This healthy, refined sugar-free apple crisp is loaded with cinnamon, ginger, and dried cranberries. The oatmeal topping is made with a blend of pecans, walnuts, almond butter, and monk fruit sweetener that gives it a nice and nutty crunch!
Jump to:
- 🍏 What makes this sugar-free apple crisp different from the classic recipe?
- 💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🥣 Key Ingredients
- 🍴Tools and Equipment
- 👩🏻🍳 How to Make Sugar-Free Apple Crisp
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions
- 🍽 How to Serve
- ❄️ Storage and Reheating
- 🍎 More Low-Sugar Apple Recipes!
- 🎥 Video
- ⚖️ Serving Size
- Recipe
Is it possible to still have a sweet, indulgent dessert without refined sugar? I’m here to tell you, yes, it is! This plant-based dessert is where it’s at!
Apple crisp is one of those all-time American classics. Numerous recipes exist, and most home cooks have their favorite version. A classic apple crisp recipe is made with brown sugar, white flour, and butter, which doesn’t work well if you’re following a low-sugar diet.
I have created a healthy apple crisp that is just as delicious as the classic without any added sugar!
This recipe was a big hit in my house! Confession time…we all ended up eating the leftovers for breakfast! But, hey, it’s sugar-free and full of apples, so why not eat it for breakfast? If you like this recipe, you may also like my sugar-free applesauce.
🍏 What makes this sugar-free apple crisp different from the classic recipe?
This apple crisp is healthier than classic versions because of a few healthy swaps.
- Instead of brown sugar, or granulated sugar, monkfruit powder is used to give this crisp sweetness without any added sugar, or calories.
- Rolled oats and arrowroot flour are used instead of white flour to give this crisp added fiber, and make it gluten-free.
- Raw nuts, and nut butter are used instead of butter to give this crisp the moisture and fat it needs with wholesome and natural plant-based ingredients.
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is sugar-free. All of the sweet flavors that give this apple crisp its flavor naturally occur from the apples, and monk fruit sweetener.
- This recipe is also naturally gluten-free and vegan-friendly. Be sure to use gluten-free oats to ensure that there isn’t any cross-contamination.
- The nutty crisp topping is made without oil or butter, reducing the overall calories.
- It’s a healthy spin on an American classic!
🥣 Key Ingredients
Apple Mixture
Granny Smith Apples: Use a tart apple like Granny Smith’s. They hold their texture and shape well when baked, and the tart flavor compliments the other sweet elements.
Dried Cranberries: Most dried cranberries have a lot of added sugar. However, you can find sugar-free versions in health food stores such as Whole Foods. I keep these Sugar Free Cranberries stocked in my pantry.
Spices: Ground ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla extract infuse the apples with warm spices.
Water: The apples need some moisture and liquid. Use water for the lowest sugar option, or if it’s in season, opt for apple cider.
Arrowroot Powder: Instead of using flour, the arrowroot powder helps to hold all the ingredients in the filling together and creates a thick syrupy consistency when combined with the juices of the apples after it’s baked.
Monkfruit Sweetener: This calorie free, sugar free, all natural sweetener is what gives this apple crisp the perfect balance of sweetness.
Crumble Topping
Rolled Oats: Be sure to use rolled oats, not quick or steel-cut oats.
Nuts: Chopped raw pecans and raw walnuts give the crumble a nice crunch and a roasted nutty flavor.
Spices: A touch of ground cinnamon and kosher salt bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
Almond Butter: The almond butter helps to bind the crumble topping ingredients together.
Substitutions
- If you don’t have arrowroot powder, you can use cornstarch instead.
- Substitute the monk fruit extract powder with maple syrup, which is a natural refined sugar-free sweetener.
- Or use date syrup, date sugar, or whole dates as your sweetener.
- For a keto friendly low carb version, use almond flour instead of rolled oats.
🍴Tools and Equipment
You’ll need a Food Processor to mix the oat and nut topping easily. Check out my Essential Kitchen Tools for more of my can’t live without favorite tools. Use either a round 9-inch baking dish or a rectangular 9×9-inch square baking dish. An apple corer will make coring and slicing your apples a breeze!
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Sugar-Free Apple Crisp
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Slice, core, and peel six apples.
Step 2: In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the sliced apples with the cranberries (optional), cinnamon, ginger, monk fruit sweetener, vanilla, arrowroot powder, and water.
Step 3: Combine the oats, ground flax, pecans, walnuts, brown monk fruit sweetener, almond butter, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until a crumbly paste is made.
Step 4: Spray your baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the apple mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle oat crumble evenly over the top.
Step 5: Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown and apples release their juices and soften. Serve warm.
💭 Expert Tips:
- Cut the apples into thin slices. It takes time for apples to release their moisture, so the thinner the slices, the less time to cook, and the more easily the apples will soften and make a nice caramel sauce with their juices.
- It’s up to you whether you’d like to peel the apples. There are a lot of excellent nutrients in the peel, and the peel softens when cooking. Plus, it saves time to skip the peeling step.
- The sugar-free cranberries in this recipe are optional. I’ve had many readers ask where they can find sugar-free cranberries. I buy the brand Honestly Cranberry on Amazon and have seen it in Whole Foods.
Variations
- Use sliced pears instead of apples for a sugar-free pear crisp.
- Make this a blueberry crisp by adding 6 cups of blueberries and the zest and juice of 1 lemon.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Crisps, crumbles, and cobblers are all types of baked fruit desserts, but they differ in their ingredients and preparation methods. A crisp typically consists of baked fruit topped with a crispy streusel-like topping. A crumble is similar to a crisp, but the topping is more coarse and crumbly because it contains a higher proportion of butter and less flour than a crisp topping. A cobbler, on the other hand, has a biscuit-like topping that is dropped in spoonfuls on top of the fruit filling, giving it a more rustic appearance.
When making a crisp, you want to choose apples that hold their shape well during baking and have a balance of sweet and tart flavors. Some of the best apple varieties for making a crisp include: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Jonagold, and Cortland. Or choose a combination of these apple varieties to achieve a balance of sweetness and tartness in your crisp.
Wash the apples under cold water to remove any dirt or debris. Place the apple on a cutting board and use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the apple. Start at the top of the apple and work your way down to the bottom, rotating the apple as you go. Once the apple is peeled, place it on the cutting board and slice it in half from top to bottom. Use a sharp paring knife to remove the core from each half of the apple. You can do this by making a circular cut around the core and then removing it with a twisting motion. Place each apple half flat side down on the cutting board and slice or chop as desired. You can also use an apple corer to speed up the process.
I believe the best sweetener to use for a sugar-free apple crisp is granular monkfruit powder. It’s naturally sugar-free, and does not contain stevia. Yet, it’s also completely sugar-free, and has zero calories. If you don’t have monkfruit powder, than opt for maple syrup, date syrup, or whole dates.
🍽 How to Serve
Serve warm or at room temperature. Here are a few serving suggestions:
- Serve with vanilla ice cream: A classic way to serve is with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. The warm, crispy topping and tender apples are a perfect complement to the cool, creamy ice cream.
- Add whipped cream: Another option is to serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top. This adds a light, airy texture and a touch of sweetness to the dish.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce: For a decadent treat, drizzle vegan caramel sauce over the apple crisp. This adds a rich, buttery flavor and a touch of sweetness that complements the flavors of the baked apples and crispy topping.
- Serve with a side of fruit: If you want to balance out the sweetness of the apple crisp, serve it with a side of fresh fruit, such as fresh raspberries. This adds a fresh, tart flavor that cuts through the richness of the dessert.
❄️ Storage and Reheating
Keep your apple crisp covered and in the fridge. The topping of this apple crisp holds up well in the refrigerator. You don’t need to worry about getting a soggy top. It will keep for up to 5 days.
When you’re ready to reheat the apple crisp again place it in the oven at 350 F for 15 minutes or until warmed through.
You can also pop it in the microwave to reheat. Time will vary depending on how much you are reheating at a time. A small single serving needs no more than 30 seconds , while a whole apple crisp will need quite a bit more time.
🍎 More Low-Sugar Apple Recipes!
🎥 Video
⚖️ Serving Size
This apple crisp makes 8 servings. Each serving is about ⅔ of a cup.
If you made this recipe, please comment below and leave a ⭐️ rating. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more family-friendly vegan recipes!
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Recipe
Sugar Free Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 6 Granny Smith Apples cored and sliced
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup sugar free cranberries optional
- 2 tablespoon arrowroot powder or corn starch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon granulated monk fruit powder
Crisp Topping
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup ground flax
- ¼ cup raw walnuts
- ¼ cup raw pecans
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup brown monk fruit sweetener
- ¼ cup almond butter or other raw nut butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Slice, core, and peel 6 apples.
- Combine sliced apples with cranberries, cinnamon, ginger, granulated monk fruit sweetener, vanilla, arrowroot powder, and water. Toss to combine.
- Combine the rolled oats, ground flax, pecans, walnuts, brown monk fruit sweetener, almond butter, cinnamon and salt in a food processor. Pulse until a crumbly paste is made.
- Spray the 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the apple mixture on the bottom, and sprinkle the oat crumble evenly over the top.
- Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until top browns and apples release their juices and soften. Serve warm.
Notes
-
- Cut the apples into thin slices. It takes time for apples to release their moisture, so the thinner the slices, the less time to cook, and the more easily the apples will soften and make a nice caramel sauce with their juices.
-
- It’s up to you whether you’d like to peel the apples. There are a lot of excellent nutrients in the peel, and the peel softens when cooking. Plus, it saves time to skip the peeling step.
-
- The sugar-free cranberries in this recipe are optional. I’ve had many readers ask where they can find sugar-free cranberries. I buy the brand Honestly Cranberry on Amazon and have seen it in Whole Foods.
- Keep in the refrigerator covered in an airtight container. It will last for up to 5 days when refrigerated. When ready to reheat, warm in a preheated oven at 350° F for up to 15 minutes, or in the microwave.
- Be sure to use gluten-free rolled oats if you are gluten-free.
- If you don’t have arrowroot powder, use corn starch.
- For a keto friendly low carb version, use almond flour instead of rolled oats.
- Substitute the monk fruit extract powder with maple syrup, which is a natural refined sugar-free sweetener. Or date syrup, date sugar, or whole dates as your sweetener.
April
Super delicious! Our family are participating in Veganuary and cut out all refined sugars and processed foods at the same time. I left out the cranberries because my son does not like cooked dried fruit (don’t ask). My kiddos were super excited to see this hit the table. We all loved it! Thank you.
Alison Corey
I’m so glad that your family enjoyed this recipe! Good for all of you for giving up refined sugar, and trying Veganuary! I hope you discover more delicious vegan recipes!
Adriana
How lovely your apple crisp looks and so easy to make too, need a bowl!
Beth
I could eat apple crisp morning, noon and night! I love the addition of cranberries! Yum!
Andrea
Awesome recipe. Really like that you use granny smith’s and that it’s gluten free and sugar free.
Nicole J.
I love apple crisps! They are the perfect fall recipe. Definitely going to try this out!
Jenny
This sounds amazing. I have an oat allergy though – do you think I could just use more nuts instead of the oats?
Alison Corey
You could use a gluten-free flour or a whole wheat flour.
Sara Welch
Such a great recipe for fall! Looking forward to enjoying this all season long; delish!