Hi friends! Welp…here’s that healthy holiday crisp recipe I mentioned the other day. And I still can’t believe I left all these photos on my camera in SF before traveling home for the holidays. Doh! Anywho, although I originally developed this recipe as a healthy Christmas dessert, I think this would make a fantastic treat any time of year. Crisps are basically year-round for me. Though I especially like the warm and cozy flavors in cooler winter months. So you still have plenty of time to get this clean eating dessert recipe queued up. I give you – a Healthy Cranberry Apple Crisp with Rolled Oats Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free).
Why I Made This Recipe -> A Healthy Crisp Recipe
Most crisp recipes are made unnecessarily unhealthy. The recipes typically are made with WAY too much sugar and excessive amounts of oil/butter. Luckily, I’ve done a couple healthy crisp recipes before, but they were mostly individually-sized. So, here’s one sized so you can serve to your family or a group of friends.
Basically, when I’m developing dessert recipes, I almost always try to make them as healthy and clean eating as possible.
Fruit based recipes make sugar reduction much simpler because fruit is already so naturally sweet. Cranberries are almost always tart, but apples can come in all levels of sweetness. And Fujis are super sweet while Granny Smiths are not very sweet and are more tart. Both are good in baking, but I usually use Gala. Anywho, bear in mind the apple’s natural sweetness levels as you adjust sugar in this Healthy Cranberry Apple Crisp with Rolled Oats Recipe.
But my approach with this was to let the natural sweetness of the fruit shine rather than covering it up with cups and cups of processed sugar.
Christmas / Holiday Clean Eating Dessert Recipe
As mentioned above, I originally intended for this to be a clean eating Christmas / Holiday dessert recipe. The cranberries automatically make the dessert more festive. And totally work with the traditional Christmas color scheme. Haha.
But you can really enjoy this healthy dessert recipe any time of year…
Healthy Winter Dessert Recipe
And since we’re still in winter months at the moment, may I add that this Healthy Cranberry Apple Crisp with Rolled Oats Recipe is perfect for this time of year? I love snuggling up with a cozy bowl of hot crisp fresh out of the oven. Mmm!
Now if I just had a warm fireplace, fuzzy blanket, and Bailey next to me, I’d be set!
Healthy Cranberry Apple Crisp with Rolled Oats Recipe for Breakfast? Yes!
Some of my other crisp recipes are actually developed to be eaten for dessert or even…breakfast!! Yes!
Have you ever looked at how much sugar and what not is in oatmeal packets. Or what about all those doughnuts and muffins? This would be waaay healthier than those. So, if you’re feeling so inclined, feel free to enjoy this in the AM too.
So whether you enjoy this Healthy Cranberry Apple Crisp with Rolled Oats Recipe for dessert, breakfast, Christmas, January, or June…I hope you enjoy it!
What fruit flavor combo should I do next?!

Healthy Cranberry Apple Crisp with Rolled Oats Recipe | Clean Eating Dessert
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
Sometimes you just want a healthy dessert for the holidays. While crisp can be a nice recipe for fruit servings, it can often be douses in excess sugar, oil, and butter. This version lets the natural sweetness of the fruit shine through so you can feel good about treating yourself at the end of the meal. This should serve 6-8 people, depending on how large your servings are. 😉 *vegan, vegetarian, gluten free*
Ingredients
- 3 apples, washed, cored, chopped small (about ½” pieces)
- 1 cup cranberries, rinsed, picked through
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon raw sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
- ½ teaspoon, plus ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 heaping tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup spelt flour OR sub gluten-free flour mix for a gluten-free option
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- About 1 tablespoon vegan butter (I used Earth Balance), optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a square baking dish (8’x8’ or 9’x9’ will work) with oil.
- Into a square baking dish, add chopped apples and cranberries. Pour water into pan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar, cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon around to distribute and stir ingredients together in the baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, melt coconut oil. Stir in oats. Stir in 1 tablespoon sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Stir in flour and salt.
- Pour topping over apple mixture as evenly as you can distribute. If using butter, use fingers to break off small bits and spread around the top. Bake until the top is lightly toasted / golden brown and the edges are bubbling a little, about 40-50 minutes, depending on your oven temperature. Remove from the oven and let cool to a safe temperature.
- When the crisp is safe to eat, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Feel free to stir in some chopped nuts into the topping for a little extra texture and nutrition. I think pecans or walnuts would be especially good.
More Clean Eating Recipes to Love
Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
Honey Flax Almond Butter Oatmeal Recipe
Healthy Salted Caramel Smoothie Recipe
Asian Collards Recipe (delicious collards without meat)
Lazy Low Carb Fried Rice Recipe (still made with some rice – vegan)
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Thanks for reading this post about my new Healthy Cranberry Apple Crisp with Rolled Oats Recipe for a delicious clean eating dessert. I know the holidays are over, but I hope you enjoy this easy recipe. It would make for a delicious winter (or really any time of year) dessert. Cheers!
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