Using only maple syrup as the sweetener, this Healthy Apple Crisp recipe features perfectly-cooked apples underneath a maple pecan oat crisp. Serve it with a scoop of ice cream for the perfect fall dessert.

A bowl of baked apple crisp made from wholesome ingredients topped with ice cream.

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There is a time and place for decadent desserts, but sometimes you just want something that's on the lighter side while still feeling indulgent. Enter this Healthier Apple Crisp, made using whole grains, maple syrup, and pecans.

This crisp is a celebration of apple season, featuring some seriously amazing complementary flavors. The apple layer is just that: all about apples. It's sweetened only with maple syrup, which gives it just a slight maple flavor. The crisp layer, also subtly sweetened with maple syrup, is enhanced with crunch from oats and pecans and added nutrients from whole wheat or spelt flour.

The whole dish is healthy enough that you won't feel guilty serving it for breakfast, but it's also still dessert-worthy, especially with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

You can't let a fall season go by without making apple crisp; it's a must. And after you are done with this crisp, make room for Apple Pie, Apple Turnovers, and an amazingly easy Apple Tart.

So, let's get to making it, shall we? The article below is jam-packed full of useful information. You can jump around using the menu below, or skip to the end of the article for the full recipe.

Jump to:

What Makes This Healthy Apple Crisp Special
Ingredients Needed
All About the Apples
The Maple Pecan Crisp Topping
Step-by-Step Recipe Overview
How to Tell When It's Done Baking
Serving + Storing
More Apple Recipes:
Full Recipe

What Makes This Healthy Apple Crisp Special

What I really love about this apple crisp is that it is such a nice balance between being wholesome and a full-on dessert. This apple crisp is on the barely sweet side, using the unrefined sweetness of maple syrup to enhance the natural sweetness of the apples. At the same time, it also uses Granny Smith apples, which introduce a slightly sour element.

The crisp topping is a bit different than most, thanks to the use of maple syrup and whole grains. It is both crisp and just slightly chewy because of the play between the liquid syrup and the flour.

Ingredients on a sheet tray measured for making a healthy apple crisp recipe.

Ingredients Needed

Here is an overview of the ingredients used. The full recipe and amounts are located below this article.

apples (this recipe calls for a combination of Granny Smith and Gala, but see the "All About the Apples" section for more suggestions)
maple syrup (make sure you are using pure maple syrup here!)
old-fashioned oats (these are also called rolled oats; do not substitute quick oats or steel-cut oats)
pecans (these nuts can be omitted if necessary for allergies and replaced with additional oats, or they can substituted with any other nut)
whole wheat flour or spelt flour (this can also be made with all-purpose flour)
cornstarch (for thickening the apples)
cinnamon
unsalted butter
vanilla extract
lemon juice

A mixture of granny smith and gala apples.

All About the Apples

For just about any apple dessert, you want to have an apple that can hold its shape and has a nuanced flavor with a slight tartness to break up the sweetness of the sugar. A combination of apples is helpful because it introduces a few different flavors and textures to the dessert. Gala and Granny Smith apples are both good choices for apple crisp because they don’t get mushy after a long bake in the oven, they have a sweet-and-tart flavor, and they are readily available at most grocery stores and farmers markets.

Other Good Baking Apples

Cortland
Honeycrisp
Golden Delicious
Braeburn
Pink Lady
Ginger Gold
Jonagold

About Cutting the Apples

When it comes to crisps, how to cut the apples is totally up to you. The apples can be peeled or unpeeled. They can be diced, sliced, or cut into wedges. The only absolute is that the apple must be cored, and the seeds removed. Beyond that, it's up to your personal preference. A crisp is supposed to be a more rustic dessert, so it's fine to have a more rustic cut on the apples.

The Maple Pecan Crisp Topping

This crisp topping is a bit different because it doesn't use refined sweeteners, but instead uses pure maple syrup. This adds a subtle maple note to the flavor, and also makes it feel just a bit more wholesome.

Step 1: The butter needs to be blended into the flour. You can do this with a pastry blender or you can simply use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour.

The ingredients for an apple crisp topping.

Step 2: Add in the oats and pecans, then fold in the maple syrup. Do not overmix to avoid excess gluten formation between the liquid syrup and the flour.

Step-by-Step Recipe Overview

This is a quick visual overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. If you are looking for the full recipe, keep scrolling!

Buttering a white baking dish for apple crisp.

Step 1: Prepare baking dish (and preheat the oven!)

Step 2: Prepare the apples.

Cut apples macerating with sugar and spices in a bowl.

Step 3: Toss together the apple filling ingredients.

Placing the streusel on top of the apples before baking.

Step 4: Layer in the apples and top with the prepared streusel, then bake!

How to Tell When It's Done Baking

If you ask me, a crisp is nothing more than a crustless pie with a streusel topping. Baking it requires the same skills of assessing whether a pie is done, minus the worry about the crust not being baked through.

Look for the streusel topping to be golden brown, but more importantly, for the filling to be bubbling.

This crisp is thickened by cornstarch, which needs to be heated to a temperature above 200ºF in order for it to fully "activate." Bubbling is a good indication that it is ready. Using an instant-read thermometer is also an accurate way to see if it's done.

If at any point the crisp topping is getting too brown before the filling is cooked through, cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Serving + Storing

When the apple crisp is pulled from the oven and very hot, the apple mixture will still be very liquidy. As it cools, it will thicken up.

A bowl of apple crisp made from healthier ingredients.

Serve the crisp slightly warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or cinnamon ice cream. Trust me, you won't be disappointed with this!

Apple crisp is best eaten on the day it is made. If there are leftovers, you can keep them covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 350ºF, if desired.

A bowl of baked apple crisp made from wholesome ingredients topped with two scoops of ice cream.

More Apple Recipes:

Full Recipe

Healthy Apple Crisp

A bowl of baked apple crisp made from wholesome ingredients topped with cinnamon ice cream.

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 5 reviews

Author: Kelli Avila
Prep Time: 00:10
Cook Time: 00:55
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: Serves 6
Category: Desserts
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For Apple Filling

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
6 medium (about 2-½ to 3 lbs) Granny Smith and Gala apples
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Crumb Topping:

1 cup (130 grams) whole wheat flour or spelt flour
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½” pieces
½ teaspoon (2 grams) coarse kosher salt (see note)
½ cup (40 grams) old fashioned oats
½ cup (60 grams) pecans, finely chopped
⅓ cup (110 grams) pure maple syrup

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Instructions

For the apple filling: Preheat oven to 350ºF and place a rack in the middle part of the oven. Spread the softened butter in an 8-inch square or similar 2.5 quart baking dish. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Prepare the apples by peeling and slicing into about ¼-inch-thick half moons, or as desired (see notes).
In a large bowl, mix together the apples, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Then stir in the maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, pushing the apples down to leave as little space between them as possible.
For the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, toss together the flour, butter, and salt. Cut or rub the butter into the flour with your fingers or a pastry blender.
Add in the oats and nuts and stir together. Fold in the maple syrup.
Evenly sprinkle the crumb topping onto the apple mixture.
Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the apples can easily be pierced with a fork and the mixture is bubbling.
Remove the crisp from the oven and place it on a rack to cool. Serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Notes

This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by about half for volume, or use the same amount by weight.

How to cut the apples is totally up to you. The apples can be peeled or unpeeled. They can be diced, sliced, or cut into wedges. The only absolute is that the apple must be cored, and the seeds removed. Beyond that, it's up to your personal preference.

Apple crisp is best eaten on the day it is made. If there are leftovers, you can keep them covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat it in the oven at 350ºF, if desired.

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