This Apple & Pear Crisp is so good for you that you can eat it for dinner. It’s the perfect combinations of fall flavors in a healthy dessert!
I think fall is my favorite season. I can’t be sure because when spring hits after a long winter, I tend to think that’s my favorite season as well. And when summer finally arrives, I get so excited to go to the beach and eat juicy watermelon that I declare that is my favorite season.
But right now, fall is my winner pick. With the changing of the leaves and the emergence of fall sweaters and boots, I just want to get in the kitchen and bake. But I don’t want to eat a ton of high calorie baked goods, which is why I created this Healthy Apple & Pear Crisp.
First off, apples and pears are so good right now. They are in peak season, meaning they are abundant, affordable, taste amazing and are full of nutrients. As an added bonus, apples and pears caramelize and give off their natural sugars during the cooking process.
That’s why this crisp is lower in sugar. With the baked apples and pears, there’s no need to add a ton of sugar into the mix. I let the apples and pears shine on their own and display their inherit natural sweetness.
How to make a Healthy Apple & Pear Crisp
The two main ingredients in this healthy crisp are apples and pears. When baked, the fruit gives off its natural sweetness, so this dessert doesn’t require all that much added sugar to taste great.
Combine the baked fruit with spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg. The nice thing about this simple recipe is that you can make it your own. If you really love ginger, throw some into the spice mixture. If cloves or allspice are what you’re craving, you can sprinkle that onto the dried fruit. The spice combinations are endless.
It’s all topped with a little bit of brown sugar, oatmeal and orange zest for a flavorful topping.
How is the topping made?
I call this a “healthy” crisp because of the topping. Traditionally crisps are made with a layer of sugar and butter, but my crisp has the crunchy texture without all the bad stuff.
It’s a mixture of oats, slivered almonds, brown sugar, agave and orange zest. The oats and almonds give it a nice crunch, and the sugar adds a hint of sweetness. Whatever you do, don’t leave out the orange zest. It’s such a tiny amount, but it pairs so well with the fruit and adds a really nice flavor to the crisp.
I encourage you to make this for dessert, but I won’t be surprised if you eat it for breakfast! I know what I’ll be making before my next long run.
Apple & Pear Crisp
Healthy vegan apple & pear crisp
Ingredients
- 1 apple thinly sliced
- 1 pear thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup oats
- ¼ cup raw slivered almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon agave
- Cooking spray
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-
In a large mixing bowl combine the apple slices, pear slices, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla extract. Stir until the apples and pears are coated in the spice mixture.
-
In a separate bowl combine the oats, almonds, orange zest, vegetable oil, brown sugar and agave. Stir evenly.
-
Spray a corningware with cooking spray. Evenly distribute the pears in the dish and coat with the topping. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
Can’t wait to see everything to come for you, you’ve come such a far way already! Also, I love your addition of orange zest in the crisp!
Love this recipe! I’m all about apple crisps once the fall rolls around so I’ll definitely be trying this out!
I love the flavor the orange zest gave this recipe! Thank you!
This is a nice alternative to apple crisp! The pears and orange zest really make a difference in the flavor!
I hear you on the burnout! We love what we do but it is a lot of work. There’s nothing more comforting than a good fruit crisp- thank’s for creating a healthier option for us 🙂
Couldn’t love this perfect fall recipe more–my bday treat is always a crisp so this is it!!!
Totally just ate this for breakfast!
so so good, love the apple and pear combo!
Super tasty! Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe
I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for leaving a rating!
Fantastic recipe! Delicious and sweet. I have been looking for a while for a healthy apple and pear crumble recipe, and found this. I used maple syrup in place of agave. I tried to find you on Instagram to tag you, but no luck.
Thanks so much for the review! I would love to see it on IG if you still have a pic. I’m @nutritionalanat.