Most Indulgent Healthy Apple Crisp Recipe Ever

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. However, pies that have double crusts (think fruit pies) leave me bogged down in the crust and I don't enjoy the ‘meat' of the pie.

I like the pies with the crumble top better. 😉

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, friends.

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.

It's comforting, and cozy, and perfect for fall. Plus, I love easy it is to throw together!

The BEST Healthy Apple Crisp

This recipe is super simple to make, but here are some info and tips to make it even easier AND more delicious.

Apple Crisp Ingredients

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

Apples (and Pears) – the juicy, fruity base of the filling, baby. The more apples, the better!

Brown Sugar – Adds a bit of caramel flavor and sweetens up the recipe.

Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener – use instead of brown sugar for a sugar-free but still delicious version

Cinnamon – comforting spice that's 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.

For more info about ingredients, check out the FAQ section below.

How to Make Apple Crisp

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use non-stick spray to spray down an 8x8x2 square baking dish.
2. Spread out thinly sliced apples throughout the bottom of your baking dish. Combine other ingredients and spread out over the top of the apples.
3. Bake approximately 30 minutes, or until topping is browned.
4. Remove from oven, let sit for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite vanilla bean ice cream!

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

Related Post: Slow Cooker Peach Crisp!

Healthy Apple Crisp FAQs

Here are the questions and answers to our most commonly asked questions!

Best Apples to Use for Apple Crisp

When baking with apples, you want to use varieties that will hold their texture instead of baking down to mush.

Generally speaking, sweeter, less crunchy apples will become mushier than more tart or crispier apple varieties.

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

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. For me, I use quick oats for an apple crisp with oats in it. Just like the texture more.

How to Make Apple Crisp Ahead of Time

Slice the apples, 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 healthy 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.

How Do I Adapt This Healthy Apple Crisp For Food Allergies?

This easy healthy apple crisp is perfect for adapting for people with food allergies. Here how to adapt it:

Sugar-Free Apple Crisp

If you 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 Apple Crisp

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. Check out Bob's Red Mill as an excellent 1:1 baking alternative to gluten flour.

Dairy-free Apple Crisp

For a dairy-free apple crisp, substitute oil, coconut oil (if you like that flavor), or ghee 1:1 for the butter. 

Tools Needed For Making 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 – 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.

Enjoy those Fall apples!!

Tell us in the comments below: Do you prefer pie or crisp? What's your favorite fruit dessert?

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

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