Oaty Apple Crumble

Name: Oaty Apple Crumble
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 400 g apples (peeled, cored and roughly chopped); 1 tsp Cinnamon; 1.5 tbsp brown sugar; 100 g oats; 1 tbsp Maple syrup; 3 tbsp Coconut oil (melted)

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Soft and sweet cinnamon apples combined with a crispy oat topping make this Oaty Apple Crumble a comforting and warming dessert that the whole family will love and it's lighter than most desserts too! Healthy apple crumble, that still has all the flavour.

A bowl of Apple Crumble surrounded by ingredients and a baking dish.

Deliciously sweet apples mixed with some cinnamon and topped with a crispy oat topping. Forget traditional crumble topping - this apple crumble with oats has a lovely crunch to it and makes it a Healthy Apple Crumble. It is also vegan and gluten free too!

The perfect comforting dessert on a cool day. Whilst we used apples, you could swap them for pears, or use a mixture of both. But this is a great way to use up lots of apples.

If you are looking for some more apple recipes to try, then why not try our Apple Turnovers, Healthy Apple Pie or Apple Cinnamon Pancakes.

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Ingredients needed
How to make oaty apple crumble - Step by step
Why should you try it?
Healthy Apple Crumble
Health benefits of apples
What to serve with a healthy apple crumble
Storage
FAQs
Extra tips
More dessert recipes
Recipe
Feedback

Ingredients needed

Apples - The star of the dish. We like to use Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, but you really could use any apple.
Cinnamon - Apple and cinnamon is such a classic combination. You could swap the cinnamon for nutmeg or ginger, or even a mixture of all three.
Brown sugar - You might not expect to see sugar in a "healthy" recipe, but it really does add so much flavour and we have only used 1.5 tablespoons.
Oats - Although crumble topping isn't usually made with oats, we find it gives it such a nice texture and gives it a fibre boost too. We use rolled oats. Don't use the quick cook porridge oats, because they will become mushy and don't use jumbo oats as they will still be too chewy.
Maple syrup - We used this instead of sugar for the topping as it has lots of flavour, so you can use less of it.
Coconut oil - This is used instead of butter in the topping. Don't worry, it doesn't give it a coconut flavour. You could use butter if you prefer, and it will give a more golden colour to the apples.

A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

All the ingredients needed for this recipe laid out on a wooden surface.

How to make oaty apple crumble - Step by step

One: Mix together the oats, maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.

A mixing bowl containing rolled oats, coconut oil and maple syrup.

Two: Add one tablespoon of coconut oil to a pan and melt. Add the apples and gently cook for 5 minutes until softened. Put the sugar and cinnamon in the pan, stir and cook for a further 2 minutes.

A frying pan with cooked, chopped apples.

Three: Put the cooked apples in a baking dish.

A white baking dish filled with cook chopped apples.

Four: Top with the oat mix.

A white baking dish filled with cooked chopped apples and topped with oats.

Five: Put in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.

Six: After 20 minutes, remove from the oven.

A browned crumble in a white baking dish.

Take a look at our web story for a quick how-to on how to make this Oaty Apple Crumble.

Why should you try it?

Healthy comfort food - This is total comfort food, but made a little bit lighter.
Just 177 calories a portion - A filling portion for less calories than a more traditional apple crumble.
Easy to freeze the leftovers - This stores well so make a big batch and freeze for quick and easy desserts.
Can be done with pear instead of apples or a mixture - This is versatile and different fruit can be used.

Healthy Apple Crumble

This is a hearty and comforting dessert, that doesn't over-do it on calories and fat either. We are all about the desserts at the moment, and finding ways to make them lighter so they can be more of an every day thing, rather than a once in a while thing.

We have used a little bit of brown sugar and maple syrup to give it some extra sweetness, but not as much as you would usually find in an apple crumble. Apples are so good this time of year, that we wanted to let the natural sweetness shine through.

Just 6 ingredients go in to making this healthy apple crumble, so you can be sure exactly what has gone in to it, compared to buying it in store. And it's only 177 calories per portion too.

Health benefits of apples

They are a good source of fibre, potassium and vitamin C and K. Apples have also been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. One reason for this may be that apples contain soluble fibre, and this can help lower your blood cholesterol levels.

Apples also contain polyphenols, which have antioxidant effects. However, many of these are in the peel, so if you peel the apples they they won't have the same benefits.

A ball of vanilla ice cream sat on top of some apple crumble.

What to serve with a healthy apple crumble

Now it comes down to a debate that will turn your dinner table lively - what do you serve with a crumble? Ice cream or custard? We went with a good quality vanilla ice cream, but a good custard is another perfect side to a comforting crumble.

Why not try some vanilla frozen yogurt for a bit more of an indulgent dessert?

Looking for a nice hot drink to serve with this apple and pear crumble? Why not try a Vegan Eggnog, Chai Tea Latte, Cinnamon Coffee or Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate?

Storage

Store: We hardly ever have any leftovers of this, as we can happily eat double portions. But if so, it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.

Freeze: You could freeze it in containers, but the oats would go a little soggy once defrosted. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Defrost: Defrost in the fridge overnight, or in the microwave until fully defrosted.

Reheat: You can put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes to reheat, or put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

A bowl of apple crumble topped wit ha ball of vanilla ice cream.

FAQs

What apples to use for an apple crumble?

When it comes to the best apple for your an apple crumble, we like to use a crisp, tart variety that keeps fairly solid when baking. Something like a Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work well. You could use a mixture of the two, or Golden Delicious is another good choice.

Do you have to cook the apples before you bake?

Yes, with this recipe you do have to soften them in a pan first, this means that they don't have to be in the oven as long.

Can you make healthy apple crumble in advance?

Yes, you can make the apples and topping in advance, layer it in your baking dish and then just put it in the oven to crisp up before you are ready to serve it.

How do I get my crumble crunchy?

If you want a really crunchy topping, then sprinkle Demerara sugar over the topping before going into the oven, then your crumble should be much crunchier.

Why is my healthy apple crumble soggy?

If you have used too much coconut oil to cook the apples in, then it will become soggy.

Do I need to cover the healthy apple crumble when cooking?

No, there is no need to cover it.

How do I know when the oaty apple crumble is cooked?

This will bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. The apple layer should be bubbling and the surface of the oaty crumble should be an even medium golden brown (you don't want it too dark). If you are using a shallower, slightly larger baking dish than we have, then watch it closely, as the crumble may be done in 5 less.

Is this gluten free?

If you use gluten free certified oats, and make sure there is no cross contamination, then is can be a gluten free crumble.

Extra tips

• Serve with either custard, yogurt, ice cream or frozen yogurt.
• You could swap the apples for pears, or use a mixture of them both to make this crumble.
• Add some ginger and nutmeg for some extra seasonal flavours.
• For an extra crispy top, sprinkle on some demerera sugar before it goes in the oven.

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