THE BEST Vegan Apple Crisp!!
This vegan apple crisp recipe is the veganized version of the apple crisp my mom used to make when I was a kid.
There were quite a few birthdays where I would specifically ask her to make this baked apple crisp in place of a birthday cake, it’s THAT good! But, if you prefer an actual birthday cake on your birthday, be sure to check out this vegan chocolate coconut cake, which not only tastes delicious, but looks beautiful, too!
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And luckily, it didn’t take much effort to veganize it either, it’s basically just replacing the butter for plant-based butter. So, it’s not healthy (I have another ‘healthier’ apple crisp recipe that I’ll eventually get up on this site), but it is delicious and will please anyone who loves apples and cinnamon!
I’ve also had to change the way I enjoy this apple crisp, when I enjoy it like the best apple crisp dessert it is. Now I add a scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream (my favorite kind is almond milk ice cream), instead of ‘regular’ vanilla ice cream!
But, you don’t even have to eat this as dessert, there was a time I used to make this apple crisp for breakfast once in a while. Maybe not the healthiest breakfast option, but it has apples in it!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Apples: I love using honeycrisp (or even cosmic crisp) apples in this recipe, but other baking apples will do just fine. If you want a tarter apple to go with the sweet crispy crumble topping, then go for a green apple like Granny Smith.
Lemon Juice: Originally, my mom would use orange juice in this recipe, so if you don’t have lemon juice on hand, go ahead and use orange juice. I use lemon juice because I always have lemon juice in my fridge.
Sugar: I primarily use brown sugar in this recipe, but white or granulated sugar will do just fine. Again, this recipe was not designed to be healthy, it’s for special occasions (or when you have a sweet tooth and craving something sweet with apple & cinnamon).
Flour: I use all purpose flour in this recipe, most of the time. Oat flour also works, but when I want that nostalgic food memory from my childhood, all purpose flour is the way to go.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon is vital to this recipe and shouldn’t be replaced unless you have an allergy to it. Cloves, nutmeg, or allspice could also be used, use your own judgment here.
Plant-Based Butter: Vegan or plant-based butter can be used in this recipe, it needs to stay cold and cut into the flour, sugar, and cinnamon mixture, to hold it together to make the crispy crumble topping. I do not recommend replacing it with oil or melting it.
How to Make This Vegan Apple Crisp Without Oats
*Note that these instructions can be printed below
Step one: Preheat oven to 375℉
Step two: Add the chopped apples and lemon juice to a pie dish and set aside.
Step three: Stir together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
Step four: Cut the butter into the flour mixture, do not stir, either use a pastry cutter or cut it into the mixture with a knife.
Step five: Sprinkle the mixture evenly on top of the apples.
Step six: Bake for 45 minutes and allow to cool before enjoying!
Tips for the Best Apple Crisp
- Use the right Apples – honey crisp are my go-to apple choice, always! But fugi, gala, granny smith, and more, work really well in this recipe! I would not suggest mcintosh or red delicious apples, as the texture just isn’t right with those.
- Slice ‘em thin – to get nice and tender apples in your apple crisp, or apple crumble, you need to slice the apples thin.
- Keep the plant-based butter cold – cutting in the butter, still cold and hard, is vital to getting the crispiest topping.
- Serve warm – as with many apple desserts, they are best served warm! However, it is still insanely delicious when served cold, too!
- Add almond milk ice cream – If you want to level up this apple dessert, a scoop or two of dairy-free vanilla ice cream will do just that!
- Drizzle homemade caramel sauce on top – Want it to be even more dessert like? Drizzle some vegan caramel sauce on top!
Serving Suggestions
This recipe would go well with:
- Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream
- Thanksgiving Dinner as a dessert
- Vegan Caramel Sauce
- Added Granola on Top!
I actually used to ask my mom to make me apple crisp every year for my birthday for a while when I was a kid, that is how much I love it!
How to Store
Fridge: store in an airtight container in the fridge, or simply place plastic wrap over the baking dish. It should store well for 4-6 days, whether or not you can resist eating it for that long is another story!
Reheat in the microwave, oven, or eat cold.
Freezer: I’ve never frozen this recipe. If you do, leave a comment below with how it went!
FAQ’s for Vegan Apple Crumble (or apple crisp without oats)
There’s not much of a difference between a crisp and a crumble. They both have a fruit bottom layer with a crumble topping and are baked in the oven. I think it just depends on what you called it growing up, or maybe where you’re from. I grew up calling this recipe an apple crisp, so that’s what it is to me.
Apple crisp should never be dry, if it is then your butter probably wasn’t cut into the dry mixture well enough. If you notice a lot of mixture that doesn’t stick together before baking, cut the butter in better. If you notice dry crumble while it’s baking, you could carefully mix the topping around a little bit – this helps on occasion. Or, you can bake it longer than suggested, just keep a good eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Generally, apple crisp topping is made of flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Just be sure to use plant-based butter for a vegan apple crumble!
Because of how insanely delicious it is, it usually doesn’t last much longer than the time it takes to cool down! But, if you and your family can resist eating it all right after it’s made, it’ll last 4-6 days in the fridge and can be served cold or warm.
More Insanely Delicious Vegan Apple Recipes:
- Homemade Chunky Applesauce
- Apple Pie Bars
- Apple Enchiladas
- Apple Muffins
- Apple Fritters
- Apple Breakfast Casserole
Vegan Apple Crisp
Shawna ClapperEquipment
- Pie Dish (or any baking dish)
Ingredients
- 6 Apples chopped
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice
- ¾ cup Brown Sugar
- ¾ cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ cup Plant-Based Butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉
- Add the chopped apples and lemon juice to a pie dish and set aside.
- Stir together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Cut the butter into the flour mixture, do not stir, either use a pastry cutter or cut it into the mixture with a knife.
- Sprinkle the mixture evenly on top of the apples.
- Bake for 45 minutes and allow to cool before enjoying!
Video
Notes
Any baking dish will work, but it looks the prettiest in a pie dish. If using a large pie dish.
