Vegan apple crisp, with a super easy caramel sauce! Level up your fall dessert game with this super EASY vegan apple crisp with a crunchy oat crumble topping.
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It’s fall, it’s cozy, and it’s all out APPLE season! If there’s one thing I live for, it’s the change from summer to fall and all the cozy that comes along with it. Apple picking, pumpkin pies, planning our Friendsgiving already.. I LIVE for this time of year. While it does mean that winter is coming way too soon, it also means I can spend my Sundays baking apple desserts and testing the heck out of my caramel vegan apple crisp recipe to find just the right filling and the perfect vegan apple crisp topping.
I did a poll on Instagram and found that half of you wanted a vegan caramel apple pie and half wanted a healthy apple crisp recipe. Well, turns out I can combine the two and come up with a super simple, easy vegan apple crisp recipe that is probably the BEST I’ve ever had. It also doesn’t have a ton of olive oil in the topping, goes a tiny bit easier on the sugar, and still stays as the best apple crisp around. I also was having a really hard time nailing the texture of the topping. It would come out too liquidy one time, too dry another, and then I discovered the KEY ingredient..flaxseed meal! Flaxseed meal allows the tender crumble topping to be just crumbly enough to add a bit of crunch, while still remaining soft and tender. It also adds the slightest bit of nutty texture to the apple crisp. Apple lovers, rejoice!
Tips for making apple crisp
- Make sure you peel your apples! I know this is an extra step that seems unnecessary, but it’s better than dealing with pieces of apple skin that get kind of tough and weird when they are baked. Turn on your favorite tv show of the moment and peel away! Even better if you have one of these fancy tools.
- Chop your apples into equal sized pieces! This will ensure that they all bake evenly. If you like a bigger apple piece, go for it! But just remember that you will probably have to bake your apple crisp for a little bit longer. I got for pieces that are about the size that I would use to top cereal or yogurt with.
- Nutmeg isn’t totally necessary in this recipe, but it does add a little more fall-like cozy flavor to it. I think ginger would also taste SO good in the filling!
Can I make vegan apple crisp with coconut oil?
Yes. This recipe relies on olive oil, but coconut oil is a perfect substitute too. You can also use vegan butter in this apple crisp recipe if you have that on hand. Basically, you need a fat in this recipe, but it doesn’t HAVE to be olive oil.
Can I make this gluten-free vegan apple crisp?
I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flours, but I think if you used a 1:1 blend the filling would turn out just fine. Apple crisp is one of the easiest desserts to make gluten-free and vegan since the topping doesn’t necessarily rely on the flour and takes a lot of crisp from the oats.
Can I substitute other fruits?Â
Yes! This would be perfect as a pear crisp, cherry, blueberry, etc. Feel free to sub away!
More apple recipes:
- Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
- Vegan Apple Spice Cake
- Apple Pie Biscuits
- Vegan Dutch Baby with Caramelized Apples and Pears
- 10 Vegan Apple Dessert Recipes
Caramel Vegan Apple Crisp
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Vegan apple crisp, with a super easy caramel sauce! Level up your fall dessert game with this super EASY vegan apple crisp with a crunchy oat crumble topping.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 3 cups of apples, peeled and chopped (about 3–4 apples)
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Flaxseed Meal
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the apples, brown sugar, almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and salt. Transfer to the prepared pan.
- To make the topping, in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and coconut oil until mixture comes together.
- Top the apples with the crisp topping mixture, distributing evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until filling is bubbling and topping is crisp. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- I used Ida Red for this, but you can use almost any kind of apple. I wouldn’t recommend using Honeycrisp, I tried this recipe with them and it turned out way too watery and mushy!
- Don’t overbake this! It’s going to look not quite done at 30 minutes, but I promise it’s perfection.
Keywords: vegan, vegan dessert, apple crisp, crisp, apple
didier says
I can almost smell this apple crisp. I think I’m missing something, or need a cuppa – please clarifiy a couple of things before I start peeling and chopping: (a) the ingredient list includes cornstarch, yet the instructions do not; (b) is this recipe self-saucing, or am I missing the vegan caramel sauce ingredients and instructions?
Heart of a Baker says
Hi there! I have edited the recipe to include the cornstarch, sorry about that! The filling is self-saucing, no separate sauce needed!
Trina and Tina says
Looks deliciously dangerous!
Heart of a Baker says
It totally is!
Aimee says
Apple crisp is just SO perfect for this time of year!
Rebecca says
This recipe is one of my favorite apple-inspired desserts! In the second step it mentions coconut oil for the filling part, but it doesn’t show that in the ingredient list for that. How much oil should I add? Thank you!
★★★★