Are you soaking in this beautiful fall season? Good, me too! Let’s make my famous apple crisp together.
Wait, even better… let’s make a healthy apple crisp with a crunchy cinnamon pecan oat topping. You down?
Look, I love apple crisp for a variety of reasons. It’s cozy, comforting, a little bit nostalgic and much easier to make than homemade apple pie. Plus who doesn’t love the texture component of the perfectly sweet, crunchy topping? It’s everything you could want in a dessert.
I originally made this healthier apple crisp years ago and haven’t looked back since. You’d never know it was a little better for you either! I’ve lightened it up just enough for you to enjoy and still feel like it’s something really special coming out of your oven. Warm apples and delicious maple pecan flavor — what more do you need?! Get the vanilla ice cream ready it’s time to dig in.
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What makes this apple crisp healthier?
Instead of using regular sugar like most apple crisp recipes call for, I used maple syrup in the filling. The recipe doesn’t call for much but when all is said and done, it ends up being the perfect amount of sweetness. We’re also adding a boost of whole grains thanks to whole wheat flour, and I’ve included simple ways to keep this recipe gluten free and dairy free (while still being delicious).
Ingredients in this healthy apple crisp recipe
If you’ve never made homemade apple crisp before, you are seriously in for a treat. It only requires a few staple ingredients & spices but the result is absolutely incredible. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Flour: I like to use whole wheat pastry flour for the lovely boost of whole grains, but you can also use regular flour, gluten free oat flour, or almond flour. Options for everyone! If you use oat flour, feel free to make your own right at home, too.
- Oats: you’ll also need some rolled oats (gluten free if desired) for that crunchy topping.
- Brown sugar: we’re sweetening that delicious topping with some dark brown sugar. You can also use coconut sugar to keep the recipe refined sugar free.
- Pecans: hello, pecan oat topping! I love the flavor that crunchy pecans add to the topping.
- Spices: for the entire crisp you’ll just need some cinnamon, salt and a little nutmeg. Fall flavors, ILYSM.
- Butter: a little cold butter helps the topping hold that crumble texture. Feel free to use vegan butter or coconut oil to keep the apple crisp vegan & dairy free.
- Apples: I love using a mix of granny smith or honeycrisp but I’m sure it will work with whatever apples you have available.
- Secret ingredient: the filling also calls for a little bourbon, but you can swap that for vanilla if you’d like. Either way, this apple crisp is going to make your belly (and heart) very, very happy. Learn how to make your own vanilla extract here!
How to make the best healthy apple crisp
- Prep your pan. Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan or a 9 inch skillet with cooking spray, an preheat you oven to 350 degrees F.
- Make the topping. You’ll then want to combine all of the ingredients for the crunchy oat topping. Pour in the butter (or coconut oil) and combine the mixture with your hands until nice crumbles form that resemble wet sand. Pop that in the fridge.
- Make the apple filling. Toss together the sliced apples, maple syrup, spices and bourbon and let the marinate in the bowl for a few minutes to soak up the flavors.
- Assemble the crisp. Add 1/3 of the topping to the bowl with the filling and toss it together. Place all of this into your prepared pan and sprinkle on the rest of the topping.
- Bake, cool & serve! Finally, bake the crisp on a baking sheet (in case the filling bubbles over) until golden brown. Let it cool and serve with vanilla ice cream for the ultimate treat!
Make it ahead of time
Yes, you can make this healthy apple crisp ahead of time! Simply prepare it as directed, cover your pan or skillet with foil, place it in the refrigerator and then bake it as directed before you’re ready to serve. Easy!
Store your leftovers
- In the fridge: store any leftover apple crisp in an airtight container in the fridge. Simply warm it up a bit in the microwave or enjoy cold straight from the fridge.
- In the freezer: yes, this healthy apple crisp is freezer-friendly! Assemble the apple crisp but do not bake it. Cover the crisp well with aluminum foil and transfer it to the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake the frozen apple crisp at 350 degrees for about an hour or until it’s golden and bubbly.
More crisps & crumbles to try
- Gluten Free Peach Crisp with Salted Coconut Milk Caramel
- Apple Pie Bars with Salted Peanut Butter Caramel
- Cinnamon Walnut Pear Crisp
- Almond Flour Blackberry Crisp for Two! (gluten free)
- Tart Cherry Pie Bars with Oatmeal Crumble (vegan + gluten free)
Get all of our delicious crisp & crumble recipes here!
I hope you all get a chance to make this healthy apple crisp recipe very soon because it’s truly one of my favorites! Put on a good playlist and bake your heart out. It’s easier to make than pie and when the time comes, would be a lovely addition to your Thanksgiving table. My favorite way to serve it is with vanilla bean ice cream because why not?!
If you make this healthy apple crisp, be sure to rate the recipe below and leave a comment below! And if you’d like you can tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram with a photo of your creation. xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Healthy Apple Crisp
Ingredients
- For the topping:
- ⅓ cup (38g) whole wheat pastry flour (or regular flour or gluten free oat flour or almond flour)
- ½ cup (48g) old fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired
- ⅓ cup (71g) dark brown sugar (can also sub coconut sugar but brown sugar is best)
- ½ cup (56g) raw chopped pecans
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (57g) cold butter or vegan buttery stick, cut into very small cubes (can also use coconut oil)
- For the crisp:
- 5-6 medium Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and very thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup (104g) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon bourbon (or pure vanilla extract)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease an 8x8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- To make the topping: Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and pecans in a large bowl until well-combined. Add in the pieces of butter and use your hands to squeeze and combine until the mixture becomes crumbly and resembles wet sand. (Alternatively, you can cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or place all of the topping ingredients in a food processor and pulse until just blended. My favorite method is to use my hands, as I believe you get the best crumbly topping that way.)
- Once finished, place topping in the fridge and begin making the apple filling.
- To make the filling: Place apples, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and bourbon (or vanilla) in a large bowl and toss to combine. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Take 1/3 cup of the topping mixture and toss with the apple mixture. Place the apple mixture in prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with topping.
- Bake the crisp on a baking sheet (just in case the filling bubbles over!) for 45-55 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Serve warm with your favorite vanilla ice cream. Makes 9 servings.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Sarah Fennel // Broma Bakery
This post was originally published on September 16, 2018, republished on September 2, 2021, and republished on September 19th, 2022, and republished on October 17th, 2024.
Can’t wait to try this. Question – I’m freezing it until I am ready to host a group. Would I want to thaw first and then bake? Or cook from frozen?
Hi! I recommend baking from frozen – check out the full post for storing, freezing, etc., instructions 🙂
Needed something to make after apple picking and this was delicious! I wanted a cross between healthier but also yummy and sweet and this was perfect! Definitely recommend. I used coconut sugar, oat flour, vanilla
Love that! Perfect way to use up fresh apples 🙂
Nice flavor, but the crisp never got fully “crisp,” (even after broiling a little at the end) and the filling is very watery. A little sad I used my apple orchard apples on this!
Excellent recipe! Cant wait to have it again!
So glad you loved it!
Really good! I only made the apples to add to an overnight oats recipe, but I will make the crisp in full next time because it is sooo good!
Love that idea! Let me know how you like the full crisp, too 🙂
Wow this was outstanding! And I’ve made a lot of apple crisps ☺
I used enough of the tart, crunchy apples from my tree ♥ to (over)fill a deep-dish pie pan. I used food processor with slicing blade to cut the apples, good call!
Modifications: doubled the recipe, used half whole wheat, half white flour. Used ~1/4 C each of sugar and maple syrup with apples. Sprinkled pecans directly on apples, then added topping–this keeps pecans from burning. An hour @ 350, covered with foil last 15 min
Chef’s kiss
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed!
This is my favorite apple crisp recipe! I used oats and oat flour for the topping for a friend that is gluten free. I had bourbon on hand this time so I’m interested to see how it tastes.. Last time I used vanilla and it was superb!
Perfect! So glad you love this one!
Soooo yummy and divine! Love that it has cleaner ingredients too.
Absolutely!
Loved this recipe! Easy & delicious. What more could you ask for!
So happy you loved it!
The flavor of this apple crisp was great, but the texture wasn’t. I sliced the apples thin, but I had to bake it a lot longer than instructed. After almost an hour, I put a lid on and baked an additional 12 minutes. The apples were unevenly cooked, with a lot of them still semi-crisp. There was also a lot of juice in the bottom of the pan.
Hi! What kind of apples did you use? I am wondering if they were too crisp/hard. Sorry to hear you had issues, and I’m not sure why they would cook unevenly. The juice on the bottom of the pan is perfect for spooning over ice cream but it should thicken up as it sits! 🙂
This turned out amazing!!! Just as comforting and delicious as any “unhealthy” apple crisp ive had. I subbed coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. I also used instant steel cut oats and it turned out amazing!
So good! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I’m DF and love to make a healthier dessert that I too can eat. I’ve been making this every fall for years and I love it so much! Comes together with ingredients I have in my house and doesn’t take much prep time at all!
Any tips for doubling the recipe for a larger Thanksgiving crowd?
So glad you love this one! You can double the recipe as written and use 2 pans or a 9×13 inch pan should be big enough.
Subbed the whole wheat pastry flour for almond flour. This was delicious!
Perfect! Such a great fall treat 🙂
If I am mixing bourbon and vanilla do I split them or do equal parts of both ?
I would split them!
This apple crisp recipe is so easy to make and really really good. My husband and I LOVED it and I will absolutely be making again.
So glad it was a hit!
This was a delicious recipe! Will be my go to apple crisp recipe!
So glad you loved it!
This was really lovely!! I used GF flour. Will absolutely be making this again!
Thank you!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Great apple crisp! Easy to make, and it came out perfect! Really enjoyed this recipe and will definitely make it again.
Glad you loved it!!
This apple crisp was wonderful. Thank you.
Also, the post seems to be updated from the original, but I wanted to say that I do my best to support companies, both large and small, who do not support authoritarian, con men. I’m delighted to know that my support here is in line with my own morals.
So glad you enjoyed! And absolutely.
Hello, do you have a suggestion for how to change the recipe if you don’t want the pecans? Can I just directly substitute with more oats, or do I need to otherwise adjust the recipe in some way? Thanks!
Hi! You could swap them for walnuts, or I’ve seen a number of readers simply leave them out with success!
I prepared this nearly exactly as written, with one addition – a scant cup of golden raisins dumped in with the apple slices. THIS IS THE BEST APPLE CRISP I HAVE EVER EATEN! I used the bourbon and I think that, coupled with marinating the apple slices for awhile, made the difference. This recipe is a keeper!
Love that! Glad you enjoyed!!
Can this be made with avocado oil instead of coconut oil?
Hmm I’m afraid the flavor might change!
So yummy!! My hubby, kids and I ate it up.
I’m so glad!
I love this recipe, have made it multiple times now. I heat up a portion and top with greek yogurt for breakfast!
So good! Glad you love it!
This recipe is beyond amazing. Sooo delicious. I am always trying new and simple ideas to use my frozen fruit, and my particular fave are apples (we have a variety of fruit trees and every year
I peel/core/freeze dozens of quart bags). I used wheat flour, Agave (instead of pure maple syrup) and homemade infused Pur Vanilla.
Perfect! So glad you love this one!
This is without a doubt the best apple crisp I’ve ever made! I’ve tried plenty!. Other recipes I’ve tried were too sweet, even with cutting back on the sugar. I loved the crunchy pecans I put On the top. The only thing I’ll probably cut back on is the vanilla. I’ve never made a crisp that had vanilla. I have to admit that I added just a tiny amount of sugar to the mix. I used Granny Smith apples and they held their shape and their crunch. It tastes tart and sweet at the same time. I also put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown up the top. I’m definitely bookmarking this recipe.
Amazing! So happy you love this one!
Absolutely delicious!
Would recommend to double up on the topping as it wasn’t enough to cover an 8×8 pan. Left everything else as per the recipe for the apple filling and it was SO good!
So glad you loved it!
I love apple crisp, have made several “healthy recipes”, but none is as good as this one. It has minimal and wholesome ingredients and easy to make. Truly the best I’ve ever tasted.
So happy to hear that!
This was just delicious! The only changes I made were to sub coconut oil for the butter, added a dash of ground clove, and used pecans and walnuts in the topping. Rave reviews from my guests!
Love it!!
Ooops, for my stars!
This apple crisp is SO delicious! Not too sweet, wonderful crisp topping, just yummy. I used walnuts cause I didn’t have pecans. I doubled the topping and liked how you added some topping into the apple mix. The filling seemed too liquidity so I stirred in 2 tablespoons corn starch. It was perfect!!
Perfect! So glad you loved it!
I easily made it gluten free and dairy free by using oat flour and coconut cream for the topping. It was a simple recipe to make and was delicious! I can’t wait to make it again!
Perfect! Glad you loved it!
This has been my go-to apple crisp recipe for years! I look forward to making it every season.
So happy to hear that!
Made this last night for a last minute dessert for company. The warm fall spices, the crumbly topping and the perfectly sweetened apples were a HIT! I used half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp for a perfect combination. I also used regular gluten free flour in the topping and it turned out fine! Delish! Thank you!
Perfect! Glad everyone loved it!!
Delicious. No modifications needed. I used the almond flour option.
Perfect! 🙂
This recipe is so far my favorite apple crisp recipe! It came together so quickly and disappeared just as quickly! I love my cookbook and am enjoying trying some of the recipes! My boyfriend never knows what we are having for supper anymore!! I love to try new things and am really enjoying all the new recipes.
So happy to hear that!! Thanks, Carrie!
Absolutely delicious! Loved the nuts in the topping. I did not have pecans so I used walnuts. Definitely making again. My not so healthy eater loved it as well!
Perfect! So happy you found this one!
I keep coming back to this apple crisp recipe. It’s so easy to put together and tastes absolutely delicious as a fall dessert. I love the bourbon in place of vanilla. Delightful!
So happy to hear that!
This was delicious!! I used both bourbon and vanilla extract and it was a crowd favorite.
Love that!!
I have been apple crisp many times. I like it better than apple pie. Who doesn’t love a little crunch with their sweet baked apples. I love this recipe. I love finding a healthy option to something I know I love. This recipe turned out wonderful. I used both vanilla and bourbon (just split the amount). Yummmmmm
The best treat for fall!!
YOu can’t watch the video! This is frustrating becase after the first few seconds there’s a advertisement and no matter what you push to indicate you want to stay with the video the next reicipe video comes on