This easy apple crisp recipe is made without oatmeal but still has the best crisp topping! Warm apple pie filling with a pecan and almond crumbly topping is my favorite way to enjoy fall apples. Once the apples are peeled, cored and slices, the apple mixture is ready in minutes. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe without Oats – Grain Free!
Did you know that an apple crisp without the oat streusel topping is also an apple crumble? They’re very similar tasting, but this recipe come with a cooke like topping instead of an oaty topping.
The crumble mixture is made with almond flour, tapioca flour, and chopped pecans. It tastes like a buttery cookie and is absolute perfection with the warm apple filling.
This apple dessert is sweetened with a little maple syrup and coconut sugar giving it the perfect amount of sweetness and best flavor.
Why you’ll love this classic fall dessert
Let’s fall fruit be the star – Apples shine in this recipe. They cook until tender and delicious and pair perfectly with the warm cinnamon spice. A great way to use apples when they are in season and overflowing at the grocery store!
Dairy free & vegan – No butter needed for this recipe! A simple swap of coconut oil for butter worked wonderfully in the crispy topping.
Grain free – No oats of white flour needed for this cookie like crispy topping. A mixture of almond flour, tapioca flour and chopped pecans mix until the best crumble topping.
Family approved – This is a family favorite fall dessert and is fantastic to make for dinner parties. It’s easy to make and prep in advance leaving you more time to enjoy with friends and family.
What you need for the best apple crisp without oats
Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, nutritional information, and step-by-step instructions.
- apples – honeycrisp, gala or granny Smith
- pure maple syrup
- corn starch/tapioca flour
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- pure vanilla extract
- almond flour
- pecans
- sea salt
- coconut oil
- coconut sugar
How to make this vegan apple crisp
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To a medium casserole dish, spread oil or melted butter along the base and sides with a pastry brush.
- Peel, core, and cut the apples and slice into thin apple slices. Add the sliced apples into a large bowl.
- To the apples, add the tapioca or corn starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine and pour into the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl add the almond flour, tapioca flour, chopped pecans, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt. Stir to combine and then pour in the coconut oil. Mix until fully combined.
- Spoon the crumble topping over the apples.
- Bake for 35 minutes, then tent with aluminum foil to prevent the topping from browning too much. Bake for 10-15 more minutes until the tender apple filling is cooked through and the crunchy topping is golden brown.
- Cool the dessert for 10-20 minutes until serving. Top the warm apple crisp with a scoop of ice cream and enjoy!
Note – If prepping your sliced apples in advance, toss them with a little lemon juice to prevent extra browning.
Watch me make this delicious recipe
The full how to video can be watched below, or on my YouTube channel!
Can you swap in oats?
Absolutely you can add in oats here!
Swap the almond flour for old fashioned oats and you’ve got yourself a tasty apple crisp oats recipe.
More fruit crisp ideas
Use this easy recipe with so many more fruit ideas! Try swapping the apples for:
- Pear
- Strawberry Rhubarb
- Blueberry
- Raspberry
- Cherry
How to store
Leftover apple crisp should be fully cooled to room temperature before adding to an airtight container.
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days, and warm in the oven before enjoyed.
It is also tasty straight from the fridge!
Substitutions
Below you’ll find a list of substitutions that will work well in this delicious apple crisp recipe.
If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!
Apples – Swap the apples for other fruits like pear, berries, cherries, or strawberry rhubarb. You can also use a mixture of difference fruits or berries!
Maple syrup – Using other liquid sweeteners like honey or agave nectar will work in place of maple syrup. You can also use a granulated sweetened like cane sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar in place of the maple syrup. To add a bit more liquid to the apple mixture, pour in a little apple juice.
Tapioca flour – Corn starch is a 1:1 replacement for tapioca flour. Tapioca flour also goes until the name tapioca starch and both work perfectly well here. If neither are available, any type of flour will work in it’s place. All purpose flour (if you don’t need it gluten free), or a gluten free flour mix will work as well.
Cinnamon – Swapping in pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon will work here! They both offer the warming spice this recipe calls for.
Almond flour – Almond flour can be replaced with oat flour, old-fashioned oatmeal, all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, all purpose gluten free flour, or any mixture or combination of those listed.
Pecans – Your can swap the pecans for any other nut here. Walnuts, almonds, and macadamia nuts are great options, but any nut or seed will work!
Coconut oil – Both butter or vegan butter are great replacements for coconut oil. If you only have avocado or extra virgin olive oil available, those will work too. However, they may give you more of a crumbly topping instead of one that clusters together.
More favorite apple recipes you’ll love
- Apple pie overnight oats
- Whole wheat apple pancakes
- Apple pie protein bars
- Apple potato has with sausage
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe without Oats – Grain Free!
Ingredients
Apple Filling Ingredients
- 5 apples medium sided – Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gala, or whatever combination of apples you have on hand!
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ tbsp tapioca flour or corn starch
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Crumble Topping Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup tapioca flour or corn starch
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To a medium casserole dish, spread oil or melted butter along the base and sides with a pastry brush.
- Peel, core, and cut the apples and slice into thin apple slices. Add the sliced apples into a large bowl.
- To the apples, add the tapioca or corn starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine and pour into the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl add the almond flour, tapioca flour, chopped pecans, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt. Stir to combine and then pour in the coconut oil. Mix until fully combined.
- Spoon the crumble topping over the apples.
- Bake for 35 minutes, then tent with aluminum foil to prevent the topping from browning too much. Bake for 10-15 more minutes until the tender apple filling is cooked through and the crunchy topping is golden brown.
- Cool the dessert for 10-20 minutes until serving. Top the warm apple crisp with a scoop of ice cream and enjoy!
Nutrition
If you try this homemade apple crisp recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
4 comments
This apple crisp is SO DELICIOUS. I love how easy it is to put together, plus I love how inclusive it is for all my friends with food allergies. This is gonna be my new go-to fall dessert recipe for gatherings!
Awesome, I’m so glad you loved it Ashley and that it turned into a great one to share with friends!
Loved this crisp! I had some almond flour to use up so it was perfect — gave it the best nutty taste! Do you think I could make this recipe with pears, too?
Yay, so glad you loved it Chelsea! Pear would for sure work great too. A combo of the two would be awesome as well!