Enjoy all the sweet and spicy flavors of apple pie in parfait form – vanilla-infused cashew cream is sandwiched between layers of caramelized apples and chewy cookie crumbles. It’s the perfect deconstructed dessert to serve your family and friends this holiday season!

As an added bonus, you’ll be swapping out the harmful effects of dairy-based ice cream for the benefits of cashews. These nuts contain healthy unsaturated fats, which help keep your heart in peak working condition.

Whether you’re already vegan or simply trying to eat more plant-based foods, this dessert will hit the spot. Serve your parfaits after a delicious meal or as an afternoon treat. Just don’t forget to sprinkle some toasty pecans on top!

Prep time: 10
Cook time: 25
Total time: 35

Cost: $5.80 recipe | $0.72 serving

Vegan Apple Pie Parfait

Serving size: 8

Ingredients

For the cookie crust

1 cup almond flour ($1.00)
½ teaspoon cinnamon ($0.02)
⅛ teaspoon salt ($0.01)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted ($0.28)
3 tablespoons maple syrup ($0.45)
1/3 cup chopped pecans, plus more for garnish ($0.48)

For the cream

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 6-8 hours ($1.72)
¾ cup plant milk ($0.32)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract or 1-inch piece of vanilla bean ($0.10)
3 tbsp cane sugar ($0.01)

For the apples

1 tablespoon lemon juice ($0.09)
¼ cup cane sugar ($0.02)
¼ cup water ($0.01)
1 tablespoon corn starch ($0.03)
1 teaspoon cinnamon ($0.04)
A pinch of cloves ($0.01)
3 medium apples, peeled & diced ($1.21)

Instructions

For the crust

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl. Fold in the chopped pecans at the end.
Form small dough balls (about ½ tablespoon each) and spread them out on the baking sheet.
Press the cookies to flatten them and bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden.

For the cream

Drain the cashews and add them to a blender with the plant milk, vanilla, and sugar.
Blend on high until completely smooth, scraping down the sides a few times. Transfer to your fridge to chill.

For the apples

Add lemon juice, cane sugar, water, corn starch, cinnamon, and cloves to a medium saucepan and simmer for about 2 minutes, or until well combined.
Add in the diced apples and cook until the mixture is thickened and the apples are tender, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a container to cool.

Assemble

In small (~4-ounce) mason jars or containers, layer in cream, crumbled cookies, apple pie filling. Garnish with toasted pecans if you have any leftover. Enjoy!

Notes: If you have access, use a vanilla bean in place of the vanilla extract for a cashew cream layer more similar to vanilla bean ice cream.