This easy Low-Sugar Apple Crisp is so delicious that no one will ever guess it’s made without added sugar! And this recipe is also gluten-free and dairy-free!
PIN the Low-Sugar Apple Crisp recipe to try it later!
For this week’s Friday Favorites pick, I’m recommending this amazing Low-Sugar Apple Crisp as a healthy dessert option that will work as a treat for carb-conscious eaters, as well as anyone who’s vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free. And this is absolutely delicious, so you can serve it to anyone and feel confident that they’ll enjoy their dessert!
I’m not that much of a desserts eater and I’m also not gluten-free or dairy-free, but this Low-Sugar Apple Crisp was so good I found myself eating the leftovers for breakfast the day after we made it. And I guess that’s one good reason it’s low-in sugar; you have been warned!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
How did we make the apple crisp lower in sugar?
Apples do have natural sugar, so this type of recipe can’t ever be sugar-free. But we made it lower in sugar by using Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) to add to the apples and in the crisp topping. You can also use classic Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link), or use any sugar-free sweetener of your choice if you don’t have Monkfruit. (I also used to make this with a small amount of brown sugar combined with sweetener if you like the sound of that.)
How did we make the low-sugar apple crisp gluten-free?
This recipe uses Almond Flour (affiliate link) and Gluten-Free Rolled Oats (affiliate link) along with optional chopped nuts for the crisp topping.
How did we make the low-sugar apple crisp Dairy-Free?
We used Coconut Oil (affiliate link), for this delicious low-sugar apple crisp which it gave great flavor without using butter. Of course you can use butter if you prefer.
Is the low-sugar apple crisp low in carbs?
Apples have natural sugar and almond flour and gluten-free rolled oats both have some carbs. But this has about 20 net carbs per serving, which I hope is low enough for some of my readers to enjoy it occasionally (especially when it’s apple season!)
How to make Low-Sugar Apple Crisp:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C and spray a dish with oil or non-stick spray.
- Peel apples, toss with the sweetener, brown sugar (or more sweetener), and cinnamon, and put apples in the baking dish.
- (I used an apple slicer (affiliate link) which made it easy to cut slices of apples, peel each slice, and chop!)
- You can use a food processor to buzz the rolled oats if you’d like a finer crisp topping.
- Then put them in a bowl, add the almond meal or almond flour, sweetener, brown sugar (or more sweetener), and mix with a spoon. (Add a few chopped almonds or pecans if you’d like; we didn’t bother with that this time.)
- Melt the coconut oil if needed, then pour coconut oil and vanilla over the crisp ingredients and stir with a fork until it’s well combined.
- Spread crisp topping over the apples and bake 40-45 minutes, or until apples are cooked through and topping is lightly browned.
- Serve hot or cold, but I love this when it’s hot.
- And if you’re serving Low-Sugar Apple Crisp for a special meal, some whipped cream or non-dairy topping would be wonderful.
More Low-Sugar or Sugar-Free Desserts:
Ingredients
Ingredients for apple mixture:
- 6 medium-sized apples (about 5 cups sliced apples, I used a mixture of Granny Smith and Jonathan apples)
- 1/4 cup Golden Monkfruit Sweetener, or sweetener of your choice (see notes)
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Ingredients for crisp topping:
- 1/2 cup + 2 T rolled oats (Be sure to choose gluten-free rolled oats if needed.)
- 6 T almond meal or almond flour (see notes)
- 7 T Golden Monkfruit Sweetener, or sweetener of your choice (see notes)
- 2 T melted coconut oil (or olive oil, see notes)
- 3/4 tsp. vanilla
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Spray a baking dish with oil or non-stick spray. (I used an oval-shaped crockery dish that was 11 inches long and 8 inches wide at the widest point.)
- Peel apples, cut out cores, and cut in chunks. (I used an apple slicer (affiliate link) then peeled the slices and cut each one in chunks.)
- Put apple pieces in a bowl, sprinkle with your preferred sweetener, and cinnamon, then stir until all the apples are well coated with the sweetener and cinnamon. Put apples in baking dish.
- If desired, use a food processor to process the rolled oats until they’re a finer grind. (This is optional.) Then put rolled oats into a bowl and mix almond meal or almond flour, sweetener, into the oats mixture. (If you’re adding nuts, measure 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, then chop coarsely with chef’s knife and add to the mixture.)
- Pour the melted coconut oil and vanilla over the other crisp ingredients. Use a fork to blend the oil and vanilla into the oats mixture.
- Top apples with the crisp topping, spreading it out so the surface of apples is completely covered with the crumbly mixture.
- Bake 45-50 minutes, until the topping is slightly browned and apples are cooked through and slightly bubbling.
- Serve hot or cold, although I think it’s really best hot. This will keep in the fridge for a few days, but it probably won’t last that long.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 347Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 28.2gFiber: 8gSugar: 23gProtein: 7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Of course a dessert with apples can’t ever be sugar-free or super low in carbs. But with about 20 net carbs per serving, this Low-Sugar Apple Crisp is a pretty carb-conscious dessert for something with fruit. And the use of Monkfruit Sweetener and coconut oil (or another preferred oil) would make this version of apple crisp a pretty good choice for the original South Beach Diet Phase 2 or 3. The recipe is also gluten-free and dairy-free.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Dessert Recipes to find more recipes like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for apple crisp without added sugar was first posted in 2009. It was last updated with more information in 2023.
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