Most Indulgent Healthy Apple Crisp – Easy Recipe!

Best Ever Healthy Apple Crisp Recipe

You may not know this about me, but pie is not my favorite dessert. Don’t get me wrong. I do LIKE pie  I do LIKE homemade apple pie (this Apple Peaches Pumpkin Pie, for example). However, pies that have double crusts (think fruit pies) leave me bogged down in the crust, and I only enjoy the ‘meat’ of the pie.

I like the pies with the crumbly topping – like this apple cream cheese pie – better. 😉

Or even an Apple Cream Cheese Coffee Cake!

But honestly, I would much rather spend my time enjoying the pie filling than the crust. That’s why I LOVE fruit crisp! I get everything that I love (the yummy middle and delicious crumble top) and skip the crust altogether!

Plus, when you factor in the additional benefit that there’s no crust (the most fattening calorie-dense part of the pie), fruit crisp is much healthier and 1,000 times worth it! 😁

I’ve tried many, many, many (like, crazy many) different recipes over the years. I’ve tried different ways to make the crumble, different fruit combinations, and more.

But this recipe…woah, it’s seriously the most simple, best-tasting apple crisp ever! Even when I tried all those variations, I kept coming back to this one.  Simple is better, I always say.

This healthy apple crisp recipe hardly lasts 10 minutes at my house because the whole family loves it! And I feel great about making it for my family because it isn’t chock full of junk.

A bowl of hot apple crisp will make even the chilliest evening comforting and cozy, and satisfy that sweet tooth! Plus, I love how easy this simple recipe is to throw together!

Healthy Apple Crisp Ingredients

Here are the ingredients in apple crisp and the role they play in the recipe.

• Fresh Apples – the juicy, fruity base of the filling, baby. The more apples, the better!
• Light Brown Sugar – Adds a bit of caramel flavor (compared to white sugar) and sweetens up the recipe.
• Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener – use instead of brown sugar for a sugar-free but still delicious version
• Cinnamon and nutmeg – comforting spices that are perfect with apples of all kinds
• Oats and Flour – the base of the streusel topping for the crisp
• Salted Butter – binds together the oats and flour to make a crunchy, scrumptious topping. Use cold butter for this!

NOTE: For more recipe details for making the best apple crisp, please check out the handy printable recipe card at the bottom of the post!

How To Make Healthy Apple Crisp

1. Preheat oven and prepare baking pan – Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use non-stick spray to spray down an 8x8x2 square baking dish.
2. Place apple slices in baking dish – Spread out thinly sliced apples throughout the bottom of your baking dish.
3. Make crumble topping – Combine oats with the other dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add pats of cold butter and blend with a pastry blender. Spread the crumb mixture
    out over the top of the apple layer. 
4. Bake – Bake approximately 30 minutes, or until the crunchy oat topping is golden brown. Remove from oven, let sit for 5-10 minutes.
5. Enjoy! Serve warm with your favorite scoop of vanilla ice cream!

NOTE: This classic fall dessert recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13 pan.

I hope you love this healthy apple crisp! Don’t forget to also try our Slow Cooker Peach Crisp and Addictive Dutch Apple Crisp Bars!

Healthy Apple Crisp Expert Tips and Notes

Here are some helpful notes to help your easy apple crisp turn out perfectly every time!

You could use unsalted butter in this recipe, but if you do that, I recommend adding a pinch of salt!

Serve this classic apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, homemade whipped cream, or even a drizzle of caramel sauce!

Best Apples to Use for Apple Crisp

People always ask me, “what kind of apples should I use?” And I always say that when baking with apples, you want to use varieties that will hold their texture instead of baking down to mush.

Generally speaking, sweeter, softer apples will become mushier than tart apples or crispier apple varieties.

I highly recommend using Granny Smith apples or Rome apples. If you should choose to use a sweeter apple, I recommend a crispy variety like Honeycrisp apples, Pink Lady, or Braeburn.

Personally, I almost always use Granny Smith apples so that my apple filling has the texture of tender apples rather than applesauce. Plus, I love the contrast of the slight tart flavor with the sweeter crumble top.

Which Oats to Use?

Rolled Oats vs Quick Oats – nutrition-wise, the two are similar, so for this ingredient, it comes down to texture for me. Rolled oats = old-fashioned oats, and these take longer to cook because they’re a little heartier.  I use quick cooking oats for an apple crisp with oats in it, because I like the texture more.

Storage and Freezing Tips

If you have leftovers, cover them and refrigerate them for up to 5 days. You can rewarm in the microwave or oven.

How to Make Apple Crisp Ahead of Time

Slice the apples and add a little bit of lemon juice so the apples don’t brown (about 2 tsp for the amount of this recipe – finger the juice through the apples to cover the apples).

Store this pre-made apple crisp recipe in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to one day.

Make the crumble topping and put it in a separate ziplock bag, in the fridge. When ready to bake, remove from the fridge, and sprinkle the topping on top. Bake as directed.

How To Freeze Apple Crisp

Prepare and bake the apple dessert according to the directions. Cool the crisp completely, then cover it with a double layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Variations To Try

If you want to change things up a little or are working with food allergies, this section is for you!

This easy apple crisp recipe would also be delicious with a little bit of lemon zest in the crunchy topping for a bright flavor!

Add nuts – If you’re looking for even more hearty texture or a little extra protein, try adding a few chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumble topping!

Add other fruit – This apple crisp recipe is an easy base that you can easily change up. Adding some additional fruit is a great way to do that! Here are some ideas that would taste amazing:

• Pears
• Peaches
• Cranberries
• Blueberries

How To Adapt This Healthy Apple Crisp For Food Allergies

This easy recipe is perfect for adapting for people with food allergies. Here’s how to adapt it:

Sugar-Free Version

For something a little less processed, you could replace the sugar in this recipe with coconut sugar. Again, use the 1:1 ratio.

​I wouldn’t recommend using maple syrup or honey for this recipe because it will throw off the moisture balance in the crumble topping.

If you’re trying to reduce added sugar and want to make your apple crisp sugar-free but still amazing, you have to try Lakanto Monk fruit sweetener. Use it 1:1 for sugar, and you won’t miss the sugar at all.

Nut-Free Version

No nuts are in the recipe as it’s written, so no worries there.

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Use gluten-free flour and gluten-free oats, if needed. Gluten-free flours have come a LONG way in the last few years. Bob’s Red Mill offers one of the best 1:1 baking alternatives to traditional all-purpose flour.

Alternatively, you could also use almond flour or oat flour instead of all-purpose flour in the oat crumble. The texture will be different, but it will still be delicious!

Dairy-Free Version

For a dairy-free apple crisp, substitute oil, coconut oil (if you like that flavor), or ghee 1:1 for the butter. TIP: If you do this, you may want to add a pinch of salt to the mixture as a flavor enhancer.

Tools Needed To Make Healthy Apple Crisp

• 8×8 Dish With Lid or 9×13 Dish with Lid – I have this set and LOVE them. They have every size I need and come with lids so I don’t have to use aluminum foil – or plastic wrap.
• Pastry Dough Blender – Also called a pastry cutter. This makes cutting up the butter and mixing it into the flour or oats SO much easier. I have had ones that are flimsy and don’t do the job. This one is tough and durable – perfect!
• Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener – Use it 1:1 for sugar in a sugar-free version where you won’t miss the sugar one bit.
• Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free Flour – If you want to make your apple crisp gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour substitute like this one from Bob’s Red Mill.

Use up some amazing Fall apples and make this easy healthy homemade apple crisp! Be prepared to be amazed at how fast it disappears.

Check Out These Popular Fall Posts!

Apple season means apple recipes! Check out these ideas for the perfect way to enjoy apples this fall!

• Apple Pie Bites (Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Cups)
• Apple Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
• Air Fryer Apple Slices
• Air Fryer Apple Chips
• Pear Apple Streusel Muffins
• Easy Chocolate Caramel Apple Pops