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    Home » Recipes

    Published: Dec 21, 2017 · Modified: Jan 12, 2023 by Mariska Ramondino · This post may contain affiliate links

    The Ultimate Healthy Apple Cherry Crisp with Warm Spices

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Delicious healthy apple crisp (gluten-free, vegan, paleo).

    This delicious healthy apple crisp recipe is filled with sweet apples, cherries and topped with a crunchy topping.

    It's naturally sweetened with dates and coconut sugar and deliciously flavored with a hint of warm spices and herbs.

    It's an absolute must-make apple dessert that is also gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, and vegan-friendly!

    A close-up of a spoon resting in a plate with ice cream melted in a baked apple crisp.

    You know me by now. Most of my baked goods are simple and easy to make, and this recipe is no exception.

    Before starting this bake, you'll have to gather a few ingredients, but everything comes together rather quickly.

    And because it's a healthy apple crisp that's not too sweet, not too heavy, I'm adding enough flavors to make it warm, utterly comforting, and delicious.

    You'll never know it's better for you and might even convert the feverishly loyal classic apple crisp lovers.

    Jump to:
    • Recipe highlights
    • Ingredients for the apple filling
    • Ingredients for the crisp topping
    • Recipe steps
    • How to serve this healthy apple crisp
    • Make it ahead of time
    • Storage and how to reheat leftovers
    • More healthy apple recipes to try
    • 📖 Recipe

    Recipe highlights

    • It's so much healthier than your classic apple crisp but still has all the warm fall flavors of a sweet apple dessert.
    • It's gluten-free and dairy-free.
    • Paleo and vegan-friendly.
    • Instead of regular sugar, I'm using dates and coconut sugar to add that perfect amount of sweetness.
    • Frozen cherries are a lovely match complementing apples' sweet and juicy flavors.
    • Warm spices like cinnamon and ginger and herbs like Rosemary make this healthy apple-cherry crisp super special and the perfect fall dessert.

    Ingredients for the apple filling

    Plant milk, vanilla extract, large dates, frozen cherries, sweet apples on a table.

    Here are a few notes you might want to glance over before making this healthy apple crisp recipe.

    • Apples: I prefer apples that are crunchy and sweet, like Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Golden Delicious. They are juicy with naturally sweet flavors. Peel the apples—yeah, it's a bit more work, but you'll get no tough surprises.
    • Cashew milk: Hazelnut or almond milk are other great options. I imagine that any other plant milk will do, but I usually go for creamy nut milk.
    • Vanilla extract: you could swap this for maple extract.
    • Dates: it naturally adds sweetness. I usually go for large, pitted, soft Medjool dates.
    • Cherries: Use frozen pitted cherries. If in season, you could go for fresh ones.

    Ingredients for the crisp topping

    Coconut oil, coconut flakes, chopped walnut & pecans, almond flour, cinnamon, ginger, dried Rosemary, Cassava flour, coconut sugar.

    Nuts: Usually, I go for a mix between pecans and walnuts. They're deliciously crunchy, and you'll get a nice mix of sweet, buttery, and earthy.

    Coconut Flakes: I love how they add a subtle and natural sweetness to the crumble mix and become very crispy once baked.

    Coconut oil: If still solid, briefly melt the coconut oil in a small pan over the lowest heat setting.

    Coconut sugar has a lovely caramel taste and is less refined than brown sugar. I'm just adding enough to enhance the fruits' natural sweetness.

    Flours: I'm using blanched almond flour and cassava flour combo. Almond flavor will also naturally add sweetness. Make sure to use a super fine version. Cassava flour is starchy and added as a natural binding agent.

    Spices and herbs: a small amount of cinnamon powder, freshly minced or grated ginger, and dried Rosemary needles pair so well with the sweet flavors of apples and cherries. They add warmth to the fall flavors of this healthy apple dessert.

    Recipe steps

    Step 1: Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.

    Cored and peeled apples on a cutting board next to one thinly sliced apple.

    Step 2: Arrange apples and pitted cherries in the baking dish.

    Note: you do not need to defrost the cherries. Just briefly rinse them under running water.

    Sliced apples and cherries arranged in a baking pan.

    Step 3: blend the dates, vanilla extract, and milk until you get a light brown paste.

    Date paste in a small blender.

    Step 4: stir the date paste into the apples and cherries until everything is slightly coated; set aside.

    Sliced apples and cherries arranged in a baking pan and topped with a date paste.
    Sliced apples and cherries coated with a sweet date paste.

    Step 5: combine the chopped nuts, coconut flakes, cinnamon powder, Rosemary, almond flour, cassava flour, and coconut sugar in a separate bowl.

    Dry ingredients like coconut shreds, herbs, nuts, coconut sugar in a stainless steel bowl.
    A dry flour mix with nuts and coconut shreds in a stainless steel bowl.

    Step 6: stir in the melted coconut oil and the grated ginger until everything is barely coated.

    A dry flour mix with nuts and coconut shreds in a stainless steel bowl and topped with coconut oil and grated ginger.
    An oil coated flour and nut mixture in a stainless steel bowl.

    Step 7: divide the crisp topping over the apple-cherry filling in the baking dish.

    An no oats apple crumble mixture arranged in a baking pan.
    An no oats baked apple crumble mixture arranged in a baking pan.

    Step 8: Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown, the apples are soft, and the fruit liquids are bubbling.

    A spoon taken out of a baking pan containing baked apple and cherry crisp without oats.

    The fruit-to-crisp topping ratio is beautifully balanced, and everything comes out crunchy, with deliciously sweetened apples, cherries, and warm-flavored juices.

    How to serve this healthy apple crisp

    Healthy no oats apple crisp served in a plate and topped with a scoop of ice cream next to half full baking dish with the same apple crisp.

    It's quite irresistible, but if you want to make it a real treat, serve it with a scoop of your favorite ice cream on top—highly recommended.

    I have somewhat of a weakness for a butter pecan flavor or go for the dairy-free vanilla bean. A little scoop goes a long way.

    It is equally inviting when served as a breakfast topped with some (probiotic) yogurt, my favorite, or try one made with cashew milk from Forager to keep it dairy-free.

    Make it ahead of time

    Need this for a particular day? Make it ahead of time, cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a few days.

    Then bake as directed when ready to serve.

    Storage and how to reheat leftovers

    Store it in an airtight container in the fridge. This healthy apple crisp easily reheats in the microwave or over the stove for a couple of minutes.

    You can even eat it cold, straight out of the fridge, first thing in the morning, but it's always better to quickly warm it up if you have a little more time.

    It stays fresh for up to 4 days.

    Healthy no oats apple crisp served in a plate.

    More healthy apple recipes to try

    • Baked Stuffed Apples with Belgian Raspberry Beer
    • Homemade Granola Recipe (GF, Vegan)
    • Apple-Bacon Pancake with Buckwheat Flour
    • Rhubarb Compote (4 Delicious Rhubarb Sauce Recipes)

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    I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.


    📖 Recipe

    A close-up of a spoon resting in a plate with ice cream melted in a baked apple crisp.

    Healthy Apple Crisp

    Mariska Ramondino
    The best healthy apple crisp recipe is filled with sweet apples and cherries and topped with a crunchy topping. It's naturally sweetened with dates and coconut sugar and deliciously flavored with a hint of warm spices and herbs. It's an absolute must-make dessert that is also gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, and vegan-friendly!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Cookies, Snacks, Desserts
    Cuisine American

    Equipment

    • 13 by 9-inch baking dish
    Servings 9 Servings

    Ingredients
     

    Apple Cherry Filling

    • 5 large sweet apples such as Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious (about 1 to 1.2 kg)
    • 1 bag frozen pitted cherries 10-ounces/283-grams
    • 5 large pitted (Medjool) dates 90 grams
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ cup unsweetened cashew milk or any other nut or plant milk (110 grams)

    Crisp Topping

    • ½ cup coconut oil 90 grams
    • 1 cup chopped nuts—I use a mix of walnuts and pecans 95 grams
    • ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes 30 grams
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
    • 1 teaspoon cracked dried Rosemary needles
    • ¾ cup blanched almond flour 85 grams
    • ¼ cup Cassava flour 40 grams
    • ¼ cup coconut sugar 40 grams
    • 1 teaspoon freshly minced or grated ginger

    Instructions

    Prepare the apple-cherry filling

    • Preheat the oven to 350 °F/180 °C.
    • Core and peel the apples. Then thinly slice them into half moon shapes.
    • If using frozen cherries, briefly rinse them under water.
    • Divide the apples and the cherries into the baking dish; set aside.
    • In a blender or food processor, mix the dates with vanilla extract and milk until you get a light brown paste.
    • Stir the date paste into the apples and cherries until all the fruits are slightly coated; set aside.

    Prepare the crisp topping

    • If needed, melt the coconut oil in a small pan over the lowest heat setting.
    • In a small bowl, combine the chopped nuts, coconut flakes, cinnamon powder, Rosemary, almond flour, cassava flour, and coconut sugar.
    • Then stir in the melted coconut oil and the grated ginger until the dry ingredients are just coated but well combined (everything will be barely coated).
    • Divide the topping over the apple cherry filling.
    • Bake the crisp
    • Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown, the fruit is soft, and fruit liquids are bubbling.
    • Remove from the oven and serve as-is or with a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

    Notes

    Substitutions:
    • Rosemary: you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried needles with 1 tablespoon of fresh Rosemary needles.
    • Cherries: When in season, use fresh cherries!
    Process shots: see process shots in the post for how to cut the apples and make this delicious healthy apple cherry crisp.
    Make it ahead of time: you can make this apple cherry crisp ahead of time. Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a few days. Then bake as directed when ready to serve.
    Storage & how to reheat leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. This almond apple crisp recipe easily reheats in the microwave or over the stove for a couple of minutes.
    You can even eat it cold, straight out of the fridge, first thing in the morning, but it's always better to quickly warm it up if you have a little more time.
    It stays fresh for up to 4 days.

    Add your own private notes

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    Whenever you come back to this recipe, you’ll be able to see your notes.

    Nutrition (% Daily value)

    Calories: 390kcal (20%)Carbohydrates: 36g (12%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 29g (45%)Saturated Fat: 14g (88%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 12mg (1%)Potassium: 292mg (8%)Fiber: 6g (25%)Sugar: 24g (27%)Vitamin A: 79IU (2%)Vitamin C: 7mg (8%)Calcium: 53mg (5%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

    Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.

    Keywords : almond flour apple crisp, apple crisp paleo, apple crisp without oats, gluten free apple crisp, healthy apple crisp, healthy apple crumble, vegan apple crisp
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