Healthy Apple Crisp Recipe

Name: Healthy Apple Crisp Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 cups apples (peeled + sliced in 1/4 inch thick pieces - about 1 lb - honeycrisp work best); 1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted ); 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 1 cup old fashioned oats; 1/3 cup pecans (chopped); 2 tablespoons coconut oil; 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Published by: Liz Marino | 02/04/2023 |

Last updated: 09/12/2024

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This Healthy Apple Crisp recipe is gluten/dairy free, and sweetened with just maple syrup. Naturally sweet & delicious it’s the perfect healthy dessert!

Healthy Apple Crisp in a white bowl on a grey background with apples off to the side

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This Healthy Apple Crisp is hands down my favorite healthy fall dessert. In addition to being SO delicious, this comes together in under 30 minutes, is naturally gluten and dairy free, has only eight ingredients and is sweetened with just a touch of maple syrup.

It’s seriously the best way to use up any apples you have lying around.

(P.S. If you’re looking for other ways to use up apples – check out these Healthy Apple Recipes!)

Healthy Apple Crisp in a white baking dish with a red striped linen off to the side

Table of Contents

I’ve always been a fan of ‘crisps’ when it comes to dessert. They’re much lighter than pie (which is also super delicious!) and crumble (which typically has more butter, sugar and flour in it).

This Healthy Blueberry Crisp is one of my favorite desserts!

I’ve gotten this question before, so you might be wondering..

Healthy Apple Crisp in a white bowl on a grey background

What makes this Homemade Apple Crisp healthy?

Traditional apple crisp is made with lots of butter and sugar. This recipe is much better for you! Here’s why:

Whole Grains – We use old fashioned oats instead of refined flour for the crisp topping
Low sugar – Rather than using regular sugar, we use just a little bit of maple syrup and allow the sweetness of the apples to come through
No butter – Instead of using butter, we’re using coconut oil which is more nutritious!

A black serving spoon taking a scoop out of Healthy Apple Crisp

Homemade Apple Crisp Ingredients

To make this recipe you’ll need:

apples
old fashioned oats
pecans
cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg
coconut oil
maple syrup

Ingredients for Healthy Apple Crisp laid out in separate bowls on a grey background

You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded substitutions box.

What are the best apples for Apple Crisp?

This post goes in depth on the best apples for baking. I like to bake with Pink Lady apples. They’re a little sweet and a little tart so I find them perfect in desserts!

Braeburn or Honeycrisp are also delicious and hold up well. Really – any apple will work in this recipe!

We don’t recommend using Granny Smith or other tart apples in this recipe.

Gluten Free Apple Crisp substitutions and additions

This is a pretty versatile recipe. Here are some substitutions you can make!

Nut Free – To make this nut free you can omit pecans. If you’d like to add in some crunch you could sub in sunflower seeds.

Oil – You can sub coconut oil with olive oil or avocado oil. Vegetable oil will also work.

Other fruit – This recipe will work great by adding other berries like blueberries, raspberries and strawberries! (We also have a healthy blueberry crisp and Healthy Peach Crisp recipe!) Dried raisins or craisins would also be a yummy add in!

Apples: We recommend using honeycrisp apples in this recipe. We don’t recommend using Granny Smith or other tart apples in this recipe.

Maple Syrup – You can sub maple syrup with honey

To make lower calorie- Omitting pecans

Oats – You can not substitute steel cut oats for old fashioned oats. It will now work. Quick cook oats will work.

How to make apple crisp:

Making apple crisp literally couldn’t be easier. Here’s what to do:

Peel + slice your apples (You can also leave the skin on if you like!
Once peeled, toss your apples with coconut oil/spices.
Set aside. In a small bowl – mix together your crisp topping.
Lay your apples in a baking dish, top with crisp.. and bake!
30 minutes in the oven and you’ve got warm, delicious healthy apple crisp ready to enjoy!

Step by step instructions showing how to make healthy apple crisp

Topping it with vanilla ice cream pretty much is a must. It’s SO good.

How to cut apples for Apple Crisp

The best way to cut apples for this recipe is:

Peel the apples.
Slice the flesh of the apple away from the core in 4 large chunks.
Place the apple slices flat slide down and slice the apples into 1/8-1/4 inch thick slices

How long to bake Apple Crisp

Every oven is a little bit different but this crisp is best baked for about 30 minutes at 350.

Healthy Apple Crisp in a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top of it.

What is the difference between Apple Crisp and Apple Crumble?

Crisps are typically made with oats as the base, while crumbles typically have a flour/butter based topping. I added some chopped pecans for crunch, healthy fats, and flavor!

Healthy Apple Crisp in a white baking dish on a grey background

How to store Apple Crisp

Storing: This apple crisp will stay in the fridge for 3-4 days

Freezing: We haven’t tried freezing this recipe but we don’t think it would freeze well. The topping would lose it’s crisp.

How to reheat Apple Crisp

This crisp is best eaten right out of the oven, warm! If you are going to reheat, we recommend putting it in the toaster oven or oven. The microwave will work, but it will make the oats/topping soggy and not as crispy!

Serving Apple Crisp

Serving: We recommend serving this crisp with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It’s also great with a scoop of vanilla yogurt.

Preparing in advance: You can prepare this recipe 3-4 hours in advance of baking it. Keep it in your refrigerator until you are ready to bake.

Healthy Apple Crisp FAQs

Why is my apple crisp so watery?

Apple crisp shouldn’t be watery. Different apples do have more liquid than others so it could be the apples you chose. It could also be that the apple crisp was covered too long.

Why is my apple crisp not crispy?

If your apple crisp isn’t crispy, it could be because it isn’t finished cooking. You can broil the crisp for 1-2 minutes (be sure to watch carefully!) to help the top get crispier.

Other healthy apple recipes:

We LOVE apples, and making all the things with them. Here are some of our favorite healthy apple recipes! If you want more fall recipes get our free fall recipes ebook!