This maple cinnamon apple crumble is the perfect quick and simple cozy dessert! It’s vegan, gluten free, and requires less than 10 ingredients. To make it extra-special, serve it warm with scoops of vegan vanilla ice cream.
I’ve loved apples for as long as I can remember. They were pretty much my favorite, fruit as a kid. The intense apple love means that I also gravitated towards anything apple-cinnamon flavored. (remember apple cinnamon cheerios?!) Fast-forward to now and I STILL love apples. So, when I went to visit my friend in North Carolina a couple of weeks ago, I made it my mission to secure some beautiful apples before I headed back home! I ended up ferreting some Fuji and Arkansas Black apples from the local farmers market allllll the way back home to Houston. I decided to go with the classic apple-cinnamon pairing and baked them into this simple and delicious maple cinnamon apple crumble! It’s vegan and gluten free and perfect for fall.
How to Make an Apple Crumble
I love crumbles because they’re like a much simpler version of a pie. You start by making a simple apple filling with diced apples, a bit of fresh lemon juice, your sweetener of choice, and some arrowroot or cornstarch to thicken the juices that are released. Spices are optional but highly recommended! Here I used classic ground cinnamon. The filling goes into your baking dish, easy-peasy.
Then, you’ll make the crumble topping. In this version, it’s a mix of whole rolled oats, ground rolled oats, vegan butter, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. You’ll mix the butter into the oats and salt with your fingers or a fork until it looks crumbly, then you’ll mix in the maple syrup. Sprinkle it evenly over the apples and your crumble it ready for the oven! Bake it for about 40-45 minutes or until the topping is golden and you can see juices bubbling along the edges of your baking dish.
What Apple Varieties are the Best for an Apple Crumble?
Just like with an apple pie, you want to choose apple varieties that are firmer and will hold their shape after spending some time in the oven. The most commonly available firm apple varieties are Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady/Cripps Pink, and Golden Delicious. Less common varieties include Northern Spy, Cortland, Gravenstein, and Winesap. (Head here to take a deep-dive on all types of apple varieties)
To get a balanced flavor, I love using a mix of sweet and tart varieties in my apple crumble. In the version I photographed here, I used Fuji and Arkansas Black apples. Fujis are sweeter and Arkansas Blacks have a more tart flavor profile. If you’re going with a combination of apples that will be easiest to find at your local grocery store, try out a mix of Granny Smith and Fuji or Gala!
Why You Should Make this Maple Cinnamon Apple Crumble
- It requires less than 10 minutes of hands-on prep time! While it bakes in the oven for 40-45 minutes, you can get other tasks done without feeling tied to your kitchen.
- It’s really dang delicious! Apples and cinnamon are a classic flavor combination for a reason.
- It’s vegan, gluten free, and under 10 ingredients.
If you’re really into a caramel apple vibe, try my vegan and gluten free cardamom apple pie bars with marshmallow caramel! They’re a bit more of a time commitment than this crumble but so incredibly worth it!
Maple Cinnamon Apple Crumble (gluten free and vegan)
- Total Time: 50-55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This maple cinnamon apple crumble is the perfect quick and simple cozy dessert! It’s vegan, gluten free, and requires less than 10 ingredients. To make it extra-special, serve it warm with scoops of vegan vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
- 6 cups of diced apples, about 6-8 whole apples (see notes for the best varieties to use!)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 8 tbsp pure maple syrup, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
- 2 cups oats, divided
- pinch of sea salt
- 4 tbsp vegan butter, diced, plus a bit more to grease your baking dish
- vegan vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish with your vegan butter and set it aside.
In a large bowl, toss your apples together with the lemon juice, 4 tablespoons of the maple syrup, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and arrowroot or cornstarch. This is the filling for your crumble! Put it into your prepared baking dish.
You can use the exact same bowl to make your crumble topping if you like. Add 1 cup of the rolled oats to a blender, such as this one by Ninja, or food processor and pulse several times to break them up into a coarse flour. Add this to your bowl along with the remaining oats and a pinch of salt. Add your diced butter to the oat mixture and use your fingers or a fork to begin rubbing it in. Once the butter has broken down and it looks crumbly, add the maple syrup. Mix it in well.
Sprinkle the crumble topping over your apples in an even layer. Bake your crumble in your preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and you can see the juices bubbling up around the edges of your baking dish. Allow the crumble to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving and enjoying.
You can enjoy your crumble warm, at room temperature, or cold. When it’s warm, I love serving it with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream! Cover leftovers and keep them in the fridge. Make sure to enjoy them within 5 days.
Notes
- Choose apple varieties that are firmer and will hold their shape after spending some time in the oven. I prefer a mix of sweeter varieties (like Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp) with tart ones (like Granny Smith or Pink Lady/Cripps Pink). For the crumble you see in the photos, I used a mix of Fuji and Arkansas Black apples.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: dessert
