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This gluten free apple crisp really is the best! The crumble topping is delightfully crunchy: no one would guess it’s gluten-free.

Gluten Free Apple Crisp
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Looking for an incredible apple crisp recipe with no flour? Try our best Gluten Free Apple Crisp! In fact, it’s so good no one realizes it’s gluten-free. The crumble topping is deliciously crispy, topping a cozy, gooey layer of sweet tart spiced apples. Serve it up with melty vanilla ice cream and there’s really nothing better! We served this to friends and family who had no idea it had no flour. In fact, we might like it better than our standard apple crisp! It’s also simple to make vegan as a dairy free gluten free dessert.

Ingredients in gluten free apple crisp

The secret behind the best gluten free apple crisp? Almond flour. In certain baked goods and desserts, almond flour works as a substitute for all-purpose flour. It’s particularly good in a crisp or crumble because it becomes crispy when baked! Here’s what you’ll need for this gluten-free apple crisp:

  • Sweet tart, crisp apples
  • Lemon juice and lemon zest
  • Cornstarch
  • Granulated sugar and brown sugar
  • Cinnamon, ginger and allspice
  • Almond flour
  • Old Fashioned rolled oats
  • Vanilla extract
  • Salt
  • Butter (or vegan butter)
Gluten free apple crisp

Almond flour and why it works

Almond flour is a common flour substitute in gluten-free baking. When used in baked goods, provides lends chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor. That doesn’t always work in things like cakes and muffins, but it’s perfect in a gluten-free apple crisp! Make sure to use almond flour here, not almond meal. Here’s the difference between the two:

  • Almond flour is made from blanched almonds, or almonds with their skins removed. It’s ground very finely, resulting in a fluffy texture in baked goods.
  • Almond meal contains the skins, making it darker brown in color instead of off-white like almond flour. It has a coarser grind than almond flour and results in denser, chewy texture in baked goods.

Almond flour is great in other gluten-free foods like Almond Flour Pancakes, Gluten Free Waffles, Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, and more.

Gluten-free apple crisp

Best apples for an apple crisp

What’s the best type of apples for an apple crisp recipe? Use any firm, crisp sweet tart cooking apples. A sweet tart apple yields the best flavor, because the acidity makes the flavor pop. The firm, crisp texture is also helpful when cooking, otherwise the apples become mushy. Here are a few of the varieties that shine in a basic apple crisp recipe:

  • Pink Lady
  • Honeycrisp
  • Golden Delicious
  • Granny Smith
  • Jonathon or Jonagold
  • Ida Red

And there are lots more! Avoid varieties like Gala, Fuji or Red Delicious: they don’t perform well in crisps and crumbles.

How to serve gluten free apple crisp

This gluten-free apple crisp is one of our favorite fall and winter desserts, perfect for serving at Thanksgiving, Christmas or other occasions. Like most crisp recipes, it tastes even better topped with vanilla ice cream! This one is actually tasty enough to work without ice cream as well. But the contrast of rich cream against the sweet tart apples is perfection. Here are a few of our favorite toppings that work well with this recipe:

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Make it a dairy free gluten free dessert

Want to make this a dairy free gluten free apple crisp? It’s easy to make crisps and crumbles vegan: simply use vegan butter or refined coconut oil! Both work well in making a beautiful crumble topping. Vegan butter is our preference, but coconut oil works well too.

Leftover storage

Made a big pan of gluten-free apple crumble and want to save it for later? This dessert holds up fairly well over time, making it ideal for room temperature storage, refrigerated and even frozen. Here’s how to store this crisp recipe:

  • Keep the crumble for 1 to 2 days, loosely covered at room temperature. This helps to maintain the crumble texture.
  • Refrigerate for up to 3 days. It holds up well in the fridge, and tastes even better when reheated.
  • Freeze up to 3 months. Freeze for up to 3 months in a sealed container. Reheat it in a 350 degree oven until bubbly.

And that’s it! Let us know in the comments below if you try this gluten-free apple crisp in the comments below.

More gluten free desserts

Looking for more tasty treats sans gluten? Try these gluten free desserts:

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Best Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Gluten Free Apple Crisp
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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

This gluten free apple crisp really is the best! The crumble topping is delightfully crunchy: no one would guess it’s gluten-free.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Baked
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds sweet tart, crisp cooking apples, about 6 cups (4 large or 6 medium)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon each ginger and allspice
  • ¾ cup almond flour (not almond meal)
  • ¾ cup Old Fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (or vegan butter or refined coconut oil)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Make the filling: Core, peel and thinly slice the apples. In a large bowl, combine the apples with the lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice in a large bowl and toss until well coated. Pour it into a round 9-inch pie pan, 9 x 9 inch baking dish or 7 x 11 baking dish.
  3. In a separate bowl, make the crumble topping: stir together the almond flour, oats, brown sugar, and kosher salt. Add the vanilla and stir. Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the bowl. Use a pastry cutter or fork to mix it into the dry ingredients until fully distributed and a crumbly dough forms. It may take a while, so be patient; mix until all butter chunks are incorporated. 
  4. Evenly distribute the crumble over the top of the apples, breaking the topping into small crumbles as you add it.
  5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until browned and bubbly. Cool for 1 hour. Then serve with vanilla ice cream. Stores refrigerated for 3 days or freeze up to 3 months in a sealed container. Reheat it in a 350 degree oven until bubbly and the topping is crisp.

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About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Hi! We’re Sonja and Alex Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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5 Comments

  1. Tanvee says:

    I made this for a fall-themed potluck we had at the office today, and it was such a huge hit! I was worried about how it would taste cold, but it was absolutely delicious!
    Super easy to put together and looks/tastes like I was at it for ages.






  2. Kathy Brindle says:

    Can a plant based butter be substituted to make this dairy free? If so, which brand would you recommend?

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      Yes! We’ve had luck with Miyoko’s vegan butter.

  3. Nel Bliss Delpy says:

    Second- & Third-grader (ages 7/8/9)-made & gobbled up.






  4. Sonja Overhiser says:

    Let us know if you have any questions!