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.
Ingrid says
January 16, 2020 at 7:00 pmExcellent!
Shirley Tucker says
January 16, 2020 at 7:43 pmWhat would you suggest for the crust fir a nut allergy? Also have a flax allergy, so that’s out, too. Thanks.
Richa says
January 16, 2020 at 11:40 pmyou can use a regular pie crust with oil if that works.
Shirley Tucker says
January 17, 2020 at 5:53 amThanks
Tracy Henry says
January 16, 2020 at 8:33 pmOMG, 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 says
January 16, 2020 at 11:39 pmawesome!thanks!
Maria says
January 16, 2020 at 11:34 pmMaria
Pam says
January 17, 2020 at 8:34 amWhat was your ratio of AP to spelt flour? Thanks!!
Richa says
January 17, 2020 at 9:55 am2/3 ap and 1/3 spelt
Leslie says
January 17, 2020 at 8:59 amHi 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 says
January 17, 2020 at 9:53 am8 by 8 inch
Hope says
January 17, 2020 at 10:03 amCould I use tahini instead of peanut butter?
Richa says
January 17, 2020 at 11:04 amyou can. Tahini adds quitet a bit of flavor, soif you have baked with tahini before and know the flavor, then use it.
Allison Smith says
January 17, 2020 at 10:58 pmRicha 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
Susan says
January 18, 2020 at 3:53 pmWhat can I substitute the almond extract with? More vanilla extract? Thx!
Richa says
January 18, 2020 at 4:00 pmyes
Diane says
January 24, 2020 at 11:58 amThis was quite good.
I imagine any fruit can be used, like blueberries, peaches, what do you think?
Richa says
January 24, 2020 at 1:28 pmyes
Bev says
January 29, 2020 at 1:13 pmThis is DELICIOUS! Made it for company and it was a huge hit! We enjoyed the leftovers….savoring every morsel!
Richa says
January 29, 2020 at 2:44 pmyay
Sandi says
January 29, 2020 at 5:06 pmHi, can I use almond flour for the flour? Thanks!
Richa says
January 29, 2020 at 8:55 pmyou’ll need to add some starch for binding with the almond flour
Janine Poll says
February 3, 2020 at 11:48 amThese are so good! I freeze up a plate of them so my husband won’t eat them all at once.
Richa says
February 3, 2020 at 1:20 pmyay
Rajitha says
February 14, 2020 at 1:34 amOh !! 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.
Usha says
February 23, 2020 at 10:26 amMade these, awesome, so delicious.
Thank you Richa.
Helen says
March 9, 2020 at 3:37 amThese 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 says
March 9, 2020 at 2:39 pmOooops…. I will make sure update that! thank you.