Lower Sugar Apple Crumble (Nut-Free!) - This recipe is a delicious and healthier alternative to Grandma's apple crumble - Less sugar and no 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!
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!
Recipe 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!
Lower Sugar Apple Crumble (Nut-Free!)
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
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
Charlotte Moore
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!!
Lauren
That's great Charlotte, thanks for your comment!
Ally @ Om Nom Ally
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 🙂
Lauren
Thanks so much Ally! 🙂
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen
This apple crumble looks delicious - I love having healthy, staple recipes like this! Can't wait to try 🙂 Pinned!
peggy
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.
Lauren
Hi Peggy,
You can just omit the bran or sub in an equal amount of quick oats. 🙂
olivia
If you're not gluten free, try wheat germ. That's what I used as a sub, and it turned out beautifully.
Mike @TheIronYou
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!
Lauren
Thanks so much Mike! 🙂