Quick Look at this Healthy Apple Crisp with Oats
- Ready In: 45 minutes
- Serves: 9
- Main Ingredients: fresh apples, oats, whole wheat flour, coconut sugar, butter, cinnamon, & nutmeg.
- Dietary Info: Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free friendly
- Flavor Profile: all the best of Fall with warm spices and tender apples (like our apple cinnamon muffins).
- Best For: apple season, warm & cozy dessert that’s family-friendly
Share and summarize this recipe:
Why You Need To Make This Apple Dessert
- So simple – you need need one bowl and a 9×9 baking pan with only 15 minutes of prep!
- All the BEST of Fall with cinnamon, nutmeg, and in-season apples (get to that orchard).
- Perfectly golden crumble on top that can easily be made gluten-free.
- Make it your own – dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan.
- Great dessert for feeding a crowd or your next family dinner!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Apples – a perfect recipe to make with those apples from the orchard! Highly recommend using a few types of apples for a greater depth of flavor.
- Oats – make sure they are certified gluten-free, if needed.
- Whole Wheat Flour – substitute with all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour. It is tested and approved with both options, so use what works for you!
- Butter – use your favorite vegan butter, plant-based butter, or regular butter. Any of these options will add the best flavor and golden brown deliciousness to your crumble topping.
Best Apples for Apple Crisp
| Apple | Flavor/Texture |
| Honey crisp | sweet, crisp, personal favorite! |
| Granny Smith | tart to balance the sweet topping |
| Pink Lady | sweet-tart and firm texture |
| Gala | more sweet and slightly soft |
| Best Results | mix varieties |
How To Make Easy Healthy Apple Crisp
Step 1 – Peel and slice apples. Place in a 9×9 pan and toss with ground cinnamon.
Step 2 – Put all of the crumble topping ingredients in a food processor.
No Food Processor? No Problem!
Simply put all of the crumble topping ingredients in a large bowl and use a fork to mix everything together.
Step 3 – Pulse the food processor to combine but still clumpy (don’t over-process).
Step 4 – Cover the top of the apples with the crumble topping.
Step 5 – Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or to your desired crispness.
Erin’s Testing Tips: What We Learned
– We recently made this recipe again to confirm the ingredient ratios, baking time, and serving options.
– Baking time can be flexible depending on how soft or firm you like your apples. Bake for closer to 25 minutes for a more crisp apple and closer to 35 minutes for a more soft apple.
– Reheat leftover apple crisp in the oven to help keep the topping as crisp as possible!
Best Ways To Serve Healthy Apple Crisp
Warm apple crisp should always be enjoyed with your favorite vanilla ice cream (dairy-free vanilla ice cream also works). And if for some reason ice cream isn’t your thing, whipped cream would also be delicious along with a sprinkling of extra cinnamon or drizzle of caramel.
Healthy Apple Crisp Recipe FAQs
We used honey crisp apples, which are sweet apples similar to gala apples or pink lady apples. You could also use tart apples, like granny smith apples. Up to your own personal preference.
Yes, quick oats will work and can be used but will result in a slightly different texture due to the smaller size of the oats.
Yes, use gluten-free 1-to-1 flour and certified gluten-free oats. The recipe is otherwise naturally gluten-free.
Yes, assemble the whole apple crisp, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. For best results, let it sit out at room temperature while the oven heats. It might take a slightly longer bake time since it will be going in the oven still cold.
Leftovers can be left in the pan and covered with aluminum foil or transferred to an airtight container. Place in the fridge for up to 4 days. The crisp topping will start to get soft and a bit soggy, but it’s still delicious.
Other Crisp Dessert Recipes You Might Like
Made this recipe and loved it?!
We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
Follow Us on Social
Ingredients
- 5 fresh apples, see notes
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup whole wheat flour, sub all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
- ½ cup vegan butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch kosher salt
Serving Suggestions:
- vanilla ice cream, regular or dairy-free
- whipped cream, regular or dairy-free
Instructions
- Oven: Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Apples: Peel 5 fresh apples, cut into ¼ inch thick slices (removing the core). Spray a 9×9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and place the sliced apples inside. Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and toss to coat. Set aside.
- Crisp Topping: In a food processor or mixing bowl, add 1 cup old fashioned oats, ¾ cup coconut sugar, ½ cup whole wheat flour, ½ cup vegan butter (softened), 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and a pinch kosher salt. Pulse until ingredients are mixed together well (if using a food processor) or use a fork to mix together (if using a mixing bowl). The texture should be clumpy. Pour mixture over the apples evenly.
- Bake: Place in preheated oven on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes. Remove and let cool at room temperature.
- Serve: Enjoy with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!
Notes
- Apples: we used honey crisp apples, but sometimes apple crisp tastes ever better if you use 3-4 different types of apples, so you have a mix of flavors. You would still use a total of 5 large apples, but feel free to use up to 3-4 different kinds, if you want!
- Peeling Apples: If you don’t like peeling apples (who does?) then we recommend using this apple peeling attachment for a Kitchen Aid stand mixer! So nice to have!
- Baking Length: Recommended cook time is 30-35 minutes. If you prefer more crisp apples in your apple crisp we would do 25-30 minutes and if you prefer a very soft apple in your apple crisp then we would do 35+ minutes!
Nutrition
Originally published 9/20/20. Retested and new photos added on 9/10/26.
Mary L says
Yum yum- super yum!
We all loved this and was great for our after the visit to the apple orchard!🍎🍏
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Mary!