Homemade Vegan Ginger Apple Pie: A Spicy & Comforting Dairy-Free Dessert

Ginger apple pie – this delicious vegan apple pie includes ginger for an extra spicy kick of flavour! Juicy apples and firey ginger are encased in crisp vegan pastry. It is perfect served with ice cream or custard!

There’s something incredibly comforting about a classic apple pie, but what if you could elevate that timeless dessert with a surprising, warming kick? This vegan ginger apple pie does exactly that, transforming a beloved classic into an unforgettable, spicy delight. Perfect for autumn evenings or any time you crave a truly special treat, this pie combines the familiar sweetness of apples with the exhilarating warmth of ginger, all nestled within a perfectly crisp, dairy-free, and eggless pastry.

Our recipe ensures a robust ginger flavor by utilizing both fresh grated ginger and finely chopped candied (stem) ginger. This dual approach creates a layered spice profile that’s both vibrant and deeply aromatic, complementing the sweet-tart apples beautifully. Imagine sinking your fork into a slice: a golden, flaky crust giving way to a mountain of tender, juicy apples, each bite infused with a delightful ginger warmth. It’s a symphony of textures and flavors – sweet, tangy, and wonderfully spicy – that promises to be incredibly moreish!

Whether you’re vegan, dairy-free, or simply looking for a new twist on an old favorite, this ginger apple pie is sure to impress. Serve it warm with a scoop of luscious vanilla ice cream (vegan, of course!) or a generous pour of creamy plant-based custard for the ultimate comforting dessert experience. It’s not just a pie; it’s a celebration of cozy moments and delicious, wholesome ingredients.

Essential Ingredients for Your Vegan Ginger Apple Pie

Crafting the perfect pie starts with understanding the role each ingredient plays. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need to create this extraordinary ginger apple pie, along with some helpful tips for making the best choices.

For The Filling:

Apples: The heart of any apple pie! I find that a combination of cooking apples and eating apples yields the best balance of flavor and texture. Cooking apples, such as Bramleys (a UK favorite) or Granny Smiths, break down beautifully during baking, creating a soft, almost saucy base with a delightful tartness. Eating apples like Braeburns, Honeycrisps, or Fuji varieties, on the other hand, retain more of their shape and offer a sweeter counterpoint. This blend ensures your pie isn’t too mushy or too firm, but perfectly tender. Feel free to use your favorite eating apple variety; the key is to choose ones that hold some structure and provide a good flavor contrast to the tart cooking apples.

Ginger: This is where the magic happens! We’re using a double dose of ginger for maximum impact: fresh grated ginger for its pungent, zesty aroma and finely chopped stem (candied or crystallised) ginger for its sweet, spicy chewiness. The fresh ginger infuses the apples with a bright, fiery kick, while the candied ginger adds pockets of intense, caramelized spice and a wonderful textural element. If you prefer a milder ginger flavor, simply reduce the amount of both, particularly the fresh ginger, by half. For serious ginger lovers, you can even add a touch more!

Sugar: A blend of light brown soft sugar and granulated sugar is ideal for this pie. The light brown sugar contributes a lovely molasses flavor and helps keep the filling moist, while granulated sugar provides clean sweetness and aids in browning. If you only have one type on hand, brown sugar would be the preferred choice for its depth of flavor, but you can certainly use all granulated sugar if that’s what you have. Adjust the total amount based on the sweetness of your apples and your personal preference.

Plain Flour and Cornflour (Cornstarch): These are your secret weapons against a soggy pie bottom! Apples release a lot of juice as they cook, and without a thickening agent, your pie would turn into a watery mess. The plain flour and cornflour work together to absorb these juices, creating a rich, thick, and luscious filling. Cornflour (cornstarch) is particularly effective for thickening fruit fillings. If you don’t have cornflour, arrowroot powder makes an excellent substitute.

Lemon Juice: Don’t skip this! Adding the juice of a fresh lemon serves a dual purpose. Firstly, it prevents your peeled and sliced apples from browning and oxidizing, keeping them looking fresh. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly for flavor, it provides a crucial tangy balance to the sweetness of the apples and sugars, brightening the overall taste of the pie. It’s a small addition that makes a big difference.

Cinnamon: While optional, ground cinnamon is a classic companion to apples for a reason. Its warm, sweet, and woody notes enhance the apple flavor and complement the ginger beautifully, adding another layer of comforting spice to the pie. We highly recommend including it for a truly well-rounded flavor profile.

For The Pastry:

Plain Flour (All-Purpose Flour): This is the foundation of your flaky crust. I typically use plain or all-purpose flour. You can also opt for pastry flour, which has a lower protein content and can result in a more tender crust. Please note, I haven’t experimented with gluten-free flours for this particular recipe, so I cannot guarantee the same results if you choose to make it gluten-free.

Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar): A touch of icing sugar in the pastry makes for a delightfully tender and slightly sweeter crust than using granulated or caster sugar. Its fine texture helps create a delicate crumb that melts in your mouth, contributing to that irresistible flaky quality.

Salt: A non-negotiable ingredient for pastry! Salt doesn’t just add flavor; it enhances all the other flavors in the dough, preventing the crust from tasting bland. A good pinch of salt transforms the pastry from merely functional to truly delicious.

Vegan Block Butter/Margarine: This is absolutely critical for achieving a crisp, flaky vegan pastry. Always, always use a solid, block-style vegan butter or margarine – the kind that comes wrapped in foil, similar to dairy butter. Avoid the spreadable varieties sold in tubs, as these have a higher water content and lower fat percentage, which can lead to a tough, soggy, or less flaky crust. Block versions (like Naturli Vegan Block, Flora Plant Butter Block, Stork Block, Vitalite Block, or Tormor) mimic dairy butter’s fat content more closely, essential for proper pastry development.

Vodka: My (not-so) secret ingredient for extra-crispy pastry! The science behind it is simple: vodka has a much lower water content than water itself. When used to bind the dough, the alcohol evaporates completely during baking, leaving behind a wonderfully crisp and tender crust without adding any moisture that could develop gluten and make the pastry tough. You won’t taste the vodka at all in the final product. While you can certainly use ice-cold water instead, if you have a bottle of vodka lurking in your cupboard, I strongly encourage you to give this trick a try for superior results!

Step-by-Step Guide: How To Make Vegan Ginger Apple Pie

(For precise ingredient quantities and full, detailed instructions, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card located below.)

Making the Perfect Vegan Pastry:

Begin by preparing your pastry. In a large mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, icing sugar, and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients together thoroughly to ensure they are evenly distributed. Alternatively, if using a food processor, pulse them a few times until well combined. The goal is to create a well-mixed base for your dough.

Next, add the cold, diced vegan block butter. It’s crucial that the butter is very cold to achieve a flaky crust. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Be careful not to overwork the dough or allow the butter to warm up too much from your hands. If using a food processor, pulse the mixture until it reaches the breadcrumb stage, ensuring no large lumps of fat remain.

Now, introduce the secret ingredient: ice-cold vodka (or water if you prefer). Add two tablespoons initially and mix gently. Gradually drizzle in a little more ice-cold water, one teaspoon at a time, mixing until the pastry just comes together to form a cohesive ball. The key here is to add only enough liquid to bind the dough – too much will make it tough. The mixture should be firm but pliable.

Divide the pastry dough into two equal halves. Gently shape each half into a flat disc. This makes it easier to roll out later. Wrap the pastry discs tightly in plastic wrap or reusable food wraps and place them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Chilling the dough is essential; it allows the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up again, which prevents shrinking during baking and helps create a wonderfully flaky texture.

Preparing the Spicy Apple Filling:

While your pastry chills, prepare the aromatic filling. Peel and core all of your cooking and eating apples. Once peeled, slice them into thin, even pieces – about 3mm thick is ideal. Uniform slices ensure even cooking. Place the sliced apples into a very large bowl.

Immediately toss the apple slices with the grated fresh ginger and lemon juice. This step is important to prevent the apples from browning. Then, add the remaining filling ingredients: plain flour, cornflour, light brown soft sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, finely chopped stem or crystallised ginger, and a pinch of salt. Mix everything together thoroughly until all the apple slices are evenly coated with the spices and sugars. Set this bowl aside, allowing the flavors to meld and the apples to begin releasing their juices.

Assembling Your Vegan Ginger Apple Pie:

Once the pastry has adequately chilled, lightly flour a clean work surface. Take one of the pastry discs and roll it out evenly to a thickness of approximately 3mm (about ⅛ inch). Ensure it’s large enough to cover your pie dish with some overhang. Carefully transfer the rolled-out pastry into a 23cm / 9-inch round, 5cm / 2-inch deep pie dish. Gently press the pastry into the corners and up the sides of the dish, making sure there are no air bubbles. Trim off any excess pastry, leaving about 3cm / 1 inch overhanging the edge. Reserve these pastry trimmings; they can be re-rolled if needed for decorations.

Now, transfer the prepared apple filling into the pastry-lined pie dish. Pile the apple mixture high in the center, creating a slight dome. It will settle down as it bakes. Crucially, discard any excess juices that have collected at the bottom of the apple bowl; adding them to the pie will make your bottom crust soggy, which we want to avoid for that perfect crispness.

How To Decorate Vegan Ginger Apple Pie:

This is where you can get creative! While a simple crust is perfectly delicious, a decorative top adds an extra touch of homemade charm. I love to make a classic lattice top, but you could also opt for a plain crust, or even use cookie cutters to create decorative shapes for the top. Pinterest is an excellent source for endless pie crust inspiration!

To create a beautiful lattice top, take the second chilled pastry disc and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to the same 3mm thickness. Using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife, cut the pastry into strips. You can make them all the same width (1-2 inches) or vary them for a more rustic look, as shown in the images.

Start your lattice by placing two of your longest strips across the center of the pie to form a cross. Do not attach these strips to the edges yet. Ensure the strip running vertically (from your perspective) is on top of the horizontal one.

Next, lay two more strips of pastry horizontally, one on each side of the central horizontal strip. Now, carefully fold back the middle horizontal strip onto itself to the left. Place a new vertical strip of pastry onto the tart, to the right of where the folded strip was. Unfold the original horizontal strip back to its original position, weaving it over the new vertical strip. Repeat this process on the other side of the pie.

Now, you’ll repeat the weaving process with the vertical strips. Fold up the middle vertical strip, place a new horizontal strip at the bottom of the pie, and then fold the middle vertical strip back. Continue this alternating pattern of folding and placing strips until your entire pie filling is covered with the woven lattice. Don’t be afraid to re-roll any reserved pastry trimmings if you need more strips to complete your design.

For added visual interest, you can vary your lattice pattern. Try slicing some of your pastry strips lengthwise to create two narrower strips, then place them side-by-side and weave them as if they were a single, wider strip. Another beautiful option is to cut three long, thin strips and gently braid them together, using the resulting braid as one of your lattice strips. This adds an elegant touch to your homemade pie.

Once your lattice is complete, press all the edges of the pastry down firmly to seal them. A tiny drop of water can help the layers stick together if needed. Trim off any remaining excess pastry from the edges. Fold the overhanging pastry from the bottom crust back over itself so it covers the ends of the lattice strips. Press this down firmly to create a neat edge, then crimp the edge either with your fingers for a rustic look or with the tines of a fork for a more uniform pattern. Place the assembled pie in the fridge for another 20 minutes to firm up the pastry while your oven preheats to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.

Baking Your Ginger Apple Pie:

Just before baking, brush the top of your chilled pie generously with a non-dairy milk (soy milk works wonderfully) to help it brown. Then, sprinkle a little caster or granulated sugar over the top for a beautiful sparkle and extra crispness. Transfer the pie to the preheated oven and bake for 60-75 minutes.

You’ll know it’s ready when the apples are tender (a knife or skewer pushed into the filling should go in easily without resistance) and the filling is bubbling enticingly through the lattice. Keep an eye on the crust; if it starts to get too dark before the apples are fully cooked, loosely cover the pie with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent further browning. Once baked to perfection, remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool, uncovered, for a minimum of 3 hours before attempting to slice and serve. This cooling time is crucial for the filling to set properly, ensuring clean, beautiful slices.

Top Tips for the Best Vegan Ginger Apple Pie:

• Precision is Key: For the most consistent and best results in baking, I always recommend weighing your ingredients using gram measurements with a digital kitchen scale. Cup measurements can be highly inaccurate and may lead to varied outcomes.
• Keep it Cold: When making the pastry, temperature is your friend. Ensure your vegan block butter is straight from the fridge and cut into small pieces. Use ice-cold vodka or water to bind the dough. Cold ingredients prevent the butter from melting prematurely, which is essential for creating those coveted flaky layers. If the pastry gets too warm, it can become tough and difficult to work with.
• The Vodka Advantage: Don’t be shy about using vodka in your pastry! As mentioned, its lower water content compared to plain water means less gluten development, resulting in a significantly crispier and more tender crust. The alcohol evaporates completely during baking, leaving absolutely no taste behind. If you’re hesitant or don’t have vodka, ice-cold water is a perfectly acceptable alternative.
• Don’t Overwork the Pastry: Once the pastry comes together, stop mixing. Overworking the dough develops gluten, which can lead to a tough crust. Handle it as little as possible.
• Consider Blind Baking (Optional): If you’re prone to a soggy bottom or prefer an extra-crisp crust, you can blind bake the bottom pastry crust before adding the filling. Line the unbaked crust with parchment paper, fill with pie weights or dried beans, and bake for about 15-20 minutes until lightly golden. Remove weights and parchment, then proceed with the recipe.
• Time-Saving Shortcut: If you’re short on time or prefer convenience, feel free to use store-bought vegan pastry. Many brands offer suitable options; in the UK, Jus-Rol shortcrust pastry is widely available and vegan-friendly, as are several supermarket own-brand versions. Always double-check the ingredients list to ensure it’s dairy and egg-free.
• Patience for Perfection: While it’s tempting to dig in immediately, allowing the pie to cool for approximately three hours before slicing is paramount for neat, clean slices. This cooling period gives the filling time to set and firm up properly. You can, of course, serve it warm sooner if you don’t mind a slightly more “rustic” (read: oozy) slice.

Can I Make A Plain Vegan Apple Pie?

Absolutely! If you prefer a more traditional flavor profile or are not a fan of ginger, simply omit both the fresh grated ginger and the finely chopped stem/crystallised ginger from the filling ingredients. You’ll still end up with a wonderfully delicious and comforting vegan apple pie.

How To Store and Reheat Ginger Apple Pie:

This ginger apple pie is undoubtedly at its best when served on the day it’s baked, offering maximum crispness and aroma. However, leftovers can be stored. Once completely cooled, cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to four days. For individual servings, slices can be gently reheated in the microwave until warm, or in a preheated oven (around 160°C/325°F) for about 10-15 minutes to re-crisp the crust.

You can also freeze baked pie slices or even an entire pie (once completely cooled) for longer storage. Wrap tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and then foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Unbaked pie can also be frozen; simply wrap well and bake from frozen, adding an extra 20-30 minutes to the baking time, covering with foil if the crust browns too quickly.

Serving Suggestions:

While delicious on its own, this pie truly shines with accompaniments. A scoop of rich vanilla bean vegan ice cream is a classic pairing, offering a cool, creamy contrast to the warm, spicy filling. For a more traditional British touch, serve it with a generous pour of warm vegan custard. For an adult twist, a dollop of brandied vegan whipped cream would be exquisite.

More Delicious Vegan Pies And Tarts To Try:

If you’ve enjoyed this vegan ginger apple pie, you might love exploring some of our other dairy-free and eggless pie and tart recipes:

• Vegan pecan pie
• Vegan Bakewell tart
• Vegan pumpkin pie
• Vegan lemon tart
• Vegan peanut butter chocolate tart
• Blueberry frangipane tarts
• Vegan strawberry tart with coconut pastry cream
• No-bake chocolate stem ginger tart
• Blueberry pie with coconut oil crust
• Starry mince pie tart
• Mini vegan apple pies

If you tried this recipe, we’d love to hear from you! Please rate it, leave a comment below, or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and use the hashtag #domesticgothess. Your feedback helps us and other bakers!

*All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe, please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.*