife from top so as to allow steam to pass while baking.

• You can also cut strips from the rolled dough and create a lattice pie crust as shown in the video below.

• Brush with soy milk or any nut milk and sprinkle raw sugar and ground cinnamon from the top.

Baking apple pie

• Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 50 to 60 minutes or until the crust has become golden and crisp.

• Serve the apple pie warm or when at room temperature.

Storage

• You can refrigerate or freeze the pies.

• Wrap the apple pies when they completely cool down in a cling film or store them in an air tight container and refrigerate or freeze.

• Apples: Any sweet tasting or a tart-sweet apples work great in an apple pie without it becoming a mush. I personally like sweet apples. Some good apple choices are Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Braeburn and Pink Lady. For the Indian variety of apples, use Shimla, Kashmir or Kinnaur apples. You can always mix and match two to three varieties of apples.
• Demerara sugar: You can add powdered jaggery, maple syrup, coconut sugar, raw sugar or palm sugar or brown sugar. 
• Fats: Sunflower oil can be added instead of olive oil. You can also use a neutral flavored oil. 
• Flour: You can use whole wheat flour completely in the recipe. There will be some denseness in the texture of the crust but the taste will be good. You will need to add some more water while making the crust dough as whole wheat flour requires more water.
• Scaling: You can halve or double the recipe easily. 

Nutrition Facts

Apple Pie Recipe (No Butter)

Amount Per Serving (1 serving of apple pie wedge)

Calories 249 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 197mg9%

Potassium 157mg4%

Carbohydrates 37g12%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 33IU1%

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 2mg10%

Vitamin B6 1mg50%

Vitamin B12 1µg17%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Vitamin E 2mg13%

Vitamin K 7µg7%

Calcium 13mg1%

Vitamin B9 (Folate) 31µg8%

Iron 1mg6%

Magnesium 36mg9%

Phosphorus 98mg10%

Zinc 1mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Apple Pie recipe from the archives was first published on September 2013.