This simple yet delicious Vegan Apple Crisp is the perfect holiday dessert! The crunchy oat topping and sweet cooked apple filling fits perfectly on every table.
VEGAN APPLE CRISP RECIPE
I LOVE vegan desserts, but during the holidays, it's hard to eat a rich, decadent dessert after a huge meal! Luckily, this Vegan Apple Crisp brings all the dessert I need and none of the heaviness, dairy, or excess breading!
This gorgeous vegan apple dessert is similar in shape to apple pie but has no crust — just a rolled oat and pecan topping filled with cinnamon and sugar deliciousness.
Need another dairy-free dessert for the family? Try this gluten-free Cherry Delight with a soft cheesecake filling piled high with cherries but no milk!
Most apple crisp recipes include butter to make the topping crispy, but this vegan apple crisp uses no butter, no oil, and no added fat at all!
Maple syrup helps to bind the oat topping together, and the resulting dessert is a healthier, butter-free apple crisp that is just as delicious as any traditional crisp recipe. If you want to add some more sweet to it, serve it with a side of No Churn Ice Cream.
INGREDIENTS IN VEGAN APPLE CRISP
Apples - Choose your favorite apples for baking with. I like to use two types - one that is tart and another that is sweet.
Maple Syrup - This is one of our sweeteners for this crisp and gives a warm flavor that just reminds me of fall.
Corn Starch - Used here as a gluten-free thickening agent for the apple mixture.
Cinnamon- This warm spicy stuff belongs anywhere where apples are.
Ginger - Ground ginger adds another layer of spiciness and flavor to the apples.
Nutmeg - Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are the perfect spice trio for this dish.
Sugar - Adds more sweetness and caramelizes nicely in the topping
Rolled Oats - Choose gluten-free rolled oats to keep this vegan apple dessert recipe gluten free as well as vegan.
Pecans - Chop your nuts finely, but not too small. You want them to be crunchy in your topping.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN APPLE CRISP
- Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F (180°C). Wash and core your apples.
- Next, dice your apples! I like leaving the skin on, but you can also peel them before dicing.
- Then, mix your rolled oats, chopped pecans, sugar, cinnamon, and maple syrup for your crisp topping in a large bowl.
- Pour the apple filling mixture into the bottom of a greased pie tart dish. Then, add the crisp topping. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and the filling is bubbly. Enjoy!
WHICH APPLES TO USE FOR VEGAN APPLE CRISP
Cooked apples are such a delicious treat, on their own or in a dessert, and a lot of that goodness comes from the type of apple you use.
In this recipe, I recommend a blend of green and red apples to balance the tart and the sweet. With the green apples, I prefer the lovely Granny Smith, but Golden Delicious also works if you don't like things to be tart.
For the red apples, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, and Gala are all great options. Have one of each? Try them all!
HOW TO SERVE VEGAN APPLE CRISP
This vegan dessert is great on its own! It doesn't have a crust, so it's more scoop-and-serve than slice-and-serve. What it lacks in traditional beauty it more than makes up for in delicious fall, apple flavor.
Have some dairy-free vanilla ice cream? Try this a la mode like apple pie!
Vegan Caramel will beautifully complement this apple crisp dish!
You might enjoy this apple peanut butter smoothie recipe I saw online too.
Vegan Apple Crisp Variations
Add other fruits to the filling to make new and exciting variations on this recipe! Try fresh cranberries or blueberries in place of about a quarter of the apples.
Vegan apple blueberry crisp and vegan apple cranberry crisp are both super tasty!
Fresh pears can be used in place of the apples to make the best vegan pear crisp.
Feel free to leave out the nuts if you'd like this apple crisp recipe to be nut-free. You can add extra oats to make up for it! If you skip the nuts, I suggest adding a tablespoon or so of coconut oil to the mix to make up for the fats from the pecans.
You can also replace the pecans with walnuts, slivered almonds, or whatever type of nut you enjoy baking with the most.
Try adding homemade caramel sauce to each dish before serving for a super sweet and rich bonus.
More Vegan Holiday Recipes To Try:
Vegan Green Bean Casserole is my favorite holiday side dish, and is a must-have for Thanksgiving dinner. I've been known to make it on a regular Saturday too.
Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole is amazing on a holiday table or as a side dish any time of the year.
And you definitely should not forget the Vegan Mashed Potatoes! I make them with almond milk.
I make an amazing Air Fryer Apple Crisp when I want to have an easy apple dessert ready super quickly.
More Easy Apple Recipes to Try
- Easy Apple Cake
- Apple Snicker Salad
- Kale Apple Slaw
- Apple Compote
- Homemade Applesauce
- Single Serve Apple Crumble
Vegan Apple Crisp
Equipment
- Knife
- Pie pan or tart pan
Ingredients
Apple Crisp Filling
- 5 medium apples mix of green and red
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried ginger
- ¼ teaspoon dried nutmeg
Crisp Topping
- 1 cup rolled oats gluten free
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Dice the apples into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, mix the apples with the remaining apple crisp filling ingredients. Pour the mixture into greased tart pan or pie dish.
- In another large bowl, mix together the crisp topping ingredients. Pour the topping evenly over the apple mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until brown and bubbly. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
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This looks super tasty! I haven't made apple crisp in ages, and this recipe reminded me I need to fix that! Bookmarked this page for later.
Thanks for bookmarking!
Sounds like a delightful autumn treat and because it's low in fat, this would be perfect for breakfast too!
Perfect for any time of the day! That's for sure!
It's sept 1st which means apple season! love this recipe.
Thank you so much!
I love this time of year because all of the fruit is ready to be turned into a crisp. This is such an amazing recipe and it is absolutely delicious.
I love this time of year too!
Yum! Honestly, there is nothing better than eating a warm apple crisp. Glad to have a vegan recipe and not mess with a pie crust.
Thank you Jere!