Healthy Apple Crisp Without Oats {No-Bake}

This healthy apple crumble tastes like a cross between apple crisp and sugar cookies, but it’s a no-bake option so no oven is required! It’s a great way to use up those apples and makes the perfect easy autumn treat that can be made in less than 30 minutes! {Vegan, paleo & gluten-free}.

Healthy Apple Desserts Recipe

No-Bake – The best part about this recipe is that no oven is required, so it’s perfect for those warmer temperatures as we transition from the Summer to Fall months. It’s also not your typical crisp or crumble since it’s made without oats.

Instead, it consists of layers of a delicious nutty almond and coconut flour crumb mixture. It’s basically a stove top apple crisp without oatmeal, but you don’t even miss the oats! If you’re looking for some other equally tasty no-bake apple desserts, check out these apple No-Bake Apple Pie Cups, Nut-Free Apple Oat Energy Bites, or Apple Nachos!

Nutritious – this recipe is packed full of healthy fats from the ground almonds and is also lower in carbs than your typical apple crumble. Additionally, this dessert is free of refined sugar since it’s sweetened with maple syrup and is a source of fibre and protein. It’s always a bonus when you can eat a treat and get a dose of nutrients too!

Delicious – You’ll hardly even notice that this crumble isn’t baked. It’s THAT good! The crumbly texture of the almond and coconut flour mixture on the top and bottom of the crumble resembles the flavour of sugar cookies. Paired with the warm and cozy melt-in-your mouth apple cinnamon mixture, it’s a match made in heaven.

Apple Crumble Without Oats Ingredients

Apples – I recommend using a mixture of sweet and tart apples for the purpose of this recipe. See notes below for specific apple suggestions.

Almond Flour – use blanched almond flour for the crumble mixture. I used the almond flour from Bob’s Red Mill – it’s my favourite type of almond flour to use for gluten-free dessert recipes.

Maple syrup – use 100% pure maple syrup for best results. You can also sub in honey if desired.

Can a different sweetener be substituted for the maple syrup?

Yes, you can also use another liquid sweetener such as honey, brown rice syrup or agave nectar instead of the maple syrup.

Can a different nut flour or grain free flour be substituted for the almond flour?

Yes, you can use another nut flour, such as hazelnut or cashew flour as a substitute for the almond flour. Other grain free flours probably wouldn’t work as well since you want the flour to have the right consistency to form a crumbly texture like that of a nut flour.

Healthy Apple Crumble Instructions

Peel and thinly slice apples. Place apple slices in a pan with the rest of the filling ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until tender, about 10-12 minutes.

While apples are cooking, prepare the no-bake crumb topping. To do so, combine almond flour, coconut flour and salt together in a small bowl and mix with a fork, breaking up any clumps. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla and mix until well combined.

Using a fork or spatula, press a little over half of the crumble mix into an 8-inch square pan. Evenly distribute the apples over top. Take the rest of the topping and sprinkle it evenly on top of the apple mixture.

Place in the refrigerator and chill for about 1-2 hours. Serve cold, at room temperature or warm.

Apple Crisp without Oats Recipe Tips

• For the purpose of this recipe, I recommend slicing the apple as thinly as possible (see below for instructions). It’s also helpful to cut them into slices roughly the same size so that they cook evenly in the pan.
• When pressing the crumble mixture into the bottom of the pan, wet the back of a fork or spatula before pressing down to prevent the mixture from sticking to the fork.
• Once prepared, store the crumble in the fridge for at least an hour to allow it to firm up, making it easier to cut before serving.

Recipe For Apple Crisp without Oats FAQs

What is the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble?

An apple crisp is typically a baked fruit dessert topped with a crunchy layer of ingredients. The topping generally includes a mixture of oats, butter, sugar, nuts, flour and spices such as cinnamon. It’s baked until the topping is crisp and golden.

Similar to an apple crisp, an apple crumble is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping. However, unlike an apple crisp, the topping generally does not include oats or nuts.

This apple dessert is unique in the sense that it doesn’t require baking and the crumble topping doesn’t consist of oats. It’s basically a cross between a crisp and a crumble except no oven is required!

What apples are best for apple crumble?

For recipes of this nature, it generally works well if you use a combination of sweet and tart apples to diversify the flavours and textures of the dish.

Some apples that are on the sweeter side include Gala, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia and Golden Delicious, while apples that tend to be more on the tart side include Granny Smith, Cortland and MacIntosh.

I tend to use Gala quite a bit since it’s my favourite type of apple due to it’s sweet flavour and melt-in-your-mouth texture. It pairs especially well with the Granny Smith Apple.

That being said, you can use your favourite type of apple or whatever apples you have on hand. I’ve used a variety of different apples for this recipe and it turned out equally tasty each time!

How to slice apples

As noted above in the recipe tips, I recommend slicing the apples as thinly as possible for this dish.

To thinly slice an apple, remove the stem and cut in half from the stem, top to bottom. Cut each apple half in half again so that you have four sections to work with. Using a sharp knife, slice the apple as thinly as you can. For this recipe, I try to slice them about a quarter of an inch thick.

How to store healthy apple desserts

You can store this dish in the fridge in the pan tightly wrapped with saran wrap or in an airtight container for up to a week.

Can you freeze this recipe?

Yes! You can freeze this crumble in a freezer-friendly air-tight container for up to three months.

To defrost: Take the crumble out of the freezer 24 hours before serving to allow it to thaw.

How do you keep apple crumble from getting soggy?

For this particular crumble, it helps to store it in the fridge since it allows the crumble and apple filling to solidify slightly, thus preventing it from getting soggy.

Why is my apple crisp not crispy?

This apple crisp is a no-bake version that uses almond and coconut flour instead of oats so it has a softer texture than your typical apple crisp that uses oats and is baked. If you prefer a crisp that has a more crispy texture made with oats and nuts, try out my Peach Crumble!

Serving suggestions

This dessert is unique in the sense that you can serve it cold, at room temperature or warm. It tastes delicious as is or, of course, topped with some whipped cream, coconut whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

It’s also especially tasty with a warm drink like this Apple Spiced Tea, Turmeric Latte or Pumpkin Spice Latte!

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This recipe was originally posted in September 2015 but was updated in September 2020 with better photos and recipe tips.

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