Apple Crumble with Oats

Name: Apple Crumble with Oats
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 400 g Apple (peeled, cored and roughly chopped); 1 tsp Cinnamon; 1.5 tbsp Light brown sugar; 100 g Oats; 1 tbsp Maple syrup; 2 tbsp Coconut oil (melted; for the crumble); 1 tbsp Coconut oil (melted; for the apples)

Diet: Gluten Free / Vegan

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Soft and sweet cinnamon apples with an oat crumble topping make this apple crumble with oats 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, but a crumble mix with oats.

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

Deliciously sweet apples mixed with some cinnamon and topped with a crispy crumble with oats. Forget traditional crumble topping - this apple crumble with oats has a lovely crunch to it and makes it a healthy crumble topping. 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 upoat a lots of apples.

If you are looking for some more apple recipes to try, then why not try our simple Apple Turnovers, delicious Healthy Apple Pie or, for a different breakfast, our Apple Cinnamon Pancakes. Also try our amazing Apple and Blackberry Crumble.

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Why You Will Love It
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to Make Apple Crumble with Oats - Step by Step
Healthy Apple Crumble
Serving Suggestions
Storage
Extra Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Crumble Recipes
Recipe
Feedback

Why You Will Love It

Healthy comfort food - This oat apple crumble is total comfort food, but made a little bit lighter.
Just 179 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.

Ingredients and Substitutions

All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.

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. You can use Sweet Freedom to keep it sweetened with just fruit.
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.

More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.

How to Make Apple Crumble with Oats - Step by Step

Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.

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

Step 1: In a mixing bowl, add the oats, maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil.

The oats, maple syrup and coconut oil mixed together.

Step 2: Mix everything together.

Apples chopped into small cubes on a chopping board.

Step 3: Chop the apples into small cubes.

Step 4: Add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil to a large pan and melt. Add the apples and gently cook for 5 minutes until softened.

Cinnamon and sugar added to the cooked apples.

Step 5: Put the sugar and cinnamon into the pan.

Cooked apples coated in cinnamon and sugar.

Step 6: Stir and cook for a further 2 minutes.

The cooked apples in a baking dish topped with the oat mixture.

Step 7: Put the cooked apples into a baking dish and top with the oat mix.

Cooked apple crumble with a large serving spoon.

Step 8: Put into the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

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. You could use Sweet Freedom which is made of fruit, so this would all be naturally sweetened.

We have made a crumble topping with oats, which adds some extra fibre and we personally find easier to digest than the flour and butter crumble mixture. If you don't want to make your crumble topping with oats, then you could use a regular crumble topping.

Just 6 ingredients go into making this healthy apple crumble, so you can be sure exactly what has gone into it, compared to buying it in store. And it's only 179 calories per portion too.

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

Serving Suggestions

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? We also love some caramel sauce drizzled on top.

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 apple crumble recipe with oats, 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.

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 demerara sugar before it goes in the oven.
You can add some crushed nuts like pecans or walnuts to the oat crumble topping too for some extra crunch.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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 this 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.

How do I know when it 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.

More Crumble Recipes

If you’ve tried this apple crumble recipe with oats, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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