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 retrieverâs 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 parentsâ 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 sunâs warm rays!
Since my parents are heading up to their cabin this weekend, I thought theyâd 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 sheâd fall in love with this dessertâs cozy spices⌠And with a full serving of fruit and under 120 calories, it totally fit into her âLose Itâ diet too!
HOW TO MAKE A HEALTHY CHAI SPICE APPLE CRUMBLE
So letâs go over how to make this guilt-free crumble! Because I grew up eating apple slices every day in my lunch, Iâve always enjoyed all baked treats with apples⌠But I didnât exactly realize until I became a teenager that there were more varieties than just âred,â âgreen,â and âyellow!â
I typically turn to Fuji apples for my baked goods because {a} they taste slightly sweeter to me (aka my baked treats donât 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!
Youâll sprinkle those chopped apples with homemade chai spice. Itâs super simple! Cinnamon {my favorite!}, ginger, cardamom, and cloves. Thatâs it! They taste so cozy and comforting and absolutely irresistible, so I highly recommend including all four. Please oh please, donât skip anyâfor the sake of my mom! ⥠Youâll also toss in some cornstarch to help thicken the juice that the apples release while baking.
Then for the streusel topping⌠Youâll 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 doesnât quite have the same taste or texture. Youâll 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, itâs 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 doesnât 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 apple crumble healthy enough for breakfast! đ
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 Iâll see your picture! đ ) Iâd love to see your healthy chai spice apple crumble!
Healthy Chai Spice Apple Crumble
Ingredients
FOR THE STREUSEL
- ž cup (75g) old-fashioned oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- Âź 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 â see Notes!)
- 2 tbsp (16g) cornstarch
- ž tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- Âź tsp ground cardamom
- â tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat an 8â-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 a lot, so break it up into really 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.
Notes
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipesâŚ
⥠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
This is so yummy. I ate the whole lot đ and am craving more. Thank you for this great recipe. I also added some honey and water to the apple mixture and cooked it on the stobve alittle. Then continued with cooking in the oven
This sounds delicious but I want to try and make it in my air fryer. Have you tried to yet? I never use an over anymore. Thanks!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Deb! I don’t currently own an air fryer, so I’m not personally sure and don’t want to lead you astray. If you do end up trying this apple crumble, I’d love to hear what you think of it! đ
I am having trouble finding the nutrition information for this recipe. Am I overlooking it?
We really appreciate your interest in our recipe, Virginia! The full nutrition information is included directly underneath the recipe box. I know it can be really easy to miss though! đ Weâd love to hear what you think of this crumble if you try making this recipe!
Found it, Thank you so much! I had looked and looked before making the request, must have been tired eyes. I have not yet made the recipe, but I look forward to trying it.
I’m glad you found it! It is easy to overlook, I get it! I can’t wait to hear about your apple crumble! đ
THANK YOU for the note about substituting for gluten free!! I made this dish with a different recipe that recommended coconut flour and it turned out terrible. I used millet flour and it was DELICIOUS!!! Youâre a savior!
I’m so thrilled that you loved this apple crumble, Ayala!! Thank you for taking the time to let me know and rate the recipe too. It truly means a lot! âĄ
My 10 year old is using this recipe for a cooking competition for 4h â¤ď¸â¤ď¸. Our crumble was a bit dry. Any suggestions? Maybe it’s supposed to be dry. Also have you ever baked this in individual soufflĂŠ cups? Do you think cooking time would be the same?
Even if we can’t get the crumble a little more moist we will be using this recipe because it’s amazingly delicious.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying this crumble, Ciera! That’s the best kind of compliment there is, if you already think you and your 10-year-old would make it again. I’m honored! âĄ
I think it should be fine to make individual portions in soufflĂŠ cups. I haven’t personally tried, so I’m not quite sure what the baking time would be. To be safe, I’d recommend starting to check on them after around 35 minutes. They could take the same amount of time, but it’s always easier to pop underbaked treats back in the oven versus trying to salvage burned ones! đ
I’m also happy to help figure out the dryness! In order to to do so, I have some questions for you. đ
I’m assuming it was the apple filling that was dry, rather than the topping â is that correct?
Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section?
What variety of apples did you use? How fresh/juicy were they?
Approximately what size were your diced apples? (For example, Âź” chunks, ½” chunks, ž” chunks, etc!)
Did you happen to scoop the cornstarch from its container with a measuring spoon, by any chance?
How long did you bake your crumble?
Could you see juice bubbling around the edges of the pan at any point during the baking process?
When you served the crumble, were the apples tender, or were they still crisp and somewhat firm?
I know I just asked a lot of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of what happened once I know your answers to all of them! đ
After reading through your tips on measuring I’m convinced that’s where she slipped. She was definitely scooping all the dry ingredients right from the container. We did substitute gf flour. We’ve made it a second time and again no leftovers. So yummy. She did better the second time. Third times the charm with your measuring tips. The topping the first time was a bit dry. I think that comes from not measuring and over cooking. I thank You for responding. My while families enjoying your recipe.
That’s wonderful!! I’m so glad it was an easy fix. It’s amazing what a difference measuring techniques can make with baked goods, isn’t it? I’m really impressed that your daughter is making this for her 4H cooking competition too â I wouldn’t have the courage to enter as a 10-year-old! I hope it goes incredibly well! âĄ
I really appreciate you taking the time to reply and rate the recipe as well. It truly means a lot, especially hearing that there were no leftovers and she’s already planning a third round. You just made my whole day â thank you, Ciera!
My Annie goes to districts this Friday…with your recipe. â¤ď¸â¤ď¸
That’s so exciting, Ciera!! Good luck to Annie â although I’m sure she won’t need it! ⥠I hope Friday’s 4H cooking competition goes really well. Sending you both lots of love and well wishes!