With warm, tender apples tucked under a crispy, cinnamon-spiced topping, this sugar-free apple crisp feels indulgent but is surprisingly wholesome. Full of apples, oats, whole grains, and fiber, this is a dessert you can feel good about eating. I used allulose in this apple crisp but you can easily swap in another sweetener or regular sugar.
Apples are one of those fruits I never get tired of. Straight from the fridge, they’re crisp and refreshing – but give them a little cinnamon and a cozy crumble topping? Now we’re talking dessert! This is one of my favorite treats at any time, especially when I want something that feels indulgent but comes together easily.
If you love the apple, cinnamon, and oat combo as much as I do, my Apple Oatmeal Cake delivers those same warm flavors. It’s a cross between a snack cake and baked oatmeal. Healthy enough for breakfast and simple to make sugar-free if you like.
Sugar Free Apple Crisp with Fresh Milled Flour
There are few things better than warm apple crisp, fresh from the oven and served with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s got all the comforting flavors of an apple pie, but none of the fuss. This recipe is quick to pull together and easy to customize, and as a bonus, your kitchen will smell amazing.
Tips for the Perfect Crisp
- Which apples? Use any apples you like, just aim for firm ones that hold their shape during baking.
- Keep it low sugar: This recipe uses minimal sweetener (I used allulose), but you can use your favorite sugar-free or regular granulated sweetener and adjust to your taste.
- Want a nutty crunch? Add chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Keep it flexible: Feel free to tweak the oats and flour amounts depending on how crumbly or crispy you like your topping. Adding fewer oats will give you a finer, more buttery crumble.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Apples: Use any firm variety that holds its shape during baking. For this batch, I used a mix of Pink Lady and Granny Smith for a nice sweet-tart balance. You can absolutely use a single variety if you prefer. However, if you use all Granny Smith apples, you may want to increase the sweetener in the filling to compensate.
Lemon Juice: Fresh is best, but bottled works in a pinch. It brightens the flavor and helps keep the apples from browning.
Sweetener: I used allulose to keep this lower in sugar, but any granulated sweetener works perfectly: regular white sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, or your favorite sugar-free option. Keep in mind the sweetener you use in the topping will affect the texture as well. In my case, allulose keeps things a bit more on the soft and chewy side rather than crispy.
If using sugar-free options, erythritol or an erythritol blend such as Lakanto Monk Fruit sweetener will keep the topping more on the crispy side.
Whichever sweetener you use, I keep this recipe lightly sweet to leave room for ice cream (and/or a drizzle of caramel). Feel free to adjust to your taste!
Cinnamon: A key flavor here, so reach for a good-quality ground cinnamon. You’ll use it in both the apple filling and the topping.
Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats are ideal; they hold their texture and crisp up nicely.
Flour: I used fresh milled spelt flour, but all-purpose, whole wheat, or white whole wheat will work just as well. The texture will vary slightly depending on the flour you use, but all will work great.
Salt: A pinch of salt enhances all the other flavors.
Butter: Regular salted butter is perfect. If you need a dairy-free option, I bet coconut oil would work beautifully.
Instructions
This dessert comes together in just a few simple steps:
- Prep the apples: Peel, core, and chop apples into roughly 1″ pieces. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Flavor the filling: Sprinkle apples with lemon juice, cinnamon, and sweetener. Toss to coat evenly.
- Assemble: Spread the apple mixture in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Make the topping: In a medium bowl, mix oats, flour, sweetener, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is evenly moistened and crumbly (don’t overmix).
- Top and bake: Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the apples. Bake at 350°F for 50–55 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the apple juices are bubbling.
- Serve: Let it cool for about 15-20 minutes and serve – preferably with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream!
FAQs
What are the best apples to use for apple crisp?
Firm apples that hold their shape during baking work best, such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Fuji and of course Granny Smith. That said, I truly believe any apple can work in a pinch. I’ve even used Red Delicious (not usually a baking go-to), and the crisp still turned out great. Just keep an eye on your baking time – softer apples may cook faster.
Can I make this ahead of time?
You can assemble and refrigerate it (unbaked) for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.
How do I reheat apple crisp?
You can reheat individual servings in the microwave for 45-60 seconds. The topping won’t be as crunchy but it will still be delicious. If you’d like to keep the crisp texture, try reheating in the air fryer instead.
To reheat the whole dish, cover it loosely with foil and warm in a 325°F oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. This helps keep the topping crisp.
Other easy recipes you might enjoy:
Fresh Milled Apple Crisp (Sugar-Free)
Ingredients
Filling:
- 2 lbs. peeled and chopped apples about 5-6 medium apples
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2-4 tablespoons granulated sweetener, sugar-free or regular (I used allulose)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping:
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
- ¾ cup flour (fresh-milled, whole wheat or all-purpose) I used fresh milled spelt
- ¾ cup granulated sweetener, sugar-free or regular (I used allulose)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 stick butter melted
Instructions
- Peel and chop apples in roughly 1” pieces.
- Sprinkle chopped apples with lemon, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 2-4 tablespoons sugar or other sweetener. Toss to coat. Spread in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In medium bowl combine flour, ¾ cup sugar or other sweetener, oats, salt and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Add melted butter and stir to combine until crumbly. Avoid overmixing.
- Sprinkle topping over apples.
- Bake at 350°F for about 50-55 minutes or until apples are soft and juices are bubbling.
- Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.