You’re going to fall hard for this vegan apple crisp (seasonal pun, anyone?).
With tender apple slices generously spiced and baked to saucy perfection and a golden crown of buttery-chewy-crisp streusel crumble, this one is in the running for greatest fall dessert of all time.
Bring it to Friendsgiving or a holiday potluck, or make it for Sunday family dinner—regardless, top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and savor the melty, gooey, creamy-chewy, crispy-caramelly goodness.
PS: Though I use a cast-iron skillet, any 2-quart baking pan should work. More details in the Tips section.
A simple, stress-free showstopper
When it comes to desserts, my tastes are surprisingly simple. I prefer everyday baked goods like cookies and brownies over elaborate cakes and fancy pastries. BUT, I still want them to feel special, like something you could get at a high-end bakery.
And this vegan apple crisp is the perfect example. It’s easy enough for novice bakers to whip up but it yields gloriously gourmet results.
I baked countless apple crisps until I found the Goldilocks version—one that gets the topping beautifully golden without overcooking the apples, one where the streusel is buttery but still crisp and clings to the apples (thanks, flaxseed meal), one that allowed the apples to shine but also loaded them with cozy, warm spices.
Whether you’re new to baking or an expert, you’ll knock this one out of the park. 💜
Ingredient notes
- Apples: To prevent apple crisp from tasting one-note/overly sweet, choose a combination of tart and sweet apples (I share my favorite apple variety combos in the Tips section!).
- Oats: Whole old-fashioned rolled oats give the crumble topping a crispy crunch when baked. Steer clear of quick-cooking oats (don’t hold up well in the oven) and steel-cut oats (too tough for streusel…save those for this savory oatmeal).
- Maple syrup: This ingredient does what brown sugar does in many apple crisp recipes, and then some—it keeps the apple filling saucy and helps the streusel topping caramelize as it bakes!
- Warm spices: A bouquet of spices—cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg (freshly-grated for extra nuance!)—gives this dessert sophistication, adding dimension beneath the sweetness of the apples.
- Pecans: Longtime readers know I love to add nuts wherever I can (Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole and Vegan Banana Muffins 👀), so I experimented with toasting some pecans in vegan brown butter and tossing them into the crumble topping…and they worked gorgeously. Not only does the quick toast enhance the pecans’ nuttiness, but the proteins in the nuts help the butter brown! #teamwork
- Vegan butter: Browned butter (butter simmered until it takes on a rich, dark brown color and a toasted, nutty flavor) is integral to this dessert’s grown-up elegance. Vegan butter doesn’t brown quite the same as dairy-based butter because it doesn’t contain milk proteins—however, the protein in pecans adds nuttiness and encourages browning, helping it look and taste just like the real thing.
Substitutes and Tips
Refined sugar-free? Use coconut sugar instead of the cane sugar called for in the crisp topping. It will slightly soften the texture but still taste amazing.
Buy pre-chopped pecans to cut down on prep work (bonus: they’re typically cheaper than whole pecans).
No pecans? Walnuts work great. If allergic to nuts, skip to the FAQ section for alternatives.
Vegan Butter. Sadly, my two favorite vegan butters have been discontinued or are otherwise no longer available (Violife, Miyokos), but this works just great with other butter sticks/blocks such as Country Crock Plant Butter or Earth Balance buttery sticks (the color may not brown as much).
Step-by-step instructions
Add the vegan butter to a stainless steel or light-colored saucepan or skillet. Heat over medium heat. Continue stirring until it’s melted, foamy, and bubbling.
Add the pecans and toast them with the butter for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl to stop cooking.
Peel the apples and cut them into ¼ to ½” thick slices (.6 to 1.25 cm).
Add them to a large bowl with the lemon juice, then toss to coat.
Stir the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, flour, and pinch of sea salt into the bowl with the apples.
Make the topping: stir the flour, oats, salt, cane sugar, maple syrup, flaxseed meal, and cinnamon into the browned butter-pecan mixture. Stir it with a fork until it’s somewhat sticky and sandy.
Transfer the apple filling to the greased skillet or baking dish. Scatter the streusel crumb evenly on top.
Bake until the juices are bubbling around the sides, the apples are fork tender, and the topping is golden brown.
Rest for 20 to 45 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Tips for making this recipe
Use the right pan.
While I love the crispy edges and caramelization you get with a cast iron pan, this is still great if you don’t have one. Instead, you can use a 2-quart or 2-liter baking pan, such as:
- an 8×8 inch square pan
- an 11×7 inch baking pan
- a 9×9 inch square baking pan
Check the crisp after 35 minutes—if the topping isn’t golden brown or the apples aren’t cooked, continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes. If the top is browning but the apples aren’t yet tender, cover the pan with foil and continue baking.
If your pan is glass or ceramic rather than metal, it will heat more slowly and might need an extra 5 to 10 minutes.
Use a combo of sweet and tart crisp apples.
❌DON’T❌ use soft apples with mealy flesh like Gala, McIntosh, or Red Delicious apples, which will get soggy in the oven.
🍎DO🍏 use a mixture of tart and sweet apples with crisp textures. Here are some great pairing options:
- Honeycrisp + Granny Smith
- Pink Lady + Golden Delicious
- Braeburn + Jonagold
For more, check out this Food Network article on the best apples for baking.
PS: Don’t skip tossing the apples with lemon juice! It prevents the apples from browning and adds a subtle tartness which critically balances the dessert’s sweetness.
To peel or not to peel?
TLDR: It’s a matter of personal preference.
I peel the apples because I prefer the texture of peeled apples in the finished product and, to me, it’s worth the additional 5ish minutes spent peeling them.
But if you don’t mind the chewy, slightly toothsome texture of baked unpeeled apples, skip the peeling.
How to slice the apples
After lots of recipe testing, we found that slicing the apples to ¼” to ½” in thickness (.6 to 1.25cm) produced the best texture when baked. Anything thinner ended up overcooked and soggy; anything thicker felt cumbersome to eat.
Don’t skimp on the salt!
The perfect scoop of apple crisp is sweet and salty—you need the salt to balance the sweet!
The good news is, you can taste both the apple filling and the crisp topping before baking them and adjust both as necessary (more maple syrup or sugar if not sweet enough, more salt if too sweet).
Keep an eye on the crisp topping.
If the apples are still not tender after 35 minutes of baking (i.e., you encounter resistance when poking them with a fork or knife) but the topping is getting brown, loosely cover the pan with foil and continue baking.
Let it rest.
If you’re like me, waiting to dig in is the hardest part of the recipe—but letting the crisp cool and firm up is critical! It needs at least 20 minutes to rest, although I found 45 minutes to be the magic number for firm apples and mess-free scoops.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Replace the flour in the apple filling with 1 ½ tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch.
2. Replace the all-purpose flour in the crisp topping with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum in the ingredients. We typically use King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour.
3. Use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
While we enjoyed this gluten-free version, it doesn’t deliver the same exact crisp topping texture, so if you can tolerate gluten, I recommend making the original version.
Omit the pecans from the topping and add (1) an extra ¼ cup (25g) of oats plus (2) ¼ cup (20g) of unsweetened shredded coconut. Or skip the coconut and add an extra ¼ to ½ cup (25 to 50g) of oats.
Use whatever you have access to. Most vegan butters are salted, and this recipe was tested with salted butter.
So if you’re using unsalted vegan butter, I’d add more sea salt to the crisp topping (an extra 1/4 teaspoon, then taste it and adjust).
Refined coconut oil works if you don’t have access to vegan butter, but it won’t have the same buttery taste. Again, add more salt as noted above.
You can even use olive oil if you prefer, but you’ll want to use an olive oil that isn’t too strong in flavor. Again, add a bit more salt.
If you want to reduce the sugar, use 1 or 2 tablespoons less of maple syrup in the apple filling. And use 1 or 2 tablespoons less cane sugar in the topping. You’ll also want to use slightly less salt to avoid a too-salty dessert.
If your apples are very sweet, you can also dial back on the maple syrup in the apple filling.
Kind of! The streusel topping can be mixed together 2 to 3 days before baking. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge to keep it moist and fresh.
Apples brown very quickly, so I don’t recommend slicing or baking them ahead of time.
You can store the leftovers (covered) in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, place the baking dish back in the oven at 325ºF / 165°C for 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed through.
You can freeze the baked and cooled apple crisp for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating and serving. To reheat, bake covered at 350°F / 175°C for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
More fantastic fall sweet treats
If you love this Vegan Apple Crisp, please give it a rating and review below! And of course, tag me with your remakes on Instagram!
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Vegan Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Apple filling
- 3 pounds (1.3 kg) of apples (about 8 medium apples or 6 jumbo apples) (see Note 1)
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup (80g) pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract (not imitation extract)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or ¼ teaspoon pre-ground nutmeg)
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (see Note 2 for GF)
- 1 pinch sea salt
Crisp topping
- 1 stick or 8 tablespoons (112g) vegan butter, sliced into thick pats (see Note 3)
- ½ cup (60g) chopped pecans (or walnuts) (see Note 4)
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (110g) all-purpose flour (see Note 5)
- 1 cup (100g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- A heaping ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (80g) organic cane sugar
- ¼ cup (80g) pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For Serving
- vanilla ice cream or whipped topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC. Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven (the crisp will brown better here). Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or 2-quart (2 L) baking dish with oil, cooking spray, or vegan butter.
- Toast the butter and pecans. Set a medium bowl aside, big enough to fit the crisp topping. Add the sliced butter to a stainless steel, enameled cast iron, or other light-colored saucepan or skillet (don’t use a dark pan or nonstick). Turn a burner to medium heat and heat the butter. Stir occasionally with a silicone spatula.a. Once melted, foamy, and at a bubble (it should take ~ 3 minutes), cook for another 1 minute, stirring frequently (standing back as needed, as it might sputter). b. Now add the chopped pecans and stir frequently for another 2 minutes. c. Take the pan off the heat and pour into the medium bowl to stop cooking. Set aside to cool a bit while you prep everything else.
- Peel the apples, then slice into wedges or slices ¼” to ½” thick (.6 to 1.25 cm), cutting around the core (see Note 6). Add apples to a large bowl and cover with the lemon juice. Toss with a spatula or your hands to ensure well-coated (so they don’t brown).
- Prepare the apple filling. Mix the apple mixture with the remaining filling ingredients: maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom if using, flour, and pinch of salt. Mix until well combined. Transfer to the greased skillet or pan, using a silicone spatula to get any residual liquid out of the bowl. Spread the apples out as evenly as possible.
- Make the crisp topping. Once the butter-pecan mixture has cooled off a bit, add the remaining topping ingredients: flour, oats, salt, cane sugar, maple syrup, flaxseed meal, and cinnamon. Mix together with a fork or your hands until it’s a somewhat sticky, slightly sandy mix.
- Use your hands to scatter the crumb topping evenly on top of the apple mixture (I like to vary the size of the clumps). Transfer the pan to the oven and bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the juices on the sides are bubbling, the crisp is golden on top, and the apples are tender when pierced with a fork or knife.
- Let rest for at least 20 minutes, ideally 45 minutes, so the apples can set up more.
Notes
- I recommend using a mix of tart and sweet apples with a crisp texture. I used half Honeycrisp apples and half Granny Smith. Check out the Tips section for more apple variety suggestions.
- Gluten-free version: use (1) replace the flour in the apple filling with 1 ½ TBSP arrowroot powder or cornstarch; (2) use gluten-free all-purpose flour in the topping (use a blend that contains xanthan gum); (3) use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- If using unsalted vegan butter, I recommend adding an extra ¼ teaspoon sea salt to the crisp topping. Taste it, add more as needed.
- Nut allergy? Omit the pecans from the topping and add (1) an extra ¼ cup (25g) of oats plus (2) ¼ cup (20g) of unsweetened shredded coconut. Or skip the coconut and add an extra ¼ to ½ cup (25 to 50g) of oats.
- This is the same as 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons flour. If not using a measuring scale, remember to spoon and level your flour to properly measure it.
- If you don’t mind the chewy, slightly toothsome texture of unpeeled baked apples, you can skip the peeling. Once peeled and sliced, you should end up with ~ 9 cups or 1kg of sliced apples.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
WOW!!!! This was so delicious & easy to make. I loved being able to bake it in my cast iron skillet & serve it hot from the oven (I did let it rest for 45 min). I diced the apples instead if slicing ~ I prefer that texture & used 1/2 honey crisp & 1/2 granny smith. I will for sure be making this again & again!!!
We appreciate your feedback and support, Megan. Thank you for leaving a review!
I stretched the 30 minute prep time to an hour and a half. That might have something to do with me just starting to cook about 3 weeks ago at age 41. I got there in the end, though, and this was very good.
It’s great to hear the recipe turned out well for you, Josh! Best of luck to you on your cooking journey 🙂
We’ve tried this recipe for our dessert on Christmas Eve. It’s very, very good. I was reluctant to buy all the spices but they happen to be very useful (especially if you want to try all the Indian recipes on the website!). Perfect and not too heavy after a big meal! (I applied the instructions to reduce the amount of sugar and it was very good that way, although I have no doubt that following the original recipe would lead to amazing results as well).
Hi Marie, it’s great to hear you had success with the recipe. Thanks for the review!
Phenomenal! Made this for a neighbor who has done some things for me. The balance of flavors is spot on. Use GRATED nutmeg. Makes a big difference.
Tiffany, thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the apple crisp.
Wonder if this will work with pear or berries, both of which we have in our freezer from the summer glut?
Hi Yashodha! While we haven’t tried this, based on my research, here’s what I’d recommend.
Pears
Since they’re higher in water content, defrost and drain them of any liquid, then measure them by weight and use the quantity called for in the recipe card.
When tossing them with the spices/maple syrup, add 1 to 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot to hep thicken the juices.
If your pears feel very watery, you can briefly simmer them on the stove for 3–4 minutes before baking to help reduce the juices.
When baking, check a bit sooner than the bake time listed, as the pears may bake faster.
Berries
You can mix the berries while still frozen. When tossing them with the spices/maple syrup, add ~ 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
Since berries are tarter than apples, taste the filling, then add more sugar as needed.
A bit of orange zest would be nice in the berry filling!
Thank you! Will try and report back.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Ps:my son has requested your chai spiced mango tart for his birthday ‘cake’ tomorrow 💕
Amazing! Thank you for the tips re. frozen pears. It went down a treat! I shall try the berries option soon too!
Hi Nisha – do you think I could make this and bake it the next morning to take to a potluck? I’ve made this recipe before and it is truly delicious!!
Thank you!
Can I make this with less butter, or a nut butter?
thank you
Hi Elina, butter plays a few different roles in this recipe, so reducing it would have a few effects.
Here, the butter is being browned, which adds lots of rich, nutty caramel flavor, and it also helps to toast the pecans, so you’ll get less of that signature flavor that makes this crisp special.
You could probably get away with using a little bit less butter: 6 tablespoons instead of 8 tablespoons. The crisp mixture should still hold together, though it will be slightly less rich and slightly less crisp. Adding a pinch more salt or a touch more maple syrup might rebalance.
You could try coconut oil if you don’t want to use vegan butter, and that would have similar binding and crisping properties, but I don’t recommend replacing it with a nut butter for a few reasons.
The crisp would mostly disappear and the topping would be dense and chewy, like a clumpy granola, and possibly even gummy since nut butter is a strong binder and there’s already flax egg here for binding. You also would be missing on the browning step of the butter since you can’t brown nut butter.
If you do want to use coconut oil, it won’t “brown” so you can just melt it, then add the pecans to toast.
Hi Julie, we’re happy you love the recipe! As for your question: the streusel topping can be mixed together 2 to 3 days before baking. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge to keep it moist and fresh.
Apples brown very quickly, so we don’t recommend slicing or baking them ahead of time.
I made this for the first time for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! Even my non vegan family loved it!
Thank you for your lovely comment, Wendy! It makes us happy to know that the whole family enjoyed the recipe. Mine did too, woohoo!
This recipe is the best apple crisp I have ever made. Last night at Thanksgiving dinner, all the store bought desserts had leftovers, but there was not a crumb left of MY crisp!
Yay, that’s so awesome to hear, Varsha! Thanks for sharing!
This is one of my favorite things to make in the fall, during apple season! It’s the perfect mix of sweet, tart, and nutty. I left the skin on the apples and used olive oil – absolutely delish.
Awesome, Sarah. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I usually don’t follow a recipe for apple crisp, but saw this on your blog during one of my usual scrolling’s of your recipes and thought to give it a try. The first night I made it, it was such a hit, and everyone said it was the best apple crisp they had ever had. So I made it again the next evening for a different crowd (we have lots of apples rn) and got the same feedback. I have made many apple crisps from my head but have to confess none were close to this in terms of taste and texture. My husband who enjoyed it thoroughly both nights said it was his best apple crisp ever because instead of being heavy and too sweet, it had enough flavor layers and complexity to make it light. Thank you.
How sweet, Kristy! Thanks for not only making and sharing the recipe once, but twice! 🙂
Perfection…
It’s an utterly delicious recipe. Extremely developed, rich, unctuous flavors. Total hit with the family. Thank you!!!
Hi Annette, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!
This apple crisp was amazing! I went ahead and left the skins on the apples for more of a *rustic* feel and it was absolutely perfect. It was also super easy to make, I highly recommend baking this!
Awesome, Stephen. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
How are there other apple crisp recipes? This is THE recipe! I’m so obsessed, the spices, the topping, everything! It is so wonderful and is the only apple crisp I will ever make from here on out!
Your review made our day, Natalie! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and for trying out the recipe.
We had company coming for dinner so I decided to up my usual apple crisp and noticed this recipe. It has a few more ingredients and a few more steps than the usual apple crisp recipe but oh wow, it was worth it!!! My husband said “this is the best apple crisp I’ve ever tasted” (and he’s tasted quite a few!). Our guest was equally impressed and when I offered to send some of the leftovers home with him, he was very happy and grateful. The addition of maple syrup to the apples made such a difference in keeping them juicy! Thanks Nisha!
Hi Michelle, it’s great to hear you had success with the recipe. Thanks for the review!
Delicious and easy to make!!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Michael!
So excited to try this, just in time for the holidays! Which vegan vanilla ice cream do you recommend? Or do you have a favorite vegan ice cream recipe?
So glad you’re excited to try it, Parul! We typically use So Delicious for vanilla ice cream.
I can’t eat refined cane sugar, so could I use coconut sugar instead? Or, what do you suggest?
Hi Nancy, yes you can replace it with coconut sugar. The texture may not be as crisp, but will still taste good. Enjoy!
I am bringing this to my tomorrow’s 55+ cooperative’s Tuesday morning coffee gathering. It’s my birthday today, so it’s my turn to share a treat with friends there. I just popped it in the oven and it smells wonderful. I know this will be a big hit! There is no other recipe creator from whom I assume I will always love the recipe — because I always DO love Nisha’s recipes! Much thanks to Nisha and Team!
Happy belated birthday from all of us at RPL, Rose! And thank you so much for the wonderful review. We hope everyone loved it 🙂
OMG – one of the best recipes EVER! This recipe is incredible and I’ve frozen and eaten weeks later and still so flavorful and apple still tasty and even crunchy. Thanks for the suggestions on storage and modifications. Definitely one of my go to treats!
Thank you for your lovely comment, Linda! It makes us happy to know that you love the apple crisp and found the storage instructions helpful!
What can be used instead of maple syrup
Hi Kimberly, you can replace it with brown sugar (or try 2 to 3 tablespoons of agave nectar). Enjoy!