This apple crumble without oats combines tender apple slices and bright lemon zest with a crisp cinnamon-brown sugar crumble topping. Coconut oil keeps the oat-free streusel especially crisp, while the apples bake into a juicy filling underneath.
The recipe takes about 10 minutes of hands-on prep and is vegan as written. I make it gluten-free with a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour, but regular all-purpose flour also works if you don't need it gluten-free.
Recipe Overview: Apple Crumble Recipe
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Easy
- 🕓 Prep time: 10 minutes
- Bake time: 40-50 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 9
- Pan: 8- or 9-inch square baking dish
- Topping: Oat-free brown sugar streusel
- ✅ Dietary: Vegan; easily made gluten-free
- 🍎 Apples tested: Honeycrisp and Cosmic Crisp
⚠️ Most important tip: Bake until the apple filling is bubbling around the edges. That bubbling tells you the flour-thickened juices have gotten hot enough to set properly.
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FEATURED REVIEW ★★★★★
"This is the perfect apple crumble recipe! The lemon is so nice with the apples and brown sugar."
- Dana
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Why This Recipe Works
- A two-temperature bake thickens the filling without burning the topping. I start the crumble at 400°F to get the apple juices bubbling, then lower the oven to 350°F so the streusel can finish baking without becoming too dark.
- Coconut oil creates a crisp oat-free topping. It also keeps the recipe vegan without requiring vegan butter.
- Flour thickens the apple juices. A small amount in the filling turns the released apple juices into a lightly thickened sauce instead of leaving liquid at the bottom of the pan.
- Lemon zest brightens the filling. The zest adds fresh citrus flavor alongside the cinnamon and brown sugar instead of simply adding acidity.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
You need 7 core ingredients to make this easy apple crumble without oats recipe.
Apples
I tested this recipe with Honeycrisp and Cosmic Crisp apples. Both stayed tender without turning mushy and provided enough sweetness to balance the lemon and brown sugar.
Granny Smith or Pink Lady also work well when you prefer a more tart filling. You can also combine a tart apple with a sweeter variety.
Choose crisp apple varieties so the filling doesn't get mushy.
If you like baking with apples, you may also like my Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices, Gluten-Free Apple Pie, and Gluten-Free Apple Coffee Cake.
Flour
I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for both the filling and crumble topping. Another 1-to-1 gluten-free flour should also work.
If you don't need the recipe to be gluten-free, regular all-purpose flour can be substituted.
Coconut Oil or Butter
Melted coconut oil binds the flour and brown sugar into a crisp oat-free crumble topping. Butter or vegan butter can be substituted if preferred, although the finished texture may be a little softer.
Coconut Oil vs Butter: In my recipe testing, I found that coconut oil made the crispest topping and stayed crisp for several days. The butter was crisp just after baking, but several hours later had already softened. There was not a notable difference in flavor, so coconut oil is my choice for this oat-free crumble topping.
See the recipe card for full ingredients with quantities.
Helpful Equipment
This apple crumble without oats can be made with the most basic kitchen equipment - a baking dish, knife, spatula, and forks. However, the following tools can make apple peeling and coring faster and give a different style of streusel crumble.
- Apple Corer - I was able to nearly halve my apple cutting time by using a simple apple corer rather than cutting it out with a knife.
- Fruit + Vegetable Peeler - You can use a paring knife for this, but I prefer this peeler.
- Pastry Cutter - None of my recipes require a pastry cutter, but if you're using cold butter instead of melted butter, it helps evenly cut the butter into the crumble mixture.
How to Make Apple Crumble Without Oats
Learn how to make apple crumble without oats in 3 easy steps with these photos.
- Apple Filling: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the apple slices and sprinkle them with ¼ cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir until the apple slices are evenly coated. Then pour the mixture into an ungreased 8 or 9 inch square baking dish.
- Streusel Topping: To a medium mixing bowl, add the ⅔ cup brown sugar, ⅔ cup flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk together and break up large brown sugar clumps. Add the coconut oil and use short downward strokes to mix the ingredients together until the crumble lumps are blueberry sized or smaller. Sprinkle evenly across the apple mixture.
- Bake: Bake the apple crumble on a middle oven rack at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F for an additional 25-35 minutes. The outside of the filling should be bubbling and the crumble topping will be golden brown when finished. Let the crumble cool slightly before serving. The filling will continue to thicken as it cools.
Hint: I use two temperatures in this apple crumble recipe because it takes time for the filling to heat. Without bubbling, the flour in the filling will not thicken properly. However, cooking at a high temperature for too long will burn the crumble topping, so it's necessary to reduce heat. You'll see the same baking pattern in my Blueberry Crumble recipe without oats and Strawberry Crumble Pie recipes.
When you make this recipe, please leave a rating and review below. I always appreciate the feedback! ❤️
📖 Recipe
Apple Crumble Without Oats
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 2 pounds apples , peeled, cored, and sliced into ¼ inch slices, see notes for my favorite types
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons 1-to-1 gluten-free flour , or all purpose flour if not gluten-free
- 1 large lemon , zested and juiced
Streusel Crumble
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup 1-to-1 gluten-free flour , or all purpose flour if not gluten-free
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup coconut oil , melted
Instructions
- Apple Filling: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the apple slices and sprinkle them with ¼ cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir until the apple slices are evenly coated. Then pour the mixture into an ungreased 8 or 9 inch square baking dish.
- Streusel Topping: To a medium mixing bowl, add the ⅔ cup brown sugar, ⅔ cup flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk together and break up large brown sugar clumps. Add the coconut oil and use short downward strokes to mix the ingredients together until the crumble lumps are blueberry sized or smaller. Sprinkle evenly across the apple mixture.
- Bake: Bake the crumble on a middle oven rack at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F for an additional 25-35 minutes. The outside of the filling should be bubbling and the crisp topping will be golden brown when finished. Let the crumble cool slightly before serving. The filling will continue to thicken as it cools.
Notes
Nutrition
What to Serve With Apple Crumble
Serve apple crumble warm with vanilla ice cream, Dairy-Free Whipped Cream, or my Dairy-Free Stracciatella Gelato. A drizzle of caramel sauce is also excellent with the cinnamon apples.
Apple Crumble Recipe FAQ's
You can leave leftover apple crumble without oats at room temperature for up to 1 day. Store covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The names Apple Crumble and Apple Crisp are often used interchangeably. Traditionally, apple crisps commonly contain oats, while crumbles use a flour-based streusel topping. This apple crumble uses a crisp brown sugar topping made without oats.
Yes. Melted butter or vegan butter can replace the coconut oil. Coconut oil is my preferred option for an especially crisp topping.
Yes. Use a 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour in both the apple filling and crumble topping. I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
Janice says
This is a really great vegan apple crisp recipe. The topping was the crispiest I've made with the coconut oil and it tastes incredible with vanilla nice cream.
Dana says
This is the perfect apple crumble recipe! The lemon is so nice with the apples and brown sugar and it's so simple. Love that it's vegan and gluten-free too.