Today’s apple crisp recipe is one for The People, whomever those people may be. Need a Vegan Apple Crisp? Check. How about a naturally sweetened, refined sugar-free apple crisp? Double check. Gluten free apple crisp? Healthy apple crisp? DELICIOUS APPLE CRISP that you can devour with friends or alone in front of your refrigerator, quiet and at peace with the world? Check, check, and check!
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Fruit crisps and I are old pals. They are one of the fastest, easiest desserts to throw together before dinner—this vegan apple crisp topping takes less than 5 minutes to prep—and they bake in the perfect amount of time to serve hot out of the oven when you are ready for dessert.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I didn’t set out to make this a vegan apple crisp or a gluten free apple crisp, or really anything other than ridiculously yummy.
As fall fortune would have it, however, it turns out that this apple crisp recipe, my absolute favorite fruit crisp to date, happens to be all of the above, and it’s healthy too! (If you prefer a little butter in your apple crisp instead, try my Crock Pot Apple Crisp.)
I will warn you: backing away from this vegan apple crisp is a feat of physical and mental prowess that exceeds the abilities average mortals.
If you can stop at one spoonful of the crunchy, toasty, cinnamon-spiced perfection that is this vegan apple crisp, you are made of stronger stuff than I.
You may also be a super hero, in which case, call me. I have a particularly stubborn pot soaking in my sink, and I would love your assistance polishing it clean.
About This Apple Crisp Recipe
I made this vegan apple crisp with a blend of my beloved Honeycrisp apples and Granny Smith, but any firm baking apple will do nicely.
If you have apple picking on your autumn agenda (or just need another excuse to eat apple crisp), this healthy apple crisp recipe is the perfect way to polish off your haul (this Apple Bread, Apple Pie Filling, and Apple Turnover are also delicious). For another healthy vegan recipe, try this Apple Smoothie.
The vegan apple crisp topping is a blend of oatmeal, almond meal, flaked coconut (adds extra addictive toastiness, not a coconut flavor, so if you are coconut adverse, fear not), maple syrup, cinnamon, and coconut oil.
Mix the topping up in a single bowl, then “quality test” it by taking a bite before sprinkling it over the apples. You will be very, very happy that you did.
The final touch that launches this vegan apple crisp to the superlative “best apple crisp of your life” is a handful of dried cranberries.
Last fall, my friend Conor tossed a handful into his homemade apple pie (in honor of his wife Kate, a cranberry fiend), and when I tasted a bite, I knew that I’d eaten something special.
One year later, I still remember how lovely the cranberries’ chewy, sweet pop was paired with the apple filling, so I followed suit and added them to this vegan apple crisp too. Aren’t they just the prettiest little jewels?
More Fruit Crisp Recipes
- Strawberry Crisp
- Peach Crisp
- Slow Cooker Triple Berry Crisp
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Double Crust Cherry Crisp
- If you enjoy healthier dessert recipes like this, check out my favorite 50 Healthy Desserts!
Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe
Pull out your forks, friends. This might be an apple crisp for “The People” but you are going to want to fight for the biggest scoop, before the rest of “the people” beat you to it!
Vegan Apple Crisp
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Ingredients
For the Apple Filling:
- 4-5 large crisp apples (about 2 pounds; I like a mix of sweet and tart, such as Honeycrisp and Granny Smith)
- ½ cup reduced-sugar dried cranberries optional
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey if the crisp does not need to be vegan
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg it’s an amazing flavor upgrade to grate your own nutmeg. I use this zester to do it.
For the Crisp Topping:
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats gluten free if needed*
- ¾ cup chopped pecans or walnuts, untoasted
- ½ cup almond meal**
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut***
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup melted virgin coconut oil or very light extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven, then preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into 1-inch chunks.
- In the bottom of a 9×9-inch baking dish or other 2-quart casserole dish, mix together the apples, cranberries, maple syrup, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, prepare the topping: Stir together the oats, nuts, almond meal, coconut, cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle the oil and maple syrup over the top, then use a spatula to combine until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Sprinkle the topping over the filling.
- Bake the crisp for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden. Check at the 30-minute mark—if the crisp starts browning too quickly, lightly tent it with foil, then continue baking as directed. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm, topped with vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt (dairy free if needed).
Notes
- *I prefer rolled oats over quick oats because they have a better, crunchier texture. Quick oats will lead to a mushier topping.
- **To make your own almond meal, pulse whole, raw almonds in the food processor until they form fine crumbs. Do not overprocess or you will have almond butter instead.
- *** I prefer unsweetened coconut in this recipe to keep it naturally sweet, but the recipe will also work with sweetened flaked coconut (also called baker’s coconut).
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- The crisp can be prepped up until the point where it goes into the oven 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, uncover, then bake as directed.
Nutrition
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LOVE this apple crisp recipe, Erin! So fun when things end up being totally accidentally vegan and gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy :) If anyone shares ways to walk away after one bite of this, PLEASE PASS ON THE TIPS. My dish will be empty equally quickly, I am certain of that!!
Omg I’ll take the whole pan thanks!!! Apple Crisp is such a classic crowd-pleasing fall dessert. Totally making it soon!!
Thank you so much Marina! I would love to send you a great big helping.
Oh my goodness Erin, made this today. The best crisp everrrrrrrr! The flavors are perfection, such a sophisticated comfort food. I hate it when a recipe is praised and then the reviewer states how they changed it up. But I HAD To make it today but could not go to the store. Soooo I used 2 pears, a honeycrisp and agave syrup instead of maple syrup. But I think the heart of the recipe is amazing. My husband just finished his 2nd bowl and I’m going back for my 2nd as I hit the post comment. Thank you for your blog.
Suzi, I am so SO excited to hear this! The heart of the recipe is definitely there. I think the pears sound delicious! Thank you so much for taking time to leave this kind review.
Wow, beautifly thought out recipe. I can see that the crispness of the ots and nuts etc work really well with the soft apples. Awesome work! as always.
This apple crisp looks so warm, inviting, and absolutely delicious! It’s a perfect fall recipe and would disappear at my house in a matter of minutes!!
It doesn’t last long around here either Kimberly! Thanks so much and have a great weekend.
This is perfect crisp for this time of year ! Thank you Erin !
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
I just made this and it was the best apple crisp I’ve ever made! Thank you so much!
YAYYYY Ruth! I am so so happy to hear this. Thank YOU so much for trying the recipe and leaving this lovely review.
Hi can you use anything in place of corn starch? I want to make this but dont have any in the house.
Hi Nicole! Since I tested the recipe with cornstarch, anything else would be a bit of an experiment. The most direct swap would be arrowroot flour. You could try swapping all-purpose flour, though the recipe will no longer be gluten free (and the flour will cloud the color of the filling and it might change the taste). As a last resort, you could leave it out totally. The filling will be pretty runny this way, but it will still have good flavor.
This recipe turned out beautifully. Such a good one that we will be repeating again. Thanks Erin :)
Cara, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the crisp! Thanks so much for giving it a try and reporting back!
I made it many times, thank you! Always subbed almond meal for the cornstarch okay. And fresh
nutmeg , as well as fresh ginger gives a great added joy! Thank you again.
YAY!!! So happy to hear that Weslie. Thank you for the kind review too! It is so so helpful to me and to others considering the recipe.
I stumbled across this today looking for a refined sugar free Apple crisp. I made it for desert tonight and it is the BEST crisp ever!! All the other ones I have made subing the sugar tor coconut sugar have been too sweet, but this is perfect! I will be saving this one for the future. Thanks for this one!
WOOHOO Rachael, I’m so glad you enjoyed the crisp! Thanks for taking the time to leave this wonderful review!
Delicious and not hard to make. I followed the recipe. Only sub was Arrowroot and it worked. I loved that it was low sugar and gluten-free. I had set the baking time for 45 minutes, but I think the 40 listed at the top of the recipe might be correct. For the nuts, we used the pecans and we made our own almond meal with our almonds in the Magic Bullet.
Elaine, thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review! I’m glad to hear the recipe was a delicious success!
I am looking forward to trying this. Will it be okay without the coconut flakes? IS there a substitute?
Thanks.
Peggy, personally I LOVE them in there (they taste “toasty” and not really like coconut), but if you don’t care of them, you can simply leave them out.
I made this two days ago & it is delicious! I like it so much I’m going to try to make just the topping as a type of granola so I can nibble on it as I travel on road trips. Thanks for the recipe!
Jennifer, that sounds like a delicious idea! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
Excellent recipe. I left out the cranberries and coconut.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this review, Ione! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Haven’t tried it yet—Suggestions for substituting for the oats if someone wanted to do a grain-free option?
Hi Vicki, I’d suggest doing an online search for grain-free crisp toppings! It looks like almond flour, nuts, and coconut are popular options.
Wondering if you can leave the peels on the apples? (They have so much good stuff in them!)
Also–I like the idea of a “toasty” flavor, but I absolutely cannot include shredded coconut. Your thoughts on subbing in ground flaxseed? (for both a toasty flavor and the heart-healthy aspect:-)
Hi Kelly! I’d suggest omitting the coconut, swapping a slightly lesser amount of oats, then adding 2 tablespoons of flaxseeds if you like (if the mixture seems dry, drizzle in a little more maple syrup). Personally I prefer the texture of apples in desserts to be peeled, but you can leave them on if you like. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Erin. I have tried different recipes for Apple crisp. I made yours today with my daughter. It is the BEST ONE I have ever had. The topping is so crunchy. Perfection!
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Alla! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Happiness is a healthy dessert. Delicious and easy to make. Will definitely make this again.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed this, Patricia! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I purchased your cookbook because I have been so pleased with your recipes. Anything I have made has been easy and delicious. Thank you for including Vegan recipes .
Congratulations on your success from a Canadian follower.
THANK YOU for your kind words, Shirley! I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed my recipes!
So so good – blew our minds away. Modifications: Filling: kept the peels and eliminated sugar and used orange instead of lemon (what we had) and no cranberries; Topping: used half the sweetener and oil and made up liquid with water.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made this crisp, but used fresh cranberries.
It was do good, people were fighting over who would get the last piece!!
I will definitely make this again.
YUM
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Teresa! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Absolutely delicious! Definitely my new favorite dessert. The coconut and dried cranberry pair wonderfully with the apple!
Hi Allison! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This looks so good. Would leaving out the coconut be detrimental?
Thanks!
Hi Danielle! I haven’t tested this recipe without the coconut, but you likely could. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
This is so delicious! I made this and was instantly raving about it – highly recommend! I was worried that since it is vegan it might lack flavor but it’s the complete opposite. I also loved the cranberries as an added touch. *I did use quick oats because I didn’t have rolled oats and it was a little softer but still amazing.*
Hi Lisa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This looks amazing! I haven’t tried this yet, but do you think I can use frozen apples in this recipe?
Hi Shay! I’ve only tested this recipe as written, so I wouldn’t be able to advise if you could use frozen apples. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
I omitted the cranberries as my teenagers don’t like dried cranberries. I also left the skin on the apples as I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to peel the apples. In looking closer at your picture maybe that is where I went wrong. I also wasn’t sure if it was 2 pounds of apples before or after taking the cores out. I had small apples from my neighbor’s apple tree. I thought the amount ginger was too strong. I ate mine with vanilla ice cream which helped to tame the ginger.
Hi! Personally I prefer the texture of apples in desserts to be peeled, but the skin can be left on. I would have weighed the apples with the cores in. But leaving the cranberries out, likely affected the taste as well. Thanks for the feedback!
This apple crisp was very straightforward to make and turned out beautifully. It’s gotten rave reviews and is going to be a staple of my fall recipe lineup. It pairs well with vanilla oat milk ice cream, too!
So happy to hear, thank you Zach!
I need to be able to freeze the apple potion of my apple crisp dessert, so that I prepare and then put it all together on the day of my event. Would it be possible to do that with this recipe? If so how would you recommend I do it?
Hi Corri, I don’t believe it would work to freeze the apples, cranberries, maple syrup and spices before cooking them. It would be better to cook them first then freeze them. It would be similar to the method for my apple pie filling: https://www.wellplated.com/apple-pie-filling/ Hope this helps!
Hi Erin, I have been using your method for a couple of years now. I love it and it is always a crowd pleaser. I don’t always use the almond meal and I never use the coconut and it is consistently delicious. Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks for the feedback April!
This apple crisp was dry and not very tasty. I was disappointed. More liquid was needed for the apple/cranberries. I would not make this again.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Cindy. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.