It’s finally here; a delicious and healthy apple crisp that is so good for you, you’ll actually feel good about eating it! I whipped this baby up a few days ago, and have been eating it for breakfast in the morning. It feels a little sinful and indulgent, but all of the healthy ingredients give me a great start to the day. The soluble fiber from the apples with the protein and omega fatty acids from chia seeds, paired with hearty oats and walnuts packs a great punch of nutrients and work really well flavor wise. PS, this recipe is also completely gluten free and vegan!
As someone who loves food, I’m always looking for ways to make classic dishes a little healthier, and this healthy apple crisp is everything I’ve dreamed of!
Healthy Apple Crisp Filling:
- 1 granny smith apple
- 1 honey crisp apple
- 2 tbs high quality maple syrup
- 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
- ¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Healthy Apple Crisp Topping
- 1 cup of rolled oats, divided
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 3 tbs melted coconut oil (use butter if you want a little more flavor; 3 tbs for the whole dish won’t kill you)
- 1 tbs chia seeds
- 2 tbs maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Start by cutting the apples. Slice them about 1/8 inch thick, leaving the skin on. You can peel them if you’d like, but I actually like the texture of the skin, and there are a lot of nutrients in it.
***Side note, if you have a kitchen aid mixer, this spiralizer attachment literally changed my life! It cored and sliced my apples in like 10 seconds flat!
Once you slice both apples, add them to a big bowl, and toss with the remaining filling ingredients. Set the filling aside and work on your crisp topping. You’ll notice that the apples release some liquid, and mix with the cornstarch to create a creamy texture, similar to apple pie.
For the crisp topping, place ½ cup of rolled oats with the chia seeds into the food processor, and blend until it turns into a rough flour consistency. You really just want to break down the chia seeds and oats so that they are a contrasting texture to the chunks of walnuts and rolled oats.
Next, mix the pulverized oats and chia seeds with the rolled oats, chopped walnuts, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the melted coconut oil with the maple syrup, then add that to the dry mixture, mixing until everything is combined and the dry ingredients are moistened.
Place the apple filling in an 8×8 baking dish, making sure that the honey crisp and granny smith apple slices are evenly distributed. You can either be artful with how you place the apples in the baking dish, (I did because I enjoy doing that kind of thing) or you can just dump the whole bowl of apples into the dish. No one will actually see the apples because of the crisp topping, so it really doesn’t matter. Make sure to use all of the apples and accumulated liquid, as this will make your filling creamy and indulgent.
Top the apples with the crisp topping, evenly distributing it into one nice layer. Cover with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then uncover the dish and bake for an additional 20 minutes until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.
Enjoy this healthy apple crisp as a healthy desert, or even breakfast! It’s so good for you that you don’t have to feel any guilt about eating it!
