This is the best Vegan Apple Crisp ever! Packed with perfectly sweetened and tender apples, topped with a buttery, crispy oat mixture and best served with a scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel. A must make dessert in the Fall, when apples are abundant!
This is hands down the more incredible apple crisp you will ever have. It’s perfect Fall comfort food, old fashioned and such a crowd pleasing dessert! It has all the flavors of apple pie but is so much easier to make.
It took me a long time to discover the secrets to the best apple crisp, and I will share all the details with you! This recipe has been tested many times to reach perfection, and I hope you love it as much as I do.
Ingredients you need
- Apples – Use Granny Smith for best results! Other crisp apples may work.
- Vegan butter – I used Earth Balance brand, but another brand or coconut oil would work.
- Flour – I haven’t tested it with gluten free flour, but a mix might work.
- Lemon juice
- Brown sugar – Adds sweetness and moisture, regular sugar won’t work as well here.
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Oats
- Baking powder
How to make Vegan Apple Crisp
- Peel, slice and chop your apples very small and thin. The smaller, the better in my opinion. If you chop them too big, they will never get tender in the oven. Whisk melted butter and flour together in a small bowl, then stir in the water, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour over the apples in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Dump the coated apples into a baking dish and spread them out evenly.
- Make the crumbly topping in a medium bowl by stirring together the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Then cut in the vegan butter until crumbly.
- Sprinkle on the apples in the dish and bake for about 45 minutes, until the apples are tender and the topping is crispy and golden brown.
Toppings
For the most amazing apple crisp, serve warm with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream (I love cashew or coconut milk based ice creams) and a drizzle of my Easy Vegan Caramel! The caramel takes this to the next level.
Tips for the best crisp
- Use Granny Smith Apples – I have tried others but this is my favorite. They are crisp and not too sweet, the best apple for crisp! Honey crisp are pretty good as well, but I would reduce the sugar a bit because they are sweeter apples.
- Make sure to slice your apples thinly and small, so they get very tender in the oven. If not you will have crispy, uncooked apple chunks, which is not what you want.
- Serve warm for the best taste and crispy topping. Leftovers will still be good the next day, but the topping wont stay as crispy.
- Drizzle apple crisp with caramel sauce! I just tried it for the first time, and I don’t think I can ever go back!
Want more vegan apple recipes?
And more show-stopping Fall desserts?
Vegan Apple Crisp
Ingredients
For the apple filling:
- 6 large apples (about 4 lbs), peeled, cored and chopped small
- 1/3 cup vegan butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup water
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the topping:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray a 9 X 13 casserole dish with oil.
For the apple filling
- Peel, core and chop the apples into thin, small pieces. This will help them get tender in the oven! Place the apples in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted vegan butter with the 3 tablespoons of flour, then add the water, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and mix until smooth.
- Pour the mixture over the apples and mix well to coat. Dump the apples into the casserole dish and spread evenly. Set aside and prepare the topping.
For the topping
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt to combine.
- Using clean fingers or a pastry cutter, work the softened vegan butter or coconut oil into the flour mixture until well combined. Sprinkle evenly over the apples in the dish.
To bake
- Place in the center rack of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the apples are tender. It should be bubbling, especially on the sides.
- Serve warm with a scoop of non-dairy vanilla ice cream and vegan caramel, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Granny Smith are by far my favorite apple to use in crispy, but you can use others if needed. Try to choose a crispy baking apple that is not too sweet, or adjust the added sugar.
- If you don't like very sweet desserts, feel free to cut back on the sugar both in the filling and the topping. You could probably cut them both in half if needed.
- For gluten free, try a gluten free flour and make sure to use gluten free certified rolled oats.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published November 2018 and has been updated with new photos and better recipe instructions. I am always working on improving my skills and recipe development, thank you!
This recipe is sooooo good. I use peaches instead of apples. Still amazing!
Hi Mary. Peaches sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! I’m glad you loved the recipe!
delicious! made it with king arthur’s gf flour blend and it was perfect. 🙂 thank you!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the crisp!
I don’t often write reviews, however, this recipe is a 5-star keeper! I made both the apple crisp and the caramel sauce yesterday – a cold day here in Nebraska! The house smelled amazing while the crisp was baking and the caramel sauce turned out perfectly (and so easy)! My sweet mom and my hubby (non-vegans) were the first to taste and all I could hear were yummy sounds as they devoured every last bite and scraped their bowls. They both added vanilla ice cream to theirs, while I enjoyed a heaping bowlful with the caramel sauce only. OH. MY.GOODNESS. Absolutely the best apple crisp I’ve ever eaten. Thank you so much for the recipe! I will definitely be making this again and again. UPDATE:
My hubby had another big helping before bed last night. I may or may not have eaten some for breakfast this morning! Thanks again!!
Hi Lori. I hope you are keeping warm over in Nebraska! Thank you for taking the time to write a review for my apple crisp recipe. I’m glad that you all loved it!
Hi Nora, I just out the apple crisp in the oven and am wondering if I should have it covered with the top of the casserole dish?
No, uncovered is best so the topping can get crunchy. 🙂 Thanks!
Hi there can u leave out the baking powder?
Sure, if needed it should be fine.
I made this with my son when he was visiting me and it was delicious. I have gotten some pretty sweet apples from the farmers market and so we didn’t use any sweeteners on the apple filling part of the recipe and it worked great!
What does the lemon juice do?
It adds a little brightness to the flavor. It could be left out if needed.
Love this recipe! I made it earlier this year and am remaking it for Thanksgiving. My Dad who claims to hate vegan desserts loves it, and your family will too.
That’s so great to hear!
Can you use old sort of soft/mealy apples for this recipe, or do they need to be fresh and crunchy? I’m trying to figure out what to do with my apples that are still edible but aren’t a great texture to eat plain anymore. Thanks.
It will be much better with fresh and crispy apples, but I’m sure it would be a decent way to use up some older apples. 🙂
Nora,
could I make this work without using vegan butter or oils? thanks
You might be able to sub applesauce for the vegan butter in the crisp topping, but I haven’t tried it. It may end up rather soft instead of crunchy.
Nora, I tried today for first time on my Diwali celebration, my all friends & family love it, thanks for sharing vegan apple crisp recipe.
You’re so welcome! Thanks for the comment!
Simple and delicious, used a mix of pears and apples! I was wondering, what temp would you recommend for reheating the next day and for how long? I was hoping to make this a day ahead for Thanksgiving.
Thank you, I’m so happy you enjoyed it. I’d probably reheat in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350 until warm.
Can u sub all purpose flower? For almond or coconut or will it be a game changer
I haven’t tried it, but it might work here!
Omg this was so so so amazing!!! I went apple picking yesterday and had no idea what to do with so many apples, but man was this fantastic!
That’s so great!
AAAAAmazing! We went apple picking yesterday and we had a family BBQ today. I made this with Empire and McIntosh apples and it was a huge hit. I love your recipes and they always go over well. This one is a winner and has already been requested for the next get together. Thank you Nora for sharing!
You’re welcome!
You are so right to say that this is the ‘best vegan apple crisp ever!’ That was my husband’s exact words. I made it gluten free and high altitude friendly (I live at 7,200 ft) and it was perfect!
That’s so great!
This was so very good! I had to use two pears with it, because I only had four apples. I loved it and I will make it many times more, thank you for sharing this recipe.
That sounds great, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
What can I use in place of vegan butter?
Coconut oil works pretty well.
great post! Thanks a lot for sharing this healthy and yummy recipe!
Such an amazing recipe, have made this like 5 times now and it’s always amazing though I do reduce the sugar a bit sometimes.
I’m so glad to hear it’s amazing!
Is a whole cup of sugar really necessary? I’m trying to cut down on sugar.
You can cut in half, it just won’t be as sweet but it won’t ruin the recipe. You could also substitute coconut sugar or another alternative you like, and use less of it as well.
Can I make this the day before I serve? If so, how should I store it?
Yes, I think that should be fine. You can cover it and store it in the refrigerator overnight. It would be best to pop it in the oven again until it’s warm if possible.
Hi – I read you can leave out for 1-2 days at room temperature. Have you ever done this?
I usually leave the leftover out for a few days, but the topping will lose it’s crispness.
Delicious and easy. I added 1/2tsp nutmeg to the apples too.
I have made this many times now. Super easy, super delicious. I throw in random blueberries for a little color if I have them on hand.
OMG!! You just keep cranking out amazing recipes! Thank you so much.