This Small Serving Apple Crisp is the perfect guiltless indulgence for when you don’t need an entire pan of apple crisp in the kitchen! It’s gluten free, refined sugar free, and vegan.

I never really know what to say when people ask me what my favorite dessert is, or what my favorite thing I’ve ever made is. I have over 250 recipes on Bakerita.com, and that’s not included all the desserts I made pre-Bakerita or the recipes that never made it up for whatever reason. There’s so many choices, and my answer changes way too frequently.
But, one dessert is always my kryptonite: apple crisp. I can never resist it. Something about the warm, baked, bubbling apples and that crunchy crumble topping does me in every time. Add a scoop of ice cream on top and I’m a goner. The way the cold ice cream melts down into the crevices of the crisp, adding a light extra sweetness and creaminess is totally irresistible.

If it’s on the menu, it’s definitely what I order. However, apple crisp tends to be full of lots of sugar and butter and other delicious-making things, and when I want to devour an entire pan of the stuff, it’s usually not the most healthful option. But, apples are healthy – so why can’t an apple crisp be healthy too?
When I was having a craving for some apple crisp a few weeks ago, I decided to healthify my favorite dessert. I took out the refined sugars, gluten, dairy, and made sure it was vegan (as long as you use maple syrup instead of honey). The result? As delectable as the original!
The apples are prepared simply with just a bit of sweetener – your choice of honey or maple syrup. I used the already-sweet honey crisp apples, but if you use an apple that’s a bit more tart you may want to add a bit more than I used. All depends on your preference.

For the crumble topping, I used a mix of almond flour and oats with just a bit more sweetener, a little salt, and a little coconut oil. It’s super simple, and turns out crispy and crumbly, just the way I like it. You could also throw in some chopped nuts if you want a bit more crunch! The serving is pretty small, and is perfect to share between two or three people – or one if you’re feeling hungry :)
I topped mine with coconut milk ice cream, and I’m so glad to now have a recipe that will let me devour my favorite dessert guilt free with built in portion control. Enjoy!!


Small Serving Paleo Apple Crisp
Ingredients
For the apples
- 2 apples, sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
For the crust
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup old-fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, solid
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a small glass casserole dish or two ramekins.
- Add the almond flour, oats, honey or maple syrup, and salt to a bowl and whisk until combined. Add the coconut oil and use your fingers or a fork to work it in until coarse crumbs form and the mixture holds together when pressed.
- Combine sliced apples and honey or maple syrup in a bowl, tossing to coat completely. Place in the prepared dish or ramekins. Top with the crumble topping.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown and the apples have cooked down. Tent with foil to prevent the topping from oven browning if necessary. Serve immediately.
Notes
Oooh, I adore this, Rachel! Sweet, small, & simple. Love! <3
Heyya.lovely recipe.. :)
Heyya.lovely recipe.. :)
Small servings are crazy dangerous around me :) I tend to read them as ‘single serving’, oops! This crisp looks delicious and I’m so excited that it’s vegan! Pinning :)
Thanks so much, Medha! When it comes to apple crisp, I definitely see “one serving” too, haha!
So happy that you actually made one of my favorite desserts healthy! I love how this has only a few simple ingredients and it looks just as delicious as the original version.
Rachel, this apple crisp is adorable and I love the healthy updates to an old favorite!
Mmm that apple crisp looks incredible! And I’m totally loving that it’s vegan – how awesome!! :)
I love apple crisps (or any fresh fruit crisps), and this is a perfect guilt-free treat to share! I’m sure it’s wonderfully delicious, especially that crumbly oat topping.
I am a huge fan of apple crisp but haven’t been able to have it for awhile since it contains oars (which btw aren’t paleo-compliant :() and oats hurt my stomach. I’m going to live vicariously through you on this one!
ACK, that was supposed to say “oats” not “oars”!