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This vegan apple crisp recipe gets all the hype for a reason: it's the ultimate low-effort any friggin' time dessert. Warm cardamom, cinnamon-spiced apples with orange zest meet a crunchy organic brown sugar oat streusel topping. And the best part? It takes half the time and just about none of the skill of a traditional vegan apple pie.
Recipe tips tailored to what matters most to you:
Swap the regular flour for a gluten-free all-purpose blend and make sure the oats you use are certified gluten-free too.
Skip peeling the apples entirely if you're short on time, it's totally optional and just changes the texture a bit.
Trader Joe's vegan butter is a cheaper pick here than most name brands if you're watching the budget.
Cut the brown sugar in the topping by a tablespoon or two if you want it a little less sweet.
Swap in oat flour or ground sunflower seeds if almond flour isn't in your pantry, no fuss.
Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or any more acidic apple will give you the perfect tender-but-firm texture and balanced flavor.
Don't press the topping flat. Loose clusters mean crunchy golden bits on top and soft buttery pockets underneath.
Oodles more tips, step-by-step recipe photos, info on weird ingredients, and FAQs are all still here. I just tucked 'em out of the way so you can start cooking sooner.
How many ways can we bake with apples? Oh goodness, let me enumerate the ways. Hopefully you've been rocking out some of my faves like vegan apple fritters, apple kugel, vegan apple cider donuts (yep, the ones I've won awards for and even got featured in the New York Times), or these vegan apple muffins.
But today, let's strip it back to the essentials with one of the most drop-dead easiest, crowd-pleasiest apple bottom bangers of all time (I mean other than this masterpiece)
This is pure, simple apple crisp: a timeless dessert that lets the apples do what they do best: APPLE (like, as a verb, meaning "being appley" I guess). It's an end-of-meal treat (if not an autumnal breakfast) that delivers serious flavor with next to no effort.
This is a beautifully spicy apple crisp (love in the warm Holiday flavors), not the dull kind made in the 1960-1970's by my beloved Aunts. Don't tell on me, but I added cayenne pepper.
My little Braeburn apple tree was producing alot and the Braeburns were perfect in this crisp.
Easy to follow recipe; i love Cinnamon Snail !
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🥰 Why you'll adore this Vegan Apple Crisp recipe
✊ Vegan AF & GF: Like all of my vegan dessert recipes, this one proves you don't need to infringe upon some poor cow's personal business to have a lovely treat.
😌 Stress-Free Baking: An easy vegan recipe even your bumbling fool of a dad can pull off. This ain't that pie that will require you to stay up late. Though maybe don't actually nap while the oven's on. (Fire hazard, Son.)
🛒 Easy Peasy Ingredients: Everything here is small-town grocery-store basic. Like the kind of town where the nearest Whole Foods is a 3 hour drive away. Just regular pantry staples here.
Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of the vegan recipes I share, after tweaking and perfecting it, this one passed through the American Gladiator-style paces by my massive recipe testing squad.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🍎 Vegan Apple Crisp Ingredients
The Apples
I'd recommend making this with firm, more tart-than-sweet varieties of apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp so they hold up in the oven and balance the sweetness you are adding to 'em. Beyond sweet/acid, Pink Lady or early-season Empire apples (which also make the most beautifully pink applesauce) have a lovely flavor that goes great in a crisp or crumble.
The Spices
The spice combo for this delicious apple crisp is simple but unfairly goood: Vietnamese cinnamon for depth, cloud forest cardamom from Burlap & Barrel for a little wild aroma, and fresh nutmeg to tie everything together. If all you've got are the grocery basics, don't sweat using my specific preferred brands of spices. They'll still make your kitchen smell like a goshdarn wood-fired bakery in Appalachia.
The Vanilla
You can totally use extract, but vanilla powder looks super-pretty with those tiny specks running through the filling.
If you've got more vanilla powder left over after making this, save it for making the vegan cinnamon babka, vegan pumpkin crème brûlée, or that Hong Kong French toast you swore you'd try someday.
The Flours
Cornstarch (or arrowroot) thickens those fresh apples into a smooth filling. All-purpose flour keeps the crumble mixture crisp and golden, and gluten-free all-purpose flour does the job just as well if you're skipping wheat.
Almond flour adds great flavor and texture to the topping, but if nuts make your throat do the cha-cha in all of the wrong ways, oat flour or ground sunflower seeds will save the day without needing an EpiPen.
Rolled Oats
Either regular rolled oats or quick oats work fine here.
Vegan Butter
Use whatever vegan butter you've got, but I'm an Earth Balance apologist through and through. Trader Joe's works too if you're on a budget, just a little annoying to measure (since it's in an unmarked wrapper). Or just make your own by following the recipe in my Vegan Dairy Crash Course.
Vegan Whipped Cream
You need that creamy stuff on top or what are we even doing here. My whipped cream recipe is stupid easy and happens to be fluffy as heck. But honestly, slightly thawed Cocowhip hits too, no shame in that lazy life.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Pecan Oat Pear Crisp
Replace half the almond flour with chopped pecans and add extra rolled oats for a heartier, more wholesome topping. Use semi-firm pears in place of the apples in the filling.
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Mix a cup of cranberries into the apple filling to add a pop of color and tartness that balances the maple. Since you'll probably have leftover cranberries from making this variation, use them up to make a cranberry galette, cranberry ezme, or cranberry puff pastries.
📖 How to make Vegan Apple Crisp
Craving a healthy apple crisp like, right the heck now? Follow these photo-packed steps to nail it on the first whisk. Or skip down to the recipe card if you're all about getting this in your belly ASAP.
Step One
Apple Bottom Jeans:
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9-by-9-inch (23-by-23 cm) baking pan or casserole dish.
In a large bowl, combine the chopped apples, maple syrup, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla, salt, and cornstarch. Stir until the apple slices are completely coated and the cornstarch is dissolved.
Step Two
A Dish Called Wanda:
Transfer the apple mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly.
Step Three
Crumble in the Jungle:
In another large bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, oats, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and brown sugar.
Step Four
Butter Call Saul:
Add the cold diced vegan butter, brown sugar (or coconut sugar), vanilla, and salt, then use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to blend until coarse crumbs form.
Step Five
Dr. Streuss:
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apple filling, covering it fully but without pressing it down.
Step Six
Bake to the Future:
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the topping turns golden brown and the filling bubbles around the edges. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Step Seven
I Have a Cream:
Serve warm with vegan whipped cream or a scoop of vegan ice cream, and finish with a light dusting of cinnamon.
👉Top tips
- Pick apples that are on the tarter side: You want apples that still have opinions of their very own after baking. Sweet ones make the whole thing taste kinda one dimensional, and soft ones will make it look like it came straight outta a Gerber jar. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or any more acidic apple will give you the perfect tender-but-firm texture and balanced flavor.
- Donald Clump: Don't press the topping flat. Loose clusters mean crunchy golden bits on top and soft buttery pockets underneath, giving you that ideal mix of textures. It also gives the apples space to breathe instead of drowning in their own steam.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Nah. It's your call. Peeling gives you a softer texture, but leaving the apple skin on adds fiber, color, and a rustic vibe if that's your thing.
Ofc! Since you can't stand gluten with all of your wheat-hating heart and soul, swap the regular flour for a gluten-free all-purpose blend and make sure your oats are certified gluten free.
🧊 Refrigerating:
Let the apple crisp cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid. Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. This helps the flavors deepen and keeps the topping crisp for longer.
⚡️ Microwave Reheating:
Place a serving in a microwave-safe dish and heat on medium power for about 1 to 2 minutes. For a crisper top, pop it under the broiler for a minute afterward to bring back that golden crunch.
✌️You'll love these vegan fall desserts too:
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Vegan Apple Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
For the Maple Apple Filling:
- 4 cups apples peeled and diced
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder or vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot
For the Apple Crisp Topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup vegan butter cold and diced
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional For Serving:
- Vegan vanilla ice cream
- Vegan whipped cream
- Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9-by-9-inch (23-by-23 cm) baking dish.
- To prepare the filling, combine the apples, maple syrup, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla, salt, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Mix until the apples are evenly coated and the cornstarch is fully dispersed.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer.
- To make the topping, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, oats, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves in a large bowl.
- Add the diced cold butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to work it into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apple mixture, covering it completely but without pressing it down.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm with either vegan whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, and a light dusting of cinnamon.
Notes
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Jackie Humes says
This is a beautifully spicy apple crisp (love in the warm Holiday flavors), not the dull kind made in the 1960-1970's by my beloved Aunts. Don't tell on me, but I added cayenne pepper.
My little Braeburn apple tree was producing alot and the Braeburns were perfect in this crisp.
Easy to follow recipe; i love Cinnamon Snail !