This sweet vegan apple crumble ice cream pie blends baked and no-bake elements for a tender, raw, warm, and cool taste experience. It’s a special dessert that transcends the seasons. Even better, you can serve it to guests or let it chill in the freezer, and grab a slice whenever cravings strike.
This Vegan Apple Crumble Ice Cream Pie is a Complete Dessert
I love the concept of this layered pie – it’s basically a Dutch Apple Pie a la Mode all rolled up into one dessert. As a bonus, it’s naturally vegan and gluten-free, and even a bit wholesome.
The recipe is pictured below in stages, so you can see how to add the ice cream and then apples – yes it really is this easy!
Because you don’t want to bake this pie with the ice cream in it, the crumble topping is left unbaked. But you can crumble it on a baking sheet and bake it for about 5 minutes with the pie crust. This will provide more of a cohesive and tender pie texture. On the contrary, you can leave both the crust and crumble topping unbaked for a more raw, rustic finish.
This vegan apple crumble ice cream pie recipe with photos was created by Nisha Vora of Rainbow Plant Life, but shared with us by So Delicious, with permissions.
Special Diet Notes: Apple Crumble Ice Cream Pie
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
- 2 cups rolled oats (certified gluten-free, if needed)
- 1¼ cups pecans
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup refined coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 to 2 pints vanilla or caramel dairy-free ice cream (Nisha uses So Delicious Caramel Apple Crumble Oatmilk Ice Cream)
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil (or neutral oil of choice)
- 4 medium apples, peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup Medjool dates, pitted
- ¼ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage
- 3 to 4 tablespoons coconut nectar or agave nectar (can use maple syrup but the sauce will be less sticky and more runny)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan, or a 9-inch or 10-inch tart pan with a
- Put the oats, pecans, cinnamon, and sea salt in a food processor and process until the texture resembles a fine meal. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the coconut oil, followed by the maple syrup. Blend just until the mixture turns into a slightly sticky dough.
- Reserve ½ cup of the crust for the crumble topping.
- Firmly press the remaining crust into the pie or tart pan. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork about a dozen times.
- Bake the crust for 13 to15 minutes, until lightly golden and firm. Put the pan on a wire rack to let the crust cool completely.
- While the tart crust is cooling, remove the dairy-free ice cream from the freezer to soften. It should be soft enough to scoop easily.
- Once the tart crust is cooled, scoop the softened dairy-free ice cream on the crust, arranging the scoops in two concentric circles (see the photo above).
- Freeze the tart for at least 90 minutes, or until the dairy-free ice cream is fully set.
- While the ice cream is re-freezing, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the apples, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and mix to evenly coat the apples. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft but not falling apart. Remove skillet from the heat and let the apples cool.
- Put the dates in a blender or a food processor. Process or pulse until they start to break down. Add the milk beverage, coconut or agave nectar, vanilla, and salt. Blend, scraping down the sides as needed, until you have a sticky, thick, gooey sauce.
- Remove the dairy free ice cream pie from the freezer. Spoon the cooled Apple Cinnamon Filling on top of the ice cream. Sprinkle the reserved crumble topping on the apples. Drizzle a light layer of the Date Caramel Sauce over top, if using.
- Serve immediately. Cover and freeze the pie once served.
For More Sweet Dairy-Free Recipes, Get Go Dairy Free!
