The Best Apple Crisp Recipe

Want a few other healthy apple recipes?  You might also enjoy this Healthy Apple Bread Recipe, these Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats, Applesauce Muffins, and this Instant Pot Applesauce.

Do apples remind you of back to school events and that Fall is just around the corner?

Nothing is more reminiscent of the cooler Fall months than a freshly baked apple crisp.

The aroma of apples baking in the oven with hints of cinnamon and spice alert anyone who enters your home that they are in for a special treat.

And not to mention the beautiful golden color of the caramelized apples and crisp apple crumb topping.

(You might also enjoy this Swedish Apple Pie!)

While claiming that this is the best apple crisp recipe can be risky since I might set your hopes too high…

But seriously.

Not only is this the BEST crisp recipe, but it is secretly made gluten-free and healthy by using refined sugar-free coconut sugar and a gluten-free flour blend.

And bonus, you can even make it vegan if you have some non-meat eaters coming over.

Ingredients

The ingredients for a healthy apple crisp recipe are super easy to find and can be located in your local grocery store.

Below is a list of the ingredients you will need as well as few alterations you can use if you don’t have these items on hand.

• Apples – Well, duh!  Read below for what type work best in this dessert recipe.
• Butter – A vegan butter substitute or coconut oil can be used in place of butter if you need this recipe to be dairy-free.
• Sugar – Coconut sugar is used in this recipe to make it refined sugar-free.  However, feel free to use regular white sugar instead.
• Lemon Juice – Just a hint of acidity helps to balance the sweetness from the apples.
• Apple Pie Spice – This spice mix tastes best when made at home.  It can also be found in your spice aisle and is a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
• Crisp Topping – Learn more information below to see how you can make a quick and easy apple crisp topping.

Topping

An apple crisp or crumb topping is normally made from a combination of butter, flour, and sugar.  Sometimes, like in this recipe, nuts or oats are also used.

For the topping:

• Combine butter and sugar in a medium-sized bowl and mix together with a fork or pastry cutter.
• Add flour, old-fashioned oats, coarsely chopped pecans, and cinnamon.
• Cut mixture until all ingredients are well incorporated and a coarse crumb forms.

Best Apples To Use

There are numerous types of apples that will work well in this apple crisp recipe.

Generally you would like to choose a variety that is on the sweeter side and not overly juicy.

Best Apple Varieties to Bake:

• Gala – These were used in the testing of this recipe and can easily be found in your grocery store.
• Fuji – In a different batch, this type was also tested.
• Honeycrisp
• Golden Delicious
• Braeburn

Peeling and Slicing

Now that you have your apples selected, it’s time to peel, core, and slice them for this crisp recipe.

1. PEEL: You’ll first want to use either a potato peeler or a really sharp knife to peel and remove the skins.
2. CORE: Next, cut the flesh of the apple off, leaving the core intact.  Discard the apple core.
3. SLICE: Thinly slice into 1/4-inch slices. (Learn more about how to cut apples.)

Cook’s Tip: Cutting the apples too thin will result in an overly mushy texture while cutting them too thick will give you undercooked apples.

How to Make

The preparing and assembly of a gluten-free apple crisp recipe is rather simple and easy to do.

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat with apples, sugar, apple pie spice, and salt.  Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the filling become slightly tender.  Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice. (Image above.)
3. Prepare the topping while the apples are cooking.
4. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and pour apples into the pan. (Image below.)
5. Sprinkle crumb topping all over the top. (Image below.)
6. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until topping is lightly browned and crunchy.

Vegan and Gluten-Free

How do I make a gluten-free apple crisp?

As mentioned previously, this recipe is already gluten-free by using a gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend as well as gluten-free old-fashioned oats.

Cook’s Tip: If cooking for a Celiac, make sure you look for certified gluten-free oats as some oats are not naturally gluten-free.

Can I make it vegan?

Yes, you absolutely can make a vegan apple crisp recipe by using a vegan butter substitute in place of the butter.

Serving, Prepping, and Storing

How to Serve?

The best way to serve apple crisp is with a scoop of regular or dairy-free vanilla ice cream or with a dollop of coconut whipped cream.

Can I prep this ahead of time?

You can prepare this recipe up to 24 hours in advance.  It is better to wait until the day of serving to bake it in the oven for the best taste and texture.

Can I store leftover apple crisp?

Any leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  However, the texture will get slightly mushier and not quite as crisp the longer it is refrigerated.

Other Healthy Dessert Recipes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Healthy Pumpkin Pie | Vegan + Gluten-Free

Coconut Flour Pumpkin Bread

Healthy Apple Bread Recipe

Swedish Apple Pie

Blueberry Crisp Recipe

Apple Pie Energy Bites

4.6 from 5 votes

Best Apple Crisp Recipe | Gluten-Free

This is the Best Apple Crisp Recipe that is full of tender baked apples and sprinkled with an old-fashioned oatmeal apple crisp topping.  Learn how to make a healthy, gluten-free apple crisp that can also easily be made vegan!

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword dessert, easy, fall, fruit, healthy

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 8 servings

Calories 374 kcal

London Brazil

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. apples peeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 Tbsp. butter or vegan butter substitute
• ½ cup coconut sugar or white sugar
• 1 tsp. apple pie spice
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Apple Crisp Topping:

• 6 Tbsp. butter softened, or vegan butter substitute
• ⅓ cup coconut sugar or white sugar
• ⅔ cup flour gluten-free 1-to-1
• ½ cup oats old-fashioned, gluten-free
• ½ cup pecans coarsely chopped
• ½ tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add sliced, peeled, and cored apples, coconut sugar, apple pie spice, and salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until apples become slightly tender.

3. Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice.
4. While apples are cooking, add coconut sugar and softened butter to a medium-sized bowl. Using a fork or a pastry cutter mix the ingredients together. Add oats, flour, pecans, and cinnamon and continue cutting them together until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
5. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and pour apples into the pan. Sprinkle crumb topping all over the apples.
6. Bake apple crisp in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until topping is lightly browned and crunchy.

7. Serve apple crisp with vanilla ice cream or coconut whipped cream and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• Nutritional information is calculated without any additional ice cream or coconut whipped cream.
• Use a vegan butter substitute to make this recipe vegan and dairy-free.

Nutrition Facts

Best Apple Crisp Recipe | Gluten-Free

Amount Per Serving

Calories 374 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 32mg11%

Sodium 168mg7%

Potassium 226mg6%

Carbohydrates 57g19%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 39g43%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 461IU9%

Vitamin C 9mg11%

Calcium 34mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.