Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
Published
I always make this gluten-free apple crisp when I don’t feel like baking a whole apple pie! It’s just as delicious and filling but takes much less time to prepare. I bake apples in a warming cinnamon and brown sugar mixture, then top it off with a buttery, crumbly oat topping that’s entirely gluten-free. Everything cooks effortlessly in one dish, and it’s perfect for serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce (my kid’s favorite!) This recipe also includes a dairy-free and vegan option.
Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Recipe
I’m not joking when I say no one will notice this is a gluten-free dessert. I simply swap regular flour for a gluten-free all-purpose flour and use certified gluten-free oats for the topping. The rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free! Apples, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla extract create a delicious, gooey filling that bubbles up around the crisp edges. This homemade gluten-free apple crisp is warmly spiced, and every single bite tastes like fall—it’s the perfect dessert for a cozy evening after a day of apple picking.
Ingredients
- Apples: Use tart, baking apples, or a combination of tart and sweet apples for the best flavor. As for specific varieties, see my note below on the best apples for baking.
- All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour with Xanthan Gum: I use all-purpose gluten-free flour in this recipe, specifically Pillsbury’s gluten-free flour. Add ½ a teaspoon of xanthan gum to every cup of flour if your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t already contain it.
- Gluten-Free Quick Oats: These create the buttery, crumbly topping. Old-fashioned rolled oats will also work. To keep this recipe gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats.
- Light Brown Sugar: Combines with the juices from the apples to create a caramel-like filling and helps the topping crisp up in the oven.
- Cinnamon: I add cinnamon to the filling and the topping for extra flavor.
- Salt: Brings out the flavors of all the other ingredients.
- Baking Powder: Helps the topping rise slightly and creates a more crumbly texture. Don’t forget to check that your baking powder is labeled gluten-free.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter to control the saltiness of your gluten-free apple crisp. For a dairy-free or vegan option, use Smart Balance butter or your preferred plant-based butter.
- Lemon Juice: Stops the apples from browning and adds a slight tang to the filling.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the crisp and smells delicious!
- Milk: Adds to the caramel flavor and adds some moisture to the filling. Either dairy or unsweetened almond milk (for a gluten-free dairy-free apple crisp) will work.
Tips and Suggestions
- Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You might experience different results depending on the brand or blend of flour you use. I use Pillsbury gluten-free flour in this recipe, which always turns out great.
- Use the “spoon & level” method to measure your gluten-free flour. Scoop the flour into a measuring cup using a spoon and level it off with a knife. This prevents the flour from compacting and ensures you use the correct amount.
- I always peel my apples when making an apple crisp. The skins don’t break down well in this recipe, and I don’t love the texture they add.
- I use a vegetable peeler and then an apple slicer to the core and slice the apples. Then, I chop the apple slices into smaller pieces.
- Make sure your oats are gluten-free. Not all oats are gluten-free.
- Don’t over-mix the crumble topping. The topping should be chunky.
- You can add nuts, raisins, or cranberries to your apple crisp. You can also use different types of fruit, such as pears, peaches, or blueberries—any fruit you like!
- This recipe for gluten-free apple crisp is also a great make-ahead dessert. Add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice to the filling and store the crumble topping separately in a sealed container for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, assemble and bake as directed.
What Apples Are Best for Apple Crisp?
When choosing the apple variety to bake an apple crisp with, you want to make sure it won’t turn into mush. The best baking apples keep their shape. I like to bake with several types of apples, but these are my favorites for this recipe:
- Granny Smith
- Braeburn
- Fuji
- Honeycrisp
- Gala Apples
Are Oats Gluten-Free?
Oats are naturally gluten-free, but some are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley, and rye. Cross-contamination can even happen in fields where wheat, rye, or barley are also present.
For this recipe, use oats that are certified gluten-free or are purity protocol oats, which are grown in dedicated gluten-free fields.
What’s the Difference Between Apple Crumble and Apple Crisp?
Honestly, there’s not much difference between the two! Traditionally, apple crumbles don’t have oats in the topping, while apple crisps do. Nowadays, the terms are used interchangeably, and some crumble recipes do contain oats in the topping. So you can call this recipe a gluten-free apple crumble or apple crisp, and it’ll still be delicious either way.
Storage Instructions
Leftover gluten-free apple crisp can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, portion it into individual servings and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and microwave for a few minutes or bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes to Try
- Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Cobbler
- Gluten-Free Dutch Apple Pie
- Gluten-Free Apple Bundt Cake
- Gluten-Free Key Lime Pie
Gluten-Free Apple Crisp {Dairy-Free & Vegan Option}
Ingredients
Topping
- 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum, I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour
- 1/2 cup gluten-free quick oats
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup butter, diced into small cubes and softened, Dairy-free/vegan use Smart Balance butter.
Filling
- 4 cups apples, peeled and chopped
- 3 tablespoons melted butter, Dairy-free/vegan use Smart Balance butter
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons milk, Dairy-free/vegan use unsweetened almond milk.
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with gluten-free nonstick cooking spray. I like gluten-free coconut oil spray.
- To make the topping: In a medium-size bowl, combine the crumb topping ingredients and mix with a fork until it resembles chunky crumbs. Refrigerate while you prepare the apple filling.
- Add the peeled and chopped apples to a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, milk, melted butter, pure vanilla extract, packed brown sugar, ground cinnamon, gluten-free flour, and salt and stir until fully combined.
- Pour the apple mixture into a greased baking dish and spread in to an even layer. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the apples. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. The apple crisp can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a microwave or a 350°F (177°C) oven for 20 minutes.
Notes
- I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- For the dairy-free/vegan option, I used Smart Balance butter and unsweetened almond milk.
- Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- The apple crisp can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a microwave or a 350°F (177°C) oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Mama says, “Check all of your labels!”
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Step-by-Step
Preheat oven to 375°F and spray an 8″ x 8″ baking dish with gluten-free nonstick cooking spray. I like gluten-free coconut oil spray.
To make the topping: In a medium-size bowl, combine ½ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum, ½ cup gluten-free quick oats, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ⅓ cup butter and mix with a fork until it resembles chunky crumbs. Refrigerate while you prepare the apple filling.
Add 4 cups peeled and chopped apples to a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons milk, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ cup packed light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour, and ⅛ teaspoon salt and stir until fully combined.
Pour the apple mixture into a greased baking dish and spread in to an even layer.
Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the apples. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. The gluten- free apple crisp can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a microwave or a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.
Hi! We have peanut and nut allergies in our household in addition to gluten and dairy allergies. What other milk can I use in this recipe besides the almond milk?
Hi Julie, yes you can try oat, soy, or rice milk
This is THE best apple crisp I have ever made. I used honeycrisp apples and Bob’s Ted Mill 1-1 GF flour and it worked out very well. We added some raisins and a little too mucb lemon juice (by mistake) but the flavor was perfect. Everyone raved about this dessert. No one could tell it was GF!
This gluten-free apple crisp was the perfect ending to our Christmas dinner. Warm, cozy, and full of flavor, with tender honeycrisp apples and a perfect topping. No one could tell it was gluten free—such a hit with our whole family!
This is always a big hit thank you very much for this!
I enjoyed this recipe as a starting point, but it was way too sweet as written! The second time I made this, I halved the brown sugar (in both the filling and topping) and doubled the cinnamon, and it turned out about perfect.
I made this recipe yesterday. I have been making fruit crisps for a long time and this was the best recipe I have ever made. I subbed coconut cream for the milk since I had some left over from the prior day: 2 tablespoons of coconut cream and 1 tablespoon of water to thin it down a little. I also made a second one and replaced half of the apples with cranberries.They were both a hit. Thank you!
Easy to make and tastes great
LOVE this recipe! I can’t stop making it. So simple and SO delicious.
Will King Arthur’s “Measure to Measure” gluten free flour work for the recipe? It’s all I have! It is a 1:1 substitute
Hi Marina, yes you can use it!
Great recipe – easy to make and lovely flavor. I made it dairy free and substituted coconut sugar for the brown sugar.
Thanks Michal!