This Healthy Apple Crisp Recipe is the perfect fall dessert. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and made with no added sugar!
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Here’s why I will choose to make a crisp over a pie any day of the week. I’m a busy mom and pies are fussy. Crisps? Oh, a crisp is simple. It’s a throw-together-quickly kind of dessert and it’s much easier to make a healthy apple crisp than a healthy apple pie.
So there you have it. I choose easy.
Plus, that oat topping? Oh, I live for it. Fall is the perfect time for apple crisp and I can’t believe I don’t have a recipe for one on Happy Healthy Mama yet. That needed to change!
(I do have one for the Instant Pot in my I Love My Instant Pot Anti-Inflammatory Diet Recipe Book. Today’s version is slightly different but I do add Instant Pot instructions if you’d like to try this in your Instant Pot.)
Traditional Apple Crisp is usually made with lots of sugar and butter. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to create a healthier version.
The difference between this recipe and traditional apple crisp is that it’s vegan, gluten-free, and made without any added sugar! The juicy, tender apples are perfectly sweet, and the oat topping gives it the perfect crunch. It’s healthier, but definitely not lacking in flavor. If you want to bring it to the next level, top it off with some vegan ice cream and my Vegan Caramel Sauce or the vegan salted caramel sauce here.
This Healthy Apple Crisp Recipe took me a while to get just right, but the result was just what I was hoping for!
Recipe Tips
- Make sure your vegan butter is cold when you mix it into the topping ingredients. If it’s room temperature, the crumble mixture won’t be the right consistency.
- I like to chop my apples for this crisp, but you an also slice them. Just make sure to slice them thinly so they cook through.
- Use a combination of sweet and tart apples to get the best flavor! I like using gala, honey crisp, pink lady, and granny smith apples.
- If you’re planning on bringing this to a dinner party, I recommend baking it when you get there! I think the topping has the best crunchy texture right after you bake it.
- If you want the best flavor, let your apples sit for about 30 minutes after you cut them and mix in the filling ingredients. This will allow the natural juices and sugars from the apples to really come out. Yes, this is an extra step, but it’s hands-off time!
- Serve it warm with some ice cream–there are tons of delicious vegan ice cream options out there.
I hope you make this recipe, and enjoy it as much as my family does!
Ingredients Needed
Apples– The star ingredient in this homemade Apple Crisp! You can peel them if you would like, but leaving the skin on is okay, too. It’s a preference thing. I like to use different kinds such as honey crisp, granny smith, and pink lady apples.
Lemon Juice– Lemon juice prevents the apples from oxidizing, or from turning brown.
Erythritol– Erythritol is a healthier sugar replacement. It acts as an antioxidant, and doesn’t contain any calories, and has zero net carbs.
Cinnamon– Cinnamon is the perfect fall spice. It adds the best flavor in this recipe. It also contains antioxidants, has prebiotic properties, and can reduce blood pressure.
Vanilla Extract– Just a little bit of vanilla enhances all the other flavors.
Salt-I’ve learned that making apple crisp without salt can make the flavors fall flat.
Flour– I used almond flour to make this recipe gluten-free. You can also use a GF blend like I do in this Peach Blueberry Crisp recipe, oat flour, regular all purpose, or whole wheat flour. If you would like to make your own almond or oat flour, all you have to do is blend either your oats or almonds in a food processor until it’s a flour-like consistency.
Oats– Rolled oats are perfect in the topping! They’re a great source of minerals, vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. Use old fashioned rolled oats for the best, crunchy texture.
Vegan Butter/Coconut Oil– I use vegan butter or coconut oil. You can use regular butter if you’d like. I wouldn’t recommend using a different oil than coconut oil because you need a solid fat for the topping.
How to make Healthy Apple Crisp
In the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8×8 2 quart baking dish.
- In a bowl, combine the apple filling ingredients. Transfer the apple mixture to the baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine all of the crumble topping ingredients except the oats. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to combine your butter or oil into the ingredients, then stir in the oats.
- Pour the crisp topping on top of the apple mixture in the pan.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, until it starts to bubble. Allow to sit a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Instant Pot:
- In a bowl, combine the apple filling ingredients. Transfer the apple mixture to a 6″ cake pan.
- In another bowl, combine the crumble topping ingredients. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to combine your butter or oil into the ingredients.
- Pour the crisp topping on top of the apple mixture in the pan.
- Pour 2 cups of water into the inner pot, and place the steam rack inside. Place the pan on top of the rack and secure the lid.
- Press the manual or pressure cook button, and adjust the timer to 17 minutes,
- When the timer beeps, quick-release pressure until the float valve drops, and then unlock the lid. Allow to sit a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Healthy Apple Crisp FAQS
What type of apples should I use?
I like to use a mixture of sweet and tart apples. I think the best apples to use are golden delicious, pink lady, gala, honey crisp, and granny smith apples.
Can I substitute the Erythritol?
Monk fruit is another natural sweetener I like to use if I don’t have any erythritol on hand. You could also use coconut sugar, granulated sugar, or brown sugar if you would like. You can use a liquid sweetener like maple syrup in the filling, but not the topping.
Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour?
Yes. Almond flour and almond meal are basically the same thing, the only difference being the texture and slightly different color. Almond flour is made from blanched (peeled) almonds and has a finer texture. Almond meal is made from raw (unpeeled) almonds. Some baking recipes you’ll notice a difference in texture, but it won’t affect this one much.
Should I peel the apples?
That’s completely up to you. My family prefers the apples to be peeled, but you definitely don’t have to peel them. Apple peels actually contain a lot of fiber and nutrients.
Does is matter what kind of oats I use in the topping?
You can use rolled oats, old-fashioned oats, or quick oats for the oat topping and the texture will vary slightly. If you use steel cut oats, the topping’s texture would will be much chewier. My recommendation is old-fashioned rolled oats for the best texture.
What is the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble?
The two are pretty similar. The only difference is that apple crumble doesn’t usually contain any oats or nuts in the topping.
Can I make my own almond flour?
Yes! All you have to do is put your almonds in a food processor until they are a flour-like consistency.
What’s the best way to serve this Healthy Apple Crisp?
I like to serve warm Apple Crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (vegan or regular). You can even take it to the next level by drizzling some caramel or maple syrup.
How long will this Apple Crisp last?
Once you bake it, you can store leftovers in an airtight container for 5-6 days.
Do I need to store leftovers in the fridge?
Since it’s baked, you can store leftovers in room temperature or in the fridge. It will only last about 2 days at room temperature, and longer if you store it in the fridge. You can also freeze it!
Looking for other ways to use in-season apples? Try my Air Fryer Apples Vegan Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars, Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Cups, Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal, Simple Baked Apples, Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, Apple Peanut Butter Overnight Oats, or Apple Pear Snack Cake!
If you make this recipe or any Happy Healthy Mama recipe, please share it on Instagram and I’ll feature you! Also, if you try it, please leave a comment with a star rating below! Those star ratings are so helpful in helping my recipes get discovered. I appreciate you!Note:
PrintHealthy Apple Crisp Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
If you’re looking for a healthier Apple Crisp recipe, you found it! This is gluten-free, dairy free (vegan), and made without added sugar. If you’re following an anti-inflammatory diet, this is the best fall dessert for you!
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 4–5 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges or chopped to your preference
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup erythritol
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
For the Topping
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup erythritol
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup cold vegan butter or coconut oil, cut into small chunks
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
OVEN INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8X8. 2-quart casserole pan.
- Make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Transfer the mixture to the casserole pan.
- Make the topping: In a large bowl, combine the all of the topping ingredients except the butter and oats. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to combine the butter or oil into the ingredients. Stir in the oats.
- Pour the topping over the filling.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until it is starting to bubble. Allow to sit for a few times before serving. Enjoy!
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS
- Follow steps 2 and 3 above, instead using a 6″ cake pan.
- Pour 2 cups of water into the inner pot and place the steam rack inside. Place the pan on top of the rack and secure the lid.
- Press the manual or pressure cook button and adjust the timer to 17 minutes.
- When the timer beeps, quick-release pressure until float valve drops and then unlock the lid. Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Substitution and Ingredient Notes:
- If you don’t need this to be gluten-free, you can use all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour in place of the GF suggestions here.
- If you would like a substitute for the erythritol, I suggest maple syrup or coconut sugar in the filling and coconut sugar in the topping.
- If you don’t need this to be dairy-free, regular butter works well.
- You can use whatever kind of apples you wish. I have used Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Gala, and Pink Lady. Sometimes I mix in some Granny Smith for depth and variety of flavor. If you don’t want to peel, you don’t have to. My family just prefers the apples peeled in their crisp.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: dessert recipes
- Method: oven or instant pot
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 172
- Sugar: 19 grams
- Fat: 6 grams
- Saturated Fat: 1 gram
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 43 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
Note: Links to products are affiliate links. This means that if you purchase through these links, I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Thank you!
Suzanne says
What a special treat to find your site! I’m just beginning to redefine what good eating is. Chicken breasts and broccoli were the main course tonight. This added a sweet-ish end to a healthy and delicious meal. I tweaked the recipe by adding a touch of cardamom and allspice to the suggested cinnamon. I lightly sprinkled sliced almonds in between the chunks so they wouldn’t burn. An interesting touch was that I added the skin from the apples on top of the dish. They were cut in 1/2” to 1”strips. They become crispy and add a nice texture while keeping the flavor. It was baked in a cast iron fry pan.
Maryea says
Great feedback–thanks for sharing! Best of luck on your journey and hope I can help with more recipe inspiration. 🙂
John Carlo says
Thank you for the recipe. Gonna create this one over the weekend together with my officemate from https://nukitchendesigns.com/kitchen-remodeling-orlando-fl/
Katelyn says
This is amazing!