Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

This apple treat is a fall favorite for so many reasons. Here’s why it will become a staple in your kitchen every fall.

• Easy as pie. In fact, it is even easier than apple pie because you don’t have to fuss with making gluten free pie crust.
• Quick to assemble. This entire crisp comes together in minutes. And you don’t even have to wait for it to cool because there isn’t much better than a warm scoop of apple crisp.
• Sweet but wholesome. With tons of fruit and whole grain oats, there are healthy ingredients in this sweet dessert. You can even use unrefined sweeteners by replacing the brown sugar with coconut sugar.

For the apple filling

• Apples: Peeled and sliced. As I will mention below, I like to use Golden Delicious, but use your favorite.
• Granulated sugar: Just a bit. Feel free to use another sweetener.
• Cinnamon: Always makes aples taste better.
• Lemon juice: Keeps the apples from turning brown and the acid brightens the flavors.

What are the Best Apples to Use?

Generally, for baked apple desserts, you want to use an apple that is firm enough to not break down completely while baking. Otherwise, you will end up with a mushy crisp. And nobody wants that.

So crisp apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious are all good choices. The Granny Smith is a go-to for many people, but it can be a bit tart, which is why I usually choose Golden Delicious. But feel free to choose what you like best, or try a mixture, since all bring a slightly different flavor and texture.

For something different, you can even try Pink Lady, Crispin, Fuji, or Jonagold.

For the oat topping

• Old fashioned oats: Not quick or instant. To ensure your dessert is gluten free, use certified gluten free oats. You can read more in my article, Are Oats Gluten Free?
• Almond flour: Adds a little texture, protein, fiber, and a nice, nutty flavor.
• Gluten free flour: I used a 1:1 blend. For this recipe, something like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 or Cup4Cup works great.
• Brown sugar: Sweetens and adds a nice molasses flavor.
• Cinnamon: For nice, warm spice.
• Unsalted butter: Holds everything together.

How to Make Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Now that you have all of your ingredients, let’s get started.

Prepare the apples: Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish glass baking dish (this is usually about 7×11-inches or 8×11-inches, depending on the brand) with nonstick cooking spray. Peel and evenly slice your apples, then toss them in a bowl with granulated sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

Make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the oats, almond flour, gluten-free flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Toss everything together with a fork or spatula. Pour in the melted butter and stir together until everything is thoroughly combined. It will be quite thick and crumbly. Scatter the topping over the apples.

Bake the apple crisp: Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the crisp is bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Let it cool for 5 minutes before eating.

Serving Suggestions

Powdered sugar: If you want to keep it really simple, a little sprinkle of powdered sugar is all your need.

Whipped cream: Whether you get it from a can or container or make your own freshly whipped cream, it’s delightful to add a creamy element to the sweet-tart apples.

Caramel sauce: Apples pair so well with the fall-favorite flavor of homemade caramel sauce. Give your crisp a drizzle.

Ice cream: Personally, this is the only way I go. You can stick with vanilla from the store, or double up on the apple flavor by making No-Churn Caramel Apple Ice Cream.

Yogurt: Either frozen yogurt or a dollop of sweetened Greek yogurt will give you that creamy contrast in a healthier way.

Tips for the Best Crisp

Cut the apples evenly: You want the apple slices about the same size so that they bake evenly. I like to use one of those apple corers and slicers that you press down on the apple to form wedges. Then I cut each of those slices in half. You can also cut the apple into quarters, cut out the core, and cut each quarter into three or four slices.

Don’t work it too much: While you want the topping ingredients combined, you don’t want to overmix it because you’ll want to be able to scatter it over the apples so that when it bakes, it forms a nice crumbly topping.

Feed a crowd: If you need more servings, you can double the recipe and bae it in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Variations

Use unrefined sugars: Try using coconut sugar or a low carb sweetener like Serve Brown for the topping. You can swap the sugar in the filling for maple syrup or raw honey, which will also give it a great flavor.

Make it nutty: Try adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping mixture for extra crunch.

Mix something in: Feel free to add a handful of raisins or dried cranberries in the apple filling mixture, if that’s your thing. You can also swap some or all of the apples for pears.

Turn it into a cobbler: You can make the same filling and top it with the dough from this Gluten Free Peach Cobbler.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Cover any leftover gluten free apple crisp with plastic wrap, or transfer it to an airtight container. Then store it in the refrigerator, but be sure to enjoy it within 3 or 4 days.

To reheat it, you can place the entire baking dish in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Or microwave individual servings on a microwave-safe plate or bowl.