This dairy-free apple crisp recipe is a quick and easy apple dessert. It’s made with simple ingredients you likely already have on hand. This crowd pleaser is also gluten-free and vegan.

Apple season calls for apple crisp, which is a quintessential fall dessert. The combination of sweet apples with the earthy flavor of cinnamon and the tartness of the lemon juice creates a nice balance of flavors against the buttery crumble topping.

If you’re feeling extra indulgent, drizzle dairy free caramel sauce over the top and thank me later.

Ingredients

Apple Filling

Fresh apples – you can use just about any apple, but I like to use a mix of granny smith apples and Honeycrisp apples for more depth of flavor.
Maple syrup – adds natural sweetness to the apples. Without it, the apples would be too tart.
Ground cinnamon – a popular apple pairing.
Fresh lemon juice – adds brightness and balances out the flavors.
Vanilla extract – enhances the flavor of the cinnamon.

Crisp Topping

Old-fashioned oats – use certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
All-purpose flour – gluten-free flour or regular.
Granulated sugar – you can use brown sugar, organic cane sugar, coconut sugar, etc., but because brown sugar contains the most moisture, it works incredibly well in fruit crisp desserts.
Vegan butter – for the streusel topping.
Ground cinnamon – flavor.
Salt – to round out the sweetness.

See the recipe card for measurements.

How To Make Dairy Free Apple Crisp

Step 1. Peel the apples and remove the core before cutting them lengthwise into slices.

Step 2. Add the sliced apples to a large bowl along with the maple syrup, cinnamon, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix until everything is evenly coated and then transfer to a greased 8×8 baking dish.

Step 3. Mix all of the crumb topping ingredients in a medium bowl and use your hands to crumble the mixture together until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.

Step 4. Spread the topping evenly over the apples and bake in a preheated oven until golden brown. Serve with a scoop of your favorite vegan vanilla ice cream or dairy free whipped cream.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this dairy-free apple crisp using what you already have? Here are some ideas…

Make it gluten-free – sub gluten-free 1:1 flour or oat flour for the all purpose flour and make sure to be certified gluten-free oats.
No maple syrup? – you can use brown sugar for the filling as well.
No vegan butter? – use coconut oil or avocado oil instead.

Variations

Pear crisp – switch out the apples for sliced pears.
Persimmon crisp – use Fuyu persimmons in place of the apples.
Blackberry and apple crumble
Apple and blueberry crumble

How to Store

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Top Tip

What type of apples is best? Opt for a couple of different apple varieties if you can. This will yield the best overall flavor.

More Dairy Free Desserts

Dairy Free Apple Crisp

5 from 4 votes

This dairy-free apple crisp recipe is a quick and easy apple dessert. It's made with simple ingredients you likely already have on hand. This crowd pleaser is also gluten-free and vegan.

Author: Lindsey Jenkins

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Serving Size

Ingredients

Apple Filling

6 medium apples 1-2 varieties is ideal, see notes below
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

½ cup old fashioned oats use certified gluten-free if necessary
½ cup all-purpose flour use GF if needed
⅓ cup brown sugar, coconut sugar, or organic cane sugar see notes
¼ cup vegan butter or coconut oil
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Peel the apples and remove the core before cutting them lengthwise into slices.
Add the sliced apples to a large bowl along with the maple syrup, cinnamon, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix until everything is evenly coated and then transfer to a greased 8×8 baking dish.
Mix all of the crumb topping ingredients in a medium bowl and use your hands or a pastry cutter to crumble the mixture together until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
Spread the topping evenly over the apples and bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a scoop of your favorite vegan vanilla ice cream or dairy free whipped cream.

Notes

When choosing your apples, opt for a couple of different varieties if you can. This will yield the best overall flavor. I like to use a combination of granny smith and Honeycrisp apples, but you can use whatever varieties you like.

You can use any type of granulated sugar, but because brown sugar contains the most moisture, it works incredibly well in fruit crisp desserts.