↑
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Work With Us
    • How to Guest Post with Made In A Pinch

Made In A Pinch

Making family life easier, healthier, & happier!

  • in the

    kitchen

    • Healthy alternatives
    • kid-friendly
    • Sauces
    • Snacks
    • Soup
    • Desserts
    • Weeknight Dinners
    • Lunch Bunch
  • all about

    family

    • Kids
      • Kids Activities
    • Time Together
  • learn to

    DIY

    • Gifts
  • helpful

    tips

    • Treasures
    • Tech Tips
  • score

    freebies

  • meet us

    about

    • Copyright and Disclosures
    • Comment Policy
    • California Consumer Privacy Policy (CCPA)
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    • Contact Us
  • product

    Shop

Most Indulgent Healthy Apple Crisp Recipe Ever

8/28/20
TThis post may contain affiliate links. We receive a small commission at no additional cost to you, and we only recommend products that we have and use in our own homes. For more information, please read our Disclosure Policy

Move over, apple pie! This healthy apple crisp recipe is so crazy good and so easy to make that you won't even miss the pie. Make it today and enjoy how amazing it makes your house smell.

healthy apple crisp pin image

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! 🙂

Our healthy apple crisp recipe is simple to make and disappears quickly. Get our kid-approved recipe at Made in a Pinch and follow us on Pinterest

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!

Our healthy apple crisp recipe is simple to make and disappears quickly. Get our kid-approved recipe at Made in a Pinch and follow us on Pinterest1

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.

Get a week of recipes for classic dinners with a healthy twist kids will love.

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.
Our healthy apple crisp recipe is simple to make and disappears quickly. Get our kid-approved recipe at Made in a Pinch and follow us on Pinterest2

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.

Check Out These Popular Fall Posts!

  • Perfect-every-time Pumpkin Spice Bread
  • Slow Cooker 3 Bean Chili
  • 22 Awesome Fall Family Activities to Make Lasting Memories!
Apple crisp is simple to make and disappears quickly. Get our kid-approved recipe at Made in a Pinch and follow us on Pinterest1
Indulgent Healthy Apple Crisp
Print Recipe
Save the work and calories by skipping the crust to get your apple pie fix with apple crisp instead. Delicious, simple to make and oh-so-satisfying, this dessert will become the new family favorite!
  • CourseDessert
Servings Prep Time
6-8 servings 10-15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30 minutes 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6-8 servings 10-15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30 minutes 10 minutes
Apple crisp is simple to make and disappears quickly. Get our kid-approved recipe at Made in a Pinch and follow us on Pinterest1
Indulgent Healthy Apple Crisp
Print Recipe
Save the work and calories by skipping the crust to get your apple pie fix with apple crisp instead. Delicious, simple to make and oh-so-satisfying, this dessert will become the new family favorite!
  • CourseDessert
Servings Prep Time
6-8 servings 10-15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30 minutes 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6-8 servings 10-15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30 minutes 10 minutes
Ingredients
  • 5 medium tart cooking apples peeled and thinly sliced; Granny Smith or Rome are my favs
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar not packed; sub 1:1 with Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener for a sugar-free version
  • 1/2 cup flour I have used a mixture of white and wheat (50/50 blend)
  • 1/2 cup quick cooking oats you can use rolled oat if you prefer
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened and cut up
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp nutmeg A little of this goes a long way
Servings: servings
Instructions
  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!
Recipe Notes

**This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9x13 pan.

Share this Recipe

Filed Under: Baked goodies, Desserts, Featured

Comments

  1. tiffany dayton says

    December 14, 2020 at 2:54 pm

    I would love to try this.

    Reply
  2. Linda Peterson says

    October 5, 2020 at 11:35 am

    Just came out of the oven…looks fantastic! Can’t wait to give it a try! Very easy to put together!

    Reply
    • Heather says

      October 5, 2020 at 12:41 pm

      Hi Linda! I’m so glad to hear this – it’s my favorite! I hope you love it too <3

      Reply
  3. SuperBoost Wifi says

    December 7, 2018 at 5:12 pm

    I like this post, enjoyed this one thanks for putting up.

    Reply
  4. julie Redden says

    October 19, 2018 at 10:01 am

    Looks so good!!

    Reply
    • Heather says

      October 19, 2018 at 11:07 pm

      Hi Julie! Oh it IS good! I dare you to try it 🙂

      Reply
  5. Starla says

    October 11, 2018 at 1:15 am

    I definitely have to agree with you about the whole pie thing. Fruit crisps are the best! Yay for delicious and healthier! Pinning!

    Reply
    • Heather says

      October 12, 2018 at 9:49 am

      Yes they are! And Yay for easy too!!!

      Reply
  6. Loni says

    October 2, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    I totally agree with you, I just don’t love pie because of the crust! I can’t wait to try this recipe because I love fall baking! 🙂

    Reply
    • Heather says

      October 2, 2018 at 11:37 pm

      Hey Loni! YES! Skip the crust and indulge in fun fall baking (it’s my favorite time of the year to bake too)!!

      Reply
  7. Christina Gould says

    September 29, 2018 at 3:32 am

    I haven’t had an apple crisp in a really long time. Thanks for posting!

    Reply
    • Heather says

      October 1, 2018 at 11:42 pm

      You are welcome Christina! I hope you love it! Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  8. Rosie says

    September 28, 2018 at 6:32 pm

    This does sound good. We’ve been eating apples, but I keep buying more and more and the refrigerator is groaning. I keep thinking I’ll make some pies, but haven’t. I like this idea of doing the prep ahead, and it is sure a lot easier than making pies. I want to try it.

    Reply
    • Heather says

      September 28, 2018 at 11:32 pm

      Hey Rosie! Good to see you! Apple crisp is SO much easier than making apple pie. I LOVE how it tastes and it makes the house smell so good when baking! Use some of those apples for apple crisp 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

WELCOME!

Almost 20 years, 5 kids, and near chaos connect us! We used to be college roommates and now live 2,000 miles apart. We wanted to find a way to stay connected and continue sharing our lives together in a more complete way. We want to share it all with you! READ MORE >>
   

Infinity Best Parenting Blog Nominee Award    

BEST FREE MONEY SAVING APP!

Ibotta is a free money saving app for your phone to save money on everyday purchases, almost anywhere you shop. And you get $10 just for signing up!

CLAIM YOUR $10 SIGN UP GIFT!

Search Made In A Pinch for:

Featured Articles

how to make sidewalk chalk paint

How To Make Sidewalk Chalk Paint (Boredom Buster!)

homemade Easter basket ideas collage

20 Homemade Easter Basket Ideas Kids Love

subscribe and never miss an update

Email Newsletter

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Read our Privacy Policy and our We Do Not Sell Personal Information Page
Copyright ©2021, Made In A Pinch. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs