A couple of years ago, Mom stopped by my apartment shortly after the sun rose on a Saturday morning. I threw on a sweatshirt and walked out, backpack in tow, to climb into the car and rubbed her golden retriever’s ears before we set out on the road.
Mom easily navigated the empty freeways, heading out past modern civilization and towards the winding mountain roads, cruising through the dense fir trees and rocky hillsides until we reached my parents’ cabin. Upon arriving, Mom showed me how to turn the water back on using the special metal rod in their front yard, and we unlocked all of the heavy door and window covers to allow fresh air to flow through the rustic home.
Once the sun rose a little higher and the chilly morning air disappeared, Mom slipped her dog into his leash, and we started down the narrow street for a hike around the grassy meadows in their part of the forest. At the edge of the field, Mom paused to snap a few pictures of aspen, their stately white trunks holding out branches with tiny leaves shimmying in the light breeze.
We took our time, thoroughly enjoying the quiet solitude of nature, and when we arrived back at the cabin a few hours later, we piled plates high with fruit to take out onto the large front deck and eat while relaxing in lounge chairs in the sun. Bananas, cherries, berries, apples, watermelon… And with their sweet taste lingering in our mouths, we each accidentally fell asleep for a bit, thanks to the comforting feeling of the sun’s warm rays!
Since my parents are heading up to their cabin this weekend, I thought they’d probably enjoy another fruity treat while sitting on that front deck, so I sent along this Healthy Chai Spice Apple Crumble with them! Mom drinks a chai latte every day, so I knew she’d fall in love with this dessert’s cozy spices… And with a full serving of fruit and just 116 calories, it totally fit into her “Lose It” diet too!
So let’s go over how to make this guilt-free crumble! Because I grew up eating apple slices every day in my lunch, I’ve always enjoyed all baked treats with apples… But I didn’t exactly realize until I became a teenager that there were more varieties than just “red,” “green,” and “yellow!”
I typically turn to Fuji apples for my baked goods because {a} they taste slightly sweeter to me (aka my baked treats don’t need any added sweetener!), and {b} rather than turning mushy like some other red apple types, their firm texture holds up perfectly in the oven. Win-win!
You’ll sprinkle those chopped apples with homemade chai spice. It’s super simple! Cinnamon {my favorite!}, ginger, cardamom, and cloves. That’s it! They taste so cozy and comforting and absolutely irresistible, so I highly recommend including all four. Please oh please, don’t skip any—for the sake of my mom! ♡ You’ll also toss in some cornstarch to help thicken the juice that the apples release while baking.
Then for the streusel topping… You’ll use five ingredients, and you probably have all of them in your pantry already! Oats, whole wheat flour (or gluten-free!), cinnamon, pure maple syrup (like this!), and a small amount of butter. Coconut oil also works, if you prefer, but it doesn’t quite have the same taste or texture. You’ll mix those together, then sprinkle it over the apples in your pan. The topping really likes to clump together, so make sure you break it apart into small chocolate-chip-sized pieces while sprinkling!
After baking, it’s really important to let the crumble cool completely and rest before slicing and serving. This allows the cornstarch to continue working its magic so those juices come together and the crumble doesn’t completely fall apart when you serve it. If you prefer to serve it warm, still let it cool and set completely; then reheat individual portions. And serve with healthy vanilla ice cream! Or whipped cream… Or both, as my parents suggest!
Does anyone else always pick out the slice with the most streusel? Or is that just me?… ???? I think it basically counts as granola, which makes this crumble healthy enough for breakfast! ???? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ????) I’d love to see your healthy chai spice apple crumble!
| Healthy Chai Spice Apple Crumble | | Print |
- for the streusel
- ¾ cup (75g) old-fashioned oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ¼ cup (30g) whole wheat flour or millet* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp (30mL) pure maple syrup, room temperature
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) unsalted butter, melted (see Notes!)
- for the filling
- 6 cups (767g) diced red apple (about 4 large)
- 2 tbsp (16g) cornstarch
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat an 8”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the streusel topping, whisk together the oats, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour in the maple syrup and melted butter. Stir until fully incorporated.
- To prepare the filling, toss the apples with the cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves in a large bowl until completely coated.
- Transfer the filling to the prepared pan, and gently press down with a spatula. Sprinkle evenly with the topping. (The topping tends to clump, so try to break it up into fairly small pieces.) Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes or until the apples are fork tender. Cool completely to room temperature; then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving to allow the juices to fully thicken.
To make the crumble gluten-free, use the millet flour option. Almost any other gluten-free flour will work as well, except for coconut flour. Do not substitute coconut flour.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
For a vegan version, substitute Earth Balance buttery sticks for the best results. Coconut oil will also work, but the flavor and texture of the topping will be slightly different.
It’s important to chop the apples fairly finely, about the size of blueberries, to help them bake evenly and soften completely. I know it takes a little extra time and effort, but I promise it’s worth it!
I personally love and use Fuji apples, but Gala and Braeburn apples would work as well. If you prefer a tarter flavor, then substitute up to two cups of diced Granny Smiths for the equivalent amount of red apple, but I’d recommend against more than that since you aren’t adding any sweetener to the filling.
If you prefer to enjoy your crumble warm, then reheat individual portions once it has chilled in the refrigerator.
{gluten-free, egg-free, vegan option, dairy-free option, clean eating, low fat}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Apple Crumble
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Crumble
♡ Healthy Cranberry Apple Crumble
♡ Healthy Blueberry Almond Crumble
♡ Healthy Peach Crumble
♡ Healthy Almond Mixed Berry Crumble
♡ Healthy Strawberry Peanut Butter Crumble
I can’t wait to meet your Mom so we can bond over our love of chai!! 🙂 Too bad Cal doesn’t like chai…more crumble for me! 😉
That’s EXACTLY what I say when I hear people don’t like chocolate… More for me! 😉 I can’t wait for ALL of us to meet Marina!!
Made these yesterday. Waiting to have it for dessert tonight w some coconut whip! ?
I can’t wait to hear what you thought of this crumble Connie!! 🙂
IT WAS SO SO SO GOOD!! I made it again the next day w different apples 😀 Served it w coconut whip and mmmmm!! Thank you!!
YAY!!! I’m so glad you loved it Connie!! That means so much to me that you made it again the very next day. That’s the best kind of compliment! 😉 Thanks for sharing that with me! ♡
Why does this have to be refrigerated? Can it be served warm?
I’m honored by your interest in my recipe, Melinda! The last sentence of Step 4 actually explains why this apple crisp needs to be refrigerated, and I’ve included what to do if you’d rather serve the crumble warm in the Notes section (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss both of those details! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of this apple crisp if you try making it!
I just made your berry version of this ( two thirds blueberries and one third strawberries) for breakfast tomorrow and it turned out amazing! I can’t wait to try this one next weekend as a dessert. I think I’ll do a mix of Granny Smith and gala and serve it with halo top oatmeal cookie ice cream.
Any substitute for maple syrup , can we use molasses or treacle
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Renu! I’ve actually included the two best substitutes in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉
Molasses isn’t quite as sweet as pure maple syrup, so that will affect the flavor. It should produce a similar texture though!
I don’t have enough experience with treacle to know how that substitute would turn out. From my understanding, though, golden treacle would probably be a better alternative (flavor-wise!) than molasses!
If you end up making this apple crumble, I’d love to hear what you think of it!