I'm Becca - mom to three cute kiddos, professional photographer, chocolate addict, in love with all thing wildflowers, and (most importantly) a sinner saved by grace through faith!
This pumpkin apple crisp is the perfect recipe to try out this holiday season. You will love the crisp apple, tender pumpkin and the tasty and sweet topping!
One of my favorite dessert recipes my mom makes is apple crisp. I actually like it better than apple pie (shh don’t tell my brother I said that!), because I love the filling and crunchy topping. Apple pie is great, don’t get me wrong, but I love me some apple crisp! So when I was thinking of healthier holiday recipes to share with y’all, one of my first ideas was to create a lighter version of apple crisp. To be honest, it’s not that bad for you to begin with, but I decided to give it a fun “Becca” twist that I loved… the pumpkin! Not only does it make it look awesome, but the pumpkin mixed with the apple crisp was so good. I loved it, and it’s definitely a perfect recipe to try this Thanksgiving or Christmas.
To make this recipe a little healthier, I swapped granulated sugar with some coconut sugar. If you haven’t given coconut sugar a try yet, you need to! The flavor reminds me a lot of brown sugar, and I’ve used it as an alternative in many of my recipes. They have all turned out fine, and I can’t tell the difference. Coconut sugar is made from the sap of the coconut palm, and actually contains some nutritious qualities, which regular table syrup or high fructose corn syrup do not. Although there’s still not a lot of data concerning coconut sugar yet, it has been found to contain many of the nutrients found in the coconut palm. Some of those nutrients include iron, zinc, calcium and potassium. It also has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar, since it contains a fiber called inulin which has been shown to slow glucose absorption. However, it is important to remember that this is still sugar, and high in calories. It’s not a miracle sugar, or something you should be eating in spoonfuls everyday. It is a little better than table sugar, which is why I choose to use it. So, that being said, consume responsibly, my friends!
What is your favorite “lightened up” holiday recipe? Share it in the comments below!
A delicious and healthier version of apple crisp that is perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
Scale
1 medium pie pumpkin
Filling
2 granny smith apples
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
Topping
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup quinoa
2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375.
Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. I used a metal spoon to scrape the sides better. This is a messy step, but necessary!
Place the pumpkin on a cookie sheet, and bake for 20 minutes.
Core, then dice the apples. (I left on the skin, but you can peel the apple if you want.)
In a small bowl, toss the diced apple, coconut sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
In another small bowl, mix together the rolled oats, quinoa, pumpkin seeds and maple syrup. Set aside.
Remove the pumpkin from the oven and fill halfway with the filling. Put half of the topping in, then fill the rest of the way up with the filling. Scoop the rest of the topping on top.
Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the pumpkin is fork tender.
Remove from the oven and cool.
Slice it up and enjoy!
Notes
I liked scraping the pumpkin and eating it with the filling, but Isaac just ate the filling and topping. It’s in the hands of the fork holder. ;)
What a super fun and festive fall dessert! Anything served in a pumpkin is a win :) As a bonus I can easily make this Paleo by swapping the grains for more chopped nuts. Thanks for the idea!
This looks so yummy!! I have never tried out coconut sugar before. I will have to be on the look out for some. I am not a huge fan of apple pie either.
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This sound so yummy. I’ve never seen this recipe before so I will definitely have to try it!
Awesome! Let me know how it turns out, and share pictures :D
Well this is totally new and different way to make and serve a crisp. Never tried pumpkin apple crisp but think I will now.
You should! And it’s definitely a fun and unique way to serve it. :)
This looks amazing!
Thanks Shannon! :)
What a creative way to make apple crisp!
Thanks Emily! It was really fun to make too.
Oh my gosh!! This is precious!! It sounds delicious!! Ahhhh!!! Must eat now.
Girl it was so good!! I have ingredients to make another one soon haha. And I didn’t feel gross after eating it either… win win!
Yum!! This sounds great! I love that it’s free from refined sugar!
Me too!! That’s one of my favorite parts about this recipe.
YUM!!! Love the idea of using real pumpkin for the recipe. Beautiful table-scape too!
Thank you so much Krissie!! The pumpkin is what made it, I have to admit. :)
This not only looks super delicious but also very pretty! Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you Chrissy! You should try it out… It’s as yummy as it looks.
This sounds phenomenal. I love apple crisp, but I’ve never tried it with pumpkin seeds!
Oh girl it’s so so good! I’m a huge fan of pumpkin seeds, and they went perfectly with the apple filling.
What a creative (and yummy) idea!!
Thank you Katie! It was super fun to make. :)
What a super fun and festive fall dessert! Anything served in a pumpkin is a win :) As a bonus I can easily make this Paleo by swapping the grains for more chopped nuts. Thanks for the idea!
I agree!! The pumpkin is definitely what made this recipe. And that’s a great idea! I know it will be just as good, too.
Omg yum!! Absolutely love that you served it in an adorable little pumpkin!!
Aww thanks Jackie! The pumpkin is definitely what made this recipe so fun.
This looks delicious! What a great fall dessert!
Thank you Alicia! :)
This looks delicious and I can only imagine how good your house smelled while making it!
Ohh it smelled divine!! There’s nothing quite as delicious smelling as cinnamon and apples, right?!
This looks amazing and incredibly festive for the upcoming holiday! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Kiara! It was perfect for a healthier Thanksgiving dessert.
This looks incredible for the holiday season. I would have never thought to put it back into a pumpkin, it’s looks amazing.
I’m all about fun ways to showcase food, and the pumpkin was perfect in my opinion! It’s definitely a recipe I’m making again. :)
This looks so yummy!! I have never tried out coconut sugar before. I will have to be on the look out for some. I am not a huge fan of apple pie either.
Coconut sugar is awesome! You should give it a try. :)
This is such a good idea! I love how pretty it looks too and I can only imagine how yummy it is!
Thank you Adriana!! It was so so good. I could have eaten the entire thing by myself haha.
I love pumpkins and this pumpkin apple crisp looks delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!
Thank you for stopping by Ana!! It is definitely something I’m making again.
This looks amazing!! I will love trying it out!
Awesome! Thanks Julie!
Thank you Taylor! I love styling photos like that :)