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!
I’ve never been inclined to leave a comment on a recipe before but this was the best apple crisp I’ve EVER had! Usually, there would be leftovers but we ate the entire thing before it even got to room temperature because we just couldn’t stop ourselves.
Oh great, I’m happy to hear that, thanks!
This was really good!!!!
It’s delicious. Can the left overs be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze the leftovers.
Can you leave this in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before baking so it’s baked hot and fresh in time for dessert?
Yes, you can do that.
I can’t believe how good this is. Nora is amazing. My guy, who professes to not be a sweets person, LOVED this.
That’s amazing! Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Leisha!
This was quite easy to whip up and so so tasty! Did not have butter so omitted it in the filling and replaced it in the topping with peanut butter and enough water to bring everything together. What a great recipe, thank you!
Hi Daniela. You are welcome! I’m glad you had a tasty turnout of the crisp with your substitutions! Thank you for your fabulous review and feedback!
Can we freeze this?
I don’t think it will freeze well, however, am not entirely sure. Let me know how it works for you if you freeze it!
My 7-year old daughter and I made this on September to bring in the “er” months. It is the PERFECT recipe. This is one of my husband’s favorites (and he’s not vegan vegan). He loved it. We can’t get enough.
Side note: It was baking in the oven and there were parts that still looked dry. We took it out, and poured some melted vegan butter on the dry spots. Worked like a charm!
Thank you for enriching our vegan lives, once again. We owe many dinners and desserts to you 🙂
Hi Sarah. How wonderful and encouraging to know that you are enjoying so many of my recipes! What a fun project for you and your daughter! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback and review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Thanks for the recipe! So tasty; my in-laws raved about it last night. It was super straight-forward/easy, too.
How fantastic the crisp was a hit! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and review!
These taste really good but prep time definitely takes way longer than 15 minutes!!
I’m glad you are enjoying the crisp! Thank you for sharing!
Great Recipe and very forgiving.
I melted the butter for the topping because I didn’t want to wait for it to soften. Still worked fine.
This one is going into my saved file
Thanks!
Hi Cyndi. I’m glad you loved the apple crisp! Thanks for your wonderful feedback!
Is it possible to sub coconut oil for butter??
Absolutely!
Hi,could you use ghee for a butter replacement, or softened coconut oil?
Yes, either will work fine.