Maple Pecan Apple Crisp Recipe (Vegan, Dairy-Free & Butter-Less!) (2024)

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By Alisa Fleming on Alisa's Favorite Dairy-Free Recipes, Dairy Free Desserts, Dairy-Free Recipes

Years ago, a friend invited me to be a part of her Thanksgiving Recipe Carnival. And since she is so darn sweet, I simply couldn’t say no. She wants to show people that it doesn’t need to be difficult to feed guests with special diets for Thanksgiving. I joined in with this maple pecan apple crisp recipe. I’ve made this dessert several times since that event, and recently took new photos. So today I’m updating this post!

Maple Pecan Apple Crisp Recipe (Vegan, Dairy-Free & Butter-Less!) (1)

Recipe Tips & Options:Maple Pecan Apple Crisp

Crisps are amazingly versatile for various diets, particularly since the topping is permitted to be crumbly. Ingredients that bind or help with rising are of little to no concern and there’s no need to fuss with trying to get the perfect flaky crust. You can even adjust this forgiving dessert as you go. Here are some tips to make it easy.

Pick Your Flour

Maple Pecan Apple Crisp Recipe (Vegan, Dairy-Free & Butter-Less!) (2)Crisps and crumbles are very forgiving when it comes to flour type. If you don’t have gluten issues, use all-purpose for the most traditional results. You can alternatively use whole wheat pastry flour or white-wheat flour for a heartier finish.

For gluten-free, you can use your favorite gluten-free flour blend. In a pinch, I used 1/2 cup brown rice flour place 1/4 cup tapioca starch for the flour, and the results were delicious. I’ve also used just oat flour! But do not be tempted to just swap in coconut flour, almond flour, or garbanzo bean flour. These are not the types of flours that can easily be swapped in a dessert recipe in a 1:1 ratio.

Adjust to Taste

This maple pecan apple crisp isn’t too sweet, so that it can be enjoyed with tea or paired with a sweet topping. But if you prefer a “sugary” topping, you can increase the brown sugar to 2/3 cup or more. Taste test the topping as you go and adjust it to your liking. If it’s too sweet, cut in up to 1/4 cup more flour (or starch) and increase the coconut oil to a full 3 tablespoons.

Go Ahead – Mix it Up

For flavor variations, you can use other fruits or nuts. I made this Maple-Walnut Pear Crisp Recipe, which is a variation of this recipe.

Choose the Right Apples!

Apple crisp isn’t just about the topping. Choosing the right apple for the filling is just as important.I often read reviews of crisp recipes on recipe sites where people complain that the recipe didn’t work because the filling turned out mushy. This is NOT the fault of the recipe. Choose your fruit wisely people! Not all varieties are the same. Some are firmer than others, and hold their shape when baked, others turn to mush.

For crisp, my favorite apples to use are Golden Delicious. They are just slightly tart (I find that Granny Smith’s work great in baking, but require more sugar), and hold their shape nicely.A fewothers that I’ve used recently with success wereFuji, Cortland,and Braeburn apples.

Maple Pecan Apple Crisp Recipe (Vegan, Dairy-Free & Butter-Less!) (3)

Special Diet Notes: Maple Pecan Apple Crisp

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Maple Pecan Apple Crisp

Prep time

Cook time

Total time

This crisp isn’t overly sweet, but it’s still dessert-worthy! See my notes in the post above for options and tips.

Author: Alisa Fleming

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup pecans
  • ¾ cup flour (see notes in post above)
  • ½ cup + 1 tablespoon firmly-packed brown sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 5 cups apples, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (can sub tapioca starch)
  • Dairy-free vanilla ice cream or whip, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
  2. Place the pecans in your spice grinder or blender, and pulse 4 or 5 times to coarsely grind with some chunks remaining.
  3. Put the pecans, flour, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl, and whisk to combine.
  4. Add 3 tablespoons maple syrup and 2 tablespoons coconut oil and whisk or stir with a fork to create a coarse meal. If the mixture is too dry, add up to 1 tablespoon additional coconut oil (for richer) or maple syrup (for sweeter).
  5. Put the apples in an 8×8-inch baking dish and drizzle with the lemon juice. Add the starch, remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar and remaining ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Stir until no starch is visible.
  6. Shake the pan to even out. Evenly sprinkle on the crumble.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the topping begins to brown.
  8. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve topped with dairy-free ice cream or whip, if desired.

Key Pantry Supplies: Maple Pecan Apple Crisp

For More of My Recipes, Get Eat Dairy Free!

Maple Pecan Apple Crisp Recipe (Vegan, Dairy-Free & Butter-Less!) (5)

Maple Pecan Apple Crisp Recipe (Vegan, Dairy-Free & Butter-Less!) (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between apple crumble and apple crisp? ›

Like an apple crisp, an apple crumble is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping. But unlike the crisp, the crumble topping rarely includes oats or nuts. Instead, a crumble's topping is more like streusel, made with flour, sugar and butter.

What are the best apples to use for apple crisp? ›

What Makes A Good Apple For Apple Crisp? The best apples for baking keep their structure under heat, which prevents the chunks of fruit from turning into mush after baking. The firm and crisp Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties are popular apples to use in apple pies and apple crisps.

How to reheat apple crisp? ›

To restore apple crisp to its "just baked form", reheat it in the oven at 350 F for 20-30 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil. How long is leftover apple crisp good for? Leftover apple crisp can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Why is it called Brown Betty? ›

This has led some historians to believe that Betty was the name of the cook and creator of the recipe and that brown was in reference to her skin color.

How do you keep apple crisp from getting soggy? ›

To avoid the crispy topping of the apple crisp from getting soggy always keep it covered with aluminum foil or cover of the baking dish.

Which apples are not crispy? ›

As mellow as sweet apples come, Gala apples are known for their sweet, vanilla aroma and soft bite. Bittersweet and soft fleshed, the Red Delicious is a classic apple with mild crispiness. The Golden Delicious sits at the bottom of the crunch list with soft skin and mellow, yellow apple flavors.

Which apples stay crisp the longest? ›

Storage quality also varies by cultivar. The best apples to store long-term have thick skin and tend to be crisp and tart. Apple varieties such as Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, McIntosh, Winesap, Honeycrisp, Northern Spy, and Rome are known to store very well given the proper conditions.

What is the sweetest most crisp apple? ›

Fuji. Due to their low acidity, these ultra-sweet, crispy and juicy apples are a go-to choice for snacking and baking, as well as homemade baby food or apple butters.

Why did my apple crisp get mushy? ›

Softer apples like Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, or Macintosh break down too much in the heat of the oven, basically turning into applesauce. So avoid those, and opt for a variety that's firm and crisp like Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp. They'll turn velvety soft while still retaining their shape.

Why is my apple crisp always dry? ›

If your apple crisp is dry, you didn't use enough butter. Make sure to follow this apple crisp recipe to ensure you've got the proper measurements.

Should you refrigerate apple crisp before baking? ›

You can prepare the crisp through step 3, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day before baking. You can also freeze the unbaked crisp for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 4. Bake time will be a little longer since the crisp will be cold.

Why is my apple crumble topping not crunchy? ›

The main reason your crumble topping isn't crunchy is probably because you haven't used Demerara sugar. Although, it could also be that you've got your topping ingredient quantities wrong: either too much or not enough flour and butter alongside the sugar.

What's the difference between a crumble crisp and a cobbler? ›

Cobbler: A fruit dessert made with a top crust of pie dough or biscuit dough but no bottom crust. Crisp/crumble: In Alberta, the terms are mostly interchangeable. Both refer to fruit desserts similar to cobbler but made with a brown sugar streusel topping sometimes containing old-fashioned rolled oats.

Is Apple Brown Betty the same as apple crumble? ›

Both are very similar apple desserts, but the difference mainly comes down to the crumble topping: Instead of the flour and oat mixture used in an apple crisp, an apple brown betty uses breadcrumbs for its crumbly, delicious topping.

What is apple crumble called in America? ›

Apple crisp is a dessert made with a streusel topping. In the US, it is also called apple crumble, a word which refers to a different dessert in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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