Perfect for Fall, this is the ONLY apple pie recipe that you’ll ever need AND it just happens to be vegan! In this recipe, I’ll show you how to prep your apples, how to make vegan pie pastry and share all my top tips for successful easy apple blackberry pie baking. Grab yourself a cup of tea and let’s bake!
This post was originally published in November 2022 and updated in September 2024 to add more helpful content and recipe tips.
Why I Made This Recipe
Apple pie is by far one of my favourite desserts. This pie is a true classic that I remember from growing up in the UK and it never disappoints. The smell of caramelizing apples wafting through the kitchen reminds me of my childhood and in particular of cozy autumn days spent at my late grandmother’s home in the UK, where fresh apples from her garden would make their way into the most delicious pies.
Why You Should Make This
Who doesn’t love apple pie? Perfect for a Fall dessert or to serve after your Thanksgiving dinner, this versatile apple pie recipe is pure comfort eating at its best and so easy to make that you’ll never feel intimated by homemade pie recipes again. Read on for my stress-free pastry-making guide. If you prefer to watch how easy it is to make, check out my step-by-step video on the recipe card.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This is a vegan apple blackberry pie recipe with an easy gluten-free substitution. Read on for my suggestions and also see my FAQs for more recipe tips. US cup measurements are also included in the recipe card.
For the Pastry:
Flour: I kept this recipe simple and used all-purpose (plain) flour. To make this recipe gluten-free, simply swap out for a 1-to-1 baking flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill. I use this GF flour frequently in my baking and am always happy with the results.
Icing Sugar: this helps to sweeten the pastry.
Fat: the pastry batter needs some fat to help with the richness and I am using unsalted plant-based butter. Sub with dairy butter if you are not dairy intolerant. Always use cold butter in pastry as it helps to create a lovely flaky texture.
Water: another essential ingredient for a great pastry is cold water as we want to keep the butter as cold as possible. The water helps to bind the pastry together.
For the Filling:
Apples: the star of this recipe is freshly picked apples. Use whichever variety you prefer or even a combination of a few different ones. I recommend coring and peeling the apples before slicing them.
Blackberries: completely optional but we love the extra tang that the blackberries add to this pie. Feel free to swap out with your preferred fruit. We love using raspberries, blueberries and even cranberries. The possibilities are endless.
Sugar: to help create a sticky caramelly fruit sauce as the fruit is warmed through on the stove, add a small amount of white sugar. You could swap out with golden yellow sugar or even brown sugar for a deeper flavour profile.
How to Make Apple Blackberry Pie
We’re going to start by preparing our filling. You can cheat and use premade filling if you prefer (no judgment here!) but it is really easy to make your own. Peel, core, and thickly slice 5 apples. I chose Granny Smith apples for this but you could use whatever variety of apples you prefer.
Add the apple slices and 75 grams of white sugar to a small saucepan and heat over a medium heat. As they warm up, the juice from the apples will start to caramelize with the sugar. Optional Spice: if you love cinnamon in your pie filling, feel free to add 2 teaspoons to the pan at this stage.
Heat for about five minutes, just long enough to soften everything up. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. You could even make the filling in advance and store it in the fridge until you are ready to bake the pie.
My Stress-Free Vegan Pastry-Making Guide
Making vegan pie pastry is honestly nowhere near as complicated as you might think. Add 275 grams of all-purpose flour to a mixing bowl and combine it with 12 grams of icing sugar. Rub in 145 grams of cold butter until it resembles a breadcrumb consistency.
Top tip: you can make this in your stand mixer but I prefer to make the pastry by hand so that I can feel the consistency. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps of butter remaining. I quite like that in my pastry as it helps with the flaky texture.
To bind the pastry together add 3-4 tbsp of cold water. I tend to err on the side of caution and add 3 tbsp to start with. You only need enough to bring the pastry together into a smooth workable dough and don’t want to overdo it. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will help the gluten relax.
Rolling out the Pastry
Remove the pastry from the fridge and flour your work surface. I’m using regular all-purpose flour for this. Cut a third off from the pastry – we will be using this for the top. Roll out the remaining pastry. I always form the shape that I require first (a round in this case) and then start rolling from the centre and give the pastry a quarter turn each time. One of the reasons behind doing the quarter turn each time is that it helps to retain the nice round shape that we need for the pie dish.
I like to roll out slightly larger than the dish size so that the pastry will go up the side of the dish as well.
Before adding the pastry to the dish, grease it with butter. This will stop the pastry from sticking to the dish and also help to create a crispier base.
Carefully drape the pastry over the dish, pat it down on the base and encourage it up the sides. Remove any excess and roll it back into the third that we set aside earlier.
Before adding the filling to the pie sprinkle a little bit of cornstarch on the base. This is a top tip that I picked up from Paul Hollywood (I’m a huge fan of the Great British Bake Off and his own shows) and will help to bind any liquid from the filling, thus preventing a soggy bottom on our pie. (Mary Berry would be so proud of us!)
Add the apple filling and then the blackberries to the pie base, ensuring that everything is evenly spread out. I decided not to pre-cook the blackberries as they hold their shape a little bit better so that you get nice whole bites of blackberries when you eat the pie. I love the pop of colour from them as well.
Making the Pastry Top
The final stage is to roll out the top of the pie. Add a little bit of flour to your surface then roll out the remaining pastry until you have enough to cover the top of the pie.
Carefully drape the pastry over the top of the pie. You can either fold it over your rolling pin or lift it over your arm and slide the pie dish underneath. Press the edges of the pastry together then cut off any excess. I recommend rolling any leftover pastry back up into a ball, wrapping it in cling film, and then freezing it if you don’t anticipate using it within the next few days.
Crimp around the edges with a fork to create a nice design. This also helps to seal the pie so that the liquid stays inside and doesn’t run over the sides when it’s baking I do recommend popping a baking tray on the shelf underneath the pie in the oven just to catch any liquid that may escape.
Finally, glaze the pastry with some water then cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to release while the pie bakes. The water helps to crisp up the pastry while it bakes. You could use an egg wash if you are not vegan or a mixture of plant-based milk and water. I’ll often add a sprinkle of sugar on top as well but that is completely optional.
Let’s Bake
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown on top.
Allow the pie to cool for 15 minutes before digging in. Best served with custard or ice cream. Make sure you let me know in the comments what you prefer to serve it with.
Common Apple Pie Questions
I love the sharpness of granny smith green apples but you can add whatever apples you have. You can also use pre-made apple pie filling if you prefer.
Cover the remaining pie with foil and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. The pastry will soften but will still taste great. Reheat in the microwave if desired and serve with ice cream or custard (my personal favourite).
Absolutely. Swap the all-purpose flour with your preferred 1-to-1 Gluten-Free baking flour alternative. I frequently use Bob’s Red Mill and it works well in this recipe. Check out my ingredients guide for my full substitution recommendations.
Most definitely. This recipe will yield 3 4-inch mini pies. You may have some spare pastry left over. Wrap in cling film and then freeze for up to 3 months.
This pie is a showstopper when served warm with a generous topping of warm vanilla custard or ice cream. For extra indulgence, drizzle some homemade caramel sauce on top – perfect for crisp Autumn evenings or your vegan Thanksgiving table.
One last drool!
Look at that gorgeous crust and filling. I love that the golden, flaky crust gives way to the tender apple pie filling with bursts of blackberries that add a pop of colour to the pie. The perfect dessert for a cool Fall day or as a vegan dessert for Thanksgiving. Don’t forget to print this recipe to enjoy next time you are craving a cozy dessert.
Craving More Cozy Treats?
If you love this recipe, you’ll also enjoy these easy Fall inspired desserts:
- If you’ve been apple picking, why not try my Apple Kuchen Cake (dairy-free)
- Prefer blueberries? Then you’ll adore my Rustic Almond Blueberry Cake ( vegan)
- Satisfy your sweet tooth with this easy-to-make 3-Minute Mug Cake (vegan)
- The perfect Thanksgiving treat with my individual Maple Butter Tarts (vegan)
- Combining almondy richness and buttery crispness in these GBBO Inspired Marzipan Biscuits (dairy-free)
Classic Apple Blackberry Pie
Equipment
- Small Saucepan
- 9 inch Pie Dish
Angela’s Top Tip
Weigh your dry ingredients in grams with a scale for best results!
Ingredients
For the Pastry
- 275 grams All Purpose Flour (2 1/4 US Cups)
- 12 grams Icing Sugar (2 tbsp)
- 145 grams Plant Based Butter (unsalted) (1/2 US Cup + 2 tbsp – Ensure your butter is cold)
- 45 ml Cold Water (approx 3-4 tbsp)
- Small amount of cornstarch (to prevent a soggy botton)
For the Filling
- 600 grams Apples (Approx 5 apples of any variety – peeled, cored and thickly sliced)
- 200 grams Blackberries (whole or halved – your choice)
- 75 grams White Sugar (1/4 US Cup + 2 tbsp)
For the Topping
- Additional water for the glaze
- White Sugar to sprinkle on top
Instructions
For the Filling
- Peel. core and thickly slice 5 apples. Add the apple slices and 75g white sugar to a small saucepan. Optional Spice: if you love cinnamon in your pie filling, feel free to add 2 teaspoons to the pan at this stage. Heat over a medium heat until softened. This usually takes approx 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
For the Pastry
- Add 275 grams of all-purpose flour to a mixing bowl and combine it with 12 grams of icing sugar. Rub in 145 grams of cold butter until it resembles a breadcrumb consistency. Add 3-4 tbsp cold water to bind together.
- Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
- Cut off one third of the pastry then roll out the remainder on a floured surface. The pastry should be larger than the pie dish so that there will be enough to fill the base and sides.
- Grease the pie dish with butter then add the pastry base, shaping it up the sides. Remove any excess and roll back into the third that was set aside earlier.
- Sprinkle some cornstarch on the pastry base before adding the apple filling and blackberries. Ensure that the fruit is evenly spread out.
Assembly and Baking
- Roll out the remaining pastry on a floured surface, large enough to cover the pie. Drape it over the pie then crimp the edges with a fork.
- Brush water over the pastry and sprinkle some white sugar (this helps it golden). Cut a few slits in the top as well to allow steam to release while baking.
- Bake at 350°F / 175°C for 30 to 35 minutes until golden. I recommend adding a baking tray on the shelf below the pie in case any juice escapes.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving with ice cream or custard. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 9-inch pie. Prefer minis? The same recipe yields 3 4-inch mini pies. If you have any spare pastry left over, wrap it in cling film then freeze for up to 3 months.
- Apples: I love the sharpness of granny smith green apples but you can add whatever apples you have. You can also use pre-made apple pie filling if you prefer.
- Serving: This pie is a showstopper when served warm with a generous topping of warm vanilla custard or ice cream. For extra indulgence, drizzle some homemade caramel sauce on top – perfect for crisp Autumn evenings or your vegan Thanksgiving table.
- Storage: Cover the remaining pie with foil and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. The pastry will soften but will still taste great. Reheat in the microwave if desired and serve with ice cream or custard (my favourite).
- Gluten-Free: Sub the all-purpose flour with your preferred 1-to-1 flour alternative for an easy gluten-free option. I regularly bake with Bob’s Red Mill baking blend. You can also check out my ingredients guide for my full substitution recommendations.
- Nutrition: Nutrition information is based on 1 slice per serving with approximately 8 servings per recipe. Please note that nutrition information is calculated based on the ingredients in this recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I was looking for a vegan apple pie recipe and here it is – looks absolutely delicious – I cant wait to make it!
So glad you found this recipe. I hope you enjoy it!
You’d never know this was a vegan pie. Such a tasty crust!
Thank you. We love the crust too.
Apples and blackberries are such a great combination, I loved the flavor of this pie! Great that it’s vegan-friendly too 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
You’re so welcome. Thanks for trying the recipe.
I never thought about putting apples and blackberries together but it is definitely a winning combination. Such a tasty pie!
We love this combination. So glad you enjoyed the pie!
This was like a fruit party in my mouth! Loved all the different textures and flavors. It was the perfect amount of sweet as well.
Thanks for the great review. So glad you liked the pie.