• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Good For You Gluten Free

Information about living with celiac disease, gluten sensitivities, and the gluten-free diet

  • View GoodForYouGlutenFree’s profile on Facebook
  • View g4uglutenfree’s profile on Twitter
  • View goodforyouglutenfree’s profile on Instagram
  • View goodforyouGF’s profile on Pinterest
  • View goodforyouglutenfree’s profile on YouTube
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About Good For You Gluten Free
    • FAQs
    • Events
    • Our Team
  • COURSES
  • COACHING
  • RECIPES
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Bread
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta
  • ARTICLES
    • Celiac Disease
    • Gluten-Free and Celiac News
    • Nima Tested
    • Eating Out
    • Health & Beauty
    • Products & Ingredients
  • SHOP
  • MEAL PLANS
  • RESOURCES
    • My Book
    • Free Webinar
    • Coaching Services
    • Giveaways
    • Safe Dining Card
    • Quick Start Guide
    • Ultimate Guide to Eating Out Gluten Free
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • CONTACT
Home » Dessert » Healthy Apple Cranberry Crisp Sweetened with Monk Fruit

Healthy Apple Cranberry Crisp Sweetened with Monk Fruit

Last Updated March 20, 2023. Published December 11, 2020 Good For You Gluten Free

Sharing is caring!

72 shares
  • Share
  • Email
Healthy Apple Cranberry Crisp Sweetened with Monk Fruit
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This healthy apple cranberry crisp is filled with delicious tart cranberries and sweet apples and is sweetened with monk fruit zero-calorie sweetener. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

I decided to eke out one last delicious recipe using the fall flavors – apples and cranberries – all of which I love dearly.

I created this gluten-free apple cranberry crisp recipe with no sugar. You might be wondering how in the world I could pull that off. Cranberries are tart and require a lot of sugar if you’re baking them in a dessert.

My secret is that I used monk fruit sweetener by ZenSweet. ZenSweet’s monk fruit sweetener measures cup for cup with regular sugar, and it tastes legit.

If your recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, you can simply swap it for 1 cup of ZenSweet’s monk fruit sweetener.

If it calls for 1 cup of brown sugar, swap it for 1 cup of ZenSweet monk fruit sweetener + 1 teaspoon of molasses.

I’ll walk you through, step-by-step, how to make this delicious, cozy and healthy-ish fall dessert.

Step #1: Gather Your Ingredients

For the filling, you’ll need the following:

  • 4 red apples, cut into bite-sized pieces (approximately 6 cups of cut-up apples)
  • 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup ZenSweet monk fruit sweetener
  • 3 tbsp gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend. You could also swap for almond flour or other flour of choice. Results may vary.)

For the topping, you’ll need the following:

  • 1 1/2 cups of gluten-free quick-cook oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill GF Quick Cook Oats)
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free flour (see above)
  • 1/2 cup ZenSweet monk fruit sweetener
  • 1/2 tsp molasses (optional)
  • 1/2 cup melted butter (I used vegan butter by Earth Balance to keep this dish dairy free and vegan)
  • 1/4 cup crushed pecans (optional)

Step #2: Create the Filling

In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and mix well, then add the mixture to a 9×13″ Pyrex baking dish and set aside.

apples, cranberries and sugar in a bowl

Step #3: Create the Topping

Combine all the topping ingredients in a large bowl, mixing everything together well.

Evenly spread the mixture on top of the filling and place in a 350º F preheated oven.

Picture of uncooked apple cranberry crisp with topping

Bake the crisp for 50-55 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the filling bubbly. Allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving. It can be served warm or cold.

Overhead picture of apple cranberry crisp with cranberries and oats in the picture

Easy and Delicious

As you can see, making this healthy apple cranberry crisp with monk fruit is easier than you think, and the fact that it contains no added sugar is extra sweet in my book!

Here are a few more ideas:

Flour Swaps: If you’re avoiding all grains, use almond or cassava flour instead of a gluten-free flour blend. Your results may vary in taste, but you’ll still rock a delicious apple cranberry crisp at the end of the day.

Butter Swaps: If you don’t mind dairy, you can use regular butter. I buy Earth Balance buttery sticks that measure 1/2 cup each, making measuring vegan butter a breeze. I microwave it on low for about a minute to get gently melted, but not scorched, melted butter.

upclose picture on a serving of the apple cranberry crisp

Oat Swaps: I love using oats, and you can safely eat oats on a gluten-free diet. Just make sure they’re labeled “gluten-free” somewhere on the package. (Read more about the perils of regular oats in this article.) If you don’t eat or can’t tolerate oats, you can use quinoa flakes. You can also use rolled oats vs. quick-cook oats.

Sugar Swaps: If you want to use real sugar for this recipe vs. ZenSweet monk fruit sweetener, follow these instructions:

  • For the filling, use 1 cup of granulated sugar in place of ZenSweet
  • For the topping, use 1/2 packed brown sugar and omit ZenSweet sugar and molasses.
Image of a bowl of the apple cranberry crisp with the casserole in the background

Working with Monk Fruit

Research shows that monk fruit sweeteners do not raise blood sugar levels in humans, and it’s why many people with diabetes use it as a preferred sugar substitute. It’s also very popular in keto baking.

Monk fruit comes from a small, green gourd resembling a melon. It’s grown in Southeast Asia, and the monk fruit sweetener we use today comes from the fruit extract.

It’s often blended with other ingredients, as in the case of ZenSweet’s monk fruit sweetener, to balance the sweetness, as monk fruit is 150-200 times sweeter than sugar. It contains no calories, carbohydrates, sodium, or fat.

ZenSweet is a blend of erythritol, soluble prebiotic fiber, and monk fruit. 

If you’re baking sugar-free, check out my Monk Fruit Sweetened Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are delicious, moist cookies made with almond flour and, you guessed it, ZenSweet monk fruit.

Monk Fruit Sweetened chocolate chip cookies - header

More monk fruit recipes to come… I love this sugar substitute!

Healthy Apple Cranberry Crisp

This healthy apple cranberry crisp uses chopped apples, fresh cranberries, and monk fruit sweetener to keep it sweet, light and healthy-ish. Enjoy this wonderful dessert with no guilt.
4.50 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple cranberry crisp, apple crisp
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 278kcal
Author: Jenny Levine Finke

Equipment

  • 9×13 casserole dish

Ingredients

Filling

  • 4 red apples cut into bite-sized pieces (approximately 6 cups of apples)
  • 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup ZenSweet monk fruit sweetener
  • 3 tbsp gluten-free flour (see notes)

Topping

  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free quick cook oats I used Bob’s Red Mill GF Quick Cook Oats
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free flour (see notes) see above
  • 1/2 cup ZenSweet monk fruit sweetener
  • 1/2 tsp molasses
  • 1/2 cup melted butter or vegan butter I used vegan butter by Earth Balance
  • 1/4 cup pecans crushed, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 9×13" Pyrex baking dish. Set it aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and mix well. Add the mixture to the baking dish.
  • Combine all the topping ingredients in a large bowl, mixing everything together well.
  • Evenly spread the topping mixture over the apples and cranberry filling and bake it for 50-55 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the filling bubbly. Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes before serving. This crisp can be served warm or cold.

Notes

Flour: I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour blend. You could also swap for almond flour, cassava flour or other flour of choice. Results may vary.
Butter: You can use regular butter. I prefer to use vegan butter. I use Earth Balance buttery sticks that measure 1/2 cup each. Microwave butter on low for about a minute so it’s gently melted vs. scorched.
Oats: You can use quick cook or rolled oats. Make sure they’re labeled “gluten-free.” Alternatively, you can use quinoa flakes.
Sugar: You can use regular sugar vs. ZenSweet monk fruit sweetener. Follow these instructions:
  • For the filling, use 1 cup of granulated sugar in place of ZenSweet
  • For the topping, use 1/2 packed brown sugar and omit ZenSweet sugar and molasses
Please note that ZenSweet monk fruit sweetener measures cup for cup with regular sugar. As does Lakanto monk fruit sweetener. Other brands of monk fruit sweeteners may not. Read instructions carefully. Too much monk fruit can ruin this crisp.

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 426IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @GoodForYouGlutenFree or tag #goodforyouglutenfree!

Filed Under: Dessert Leave a Comment

Reader Interactions

Leave a CommentCancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Good For You Gluten Free

Hi, I'm Jenny Levine Finke and am passionate about the gluten-free lifestyle. I'm a certified integrative nutrition coach and self-taught expert on [most] gluten-free things. I have celiac disease and know the struggles you're going through first-hand. This is why I've dedicated this blog to serving the celiac and gluten sensitive communities with important information, product and restaurant reviews, and simple recipes I hope you'll love. Read More…

Read My Book!

Dear Gluten Book Cover

Download My Safe Dining Card

Free download - gluten-free safe dining card
Logos of publications that Good For You Gluten Free has been featured in

My Trending Blog Posts

  • Trader Joe's 10 Best Gluten-Free Pasta Options Ranked Best to Worst
    Trader Joe's 10 Best Gluten-Free Pasta Options Ranked Best to Worst
  • List of Gluten-Free Cereals - Tested for Hidden Gluten
    List of Gluten-Free Cereals - Tested for Hidden Gluten
  • Why McDonald's Doesn't Offer a Gluten-Free Menu
    Why McDonald's Doesn't Offer a Gluten-Free Menu
  • Easy Gluten-Free Bread Recipe Using 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour
    Easy Gluten-Free Bread Recipe Using 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour
  • Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
    Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
  • How to Make Gluten-Free Pasta With Two Ingredients!
    How to Make Gluten-Free Pasta With Two Ingredients!
  • 22 Best Products to Buy at Costco When You're Gluten-Free
    22 Best Products to Buy at Costco When You're Gluten-Free
  • 75+ of the Best Gluten-Free Snacks
    75+ of the Best Gluten-Free Snacks
  • 5-Ingredient Gluten-Free Bagel Recipe
    5-Ingredient Gluten-Free Bagel Recipe
  • Can You Use Almond Flour in Place of Regular Flour?
    Can You Use Almond Flour in Place of Regular Flour?

Graduate of the:

Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach Badge

Before Footer

You may not reproduce or publish any content on Good For You Gluten Free without written consent.

Copyright © 2023 Good For You Gluten Free. All Rights Reserved.

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About Good For You Gluten Free
    • FAQs
    • Events
    • Our Team
  • COURSES
  • COACHING
  • RECIPES
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Bread
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta
  • ARTICLES
    • Celiac Disease
    • Gluten-Free and Celiac News
    • Nima Tested
    • Eating Out
    • Health & Beauty
    • Products & Ingredients
  • SHOP
  • MEAL PLANS
  • RESOURCES
    • My Book
    • Free Webinar
    • Coaching Services
    • Giveaways
    • Safe Dining Card
    • Quick Start Guide
    • Ultimate Guide to Eating Out Gluten Free
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • CONTACT
  • Blog
  • Disclosures & Disclaimers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us