This healthy apple crisp is loaded with cinnamon apples and sweet crumbly topping. It’s free of refined sugar (and has just a touch of maple syrup, although you can sub honey), but you’d never know it. Serve with vanilla ice cream for pure bliss!
I’m a bit skeptical of “healthy” dessert recipes that call for fat-free everything, sugar-free everything. I try to cook and bake with mostly natural, whole ingredients and use as little refined sugar as possible.
So, this healthy apple crisp has all real, whole ingredients like oats, almond flour, nuts, cinnamon, coconut oil, and pure maple syrup (or honey), and it’s by far the best healthy dessert I’ve ever had. It’s free of refined sugar, so the only sweetener is just a tiny bit of maple syrup, plus the natural sweetness of the apples.
I used my favorite Granny Smith apples, which are awesome for baking since they’re relatively firm, so they hold up well during baking and don’t turn to mush. They’re also tart, which adds a nice contrast to the sweetness of the crumble topping and the ice cream.
Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Cortland, Braeburn, and Pink Lady apples are also great choices for baking in a recipe like this.
Although I usually don’t buy single-use kitchen gadgets, this all-in-one apple peeler/corer is more than worth the cost and very small amount of space it takes up. It makes the apple prep process so quick!
This apple crisp just so happens to be gluten-free since I used almond flour, instead of wheat flour. Almond flour is frequently used in Paleo and gluten-free baking, and I love that it just tastes like almonds since it’s ground from whole blanched almonds. Plus, it adds some protein and healthy fats.
The almond flour was the only ingredient I didn’t already have in my dorm room, but fortunately, it’s pretty inexpensive and it’s easy to find at the grocery store (or order online!).
But back to the dessert. Did I mention this apple crisp is naturally vegan? That is, until you add that big scoop of ice cream on top, which I highly recommend.
There are lots of great, all-natural vanilla ice cream brands out there and I went with Turkey Hill’s Natural Vanilla Bean with just five ingredients (cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, vanilla bean). For any vegan or dairy-free friends, you could top this apple crisp with your favorite non-dairy ice cream.
Due to my grandpa’s extreme love for apple crisp, I’ve tested quite a few recipes over the years. His birthday falls either on or near Thanksgiving every year, so I always make one for his birthday/Thanksgiving and Christmas visits, plus any other times I see him throughout the year.
After lots of apple crisp recipe testing, I can honestly say this healthy apple crisp rivals every other apple crisp recipe that I’ve made.
I even made this dessert in my dorm and then invited a couple of friends over for dessert on two different nights and they all gave it an enthusiastic two-thumbs up.
I can’t wait to have my grandpa taste-test this apple crisp in just a few short weeks for Thanksgiving! Move over, apple pie. There’s a newcomer at the Thanksgiving dessert table– apple crisp with the BEST crumble topping. 🙂
If you try out this healthy apple crisp, feel free to let me know in a comment or take a picture and tag me @livbane on Instagram. Hope you enjoy!
Best-Ever Healthy Apple Crisp
Ingredients
For the Apples
- 6 medium or large granny smith apples (pink lady, honey crisp, and other crisp apples also work well)
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the Crumble Topping
- 1 cup old-fashioned or quick oats
- 1/2 cup almond flour or almond meal
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds, walnuts, or pecans
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel apples and dice into cubes of approximately equal size.
- In a large bowl, toss the apples with maple syrup, water, and cinnamon. Pour apples into greased 9x9 or 8x8 inch baking dish.
- In the same (now empty) bowl, add oats, almond flour, nuts, cinnamon, salt, coconut oil or butter, and maple syrup. Stir crumble topping together and pour into baking dish on top of apples.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until apples are soft, covering pan loosely with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent over-browning. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Topping adapted from this recipe
Carol Eiseman says
I can hardly wait to try it
Liv says
Just a few short weeks away! 🙂
Mydavis says
Instead of almond flour I used flax meal! Very good substitute!
Vicki says
Can you use apple sauce instead of butter /coconut oil?
Sarah @ BucketListTummy says
Your relationship with your grandpa is sooo cute. I love apple crisp and I loveeee your healthy version here. Totally pinning and making this week!
Liv says
He’s my buddy 🙂 Thanks for pinning, Sarah, and you’ll have to let me know what you think when you try it!
Byron Eiseman says
My granddaughter knows my favorite dessert. I am looking forward to her baking this healthy version.
Liv says
Can’t wait to see you & cook for you in a just a couple of weeks!
Caitlin says
This was literally amazing, great recipe! Good ingredients, so simple, and SO DELICIOUS! I will make again. 🙂
Liv says
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this apple crisp, Caitlin! I made a triple batch for my family on Thanksgiving and it was a hit!
Lamar Smith says
Hi Liv,
Ok, I love apple crisp and apple pie. I used to have either made for me for Christmas. But someone felt I didn’t need them anymore and need to pay attention to my waistline. With that said, this is much lighter than what she normally makes. My question is do you know the calories per serving.
Thanks
Lamar
Liv says
Hi, Lamar!
So sorry for the delayed response. I just updated the recipe with nutrition info after a few people asked about it. Hope it helps!
Vicki says
So, does the maple syrup go in the apple mixture OR the crumble topping mixture? The recipe calls for it in each.
Liv says
Hi Vicki! There’s a small amount of maple syrup in both the apple mixture and the crumble topping.
Kayla says
I made this apple crisp tonight. Absolutely delicious! ???? I used honey instead of maple syrup. Topped with a bit of coconut milk, amazing! Could hardly believe it was guilt free ???? Thanks for sharing!
Liv says
So glad to hear you enjoyed this apple crisp, Kayla! It’s one of my favorite healthy desserts!
Mary Beth Numbers says
Unbelievably good! I have been trying healthy apple crisp recipes, but the apples are often too chewy. This one aced it! Best Ever! My go to recipe from now on! Try a scoop of plain greek yogurt on it! Yum!
Liv says
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this apple crisp, Mary Beth!! Thanks for reporting back!
Smith says
Any idea how many calories per serving? How how big is a serving?
Liv says
Hi, Smith! Just updated the recipe with nutrition info after a few people asked about it. Hope that helps!
Kal mudan says
This apple crisp is so delicious i jusy made it. Thank-you for the recipe.
Liv says
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Kal!
Genevieve says
Hi I live in England and love the ingredients in your crumble but have not idea how to measure a cup
Can anyone help? We use ounces or kilos in our recipes and all our cups vary in size
Thanks
Gennie
Cristina Parker says
1 cup is 128 grams or 4.5 oz.
Cher says
it depends on what you are measuring! For example – 1 cup of plain flour is 128g, but 1 cup caster sugar is 200g. Just google each item to translate, where necessary. Example – 1 cup butter to grams, 1 cup flour to grams etc.
Kris says
Sounds so great and I have all the ingredients! We are making ice cream tomorrow and thought this would go well with it. I have a question – we have to travel… does it stay good overnight or should I make it tomorrow (fresh). Would LOVE to make it ahead of time – ha – but mushy crumble could be pretty weird. Thanks!
Liv says
Hi, Kris! I’ve eaten the leftovers after being refrigerated & then microwaved and they still taste great! One thing is that the apples may be a bit drier, but it’s still delish. So, if that would make life easier, I’d say go for it!
Ella says
I left out the nuts for a nut free apple crisp and my husband loved it! We have been looking for a healthier option for apple crisp and are so excited to have found one!
Amanda says
I’m going to try this as breakfast with my family! Apple crisp sounds healthy enough to be breakfast….right?!? Seriously can’t go wrong! This sounds yummy! (Any leftovers can be dessert with ice cream of course ;-))
Liv says
Ooh, your lucky family! hope you all love this apple crisp as much as I do!
alina says
can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
Liv says
Hi Alina! Yes, you can substitute honey for the maple syrup!
Lucia says
I made this apple crisp (with pecans) for my husband and kids today. We all loved it! I’m sharing the link with friends that I know look for healthier versions of desserts that are still delicious. Thanks for this!
Liv says
I’m so glad you loved this apple crisp, Lucia! I make it all of the time and actually made it last week for my brother’s birthday- so yummy!
Marissa says
How do you think it would go if I subbed flax meal for almond flour? Trying to use up what’s already in my pantry!
Liv says
Hi Marissa,
I totally get that! Unfortunately, I don’t think subbing flax meal would work well because it has a strong flax taste, unlike almond flour, which has a mild, slightly nutty taste. I’d sub a different type of flour, if you have it!
Beth Flohr says
Do you think I could use coconut flour or almond meal instead of almond flour?
Liv says
Yes, you can use almond meal! I wouldn’t suggest coconut flour since it absorbs so much liquid.
Jessica says
Hey- Can I use brown sugar instead of maple syrup ? If so what would you recommend for the conversion? 1/4 cut more brown sugar? And will it change the consistency since it’s not a liquid?
Liv says
Hi Jessie,
I don’t think that would work in this recipe, since you’re right that the maple syrup adds moisture to the crumbly topping. I’d suggest using honey or maple syrup in this recipe!
Stacy Whiston says
I think I may try this recipe out for an upcoming friendsmas! Although it would slightly cancel out the healthiness of this recipe, what are your thoughts on adding some toffee to the crumble on top? I’m thinking of adding this for some added crunch (though I’m biased because I have a slight toffee obsession).
Liv says
That sounds delicious, and I’m a big believer in everything in moderation! I’d recommend maybe sprinkling toffee bits on in the last 15 minutes of cooking!
Stacy Whiston says
Thank you, Liv! I’ll give this a try!
SamanthaLea says
This turned out wonderful! I only had to grab some apples and reup on some raw maple syrup to make it. I used walnuts cuz I didn’t have sliced almonds, but this turned out perfect!! I didn’t melt the cocount oil though because it pretty much was melting in my hands. Thank you so much for sharing such a great recipe. Cheers*~
Liv says
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Samantha!
Catina says
Can I use 2tbs applesauce instead of butter? Trying to make it a little more Weight Watchers friendly!
Liv says
I haven’t tried applesauce, but it’s worth a shot! Feel free to report back if you try it!
Catina says
The applesauce worked out really well! It might be slightly less crispy but still so good! I will definitely be making this again… thank you!
Liv says
Wonderful, I’m so happy to hear the applesauce worked as a substitute! Thanks for reporting back, Catina!
Julia says
So easy and so good! Made this last night with a mix of apples from my local farmers market. Needless to say, there are no leftovers as of this morning.
Liv says
I’m so glad you love this apple crisp, Julia!!
heather says
Have you ever tried this in the slow cooker? I LOVE this recipe, have made it probably 4 times. just wondering if it would work in the crock pot as well- maybe 2 hrs on high or 4 on low? Thanks for such a great recipe!!
Liv says
I’m so glad you love this recipe! I haven’t tried it in the slow cooker, but I don’t think the topping would get crispy at all in the slow-cooker, so I’d stick with the oven, personally.
Jennifer says
This is my favorite healthy apple crisp recipe! Since it’s peach season, I thought I’d try it with peaches, and it was just as good as it is with apples!!:)
Liv says
I’m so glad to hear that, Jennifer! Peach crisp sounds incredible!
Jen Carlin says
Delicious! Just made it and I’m eating it while I’m typing. I usually slice instead of dicing the apples, and I like them diced! I thought it might be too much cinnamon, but it wasn’t. I’ve been into healthy eating for a while, so I appreciate that it isn’t sickly sweet like most desserts. I followed the recipe exactly but instead of ice cream, I drizzled a paleo – Vanilla bean/cashew/lemon/maple syrup sauce over the top of it. Yum!
Liv says
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this apple crisp! It’s one of my favorites and I agree, I love that it’s not tooth-achingly sweet!
Tara says
I made a slightly larger amount so I added more of each ingredient as necessary, used whole wheat flour because I didn’t have almond flour and added raw honey and pure vanilla extract to both the apples and the topping and it was delicious! This will be my new go to! Apple crisp without the guilt!
Liv says
Thanks for sharing your adaptations, Tara!!
Jessica says
Thanks for this recipe! My dad was recently hospitalized and enjoyed the hospital’s apple crisp, so now that he’s home, I’m excited to make this for him! It’s a bonus that it’s healthy too! My question is, how would you recommend storing it? Would it be best in the fridge, or out in a cool, dry area? Thanks again!
Liv says
Hi Jessica, I typically store my leftover apple crisp in the fridge since I’m a bit cautious in general with food storage! Hope your dad loves this– so glad to hear he’s home now!
Michelle says
Omg….so easy and delicious!! Served w French Vanilla ice cream…to die for…and no guilt
Liv says
So glad to hear you enjoyed this apple crisp, Michelle!!
Ashlyn says
Could coconut flour be subbed for almond flour?
Liv says
Hi Ashlyn, I haven’t tried it, but since coconut flour absorbs so much liquid and has a different taste/texture, I wouldn’t personally recommend subbing it in this recipe 🙂
Cari says
This recipe looks great. Do you think it would work with honey crisp apples?
Liv says
Hi Cari! Honeycrisp apples would be perfect 🙂 Any crisp apples are great for baking because they hold their shape well and don’t turn to mush!
Angelica says
Would love to try this but the hubby is allergic to all nuts. What type of flour would you recommend subbing the almond flour for?
Thank you!!
Liv says
Hi Angelica! I haven’t tried any other types of flour but regular whole-wheat or white flour may work…although your safest bet may be looking for a recipe with one of those flours! So sorry- I wish I had a good alternative healthy apple crisp recipe to recommend!
Annie says
Happy to say I replaced the almond flour with regular all-purpose flour cuz that’s what I had at home- delicious! Isn’t as crispy as I want it to be, but I love the walnuts in the crisp so much! And it isn’t overly sweet! Gonna eat this with breakfast tomorrow, thanks so much!
Julie says
I want to try this because it sounds and looks so good! My question is if I omit the nuts (family allergies) will the topping turn out ok or should I substitute something in its place?
Liv says
You can omit the chopped nuts or substitute a different type of nuts! If you omit the almond flour, you’ll need to add something in its place.
Meg says
Hi! I totally made this for breakfast at my husband’s request! It was great! Thanks for the great recipe! Also, I just used ground up oats instead of flour because I can’t handle regular flour, it was like a granola topped baked apple!
Melissa Angling-Williams says
Hi Angelica, Can’t wait to try this recipe as it sounds simple and healthy. Do you think it will come out nice if I sub the Old fashion oats for steel cut oats?
Liv says
Hi Melissa, I would strongly advise against substituting steel cut oats, as they won’t cook or soften enough in the oven with this limited amount of liquid 🙂
Amber Da Ponte says
Omigod!!!!!🤤🤤🤤🤤Sooooo yummy!! I did substitute the Granny Smith apples with honeycrisp and cooked it much longer as we like the apples mushy and crunchy topping.
I have never been able to find a recipe that tastes just apple crisp but without all the butter and sugar. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe, this is definitely becoming a household favourite 😁.
Liv says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!! Honeycrisp apples are amazing in apple crisp!!
Pam says
Just made this last night and served it for dinner dessert, warm with vanilla ice cream, and we all enjoyed it. For breakfast, I poured a little heavy cream over it for a delicious healthy treat. It was not too sweet.
My apples were very large, so I only used 4 (a mix of 3 different types), and they weighed a little over 2 pounds after they were peeled and cored. I used a bigger dish to bake, so I doubled the topping. I used honey for the maple syrup and pecans were my nut of choice. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Liv says
So glad to hear you enjoyed this apple crisp, Pam! Thanks for reporting back and sharing your adaptations 🙂
Karen R Lamadrid says
can you substitute the maple syrup for mongfruit? Diet sugar?
Liv says
Hi, Karen! I haven’t tried either one, unfortunately!
Gina (Love, Auntie) says
I have made this recipe countless times and I’ve passed it on to others. Thank you so much for sharing this. I love that there is no sugar. I eat it for breakfast with plain yogurt as a topping.
Liv says
So glad to hear it, Gina!!
Patti says
I made this for the first time this weekend and it is amazing! I found it by googling “healthy apple crisp” and landed here and am so glad I did. We mixed up the apples used (Granny Smith not available). It was easy, and I love that it has no added sugar. It reheats nicely and is perfect with a scoop of vanilla. I am looking forward to checking out more of your recipes.
sharon says
any chance this can be prepped and put in the pan the day before baking?
Liv says
Hi Sharon, I haven’t tried it yet, but I believe that would work!
Jolene Leeson says
Can you advise of the weight/measurement of the apples?
Can’t rate on taste as I haven’t made it yet! But I don’t want it to lower your average so I’m rating based on ingredients 🙂
Looking forward to trying this!
Liv says
Hi Jolene! I use medium (or even large) apples in this recipe, and I’ll update the recipe to reflect that. Right around 2 or 2 1/2 pounds of apples if you weigh them. Fortunately, there’s (almost) no such thing as too many apples! 😀
Buck E. says
Great recipe. Very healthy and delicious. I liked that it’s not too sweet but a good blend of flavors. And straightforward — even a guy can follow this one. Twenty minutes and into the oven, even when peeling the apples by hand. Thank you. Helped to turn an ordinary dinner into a memorable one.
Liv says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this apple crisp recipe, Buck!! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Brigette Raarup says
Our family has recently turned gluten, dairy and sugar free. Have been searching for healthy dessert options and came across your recipe. I tweaked it by adding coconut sugar and monk fruit sweetener in both the apples and toppings. It’s SO delicious! My family loved it! Thank you for such a fabulous recipe that I will make over and over again!
Liv says
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed this apple crisp, Brigette!!
Teresa says
I made this yesterday and it was wonderfully delicious! I’ll definitely be making it again. Thanks
Mon says
This recipe is effing incredible. Full flavour, texture. Better than most butter laden crisps I’ve had. Looking forward to further exploring your recipes.
Liv says
So glad to hear it! 😀
Betsy says
Wondering if you need to peel the apples or if you can leave the skin on.
Liv says
Hi Besty! I prefer peeling them so the texture of the crisp is a bit smoother and less chewy, but you can absolutely leave the skins if that’s your preference!
Sally D Molaro says
Loved it! We subbed corn flakes for the oats. We didn’t use nuts. Yum! Thank you!
Britt says
Hello,
Do you know how much fiber is in a serving so that I can subtract it from the total carbs? (diabetic)
Thanks!
Anthony Lubin says
Is this recipe diabetic friendly and if not what substitutions should i make.
Liv says
Hi Anthony, I’m not sure that I know enough about diabetes to answer, but I also love this skillet apple recipe which is basically just apples, if that’s a better fit! Hope that helps 🙂
olivia rosenberg says
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is my go to for now on.
In times when I don’t have almond flour, do you think all purpose flour could be substituted for the topping? Thank you so much!
Liv says
Hi Olivia, I do think you can substitute an equal amount of all-purpose flour! The crumbly toppings is very forgiving/flexible 🙂 So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
marsha says
Hi, I am making frozen dishes up for a friend that she can use in a pinch (paying her back for meals she left for me when I was sick with Covid). Anyway, I am wanting to know if I can bake this then freeze it? I want the topping to be crunchy for her, maybe I should freeze it without baking it first?
Liv says
Hi Marsha! You can freeze the assembled baking dish of apple crisp before baking and let your friend know to thaw the baking dish in the fridge overnight and then bake according to the normal directions 😀
Karen Masler says
It’s absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Liv says
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed and hope you find some other recipes on the site that you love 😀
Jess says
Love this recipe!! It’s super flexible, too: First time I made it, I goofed and didn’t have enough oats on hand – I winged it and added flax meal and walnuts until I had 2 cups of dry ingredients. It still worked great! oh and I’ve got yet another one of these in the oven as I write this…
Thank you for the recipe, Liv!
Carla Wyss says
Can you refrigerate leftovers and reheat?
Liv says
You definitely can! I love the leftover apple crisp 😀
Christine says
The Link to the corer said it’s unavailable for purchase on amazon. Maybe pick another one to link to? Love the recipe. Thanks!
Liv says
Thanks for the heads up, Christine! Just updated the post, and here’s the link to the same corer/peeler in stock from a different seller
Catherine says
Can you please suggest an alternative to the coconut oil (loads of points on WW unfortunately)? Or can I use less oil?
Liv says
Any type of oil or butter works! As far as making it lower in fat, though, you could try using perhaps a tablespoon less of oil or making 1/2 or 3/4 of the topping recipe instead of the full thing!
Barbara says
Any recommendations for an unsaturated fat oil?
Elisa says
If I left out the pecans, will the crumble be just as crispy? Or do I need to replace them with something?
Thank you
Liv says
Hi Elisa! There will be less topping and it’ll be a bit less crunchy. If you have walnuts or almonds, that’s a great sub! But it works just fine without nuts, too.
Riley says
Could I sub olive oil for the coconut oil?
Liv says
You can! There may be a faint olive oil taste, but I think it wouldn’t be very noticeable.
Peg says
Absolutely delish! It took a much shorter time than my usual recipe with several more ingredients and was much healthier! I had been searching for a recipe using maple syrup for some time; so pleased I found your blog! I’ll be checking out your other recipes today! Thanks! 💖
Liv says
YES, love using maple syrup in it. So glad you enjoyed this apple crisp, Peg! ❤️
Amber Da Ponte says
Can you make this into a mixed berry crisp? I love this recipe so much so I thought I would try it with berries instead!
Liv says
Hi Amber! So great to hear that you love this apple crisp. I actually do have a mixed berry crisp recipe that’s a version of this apple crisp! Hope you enjoy 😀
Amber Da Ponte says
Thank you for replying! I actually looked after I asked the question and found it! Sorry, meant to post it but forgot. It was delicious as well!
T.E. says
Great Recipe! I used honey crisp apples and omitted the nuts and used a 1/2 cup dessicated coconut instead. It turned out super yummy. I will add chopped walnuts and pecans next time. Thank you for sharing.
Liv says
Oh good, I’m so glad you enjoyed this apple crisp recipe! The coconut sounds like a delicious addition, too!
P says
I cut this recipe in half and used sugar free simple syrup and Swerve in place of the maple syrup to make it diabetic friendly. It turned out great.
Liv says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this apple crisp!
Pamela says
I love all sorts of apple deserts especially crumble, but find they often are too sweet. However this one is just light and tasty and so more-ish and best of all you can indulge without feeling unhealthy 😋 many thanks for sharing. Truly delicious!
Christine says
The best apple crisp hands down, either healthy or traditional!
The only change I made was to slice the apples rather than cube them as they were hard the 1st time I made this. I live in high altitude Colorado and some things take longer to cook.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Elle says
I just made this recipe for the first time. It was absolutely delicious. The apples were juicy and complimented the flavor of the other ingredient the other ingredients. I did have to cook it for about eight minutes longer than the instruction said. I will definitely make this again.
Liv says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this apple crisp!!! Thanks for reporting back 😀
Dubem says
I love apple crisp and would definitely try it out.
Roben says
Hopefully you can use oat flour
I just made it and it’s in the oven
Didn’t have any almond flour
Karen Roberts says
I loved this apple crisp and I got so many compliments from my friends when I took it to our women’s group.
Jared says
do you know if I can make the oat topping days in advance? or will it get mushy, affect the crispness of the oats upon cooking?
I’ve made this recipe about 5 times. My kids love this. Thank you very much! P.S. I like it too. We usually put a big old scooping of Häagen-Dazs vanilla on top. Nothing quite finer than this combo.
Mary says
What can I add instead of nuts? More oatmeal or just keep nuts out and still work? Thanks!