Irresistibly Delicious Gluten-Free Apple Crisp: Your New Favorite Cozy Dessert
This Gluten-Free Apple Crisp recipe is not just a dessert; it’s a warm hug in a bowl! Easy to prepare and incredibly delicious, it brings all the comforting flavors of fall to your table, suitable for any time of year.
There’s something truly magical about an apple crisp. Beyond its delightful taste, it fills your home with the inviting aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking apples, making everyone feel cozy and loved. While often associated with the crisp air of autumn, this classic dessert is a year-round pleasure that never fails to impress.
For those navigating dietary restrictions, finding a dessert that hits all the right notes can be a challenge. That’s why I’ve adapted a beloved recipe to create this ultimate gluten-free version. Years ago, I perfected my vegan apple crisp recipe, a crowd-pleaser that proved you don’t need dairy to achieve incredible flavor and texture. Taking inspiration from the rich, spiced apple filling of that recipe and combining it with the perfectly crunchy topping from this blueberry peach crisp recipe, I embarked on a mission to craft the best gluten-free apple crisp possible. The result? A dessert that is wonderfully comforting, satisfying, and accessible to almost everyone.
Imagine sweet, tender apples, gently spiced and bubbling in their own juices, topped with a golden, crumbly oat topping. The aroma alone is enough to transport you to a happy place. This recipe ensures that even without gluten, you get all the delightful textures and flavors you expect from a classic apple crisp: soft, warm fruit contrasting with a buttery, crunchy oat layer. It’s a truly irresistible combination!
Key Ingredients for Your Perfect Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
Crafting this delightful gluten-free apple crisp requires a few simple yet essential ingredients. You’ll find the complete recipe with detailed instructions at the bottom of this post, but here’s an overview of what you’ll need to gather:
- Granny Smith Apples: These are the star of our show! Their natural tartness and firm texture hold up beautifully during baking, providing the perfect counterpoint to the sweet topping.
- Lemon Juice: A splash of fresh lemon juice brightens the apple flavor and helps prevent browning.
- Sugars: We use both granulated sugar for subtle sweetness and brown sugar for its deep, caramel-like notes, enhancing the overall flavor profile of both the filling and the crisp topping.
- Cinnamon, Salt, and Cornstarch: These form the backbone of our apple filling. Cinnamon adds warmth and spice, a pinch of salt balances the sweetness, and cornstarch thickens the apple juices into a luscious, gooey sauce.
- Gluten-Free Oat Flour and Rolled Oats: For the crisp topping, certified gluten-free oat flour provides a tender base, while gluten-free rolled oats deliver that irresistible chewy, crunchy texture. Ensure your oats are certified gluten-free to avoid cross-contamination.
- Coconut Oil and Butter: A combination of these fats creates the ideal crumbly topping. Coconut oil contributes a subtle richness and helps achieve crispiness, while butter (or a dairy-free butter alternative) adds classic flavor. You can easily substitute dairy-free butter to make this recipe completely dairy-free, catering to more dietary needs.
These thoughtfully chosen ingredients work in harmony to deliver an apple crisp that is not only safe for those avoiding gluten but also boasts an incredibly satisfying flavor and texture that everyone will adore.
Crafting the Perfect Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Filling
The heart of any great apple crisp lies in its filling. For this recipe, you’ll need approximately 6 cups of diced Granny Smith apples. Start by carefully peeling, coring, and dicing your apples into roughly 1/2 to 3/4-inch chunks. Consistency in size is key here, as it ensures all the apple pieces cook evenly and become tender at the same rate. Once your apples are perfectly prepared, transfer them to a large mixing bowl, ready for their flavorful transformation.
Joy’s Tip for the Best Apples
Granny Smith apples truly are my go-to for apple crisp. Their firm texture ensures they don’t turn to mush during baking, providing a delightful bite. More importantly, their natural tartness offers a beautiful contrast to the sweetness of the sugar and the rich crisp topping, creating a perfectly balanced flavor profile that makes every spoonful a joy. While other apples like Honeycrisp or Fuji can work, adjust sugar levels accordingly as they are sweeter.
To your bowl of diced apples, add the fresh lemon juice, brown sugar, fragrant cinnamon, a touch of salt, and the cornstarch. The lemon juice brightens the fruit and prevents it from browning, while the brown sugar and cinnamon infuse the apples with a warm, sweet spice. Cornstarch acts as a thickening agent, ensuring that the juices released during baking transform into a thick, glossy, and incredibly delicious sauce rather than a watery mess. Give all the ingredients a thorough stir to ensure every apple chunk is evenly coated with this enticing mixture. Let this flavorful filling marinate for a few minutes while you prepare the crisp topping. This brief resting period allows the flavors to meld beautifully and the apples to begin releasing their natural juices.
Creating the Irresistible Gluten-Free Crisp Topping
The crisp topping is what truly makes an apple crisp shine, offering that wonderful contrast in texture to the tender fruit below. To begin, in a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for the topping: brown sugar, certified gluten-free oat flour, certified gluten-free rolled oats, and a pinch of salt. Whisking ensures that all the ingredients are well combined and distributed, preventing any pockets of unmixed flour or sugar.
Next, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt the coconut oil and butter (or dairy-free butter) until they are fully liquid. This liquid fat is what will bind our dry ingredients together and give the topping its signature rich flavor and crisp texture. Pour the melted butter and coconut oil over the whisked dry ingredients. Now, using a rubber spatula or a sturdy spoon, mix everything together. Stir gently but thoroughly until the mixture resembles wet sand – it should be clumpy and well moistened, but not pasty. Be careful not to overmix; you want to maintain some texture and not develop the gluten in the oat flour (though it’s minimal in gluten-free oats, gentle handling is always best).
With both your filling and topping prepared, it’s time to assemble! Choose a small baking dish or a pie plate that can comfortably hold your crisp. First, pour the seasoned apple filling into the prepared dish, spreading it out evenly to create a uniform layer. This ensures that every bite has plenty of delicious apple goodness. Next, carefully sprinkle the gluten-free crisp topping over the apples, spreading it out to cover them in an even layer. Don’t press it down too hard; a looser topping will bake up crispier.
Bake your gluten-free apple crisp in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) for about 50 to 60 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the topping is beautifully golden brown and the apple filling beneath is visibly bubbling, signaling that the apples are tender and the sauce has thickened. If you notice the topping browning too quickly, you can loosely cover the dish with foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning while the apples finish cooking.
While delicious on its own, a warm slice of apple crisp truly reaches its peak when served with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. The creamy, cold ice cream melting into the warm, spiced apples and crunchy topping creates a symphony of textures and temperatures that is simply divine. It’s an absolute must for the perfect bite! You can also elevate it with a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
The combination of warm, baked apples and the sweet, crunchy oat crisp topping creates a truly heavenly experience in your mouth. This recipe generously yields 10 or more servings, making it perfect for family gatherings, holiday meals, or simply to enjoy throughout the week. Be warned, however, that its irresistible nature means you might find it hard to stop at just one serving!
Storing Your Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
While this gluten-free apple crisp is undoubtedly best enjoyed fresh from the oven for the ultimate crunchy topping and warm, gooey filling, leftovers can be stored and savored later. Allow the crisp to cool completely before covering it tightly with plastic wrap or transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep well in the refrigerator for about 3 days. To restore the delightful crunch of the topping and warm the apples through, I highly recommend reheating leftovers in the oven at a moderate temperature (around 300°F/150°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through and the topping has crisped up again. A microwave will warm it, but the topping won’t be as crunchy.
This delightful dessert, with its warm, brown sugar-infused, gooey apple filling and perfectly crunchy topping, is truly irresistible. Whether you’re serving it for a special occasion or simply treating yourself, it promises to be a comforting and memorable experience for anyone who tries it.
Explore More Delicious Gluten-Free Desserts
If you loved this gluten-free apple crisp, you’re in luck! There are many more incredible gluten-free desserts to discover. Here are some of my other favorite recipes that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth:
- Gluten-Free Monster Cookies: A vibrant and chewy cookie packed with oats, chocolate chips, and candy.
- Healthy No-Bake Cookies: Quick, easy, and satisfying chocolate peanut butter delights that require no oven.
- Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies: Rich and chewy cookies made with a peanut butter base, perfect for gluten-free baking.
- Homemade Peanut Butter Cups: A simple recipe for a classic chocolate and peanut butter treat.
- Gluten-Free Cookie Bars: Soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chips, these bars are a fantastic easy dessert.
Fill your home with the heavenly scent and unforgettable taste of this easy gluten-free apple crisp. It’s the perfect dessert to share with loved ones or to enjoy as a special treat!
Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
Joy Shull
15 minutes
1 hour
1 hour
15 minutes
10
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Ingredients
For the Apple Crisp Filling
-
6
granny smith apples,
diced (around 6 cups worth) -
5
teaspoons
fresh lemon juice -
1/3
cup
brown sugar -
3/4
teaspoon
cinnamon -
1/4
teaspoon
salt -
2
tablespoons
corn starch
For the Gluten Free Apple Crisp Topping
-
3/4
cup
brown sugar -
1/2
cup
gluten free oat flour -
3/4
cup
gluten free rolled oats -
1/4
teaspoon
salt -
2
tablespoons
coconut oil,
melted -
1/4
cup
butter,
melted
Instructions
-
Peel, core, and dice the Granny Smith apples into uniform chunks, then place them into a large bowl.
-
To the apples, add the fresh lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch. Stir well to ensure all apples are evenly coated.
-
In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, gluten-free oat flour, gluten-free rolled oats, and salt for the crisp topping.
-
Melt the butter and coconut oil together in a microwave-safe bowl, then pour the melted fats over the dry crisp ingredients.
-
Use a rubber spatula or spoon to mix the crisp topping ingredients until they are well combined and resemble wet sand.
-
Stir the apple filling once more, then transfer it into a greased small baking dish or pie pan. Spread the crisp topping evenly over the apple filling, without pressing down too firmly.
-
Bake the gluten-free apple crisp at 350°F (175°C) for 50 – 60 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbly and tender.
-
Serve warm, ideally topped with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream for the ultimate dessert experience.
Video
Nutrition
Calories:
240
kcal
,
Carbohydrates:
44
g
,
Protein:
2
g
,
Fat:
8
g
,
Saturated Fat:
3
g
,
Polyunsaturated Fat:
1
g
,
Monounsaturated Fat:
2
g
,
Trans Fat:
0.02
g
,
Sodium:
162
mg
,
Potassium:
161
mg
,
Fiber:
3
g
,
Sugar:
31
g
,
Vitamin A:
257
IU
,
Vitamin C:
4
mg
,
Calcium:
33
mg
,
Iron:
1
mg
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