This Healthy Apple Crumble is apple and spice goodness, and a good-for-you crumble all rolled into one. With nuts, pepitas, and tasty cinnamon, this is a gluten-free clean eating dessert soon to be your next favorite!

Do you love apple desserts?

There something about the delicious aroma of apples and cinnamon baking. The smell of apples and spices is comforting, and to me, anything with apples in it is a treat.

I decided to put together a good-for-you recipe full of apples and goodness and I am thrilled with the results!

This apple crumble recipe is so simple, tasty, warm, and delicious.

Healthy Apple Crumble is like warm apple pie meets sweet crumbly goodness. Nothing wrong with that, eh?

I like to use tart apples and a bit of lemon in this recipe because it keeps the dessert from being too overpoweringly sweet. Trust me – it's amazing.

The best part of this dessert is how forgiving it is. You can taste as you go. So, if you don't quite like it, change it.

Too sweet? Add some lemon juice or zest.

Too sour? Add some coconut sugar.

Too bland? Add some cinnamon.

I love it!

Make the Healthy Apple Crumble in either individually-sized portions or in a large casserole dish to scoop out and serve. Either way is fine and both will provide apple-crumbly-goodness. Or, use oven-safe mugs for a cute presentation at your next get together.

If you'd prefer, you can substitute fresh peaches or plums in this recipe. Also, since plums and peaches are naturally less crisp than apples, you can bypass the step of cooking them prior to baking the crumble.

Overhead view of a glass bowl of Granny Smith apples, washed and ready to be sliced and used in Healthy Apple Crumble.

Overhead image of sliced apples in a glass bowl sprinkled with cinnamon, ready to be mixed.

WHAT TYPES OF APPLES ARE BEST FOR HEALTHY APPLE CRUMBLE?

My recipe for Healthy Apple Crumble calls for Granny Smith Apples. That’s because I love the tart flavor that pairs so well with the sweet goodness of the topping. Depending on your tastes, however, you can definitely try another type of apple.

The Idared apple is tart, too, as are the Cortland and Cameo
If you are looking for a sweeter, yet crisp apple, go for Empire, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, and Gala
Fuji and Golden Delicious apples are juicy and also sweet
Cortland’s and Idared’s hold their shape well when baked but all of the varieties mentioned work great
For a blend of sweet and tart, mix Granny Smith with Pink Lady or Golden Delicious with Braeburn

Image of a glass bowl full of sliced Granny Smith apples being covered in cinnamon mixture.

TIPS FOR MAKING HEALTHY APPLE CRUMBLE

Apple crumble is one of those desserts that allows for variation here and there as far as apple preferences, you can vary it up according to your taste. I like tart, but if you are a fan of mild yet sweet, for example, go for Gala. I’ve got some other tips to make the best crumble, and here they are:

Slice the apples uniformly and of equal size as much as possible for even cooking throughout
To have softer apples, cook them for 10 minutes in the oven before adding the crumble
If the topping is browning and the apples are still firmer than you’d like, cover the crumble with foil and bake a bit longer, testing every five minutes
Lightly grease the baking dish, so the crumble does not stick

Overhead view of sliced Granny Smith apples coated with cinnamon mixture and placed in rectangular casserole dish.

HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT HEALTHY APPLE CRUMBLE

To reheat, you can:

microwave a portion for 30-60 seconds
place in the oven at 350 F for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

This super scrumptious apple crumble is best if served fresh. You can bake and cool and then keep it on the counter for one day. But, you can store it in the fridge for up to a week as long as you put the crumble in an airtight container.

Overhead view of a glass bowl with ingredients for the crumble topping, including almond flour, nuts, pepitas, cinnamon, sea salt, and coconut oil.

Close up image of sliced Granny Smith apples in a casserole dish, with crumble being sprinkled over the apples.

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY APPLE CRUMBLE NUT-FREE

If you have a family member who is allergic to nuts, you will want to vary the recipe and replace them. Several options work well in an apple crumble. Consider these: