Healthy Apple Crumble

Hankering for a quick, easy, tarty dessert or breakfast? Try this Healthy Apple Crumble recipe with freshly chopped apples topped with a crunchy oat topping that’s hot and scrumptious!

This is such a simple apple dessert recipe that I’m betting you will be making it on a regular basis. Delicious served as breakfast or even dessert, this healthy apple crumble is going to be a new favorite. Another great idea is my Easy Blueberry Peach Crisp.

You will love this healthy apple crumble because it’s…

• Perfectly sweet
• Great for breakfast or dessert
• Moist
• Wholesome
• Fresh
• Crunchy
• Delicious

Serve for breakfast or dessert

This is warm and bubbly and great for breakfast or dessert. It’s only lightly sweet, so having this apple crumble for breakfast is a great way to start the day.

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

How to make apple crumble

You are going to be so pleased with how easy it is to make this apple crisp with oatmeal.

Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F.

Next, choose 3 large apples to use and dice them into 1″ chunks. Once they are diced, they should equal approximately 5 cups, but don’t fret if it’s a little under or over.

I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.

Sweetening with date paste

This is such a simple recipe that came from a member of the McDougall Friends Facebook group named Emily Robertson. Emily’s original recipe is sweetened only with date paste and is a little tarty, which many people enjoy.

What is date paste?

Date paste is the healthiest, all-natural way to sweeten baked goods.  It is an excellent natural sugar substitute and best of all it is entirely homemade with only dates and water, so you know exactly what is in it.

To make date paste, simply place 5 large dates in about 1/2 cup of warm water in your blender and process until smooth. If you don’t have a higher-power blender such as a Vitamix, you might want to soak the dates for about 30 minutes first.

We like this apple dessert a little bit sweeter, so I add 1/4 cup agave to ours and found it to have the perfect sweet/tart flavor. This addition of agave is optional and can be tweaked to your personal preference.

Instead of agave, you could even add other dry less refined sugars like sucanat or Turbinado.

Making the apple crumble filling

The filling for this recipe is as simple as placing all of the filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stirring well to coat the apple chunks well with the spices and sweetener.

Once the apples and raisins are covered nicely with the other ingredients, pour them into a baking dish that has been lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Making the oaty topping

To make the topping, you will only need a few ingredients–vanilla, shredded coconut (optional), cinnamon, nutmeg, oats, and salt (optional).

Begin by using a fork or potato masher to mash up a very ripe banana. Next, stir in the other topping ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Add the oaty mixture to the top of the apple filling in the baking pan and spread it evenly. Don’t stir this up because you want the topping to actually stay on the top. Add a few extra slices of apple for garnish if desired.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Once the time is up, place a lid or foil over the top and bake for another 10 minutes. This means the total cooking time should be around 30 minutes.

Check it, and see if the apples are nice and soft. If they aren’t allow it to cook another 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve when it is still a little warm.

Plant-based vegan sausage makes a great addition when serving this for breakfast. It is one of the many products that I like to order from MamaSezz meal delivery service. It comes ready to heat and eat, and it can also be frozen.

*Originally published September 2015

Your Questions Answered:

• Q: What kind of apples should I use? You really could use any type of apples you have on hand. My favorites are red delicious, gala, and pink lady. Green apples are also great and will make this tartier.
• Q: Which pan size should I use? I use a round 9″ glass pie pan. Other options would be 8″x8″ or 9″x9″ square pans or even an 11″x7″ rectangle pan.
• Q: Should I peel my apples? That’s really a personal choice. I love to leave the peelings on to add even more fiber, but either way works.
• Q: Does my banana really have to be very ripe? You certainly don’t want it to be a green banana, but you can use a banana that’s only slightly ripe. Just be aware that the riper the banana, the sweeter your apple crumble dessert will be.

Other healthy dessert recipes

• Apple Sauce Cinnamon Muffins
• Sweet Potato Apple Sauce Muffins
• 15 Easy Plant-Based Snack Ideas

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

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Healthy Apple Crumble

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Hankering for a quick, easy, oaty apple crumble dessert or breakfast? Try this--freshly chopped apples topped with a crunchy oat topping that's hot and scrumptious!

Print

Ingredients

Filling

• 3 large apples, diced into 1" chunks
• 5 large Medjool dates, chopped, (or 1/2 cup date paste. See notes above for making date paste )
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped, (optional)
• 1/4 cup agave (or maple syrup) This sweetener is optional but recommended
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping

• 1 large banana, very ripe
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut, (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, (optional)
• 1 cup rolled oats

Instructions

Filling

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F.
2. Next, choose 3 large apples to use and dice them into 1″ chunks. Once they are diced, they should equal approximately 5 cups, but don’t fret if it’s a little under or over.
3. Make the date paste. To make date paste, simply place 5 large dates in about 1/2 cup warm water in your blender and process until smooth. If you don’t have a higher power blender such as a Vitamix, you might want to soak the dates for about 30 minutes first.
4. Making the filling for this recipe is as simple as placing all of the filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stirring well to coat the apple chunks well with the spices and sweetener.
5. Once the apples and raisins are covered nicely with the other ingredients, pour them into a baking dish that has been lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
6. Make the topping using the instructions below. Add the oaty mixture to the top of the apple filling in the baking pan and spread it evenly. Don’t stir this up because you want the topping to actually stay on the top. Add a few extra slices of apple for garnish if desired.
7. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Once the time is up, place a lid or foil over the top and bake another 10 minutes. This means the total cooking time should be around 30 minutes.
8. Check it, and see if the apples are nice and soft. If they aren’t allow it to cook another 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve when it is still a little warm.

Topping

1. Begin by using a fork or potato masher to mash up a very ripe banana. Next, stir in the other topping ingredients and mix thoroughly. Use to top the apple crumble in step #6 above.

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Medjool Dates, 2 Lbs - Soft Chewy Texture | Sweet Caramel Flavor | Farm Fresh
• 
  Quaker Oats, Old Fashioned, 18 Oz

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 344Total Fat: 1.9gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 80.1gFiber: 10.9gProtein: 5.1g

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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