Vegan Apple Crisp Without Oats

Name: Vegan Apple Crisp Without Oats
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 6 large tart apples (peeled, cored and diced); 1/2 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen); 3/4 cup all-purpose flour; 2 tsps ground cinnamon; 6 tbsps Earth Balance margarine (cut into pieces (or regular butter)); 1/3 cup brown sugar (I made my own using white sugar and blackstrap molasses)

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This recipe for vegan apple crisp without oats is healthy and easy to make, with cranberries and no butter. It's the perfect fall dessert! It's made with simple ingredients, comes together quickly, and is always a hit! It's great for a busy weeknight dessert or weekend treat!

This crisp is packed with juicy apples and tart cranberries and topped with a crumbly topping that's lightly sweetened with molasses. Serve it warm from the oven, topped with vegan vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for an extra special treat!

overhead image of vegan apple crisp on platter sliced

Why you'll love this vegan apple crisp with cranberries:

It's healthy and easy to make
The recipe is made with simple ingredients
It can be ready in under an hour

It's loved even by those that aren't following a vegan lifestyle. The crumble is made with a vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance) and is totally delicious with the soft and sweet apples and tart cranberries.

I made this yesterday afternoon for Thanksgiving. Our vegan friends from Portugal were joining us for our very Italian Thanksgiving (there were almost 20 of us again!!). I'll try to come back and share some photos.

Ingredients:

Apples: I use this recipe with a variety of apples, depending on what I have on hand or what looks good at the store.
Ground Cinnamon: It adds warmth and depth of flavor to the crisp. You could also use pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon.
Cranberries: This is my favorite fall fruit and they add a tartness that contrasts well with the sweetness of the apples.
Margarine: If you don't use butter, this is the perfect substitute.
Granulated Sugar: This is for the crumble topping, which is an essential ingredient.
All-Purpose Flour: This is what thickens the sauce and helps to bind the ingredients together
Blackstrap Molasses: I made my own brown sugar for the topping using granulated sugar and some molasses. The flavor is fantastic!

Instructions

Gather ingredients.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash the cranberries (if using fresh) and eliminate any bruised or mushy ones.
In a medium sized saucepan, cook the apples, sugar and cinnamon over medium heat until the apples begin to soften (approximately 10 minutes).
Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and Earth Balance margarine (or butter) in a bowl.
Fold the cranberries into the apple filling.
Spoon the apple filling into a deep baking dish or pie plate. Top with the crumble mix.
Bake for about 30-45 minutes, until topping looks crunchy.

Substitutes/Variations for this cranberry apple crisp

If you're not a fan of cranberries, you could use raspberries or blueberries instead.
If you don't have margarine on hand, you could use regular butter in its place.
If you're not a fan of molasses, you could use honey or maple syrup in its place.
Change up your spice- add a little nutmeg or cloves to the apples for extra flavor

Expert Tips

Use Granny Smith Apples –I've tried other types of apples before, but I always come back to these. They're crisp and not too sweet—in my opinion, the perfect apple for anything related to crisps! Honey crisps are pretty good as well, although I would reduce the sugar a bit because they tend to be sweeter apples..
Slice your apples thinly and small, so they become much more tender when baked. If not done properly, you will have chunks of raw apples which is not the desired outcome.
Serve warm . If you want to enjoy your leftovers with all the fixings still in tact, reheat them without the topping.

Recipe FAQ's

Is apple crisp and apple crumble the same?

Not exactly…
A crisp and a crumble are not the same thing, but if it wasn’t for their topping, they would be the same thing.
A crisp topping is made with a combination of flour, sugar and butter.
A crumble is a baked dish of fresh fruit (berries, apples, plums, etc.) that is topped with an oat-based streusel. A crisp is just like a crumble-but some say crisps never have oats, and some say they do! I made my crisp without oats. Feel free to add oats to your topping.

What kind of apples are good for an apple crisp?

You can use just about any kind of an apple for baking an apple crisp. Crisp and tart apple varieties work better than the sweeter varieties.
You could try Granny Smith, Empire or Honey Crisp. You could even mix together all three apple varieties.

How many apples are in an apple crisp?

There are 6 cups of apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (which is about 6-8 apples-use a combination of sweet and tart baking apples).

The part of this post is original text from 11/11.

My dear dad passed away a little more than a year after I wrote this. I miss him very much. He was such a part of my baking and cooking.

Even though he was very sick and could barely eat, he loved to sample my baked goodies and other dishes. He always gave me tips and really great compliments. This was maybe one of the last things I baked for him and wrote about.

In the last few weeks, my dad has been dropping some not too subtle apple pie hints. Hints like, “I miss your apple pie.” He’s recently also exclaimed, “Look at these gorgeous apples you found at the fruit market! Perfect for an apple pie.”

The other day he reminded me it’s been months since I made him an apple crisp. I can’t say no to my sweet pops. He wanted me to give him a baking lesson. He helped me cut the apples and make the crumble. He says he will give this recipe a try one day.

He left with his portion and was totally thrilled. I get him to visit us a little more often if there’s the promise of freshly baked apple dessert.

I made a mini one for my dad. He requested for his to be made without any cranberries.

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*Originally published on November 2018. Updated text and photos November 2022 .

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