To start this recipe, let’s set the scene. I had been crushing fresh Ceylon cinnamon, and with plenty of apple peels and cores on hand, I decided to throw everything into a pot with water and let it simmer. The house filled with a warm cinnamon aroma, accented by the natural sweetness of apples. I paired this cozy scent with a chill-out playlist, poured myself a glass of apple cider, and settled into the perfect mood to take my time making a delicious apple pie. I even attempted my first raw lattice crust—not too bad if I say so myself!
This is one of those recipes best enjoyed on a slow weekend, when you have time to relax and create something truly special. From start to finish, it takes about an hour—less if you have helping hands.
Apple Season & Nostalgia
Raw vegan apple pie has always been one of my favorite desserts (right up there with cashew cheesecake). Back when we lived in Kansas City, Dominick and I were lucky enough to have two apple trees right by our house. We’d go apple picking daily, bringing home basketfuls of apples to make cider, apple chips, and, of course, lots of pies!
Now that we’re in DC, we’ve found a new apple ritual—sourcing fresh, local orchard apples from the farmers market. Every week, I grab at least 30 apples, along with peaches and pears. One of my favorite deals? A heaping basket of any fruit for just $18—definitely a score!
A Dessert Worth Savoring
This apple pie was almost too good to be true. I topped it with So Delicious ice cream for the full à la mode experience, and wow—pure heaven. If only I had time to make a raw cashew ice cream to pair with it, it would have been absolute perfection!
No Bake Apple Pie
INGREDIENTS
Apple Chunks
- 5 medium sized apples skinned and diced
- 1/4 lemon squeezed over apples
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Crust
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup flax seed; ground
- 10-12 juicy dates; if dry soak for 10-20 min. and pat dry
- 1 tbsp. raw unpasteurized honey; or coconut nectar
- 1 tsp. ceylon cinnamon
- 1/2 vanilla bean; 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- 5 medium sized apples
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 vanilla bean; or 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coconut nectar; sweetener of choice
INSTRUCTIONS
Apple Chunks
- Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until evenly coated.
- Place apple mixture on dehydrator sheet and dehydrate for 1 hour at 145 degrees, while preparing the crust and filling.
Crust
- Put walnuts, oats, and ground flax seed into food processor and process until fine.
- Add in all other ingredients, starting with 10 dates and process again.
- Make sure the crust is sticky enough to hold shape by pressing the crust up against the walls of the food processor with a spoon. If it crumbles apart add more dates until it becomes sticky enough.
- Leave 2 cups of crust mixture to the side for the top crust layer.
- Mold the crust to the pie dish with a spoon.
- If it starts to stick to the spoon wipe the spoon with a damp paper towel. If it continues sticking grab a bowl of water and dunk the spoon in every time it starts to stick.
Filling
- Add all ingredients into a blender or a ninja and blend until all the apples are broken down like apple sauce.
Pie Assembly
- In a 9-inch pie dish; with a spoon, mold the crust to a 9-in glass pie dish.
- Add apple chunks to the filling and mix it all together.
- Pour the filling into crust.
- -optional- sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.
- Sprinkle the remainder crust on top of the filling. Do this by grabbing a handful and breaking it apart while covering the whole pie. This is the easy option.
- -or- you could always go for the lattice. My dough was extra sticky because I found the juiciest dates so I added a little bit of almond flour to roll it out. Then I cut it and repeated until I had all the strips I needed.
- Dehydrate at 145 degrees for 1 hour, serve, and refrigerate.
NOTES
Don't have a dehydrator? Use your oven at the lowest temp possible and keep the door cracked open to allow ventilation. Times vary so keep your eye out.
Hope you enjoy xo
Dehydrators
Excalibur dehydrators starting at $199.99
Great for small gardens or specialty gardens.
5-large trays, 15″ x 15″ each. Mesh screens are BPA free.
Adjustable Thermostat 95◦F to 155◦F. Temperature range is low enough to preserve active enzymes in fruits and vegetables. Temperature range is also high enough to meet safety standards for dehydrating meat for jerky. Unit turns on automatically when thermostat is in use.
Comments 2
Worked very well and tastes great! Used an oven like described and put a spoon in the door to let out moisture. Very recommendable. Thank you sooo much.
Thanks Christine, I’m so happy you liked it!