This apple crumble without oats combines tender apple slices and lemon zest with a crisp cinnamon brown sugar topping. The streusel topping stays ultra-crispy thanks to a simple pantry ingredient, and the recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegan.
This easy apple dessert uses just 8 simple ingredients and takes about 10 minutes of hands-on time.
While apples are readily available year round, I find this apple crumble without oats feels most festive in the Fall and Winter months when apples are in season or were traditionally enjoyed as preserves. It makes a fantastic dessert, brunch, or Fall picnic recipe, just like my Blueberry Crumble!
Pair it with ice cream, my Stracciatella Gelato (dairy-free), Dairy-Free Whipped Cream, or Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream.
If you're deciding between different apple desserts, you can browse all of my gluten-free apple recipes here.
How to make it (with photos)
Apple crumble is seriously one of the easiest recipes to make, with just a handful of common ingredients and little assembly time.
Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
You need 8 common ingredients to make this easy apple crumble without oats recipe.
Apples
I used honeycrisp and cosmic crisp apples when making this recipe. Both are sweet and crisp. Choose crisp apple varieties so the filling doesn't get mushy. Pink Lady apples are another good choice.
For a sweet and tart flavor, use granny smith apples for a portion of the apple filling and a sweeter variety to balance it out.
This article on the best type of apple for baking is a helpful resource when choosing apple varieties.
More Ingredient Notes
- brown sugar - You can use any granulated sugar, like white sugar or coconut sugar, to make this recipe.
- flour - Use all purpose flour or gluten-free all purpose flour. I use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour. Cassava flour can be used as a grain-free substitute.
- coconut oil - Coconut oil makes the crispest crumble, but you can substitute butter or vegan butter if you like.
You also need ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg to make this easy recipe.
Topping Variations
Warm apple crisp tastes amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or my Dairy-Free Gelato, so you may want to grab a pint while you're at the store.
For a caramel apple variation, drizzle with caramel sauce before serving!
See the recipe card for a full list of 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.
Step-by-Step Instructions
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 crisp 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. Allow to cool to set (usually 2 hours or more).
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 and Strawberry Crumble Pie recipes.
Expert Tip
Make a professional apple crumble without oats with this expert tip.
Use crisp apples.
I tested this recipe with honeycrisp and cosmic crisp apples. Both are crisp for eating and baking. Apples with less crispness will give a mushier filling when baked.
The Food Network has an excellent post on the best apples for baking that covers a lot of apple varieties.
Recipe FAQ's
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this apple crumble without oats recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
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.
While the fillings of apple crumble and apple crisp are often the same, the difference is that a crisp includes oats in the topping and a crumble does not.
You can use butter instead of coconut oil in this apple crisp recipe. I prefer coconut oil because it keeps the streusel crumble topping extra crisp for several days.
More apple dessert recipes
Each of these apple desserts work well for different occasions, from holidays to casual treats.
- Gluten-Free Apple Pie - classic holiday dessert
- Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices - simpler, lighter option
- Gluten-Free Apple Coffee Cake - brunch or guests
- Gluten-Free Apple Fritters - indulgent weekend treat
- Pie Iron Apple Pie - camping dessert
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the comment field below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Apple Crumble
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 all purpose flour or all purpose gluten-free flour
- 1 large lemon , zested and juiced
Streusel Crumble
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour or all purpose gluten-free flour
- 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. Allow to cool to set (usually 2 hours or more).
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.