This is truly the BEST gluten free apple crisp recipe, healthy or not! It has a rich apple flavor, cinnamon crumble and delicious with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. It’s gluten free, dairy free and can be made with or without oats.
This is my most favorite time of year for 100 different reasons. The weather, the food, my birthday (!), I could go on, but I think the food is the best part.
Which is why I thought long and hard about what Fall baked goods I wanted to share. I had SO many on my list, but had to cut some out because of time constraints, but ohmygosh I’m so glad this gluten free apple crisp made the cut! But also shoutout to my chocolate chip pumpkin cookies because those are unreal.
I may or may not have eaten for breakfast a few days this week as I was recipe testing, but I’m fine with that because the ingredients are so simple and it’s made fully from scratch.
In all of my apple crisp, crumble and pie recipes I use a key ingredient that I don’t find in a lot of other recipes but I think it really takes the flavor and texture to the next level. Apple sauce!
It makes the base apple part have a caramely sauce and super rich apple flavor that you just won’t find in other recipes. That in combination with maple syrup and coconut sugar and a drizzle of my vegan caramel… so much flavor! If you love this recipe try my pumpkin pie, gluten free pumpkin bread or vegan pumpkin cake next!
How to make gluten free apple crisp
Preheat the oven to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Peel and core the apples and slice into thin strips. I usually peel them, then slice into four sections going around the core, then thinly slice each of the sections to about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. You can also use a mandolin to slice if you prefer.
Add the apples to a very large bowl with all the remaining filling ingredients. Toss to combine.
In a second bowl, combine all the crumble topping ingredients and mix together with a spoon until well combined. It shouldn’t be wet or dry, just crumbly.
Toss about 1/3 of the crumble mixture with the apples.
Add the apples to a 9 inch cast iron pan or 8 or 9 inch regular baking dish/pie pan and spread evenly. It might seem like it’s overflowing a bit, but the apples do shrink a bit as they bake.
Use your fingers to evenly sprinkle the rest of the crumble mixture on top.
Add to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 45-55 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the apples are bubbling underneath. It can sometimes get messy, so I usually put a cookie sheet under the pan/baking dish to catch any drips.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Why did it get soggy?
If you follow the recipe, this gluten free apple crisp should never be soggy, even after a few days in the fridge!
The cornstarch in the apple mixture helps absorb excess moisture and the oats and almond flour in the crumble allow the topping to get gently crispy (but not too crispy like granola), and not at all soggy.
Also, mixing a portion of the crumble into the crisp itself will help absorb some of the liquid the apples release as they bake, helping to give it the best texture.
How to store
Once prepared, this apple crisp will keep in the fridge for about 3 days. It is best served fresh/on the same day you bake it, but it reheats really well in the microwave if you have leftovers.
The topping unfortunately will lose some of the crispiness as it sits in the fridge, so if you want to pop it in the oven until the broiler for a few minutes, you might be able to get some crispiness back.
The flavor will still be amazing, just the texture will change as it sits.
Ingredient tips and swaps
APPLES. When it comes to apple crisp, you really want a combination of a sweet, tart and crisp apple. Certain varieties like red delicious you want to stay away from because they can have a mealy texture.
My absolute favorite apple for everything and anything is honeycrisp. They’re the perfect combination of sweet, tart and crispy and bake up beautifully in this recipe. Other great options include gala or pink lady.
OATS. If you want an oat free version, use the crumble recipe from my gluten free peach crisp instead of the recipe listed here.
NUTS. Simply sub the almond flour for oat flour for a nut free version. There are otherwise no nuts added to the crumble, so nothing to worry about there.
SUGAR. This recipe calls for brown sugar in the crumble topping and the filling, plus some maple syrup in the filling.
You can use any kind of granulated sugar for the crumble and filling, but I suggest brown or coconut for the most flavor. You can swap the maple syrup for honey.
You’ll also love…
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Sweet Potato Muffins
- Apple Pie Chia Pudding
- Blueberry Crisp
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake
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Gluten Free Apple Crisp
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Apples:
- 5 large honeycrisp apples see notes
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut or brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Topping:
- ⅔ cup gluten free quick oats
- ⅔ cup gluten free rolled oats
- ½ cup almond flour sub for oat flour for nut free
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup melted refined coconut oil or butter
- ⅓ cup coconut or brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel and core the apples and slice into thin strips. I usually peel them, then slice into four sections going around the core, then thinly slice each of the sections to about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. You can also use a mandoline to slice if you prefer.
- Add the apples to a very large bowl with all the remaining filling ingredients. Toss to combine.
- In a second bowl, combine all the crumble topping ingredients and mix together with a spoon until well combined. It shouldn't be wet or dry, just crumbly.
- Toss about 1/3 of the crumble mixture with the apples.
- Add the apples to a 9 inch cast iron pan or 8 or 9 inch regular baking dish and spread evenly. It might seem like it's overflowing a bit, but the apples do shrink a bit as they bake.
- Use your fingers to evenly sprinkle the rest of the crumble mixture on top.
- Add to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 45-55 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the apples are bubbling underneath. It can sometimes get messy, so I usually put a cookie sheet under the pan/baking dish to catch any drips. You don't always need it, but better safe than sorry!
- The bake time will vary slightly depending on your pan. You'll know it's done when the top is golden and the apples are bubbling. If the top starts to brown too much before the inside is done, cover with foil until it finishes baking.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and homemade vegan caramel sauce.
Marcia says
Can I make the Apple Crisp ahead of time and freeze it? I would like to make it on Wednesday and serve it on Saturday.
Claire Cary says
You can, but the crisp part won’t be so crispy. I’d be inclined to make everything, freeze, and then bake for the usual time!
Olivia Hile says
Made this for Thanksgiving, and, as always, your recipes are perfect! Never too sweet! Always just right! Even my dad liked it, and he always says every dessert is too sweet. I did use half oats and half walnuts (I got that idea from your peach recipe), and it worked beautifully! I will definitely make it again next year.
Claire Cary says
Thank you Olivia! So glad it was a hit!
Stephanie says
The recipe says Nut Free, but it’s definitely not. I don’t see a recommended substitute for the almond flour in the notes or blog post. Just regular all purpose is the best alternative?
Claire Cary says
Hi Stephanie, this recipe does not say that it is nut free. However, if you are looking for a sub for almond flour, you can try using about 1/4 cup of oat flour in place of 1/2 cup almond flour.