This Dairy-Free (Vegan!) Apple Crumble delivers everything this quintessential fall dessert should–delightfully sweet aromas, super crunchy topping, jammy apples–without the need for any butter.

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Several years ago, I started working on what would become by very first e-book, Sweet Spot. While working on the book’s overall structure, I brainstormed to jot down all the dairy-laden desserts I couldn’t fully enjoy anymore. My goal—with the e-book and as a dessert-lover—was to find ways to substitute dairy products in my favorite sweet treats without sacrificing taste. So many dairy-free desserts I’d sampled were bland versions of the real thing! Some lactose-intolerant people can just cross off dairy from their lives, but I’m not one of them. I love dairy and the texture and flavor it provides to dishes. Sadly, by that point, I had made myself sick several times by overindulging in butter-based pastries and cakes and cookies, so something had to give.

Though I worked hard on testing recipes for Sweet Spot, not all of my new favorite dairy-free desserts ended up in the book, which focused on special-occasion desserts. The one go-to, super-easy, dairy-free recipe I’ve been making several times a year ever since I perfected it is this dairy-free apple crumble.

I grew up enjoying my Mom’s crumbles every fall and have a perpetual longing for those comforting aromas when fall rolls around. The dairy substitute in this dairy-free apple crumble is a really easy one: oil. Using oil instead of butter in the crumble has real nutritional benefits if you choose one that’s low in saturated fat and contains additional nutrients. See the Helpful Tips below for more information about the oils you can use in this recipe.

The crunch in this dairy-free apple crumble comes not only from the usual flour/sugar/fat combination but also from the addition of nuts, which also help enhance the dessert’s nutritional value. I love indulgent desserts and pastries, but I’m all for making sensible choices when making them at home. In my ideal world, all desserts would taste amazing and satisfy the sweetest appetites! This dairy-free apple crumble checks all those boxes.

I like to serve this dairy-free apple crumble warm with ice cream, but the combination of oats, nuts, and a ton of apples makes it perfectly suitable for breakfast, too! I gladly start cool fall days with a comforting bowl of this crumble topped with vanilla yogurt. I think you should too!

VIDEO: Dairy-Free Apple Crumble

See how easy it is to make my delicious dairy-free apple crumble in this short video!

The Ingredients You Need to Make Dairy-Free Apple Crumble

If you enjoy baking, chances are that you already have most of the ingredients you need to make my Dairy-Free Apple Crumble:

• Old-fashioned rolled oats
• All-purpose flour
• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Ground spices
• Smooth-tasting oil
• Nuts
• Baking apples
• Maple syrup
• Cornstarch

Here are some additional helpful tips about some of the key ingredients in the crumble:

• Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats are the heart of a crumble, adding a chewy texture and nutty flavor. Made from whole oat groats that have been steamed and rolled flat, old-fashioned rolled oats cook evenly and absorb flavors beautifully. In this recipe, they create a crunchy topping that perfectly contrasts the tender baked apples.

• Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar brings warmth and richness to the crumble, with its molasses undertones enhancing the flavor of the crunchy topping. It also adds moisture to the topping, ensuring a perfectly tender bite while contributing to that delightful caramelized sweetness. The combination of brown and granulated sugars in this recipe creates a balanced sweetness that elevates the apple filling beautifully. If you don’t have brown sugar on hand, you can substitute granulated sugar at a 1:1 ratio.
• Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar has a fine texture that is distributed evenly throughout the topping, allowing for a light and airy crumble that browns beautifully in the oven. In other words, brown sugar adds flavor and moisture, whereas granulated sugar helps achieve a crispy, crumbly texture. Together, the two sugars create a topping that’s both crunchy and tender. To add a hint of caramel flavor to the crumble, you can substitute cane or turbinado sugar for the granulated sugar.
• Salt: A pinch of kosher or fine sea salt is essential for bringing out the flavors in your crumble. Salt acts as a flavor enhancer, balancing the sweetness and highlighting the natural flavors of the apples and spices. It’s a crucial ingredient that transforms your dish from good to exceptional, ensuring that each bite is well-rounded and satisfying. Don’t skip this step—just a tiny amount makes a significant difference!
• Ground Spices: Many crumble recipes traditionally use ground cinnamon to add aroma, depth, and complexity to the flavor of the dessert, but I like to switch things up. My favorite spice to use is cardamom, which provides an intriguing, slightly exotic aroma, perfect if you like to add something unique to your desserts. Ground cardamom is commonly sold in the spice section of most well-stocked grocery stores. Another great pick is allspice, which delivers a subtle blend of flavors reminiscent of nutmeg and cloves. But you can’t go wrong with cinnamon, for a classic comforting flavor profile!

Green cardamom pods. You can also buy ground cardamom in the spice section of most well-stocked grocery stores.

• Oil: You can use a variety of oils in this crumble. Smooth-tasting extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil are two obvious candidates, and you can also go with versatile choices, such as grapeseed oil and sunflower oil. But my favorite oil to use in this recipe is walnut oil. Not only does it wonderfully emphasize the flavor of walnuts used in the crumble, but it adds good-for-you omega-3s to the dessert. What’s not to like? My favorite oil brand is La Tourangelle: they make top-quality products that enhance the flavors of dishes I use them in.
• Nuts: I like to use walnuts in this dairy-free apple crumble because I think they add a delightful crunch and a nutty flavor that perfectly complements the sweet apples, but pecans and almonds are great choices too. Nuts are not only delicious but also packed with healthy fats and nutrients, making your dessert a little more wholesome. No need to toast the nuts before adding them to the crumble because they will get that toast during baking. If the nuts you’re using are already toasted, keep an eye on the crumble during baking to ensure the nuts don’t burn. If the crumble gets golden brown before the apples are fully cooked, loosely cover it with foil to prevent it from turning too dark.
• Baking Apples: I like to mix apple varieties when I make crumbles. Combining sweet and tart apples creates a more complex flavor and the best texture. Mix and match any of these well-known apple varieties for guaranteed deliciousness: Braeburn, Cortland, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Lobo, McIntosh, Melrose, Paulared, Pink Lady, Spartan. There may be even more perfect-for-crumbles apple varieties available where you live: ask your local apple growers for recommendations.

• Maple Syrup: Tossing the apples with maple syrup adds a touch sweetness and a hint of woodsy flavor that perfectly complements the fruits. This liquid gold enhances the overall flavor of the dessert, creating a harmonious balance with the spices, too. Since I always have maple syrup on hand, so why not use some in this crumble? If this isn’t your case, you can substitute any sugar variety.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is an optional ingredient that helps thicken the juices the apples release as they bake. If you prefer a thicker consistency in your crumble, adding cornstarch creates a luscious filling that clings to the apples beautifully. Different apple varieties release more or less juice upon baking, so you may want to adjust your use of cornstarch depending on which fruits you’re using.

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RECIPE: Dairy-Free Apple Crumble

This Dairy-Free Apple Crumble delivers everything this quintessential fall dessert should–delightfully sweet aromas, super crunchy topping, jammy apples–without the need for any butter.

Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:40 minutes mins

Total Time:1 hour hr

Servings 8 servings

Author Marie Asselin

Ingredients

US Customary / Metric

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (use cane sugar or turbinado sugar for a delightful, caramelized flavor)
• ½ tsp kosher salt, or fine sea salt
• ½ tsp ground allspice, or cinnamon, or cardamom
• ⅓ cup smooth-tasting oil of your choice (walnut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, or grapeseed oil)
• ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 5 lb baking apples (about 8)
• ¼ cup maple syrup, or 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch (optional, see note)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 8- or 9-in (20 to 23 cm) square baking pan. (You can alternatively use a 10-in/25-cm ceramics tart pan.)
• In a mixing bowl, add the oats, flour, sugars, salt, and spice, then stir with a fork to combine. Drizzle the oil over the dry ingredients, then stir using a gentle mashing motion to distribute the oil and make sure the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened. Incorporate the walnuts and set aside.
• Peel and core the apples, then dice and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the maple syrup and cornstarch, if using, then stir to combine. Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking pan. Top with the crumble, spreading it evenly all over the apples.
• Bake for about 40 minutes, until the dairy-free apple crumble is bubbly, the apples are tender, and the topping is golden brown. Take a peek at the crumble around the 30-minute mark to make sure the topping isn’t becoming too dark. If it looks just right by then, loosely cover the pan with foil and keep baking until the apples are tender.
• SERVING: Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla bean gelato or ice cream, or vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt.
• STORAGE: Let the dairy-free apple crumble cool to room temperature, then cover the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Gently reheat portions before eating, if desired.
• MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Use a gluten-free all purpose flour mix as a subtitute for the regular all-purpose flour.

Video

Notes

• Cornstarch is optional. Different apple varieties release more or less juice upon baking. I don’t mind a bit of clear juice at the bottom of my crumbles, but if you like a thicker juice, mix 1 tsp (5 ml) cornstarch with the diced apples.
• Substitution idea: Substitute half (or all) of the apples for pears for a tasty variation.

Did you make this?

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