(This recipe is adapted from  Heirloom Apple Pie, in The Baker Creek Vegan Cookbook by Jere and Emilee Gettle.)

The crust for this pie contains no butter or Crisco.  The only sweetener is coconut sugar.

The key for this pie is to use tart apples like Granny Smith.  I’ve tested many crusts and was pleasantly surprised to find that this coconut crust measures up closely to a butter crust.  A delicious complement to the sweet apple filling!

Pie Crust Ingredients

• 2 C spelt flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1T coconut sugar
• 2/3 C coconut oil, at room temperature
• 2 T solid coconut cream, from the top of a can of coconut milk
• 1/4 C ice water

Pie Filling Ingredients

• 8 1/2-9 tart apples, peeled, quartered, and sliced (about 3 1/2 lbs.)
• 3/4 C coconut sugar
• 1/4 C spelt flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Coconut sugar for dusting the top of the pie

Pie Crust Preparation Steps

1. Pulse flour, salt, and coconut sugar in a food processor, five times.
2. Add the coconut oil and coconut cream and pulse until peas-sized lumps form.
3. Add water and continue pulsing until a ball of dough forms.
4. Divide dough into two pieces and form into 4 inch disks. Wrap each disc and chill 15-20 minutes.
5. Prepare pie filling, as instructed below, then grease a 9 inch pie plate with coconut oil.
6. Remove dough discs from the refrigerator and roll out each disc between parchment paper.  You should roll out into a 12 inch circle (approximately).
7. Fit the bottom layer of dough into the prepared pie plate.
8. Scoop in the pie filling and cover with the second layer of pie dough.
9. Dust the top of the pie with coconut sugar.
10. Pinch the edges and prick the top to allow steam to escape.
11. Place the pie on a cookie tray lined with foil in a preheated 425 degree oven and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, until the dough starts to turn golden but it will still be light in color.
12. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 50-60 minutes. The top should be browned and the filling bubbly. (TIP: If at any time during the baking process you feel that the pie is brown enough, just cover with foil.)
13. Remove from oven and cool before serving.

Pie Filling Preparation Steps

1. Toss apples, coconut sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon in bowl.
2. Let rest until juices form.
3. See Step 8 above to complete pie preparation.

TIP: I use a Victorio VKP1010 Apple and Potato Peeler, purchased on Amazon for $21.99, to prepare the apples in this recipe and in the Harvest Spelt Cobbler recipe here.  It saves a significant amount of time. See the apple peeler/corer demonstration here!