These Vegan Apple Custard Squares have a shortbread like base topped with apples, then creamy custard and cinnamon sugar on top. Use a pie pan to make Apple Custard Pie. No added Oil. Vegan Soyfree Recipe. Jump to Recipe
These custard bars came about when I had to use up some non dairy yogurt. The shortbready crust at the bottom is topped with apples and then topped with a tangy custard mixture which is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and baked to make slices of custard bars with various flavors and textures!
You can use just cashew cream for the custard layer as well. Add some lemon zest for fresh zesty flavor. Change up the flavors to use winter spices such as gingerbread or pumpkin pie spice. Make this into a pie (use a pie pan and double the crust).
Ingredients for Vegan Apple Custard Squares
- The crust uses nut butter, flour, maple syrup, salt and vanilla.
- Apple layer has thinly sliced apples tossed with some flour
- The custard layer uses non dairy yogurt, vanilla and almond extracts, maple or sugar, cornstarch and flour for thickening.
- cinnamon and sugar mixture for the topping
How to make Vegan Apple Custard Squares
Line a brownie pan with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180c). Warm the nut butter and maple syrup in a pan or microwave until warmed. Mix well to combine. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. You will get crumbly mixture. Sprinkle some water in if needed to make it a bit more clumpy(depends on the nut butter used). Transfer to the pan and press evenly.
Toss the apple in flour and arrange on the crust. You can put the apple on top of the custard as well, or have 2 layers, one above the crust and one above the custard.
Blend all the custard ingredients until well combined. Taste and adjust sweetness and flavor. Add some lemon zest for a lemony custard. Pour over the apples.
Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. Bake for 45 to 55 mins. Let cool for 15 mins, then remove from pan. Chill for an hour before slicing. Refrigerate for upto 5 days to store.
More Desserts from the blog
- Apple Scones
- Vegan Triple Layer Mousse Cake. GF
- Chocolate Cake with Nut Butter Chocolate Ganache.
- Apple Cake GF option
- Hazelnut Chocolate Fudge
- Blueberry Brownies.
- PB Chocolate Marble Cake GF option
Vegan Apple Custard Squares
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1/3 cup (83.33 g) smooth nut butter such as almond butter or cashew butter
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) maple syrup
- 1 cup (125 g) flour (I use a mix of 2/3 cup all purpose and 1/3 cup spelt),For Gluten-free: Use 3/4 cup gf blend and 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp almond flour , optional
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Apples:
- 1 apple , thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp flour
Custard:
- 1 1/4 cup (306.25 g) non dairy yogurt , or half yogurt and half cashew cream **
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract , adds a nice flavor to the custard
- 3 tbsp sugar or maple
- 2 tbsp non dairy milk such as almond milk or oat milk
- 1 tbsp flour (rice flour for glutenfree)
- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch
Topping:
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
Instructions
- Line a (8 by 8 inch or similar) brownie pan with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180c).
- Warm the nut butter and maple syrup in a pan or microwave until warmed. Mix well to combine. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. You will get crumbly mixture. Sprinkle some water in if needed to make it a bit more clumpy (depends on the nut butter moisture content). Transfer to the pan and press evenly to make a crust.
- Toss the apple slices in flour and arrange on the crust. (You can put the apple on top of the custard as well, or have 2 layers, one above the crust and one above the custard.)
- Blend all the custard ingredients until well combined. Taste and adjust sweetness and flavor. Add some lemon zest for a lemony custard. Pour over the apples.
- Mix the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on top. Bake for 45 to 55 mins. Let cool for 15 mins, then remove from pan. Chill for an hour before slicing.
- Store: Refrigerate for upto 5 days. Freeze for upto a month.
Michelle
Delicious will make again thanks
mona
I made this last week and received compliments all around. It was delicious and super easy to make. Thank you! This recipe will definitely be part of my dessert rotation.
Vegan Richa Support
that’s great! thank you
Jenn K
These were pretty good. I made the recipe as is, no changes. They aren’t very sweet, and I wouldn’t make them for guests (because I want some thing more dessert-like) but my family enjoyed them. 😄
Vegan Richa Support
thanks!
Mary
I have made numerous recipes from your website and loved them all. I normally make dinner recipes, but yesterday I decided to make this dessert. I only had peanut butter on hand, so I was a little unsure oh how it would taste. It was very good and my husband and daughter also liked it a lot. I put two layers of apples, since one didn’t seem like enough. Thanks again for another amazing recipe!
Richa
Awesome
Chris
Richa, I only have a small amount of almond butter. Could I add peanut butter to make the 1/3 cup for the crust?
Thanks
Kanigiri
Nice recipe
Vegan Richa Support
Thank you =)
Kanigiri sumanth
Nice information
Vegan Richa Support
Excellent !! thank you
Klara Kukowski
This is so yummy! I made it yesterday using the substitution of GF all purpose flour and almond flour and it turned out amazing! Thank you for the recipe – we will keep making it 🙂
Richa
Awesome
sumanth
Nice website
Vegan Richa Support
thank you!
Kristin
What kind of apple did you use?
Vegan Richa Support
i like to use local & seasonal when possible and the best for baking are: Jonagold. Tart with a honeyed sweetness, Jonagolds hold up exceptionally well in the oven. …
Honeycrisp.
Braeburn. …
Mutsu. …
Winesap. …
Pink Lady (or Cripps Pink) .
Sumanth
Nice website
Suman
Wow nice website
Vegan Richa Support
thank you
Vegan Richa Support
thank you
Haylee Allred
This was absolutely delicious! The custard filling is so creamy and it pairs perfectly against the tartness of the apple and the delicious peanut flavor from the crust. I’ve made this twice (so far!) and the second time I made it I skinned the apples to better cut with the fork. Richa has such a brilliant mind and I’m blown away by the simplicity and flavors of her recipes.
Vegan Richa Support
you’re too kind, thank you so mu;ch
vijay
Thanks a lot. Tried this and came out very well. Its was so delicious.
Vegan Richa Support
thanks vijay – please feel free to leave a rating if you like
kamran hussain
Great post! Thanks for sharing this healthy recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
thank YOU for taking the time to review
Linda
I’d give it 10 stata if I could. I think this is the best recipe I tried from your blog, absolutely love it, and my husband too. Already did it the second time.. In 2 days!
Richa
yay
Helen
These are beautiful, especially the custard. I made them gluten free and they were fine.
I notice on the recipe heading that the prep time and cook time are 10 minutes and 35 minutes respectively. This must be an error as the cook time in the recipe itself is 45-55 minutes plus 15 minutes cooling and an hour to set in the fridge. This gives a total of about 2 hours 10 minutes.
Normally this would not really be an issue but I had a time limit when making them and relied on the heading time instead of reading the recipe thoroughly beforehand (lesson learned).
Otherwise a great recipe.
Richa
Oooops…. I will make sure update that! thank you.
Usha
Made these, awesome, so delicious.
Thank you Richa.
Rajitha
Oh !! thank you for sharing this. am definitely going to try this.
I have been following your blog and tried many recipes. All have turned out really well.
your blog is really very motivating for beginners like me.
Janine Poll
These are so good! I freeze up a plate of them so my husband won’t eat them all at once.
Richa
yay
Sandi
Hi, can I use almond flour for the flour? Thanks!
Richa
you’ll need to add some starch for binding with the almond flour
Bev
This is DELICIOUS! Made it for company and it was a huge hit! We enjoyed the leftovers….savoring every morsel!
Richa
yay
Diane
This was quite good.
I imagine any fruit can be used, like blueberries, peaches, what do you think?
Richa
yes
Susan
What can I substitute the almond extract with? More vanilla extract? Thx!
Richa
yes
Allison Smith
Richa this looks delicious, and I can’t wait to make it, I reckon you could use canned pie apple (I have a tin in my pantry that needs using up) instead of the fresh apple. This is a great recipe
Hope
Could I use tahini instead of peanut butter?
Richa
you can. Tahini adds quitet a bit of flavor, soif you have baked with tahini before and know the flavor, then use it.
Leslie
Hi Richa,
Is a “brownie pan” 8″ x 8″ or 9″ x 9″ – or does it really matter as long it is a smallish pan?
Not sure the portion when I saw that there are theoretically 9 servings from one pan.
Thanks,
Leslie
Richa
8 by 8 inch
Pam
What was your ratio of AP to spelt flour? Thanks!!
Richa
2/3 ap and 1/3 spelt
Maria
Maria
Tracy Henry
OMG, this was SO delicious. You hit this one right on the nail!!! I wish I could post the photo of this dish. It was not only appealing but oh so good!! Thank you for this recipe!!!
Richa
awesome!thanks!
Shirley Tucker
What would you suggest for the crust fir a nut allergy? Also have a flax allergy, so that’s out, too. Thanks.
Richa
you can use a regular pie crust with oil if that works.
Shirley Tucker
Thanks
Ingrid
Excellent!