This easy vegan apple crumble is the ultimate cosy winter dessert. Full of cinnamon spice, tender pieces of apple and a sweet crumble topping, you’ll want to serve this warm with a big scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream!
My favourite thing about winter is the cosiness. Whether it’s fires, chunky blankets or oversized knits, I love it all. But the ultimate has got to be the desserts.
Warm desserts like sticky date pudding or my family’s favourite chocolate self saucing pudding served with vanilla ice cream is what winter dessert is all about, and today we’re celebrating another classic with my vegan version of apple crumble.
This is such an easy recipe and one that no matter your skill level you can achieve. It’s not a fancy recipe but it’s still perfect to serve to guests at the end of a dinner.
For this recipe I’m using royal gala apples but really, the choice is completely up to you. If you want to use granny smith apples your crumble will be a little bit more tart, and if you wanted to use sweeter pink lady apples, then I’d probably reduce the sugar in the filling to compensate.
Fruit crumbles or crisps are a great option when needing a vegan or dairy free dessert option as the main swap is in the crumble topping where we use melted coconut oil in place of traditional butter. The result is a really light, crumbly topping with a little bit of crunch.
I also prefer to use almond meal in the topping instead of flour as I find the result much lighter and gives a lovely nutty taste.
So whether you call it apple crumble or apple crisp, you’ll love this easy and warming winter dessert. It’s one of my favourite things to enjoy on a cool winter night.
Key Ingredients
This vegan apple crumble is super easy to make using just 8 ingredients and two components, the apple layer and the crumble layer.
- Apples – you can use any apples you prefer for this recipe. I’m using royal gala, but you could also use granny smith if you prefer a slightly more crisp and tart flavour. Again based on your preference you can either peel the apples or leave the skin on.
- Caster sugar – used to sweeten the apples, you could use regular granulated sugar instead, caster sugar is just a little finer.
- Lemon juice – added to the apples to help prevent them going brown, but also balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavour of the apples.
- Cinnamon – used in both the filling and the topping, cinnamon gives so much warming, spiced flavour and really is the highlight of this dish in my opinion.
- Rolled oats – make sure to use old fashioned rolled oats for the topping of this crumble.
- Almond meal – this is the key to the flavour and texture of this crumble. You could also substitute with a hazelnut meal.
- Brown sugar – used in the topping to create a sweet caramel flavour that oozes into the apples. So good.
- Coconut oil – melted coconut oil is used in the crumble topping instead of butter to create a rich, crispy and light topping.
Step-By-Step Instructions
You really don’t need anything fancy to make this vegan apple crumble. A couple of bowls, a spatula or a spoon and something to bake it in. I’m using a 24cm square ceramic baking dish, but you could use anything with a similar capacity – a pie dish would work perfectly.
Start by making your apples. As I’ve mentioned, I didn’t peel them for this recipe, but if you don’t love the skin or want a softer texture to the apples, then you can certainly peel them. Chop them up into about 2cm squares. They don’t have to be perfect.
Toss them in a bowl with the caster sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Pour the apples into the base of your baking dish and spread around evenly.
Next make the topping by mixing the oats, almond meal, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Add in the melted coconut oil and mix until everything is combined.
Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples to create an even layer.
Place the baking dish in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown, the apples are soft, and the edges are rapidly bubbling. You should also have the most incredible, warming smell flooding your home. Way better than any scented candles!
Let it cool for a few minutes before scooping out into bowls and serving still warm with a big scoop of your favourite vegan vanilla ice cream.
Recipe FAQs
In Australia, no oats are considered safe for consumption on a gluten free diet. There is some debate about this though and its possible people who are gluten intolerant can eat oats without issue, however it’s not recommended for those who are celiac, therefore I don’t recommend this recipe for those needing a gluten free option.
Yes! This recipe is very similar to my strawberry crumble recipe which is such a good way to use the delicious and abundant winter strawberries. You could also use pears, or stone fruit such as peaches in place of the apples. Just a note to reduce the sugar down in the fruit mix to compensate for the extra sweetness of some fruits.
More easy vegan desserts:
Vegan Oreo Cheesecake
One Bowl Vegan Chocolate Cake
Amaretto Tiramisu (Vegan)
Mini Vegan Chocolate Cake
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes (Vegan)
Vegan Apple Crumble
Ingredients
- 5 apples
- ⅓ cup caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the topping:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup almond meal
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut up the apples into 2cm cubes, you can leave them skin on or peel them, and add to a large glass mixing bowl. Add in caster sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon and toss using a rubber spatula until mixed. Add the apples to a 24cm square ceramic baking dish.
- In another bowl, mix together oats, almond meal, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt with a spatula or spoon. Add in melted coconut oil and mix to combine.
- Place crumble topping over the top of the apples and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden and the apples are soft.
- Let cool slightly before digging in as the liquid is very hot. Serve while still warm with a scoop of your favourite vegan vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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