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    Home » Recipes » Healthy Desserts

    Lower Sugar Apple Crumble (Nut-Free!)

    Published: Oct 18, 2021 · Modified: Nov 4, 2022 by Lauren · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

    Jump to Recipe  ↓

    Lower Sugar Apple Crumble (Nut-Free!) - This recipe is a delicious and healthier alternative to Grandma's apple crumble - Less sugar and no nuts!

    Healthy apple crumble without nuts

    I've never subscribed much to the idea of 'soul mates'.

    It's a very romantic notion, but truth be told, I'm not much of a romantic.

    It's not that I don't sob like a baby when Travis shoots Old Yeller or that I've lost all sense of my child-like ways. I, more than anyone in my house, love a good game of spontaneous tag!

    Of all the people I've ever known, however, my husband is the one best suited to my idiosyncrasies. His uncharacteristic romanticism keeps my pragmatic attitude in check, and his easy-going manner is a great match for my sometimes persnickety ways.

    Now, to be clear, this soul mate thing, doesn't apply to food.

    I definitely have a perfect match when it comes to food and it ain't beets!

    Lower sugar apple crumble recipe

    A healthier apple crumble

    This apple crumble defines what I love in a dessert.

    It's healthy, it's delicious, and it can be eaten any time of the day or year. This recipe also contains two of my favorite foods: oats and apples.

    I've made plenty of variations of this recipe throughout the years, and I eat them all joyfully. This time, however, I really wanted to hone in on a 'staple' recipe that I could refer to again and again.

    By employing oats, oat flour, and oat bran in the crumble, I've not only made this nutritious, but high in fiber as well.

    The bake time allows the apples to soften, without turning to mush, and it creates a golden brown, lightly sweetened crust that stays crunchy in some places, while becoming mixed with the apple juices in others. This creates different, mouth-pleasing textures that are simply irresistible!

    Healthy apple crumble without nuts
    Print Recipe
    4.60 from 5 votes

    Lower Sugar Apple Crumble (Nut-Free!)

    A modern 'healthified' version of a classic apple dish!
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time35 minutes mins
    Rest Time:15 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Crumble
    Keyword: Fruit, Gluten-Free, Nut-free, Oatmeal
    Servings: 9 servings
    Calories: 187kcal
    Author: Lauren Goslin

    Ingredients

    APPLE BASE:

    • 5 cups apple slices about 3-4 large apples,
    • 1 Tbsp coconut sugar
    • 2 Tbsp water
    • 1 Tbsp arrowroot

    CRUMBLE TOPPING:

    • ¾ cup oat flour
    • ½ cup quick oats
    • 2 Tbsp oat bran or more quick oats
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • ¼ tsp sea salt
    • 3 Tbsp coconut sugar or another granulated sugar
    • 4 Tbsp softened coconut oil or butter

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
    • Butter or oil an 8 x 8 inch baking dish.
    • In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the coconut sugar.
    • Mix the water and arrowroot together in a small cup and add the slurry to the apples, tossing well.
    • Spread the apples on the bottom of the baking dish.
    • In another bowl, mix the ingredients for the crumble (flour, oats, bran, cinnamon, salt, and sugar).
    • Using a fork or your hands, cut the coconut oil or butter into the dry crumble until the mix is moistened throughout.
    • Spread the crumble atop the apples.
    • Bake the crumble for 35 minutes.
    • Cool 15-20 minutes to allow the apple juices to thicken.
    • Enjoy!

    Notes

    Nutrition facts are based on using coconut oil.
    WW points: 9

    Nutrition

    Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 31.5g | Protein: 2.1g | Fat: 7.1g | Fiber: 4.5g | Sugar: 18.3g

    Notes:

    Use a good, crisp apple, such as Granny Smith or Fuji, for best results.

    Top as desired with a well-tolerated ice cream or whipped cream for extra deliciousness.

    Lower sugar option:

    For those of you that are eating more low sugar, I've successfully made this without the sugar in the filling and only one tablespoon of sugar in the topping. The topping comes out a bit drier, but our family still really enjoyed it!

    Some of the items I use to make this recipe include:

    • 8 x 8 inch Pyrex dish
    • Apple peeler
    • Oat bran

    Nut-free apple crumble with oat bran

     

     

     

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    Filed Under: Healthy Desserts

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Charlotte Moore

      October 09, 2016 at 4:34 pm

      I made this yesterday to take to my son's house. His girlfriend is GF,DF. MY son loves apples with cinnamon so I thought this would be great for both. I did sprinkle cinnamon and coconut sugar on the apples too. He likes extra cinnamon. They really liked it. I will be making this again. Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        October 10, 2016 at 12:03 pm

        That's great Charlotte, thanks for your comment!

        Reply
    2. Ally @ Om Nom Ally

      November 13, 2014 at 3:39 am

      I'm loving this crumble recipe, you had me hooked when I saw there was oats in the ingredients list!

      I'm not sure how I feel about 'soul mates' either, but I do think it's wonderful to be with someone who complements you, congrats to you both for finding your perfect match 🙂

      Reply
      • Lauren

        November 13, 2014 at 8:12 am

        Thanks so much Ally! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen

      November 11, 2014 at 1:42 am

      This apple crumble looks delicious - I love having healthy, staple recipes like this! Can't wait to try 🙂 Pinned!

      Reply
    4. peggy

      November 10, 2014 at 5:58 pm

      Can't wait to try this recipe. I have old fashion oatmeal in the house which I will be using for the oat flour & quick oats but I am stumped on what I can substitute oat bran for - I have toasted oat cereal (generic whole wheat cheerios) & plan corn flakes? Thanks for any suggestion.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        November 10, 2014 at 7:32 pm

        Hi Peggy,

        You can just omit the bran or sub in an equal amount of quick oats. 🙂

        Reply
      • olivia

        November 13, 2014 at 10:53 am

        If you're not gluten free, try wheat germ. That's what I used as a sub, and it turned out beautifully.

        Reply
    5. Mike @TheIronYou

      November 10, 2014 at 7:04 am

      Apple crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream was granny's fave dessert. It's simple yet so delish.
      Loving this healthified version Lauren!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        November 10, 2014 at 4:45 pm

        Thanks so much Mike! 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi there, I'm Lauren Goslin, and I've been a food blogger for over ten years. My goal with this blog is to show you healthy, lower sugar recipes that my family and I enjoy.

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