Everyone asks for the recipe for this easy Healthy Apple Crisp with bubbly apple cinnamon filling and toasty pecan oat topping! With half the sugar of classic crisps plus nourishing ingredients like whole grain flour, it's a total crowd pleaser. It tastes incredible with vanilla ice cream on top! You can even freeze the filling and topping to bake later.
Is there anything better than a warm bowl of apple crisp with gorgeously gooey apple cinnamon filling and toasty oat topping? Just ask my Healthy Cherry Crisp and Blueberry Crisp...we've got fruit crisps on lock!
Step aside Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread...it's crisp time.

Ingredients
- Apples: I like to use a combo of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith for sweet and tart flavors. They're both firm apples that hold up great in crisp!
- Oats: Old fashioned rolled oats are a classic crisp ingredient for the perfect topping. Fun fact: crisps contain oats and crumbles do not.
- Brown sugar: I just love brown sugar when I'm baking crisps for the ultimate caramel flavor and ideal texture. I've tested this with light and dark brown sugar and both work great. This crisp is sweet but not overly so!
- Flour: I like whole wheat flour for extra fiber and antioxidants, but I've used all purpose with great success as well.
- Butter: Butter helps form the streusel-like topping and adds amazing flavor. I use unsalted.
- Nuts: The yummy pop of flavor and crunch from pecans or walnuts is so lovely here.
- Spices: Plenty of cinnamon (like my Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats!) and a pinch of nutmeg for good measure.
- Vanilla and salt: Essential for extra flavor and to round out the sweetness.
Substitutions and dietary swaps
- Gluten free: use 1:1 gluten free all purpose baking flour and certified gluten free oats
- Vegan: Use vegan butter or coconut oil
- Nut free: Omit pecans (you can add more oats if you'd like!)
How to make (step by step)
Peel and chop apples then place in a medium mixing bowl.
Add flour, sugar, spices, and vanilla.
Toss to combine and dump into baking dish.
Make topping: combine oats, flour, sugar, nuts, cinnamon, and salt.
Add butter and use your hands to combine well until a nice dough forms.
Sprinkle topping evenly over the apples.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, cool slightly and devour!
The best apples for crisp
A combo of sweet and tart apples that hold their shape and lend natural sweetness makes for a more complex and exciting crisp!
- For sweet crisp apples, try: Honeycrisp, Fuji, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious
- For tart crisp apples, try: Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Jonogold
Health benefits
What makes this crisp healthy, you ask? While this dessert certainly isn't a salad, as a dietitian, I can say this boasts plenty of nutrition (for the body and soul!) and is healthier than classic crisps.
- Half the sugar of traditional crisps
- Packed with energizing B vitamins and additional fiber thanks to oats and whole wheat flour
- apples contain vitamin C, E, potassium and a great source of fiber
- apples also have strong antioxidant activity
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container (or cover the baking dish with foil) in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave, oven, toaster oven, or even the air fryer!
Can you freeze apple crisp?
Yes! It's best to freeze in unbaked so the topping doesn't get too browned.
Prepare the filling and topping and place in a separate gallon freezer bags (be sure to press the air out of the bag). Lay flat and freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the fridge and bake per the recipe!
PrintHealthy Apple Crisp with Pecan Oat Topping
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Everyone asks for the recipe for this easy Healthy Apple Crisp with bubbly apple cinnamon filling and toasty pecan oat topping! With half the sugar of classic crisps plus nourishing ingredients like whole grain flour, it's a total crowd pleaser. It tastes incredible with vanilla ice cream on top! You can even freeze the filling and topping to bake later.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 4 large apples, peeled and chopped into ½ inch chunks* (I did 3 Honeycrisp and 1 Granny Smith)
- 2 tbsp whole wheat flour (or all purpose)
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the topping:
- ⅔ cup old fashioned oats
- ⅓ cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose)
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8x8 inch baking dish (or a pie plate or 10-inch cast iron skillet) with cooking spray.
- Make filling: place apples in a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle with flour then add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Toss to combine (I use my hands) and dump into prepared baking dish.
- Make topping: in the same bowl you used for filling, add oats, flour, brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add cubed butter and use your hands to combine well (this may take a bit but it'll soften up!) until a nice uniform dough forms with the butter all distributed. Sprinkle topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes. (You want the apples to be tender. )Allow crisp to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before topping with vanilla ice cream and digging in!
Notes
*5-6 cups of chopped apples
Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction
Vern says
Delicious!! Thank you for sharing
Nellie says
This turned out perfect! Delicious!
Alexis Joseph says
I’m so glad, thanks Nellie!