I ❤️  warm and cozy apple desserts. Who doesn’t? 

This super simple healthy apple crumble is like a lighter, healthier version of apple crisp. It’s based on a recipe that originally appeared in Cooking Light in 1999, which makes me feel…old. Ha! My mom used to subscribe Cooking Light and I always loved reading it when I was growing up. 

I made this today simply because I was in the mood to bake something, and we had all the ingredients on hand (you probably do, too). All you need are apples, a few slices of sandwich bread, butter, sugar, and spices. Plus maybe some vanilla ice cream for serving 🙂 

This is a REALLY kid-friendly recipe. It makes a great cooking activity if you want to get your kids involved, and they are pretty much guaranteed to love it. It’s very simple and there are no objectionable ingredients (nuts! raisins! green flecks!). 

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Super Simple Healthy Apple Crumble

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 4 one-ounce slices of whole wheat sandwich bread
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 4 large apples (about 2 lbs)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup apple cider, apple juice, or water
• 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced optional
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Pulse the bread in food processor to make crumbs. Toss with melted butter and set aside.

3. Peel and slice apples. In large bowl, toss apples with sugars, cinnamon, salt, apple cider (or juice or water), lemon zest and juice (if using), and vanilla.

4. In 8-x-8 square baking dish or a deep-dish pie dish, layer half the apple mixture (including juices), then cover with half the bread crumbs. Top with remaining apple mixture and remaining crumbs.

5. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until topping is golden brown and apples are bubbling.