Tart, sweet, and healthy apple cranberry crisp with crumbly pecan topping. It’s the perfect holiday dessert that’s so easy to make!
This apple and cranberry crisp recipe came together accidentally one day when I had some apples I needed to use up and wanted to make a quick dessert. When I was looking through my kitchen to find everything I needed, I also saw a bag of cranberries I recently bought to test another recipe. So I thought, why not make a vegan gluten free apple crisp, but add cranberries to it? It just happened to turn out to be one of best ideas I’ve had in a while.
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Best Apple Cranberry Crisp Recipe
Both apples and cranberries are in season in the Fall, and the two flavors go really well together. I also love how festive this easy vegan apple crisp recipe looks with pops of red from the cranberries! The fruits are baked into a soft but delicious filling, topped with a crispy, crumbly mixture of pecans and almond flour. I think it’s my new favorite paleo Thanksgiving dessert, and you’ll love it if you are looking for a gluten free apple crisp without oats.
Ingredients in Healthy Apple Cranberry Crisp
I love the simplicity of the ingredients for this easy apple cranberry crisp recipe. The major component of the flavors comes from the fantastic fruits themselves!
- apples: Tart and crisp apples work best for making this paleo and vegan apple crisp recipe.
- cranberries: Either fresh or frozen cranberries will work. You don’t have to defrost them if they are frozen!
- orange
- coconut sugar
- arrowroot starch: Tapioca starch can be used instead if that’s what you have on hand.
- cinnamon
- pecans: If you want to use another type of nut, walnuts are a great substitution for the crisp topping.
- almond flour: Either almond flour or almond meal can be used.
- coconut oil: If you are making a paleo apple cranberry crisp (not vegan), ghee can be used instead for an extra buttery flavor.
- maple syrup
- sea salt
How to Make the Best Apple Cranberry Crisp
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a 9×9 baking dish (or I used an oval dish), combine chopped apples, cranberries, orange zest and juice, coconut sugar, arrowroot starch, and cinnamon. Mix together to coat and spread into an even, flat layer.
- In a separate bowl, stir together all ingredients for the crisp topping.
- Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the apple and cranberry mixture.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the filling is tender and bubbly, and the topping is crisp and browned.
I love enjoying this easy gluten free apple crisp, topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or even yogurt. The creaminess tastes lovely with the tart and sweet flavor of the crisp!
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using tart and crisp apples when making this easy apple cranberry crisp. Some of the best apples to use are: Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, and Gala.
Yes! If you want to use all apples to make a vegan gluten free apple crisp, you totally can. If you want to replace fruits, some of my favorite fruits for crisps are pears, berries, and stone fruits. Just make sure the total amount of chopped fruits is 6 cups for this recipe!
This vegan apple cranberry crisp is best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. However, if you do end up with leftovers, you can cover it up and store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
While it’s delicious cold, this crisp will lose the crispiness of the topping while stored in the fridge. To reheat and crisp up the topping again, just bake the whole thing in the 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like…
- Easy Vegan & Paleo Peach Crisp
- Vegan & Paleo Cherry Crumble (with Fresh or Frozen Cherries)
- Paleo Blueberry Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping
- Paleo Cranberry Galette
- Easy Apple Pie Bars with Salted Caramel Sauce (Paleo, Vegan)
Vegan & Paleo Apple Cranberry Crisp
Ingredients
Cranberry Apple Filling
- 4 cups chopped apples peeled – about 2 large
- 2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen
- Zest of 1 orange
- Juice of 1/2 orange
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Crisp Topping
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a 9×9 baking dish, combine apples, cranberries, orange zest and juice, coconut sugar, arrowroot starch, and cinnamon. Mix to coat and spread into an even layer.
- In a separate bowl, stir together all ingredients for the crisp topping until crumbly.
- Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the apple and cranberry mixture.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the filling is tender and bubbly, and the topping is crisp and browned.
Video
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Hi! Have you tried this with an AIP flour? Is the ratio equivalent to almond flour?
I have not! But I bet your can you the topping ingredients in this post with great results: https://autoimmunewellness.com/blueberry-crumble/
I like this recipe and will share it with family that is Gluten intollerant. Should be safe – right?
Yes! It’s completely gluten free.
I am trying to use up all the cranberries I didn’t use for Thanksgiving. This is super-yummy. I like the subtle orange flavor with the apples and cranberries. Instead of cinnamon, I used apple pie spice mix, which was good.