Vegan Apple Crumb Pie – Make Thyme for Health

Vegan Apple Crumble Cake- Made with an oatmeal pecan crumb topping that tastes like freshly baked granola, this vegan apple pie is a crowd-pleaser! (easily made gluten-free)

Every year as I plan what to bake for Thanksgiving, I always ask myself which cake to bake. In a perfect world I would make a sampler of all my favorites; Pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, chocolate pie, and even sweet potato pecan pie. It’s just so hard to choose just one!

When it comes to apple pie, this recipe is in a league of its own. Soft apples cooked in a sticky caramel sauce and topped with an oatmeal pecan crumb that’s packed with flavor and texture. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you’re done. I’m done with

Now I know a lot of people see the words vegan and gluten freeand think: “It can’t be as good as them real thing”. But folks, trust me on this one, this cake is legit. Regardless of their diet, everyone will love it, AND it’s also safe to serve those with allergies or dietary preferences. WIN WIN.

Vegan Ingredients for Apple Crumb Pie

• Prepared Pie Crust- I’m one of those lazy people who rarely make their own pie crust, so here we go to store-bought ones to save time. If you want the pie to be gluten-free, be sure to source a certified GF crust or try my super easy 5-ingredient grain-free pie crust.
• Vegan butter and/or coconut oil Using both butter and coconut oil might seem redundant, but I personally prefer the buttery flavor for the apple filling and the richness of the oil for the crumbles as it tends to provide more moisture and prevent burning. That means you can use one or both if you don’t already have or plan to buy both.
• Granny Smith Apples- While you can use any variety of apples, I find that the tartness of Granny Smith apples complements the sweetness of the cake perfectly.
• Pure Maple Syrup Again, using coconut sugar and maple syrup seems unnecessary, but the syrup adds moisture, so you can’t swap one for the other without adding liquid to the recipe.
• coconut sugar The granulated sugar boosts the sweetness by a few notches while also giving it a caramel flavor. Instead of coconut blossom sugar, you can also use brown sugar if you like.
• vanilla extract Always just a hint of vanilla to level things up.
• Ground Cinnamon and Ginger- Both spices add flavor to the apples. Feel free to use more or less as you see fit.
• cornstarch This will help thicken the sauce the apples are being cooked in for a nice caramel-like texture. I haven’t tried substitutions, but arrowroot might work in its place.
• lemon juice A small amount of lemon juice will keep the apples from browning.
• Oatmeal- Incorporating oatmeal gives the topping a chewy texture, almost like a granola. If you don’t like that, you can substitute an additional 1/2 cup of oatmeal instead.
• oatmeal This is the basis of our crumb topping and what is used in place of a wheat flour. If necessary, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats and oatmeal.
• almond flour Almond flour adds moisture to the topping, so oatmeal cannot be substituted unless you want to add more oil. I haven’t tested it that way, so it would take some experimentation to find out exactly how much.
• pecans- I love the flavor and texture that pecans add to the topping. While I wouldn’t recommend it, you could substitute walnuts or almonds if you wish.

How to make vegan apple crumble cake

1. Pre-bake the crust. If you buy a ready-made crust, you only need to bake it until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. This will ensure it is properly cooked through before adding the moisture to the filling.
2. Prepare the filling. Boil the sliced ​​apples in butter, then add maple syrup, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Mix cornstarch with water, add to pan and cook until thickened. Stir in the vanilla and lemon juice.
3. Prepare the topping. In a food processor, process the rolled oats, oatmeal, almond flour, salt, and pecans until coarsely ground. Add the coconut oil and pure maple syrup and pulse until a lumpy batter forms.
4. Assemble the cake. Transfer the apples to the crust, then sprinkle the crumb mixture on top. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for another 15 minutes. Serve warm with ice and enjoy!

Although this crumb cake is very different from the traditional version, it’s just as delicious! I am sure you will love it as much as we do.

Looking for more plant-based Thanksgiving recipes?