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Make the best out of apple season with this incredible vegan apple crisp! Loaded with melty chunks of apples and topped with a crispy cinnamon-infused oatmeal topping, this simple yet delicious Fall dessert is sure to win your heart. For a decadent treat, serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce!
⭐️ Why You Should Try It
- The ultimate Fall dessert. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce, or both, this apple crisp is the most comforting dessert to enjoy during Fall. The smell of warm apples infused with cinnamon fills the air with a cozy atmosphere!
- Loaded with gooey apples. As they bake, apples melt and become so tender and gooey! Paired with the crispy oat topping, you end up with a wonderful contrast of textures.
- Not overly sweet. Unlike many apple crisp recipes, this one is not loaded with sugar, allowing the apple flavor to truly stand out. You can obviously adjust the sweetness to your taste if you prefer sweeter desserts.
- Simple and quick to prepare. You will need only 8 simple and easy-to-find ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep time.
📘 What is Apple Crisp
Apple crisp is a classic American dessert that first appeared around 1920. It is made with diced or sliced apples topped with a crispy crumble topping. It is then baked until the apples are tender and the topping crispy and golden brown.
Apple crisp is typically served during Fall and Winter, when apples are in season.
🍎 Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients that you will need to make this vegan apple crisp:
- Apples – Gala, Jazz, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious are a few of my favorites as they bcome tender without completely melting during baking. If you are more into tart apples, feel free to use Granny Smith.
- Sugar – To sweeten the apple filling. I thought it was sweet enough with two tablespoons of sugar for four apples. If you have a sweet tooth, double the sugar.
Then, for the crispy oatmeal topping, you will need the following:
- Flour – Use regular all-purpose flour. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Oats – Oats bring a nutty flavor to the topping. Any oat will work. You can use rolled oats for more crunch or quick oats for a finer texture.
- Butter – Use store-bought or homemade vegan butter. Make sure your butter is cold, do not use room temperature butter.
- Light brown sugar – To sweeten the topping and add crispiness. I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar in the topping as it will affect the texture.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla brings a natural sweetness and takes the apple crisp to another level, so do not omit it. You can use store-bought high-quality vanilla extract or homemade vanilla extract.
- Cinnamon – Just a hint of cinnamon helps elevate the apple flavor.
🥣 How to Make It
Prepare the crisp topping
- Add the ingredients to a mixing bowl. Add the flour, oats, light brown sugar, diced butter, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to a mixing bowl.
- Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or your hands, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms a slightly crumbly mixture. It’s okay if the butter is not completely incorporated. Set aside.
Prepare the apple filling
- Prepare the apples. Peel, core, and dice the apples into 1-inch cubes. Alternatively, you can slice them into thick slices.
- Toss with sugar and cinnamon. Transfer the diced apples to a baking dish and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat.
- Top with the crisp topping. Sprinkle the oat topping on top of the apples and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake. Finally, bake the apple crisp for 40-45 minutes or until the apples are tender and the topping crispy.
📔 Tips
- Peel the apples. While you could leave the apples unpeeled, I do not recommend it as the skin won’t really soften during baking, yielding a less pleasant texture.
- Toss the apple with cornstarch. If you prefer a thicker sauce, toss the apples with two tablespoons of cornstarch or flour. It will help thicken the juice of the apples.
- Do not overmix the crisp topping. Overmixing would result in the oats breaking too much and you would end up with a less crispy topping.
- Cover if needed. If your apple crisp is starting to brown too quickly, you can either slightly lower the temperature of your oven or cover with aluminum foil. Remove the foil the last 5 minutes of baking.
🍐 Variations
- Use a mix of pears and apples: Mix apples and pears for different textures.
- Add nuts: Want to add nuttiness to your apple crisp? Include chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts to the crisp topping!
- Add extra spices: Feel free to play with the spices. You can use apple spice, nutmeg, cardamom, or even incorporate freshly minced ginger for a zesty and spicy flavor!
🍨 What to Serve It With
This apple crisp tastes delicious on its own, served either warm or cold. You can elevate it by topping it with:
- A scoop of ice cream: Vanilla ice cream pairs particularly well with the apples.
- A dollop of coconut cream or vegan whipped cream.
- Crème anglaise: Pour some vegan vanilla custard sauce in a serving plate and arrange the apple crisp on top.
- A drizzle of caramel sauce or even maple syrup for extra sweetness!
❄️ Make-Ahead and Freezing
- To make ahead: You can prepare the filling and topping beforehand and bake right before serving. To do so, prepare the apples and toss them with the sugar, cinnamon, and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Transfer to a baking dish and keep covered in the refrigerator. Make the crisp topping, cover, and refrigerate as well. When you want to bake, simply arrange the topping on the apples and bake as noted in the recipe.
- To store: Keep the apple crisp in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: Let the apple crisp cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Apple crisp will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and enjoy chilled or warm.
- To reheat: Warm the apple crisp in a 350°F (175°C) preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
💬 FAQ
Yes, you can simply replace the oats with the same amount of all-purpose flour.
Apple crisp can be enjoyed both ways! It’s especially delicious served with a scoop of ice cream while the apples are still warm and gooey.
This vegan apple crisp is a must-try Fall dessert! It’s not overly sweet, super simple to prepare, and full of warming flavors. We have been making it over and over again recently, and I hope you will love it as much as we do!
⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
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Vegan Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 large apples Gala, Jazz, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Crisp Topping
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats or quick oats
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup diced butter cold
Instructions
Filling
- Preheat your oven to
350 °F (175°C). - Prepare the apples. Peel, core, and dice the apples into 1-inch cubes. Alternatively, you can slice them into thick slices.
- Toss with sugar and cinnamon. Transfer the diced apples to a 9×7-inch (23x18cm) oven-safe baking dish. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Add the vanilla extract and toss to coat. Set aside.
Crisp Topping
- Add the ingredients to a mixing bowl. Add the flour, oats, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and diced butter to a mixing bowl.
- Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or your hands, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms a slightly crumbly mixture. It’s okay if the butter is not completely incorporated.
Assemble
- Top with the crisp topping. Sprinkle the oat topping on top of the apples and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake. Finally, bake the apple crisp for 40-45 minutes or until the apples are tender and the topping crispy.
- Serve the apple crisp warm, or chilled with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce!
Notes
- Peel the apples. While you could leave the apples unpeeled, I do not recommend it as the skin won’t really soften during baking, yielding a less pleasant texture.
- Toss the apple with cornstarch. If you prefer a thicker sauce, toss the apples with two tablespoons of cornstarch or flour. It will help thicken the juice of the apples.
- Do not overmix the crisp topping. Overmixing would result in the oats breaking too much and you would end up with a less crispy topping.
- Cover if needed. If your apple crisp is starting to brown too quickly, you can either slightly lower the temperature of your oven or cover with aluminum foil. Remove the foil the last 5 minutes of baking.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
Leave a Comment
I had a bag of apples and this was perfect recipe to use ’em up. Quick, easy, affordable, pantry- and weeknight-friendly. And delicious too!
Glad you liked this apple crisp, Regan 🙂 Thanks for your rating!
It will be a new dessert for my family/ Thank you for sharing.