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Gluten-free Apple Crisp

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So much easier than making apple pie, this gluten-free apple crisp is our go-to fall dessert when we buy a box of apples from the orchard!Gluten-free Apple Crisp. Pan of deliciousness! Easy to make gluten-free and dairy-free recipe!

My husband loves fruit desserts. While I often choose to have my fruit in a cake like in this gluten-free apple cake, my hubby would always prefer a homemade gluten-free Dutch apple pie or this apple crisp for dessert.

I rarely feel like making a pie with a pie crust, but I’m always up to mixing up a fruit crisp like this gluten-free apple crisp! The streusel topping is so much easier to make than a pie crust!

This recipe for gluten-free apple crisp is a long-time family favorite recipe, adapted from my mom’s recipe.

Crisps are very easy to convert to gluten-free, as you can substitute pretty much any gluten-free flour and certified gluten-free oats in the topping.

 


Gluten-free Apple Crisp with fresh whipped cream

Pick your favorite baking apple to use in this recipe. This guide to fall apple varieties can help you choose which variety you want to use in this gf apple crisp.

The variety of apple that you pick will affect the texture of the apple crisp. Some varieties, like McIntosh will become very soft, while others, like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady, will retain their shape. I prefer to use a somewhat tart variety like McIntosh, Braeburn or Pink Lady as I find it goes well with the sweet crisp topping.

In the photo above, where you can see the shape of the apple slices still, we used Pink Lady apples. In this older photo below, we used McIntosh apples, which break down more. Both are amazing apple crisps – just wanted to show you the difference so you’d know that the results will definitely vary depending on the variety of apple you use.

Family Favorite Gluten-free Apple Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream

Making this apple crisp is so easy and requires just 11 ingredients! I didn’t include the tablespoon of water in the ingredients pic but here are the rest of the ingredients:

Ingredients for Gluten-free Apple Crisp

Notes on ingredients and substitutions for this gluten-free apple crisp:

  • Lemon Juice: you might be wondering why there is lemon juice in this recipe – it’s to keep the apples from discoloring while you’re getting everything ready. It really doesn’t affect the taste.
  • Gluten-free Flour: Most brands of gluten-free flour should work just fine in this recipe. The flours I’ve used and recommend are: gfJules (from Amazon here) and King Arthur Measure for Measure.
  • Gluten-free Oats: You want to use certified gluten-free oats that are grown following purity protocol. I recommend Bakery on Main gluten-free rolled oats.
  • Butter: You can use regular salted butter, just omit the additional salt called for in the topping. Otherwise use unsalted butter or your favorite non-dairy butter stick alternative.

Can you make this a dairy-free apple crisp?

Yes! The only dairy here is the butter used in the topping, so you can definitely swap that for your favorite butter alternative. Stick non-dairy butter alternatives like Melt or Earth Balance work well, or use coconut oil that’s at a solid state.

Pan of Gluten-free Apple Crisp

I love making this to bring to fall potlucks! My hubby or kids are very willing to use our handy apple peeler corer slicer to peel and slice up all the apples I need while I mix up the topping. I can have this in the oven in minutes after the slicing is done, or put it in the fridge to bake later.

I highly recommend you get one of these apple peeler corer slicers at Amazon too! It’s so handy and so much easier on my hands than peeling and slicing these by hand!! You can check it out in action in the video on this post!

Several times, I’ve put this gluten-free apple crisp together before dinner, then I wait to put it in the oven until I pull dinner out of the oven. It bakes while we enjoy dinner, and we’re ready to enjoy dessert right after. Guests are always like, “What’s that yummy smell?” 

We love it with a scoop of ice cream or fresh homemade whipped cream, but you could definitely enjoy with a non-dairy ice cream or coco-whip topping if you need it to be dairy-free.

Gluten-free Apple Crisp Recipe

Looking for more gluten-free apple recipes? Here are some to try:

If you have more apples on hand, I’d suggest using some to make these gluten-free allergy friendly apple nachos! Or you could make this gluten-free apple pear tart. It’s such a pretty dessert to share with company.

For a side dish, I’d recommend this apple grape salad recipe. And for breakfast, I’d recommend these gluten-free apple muffins or my gluten-free apple puff pancake recipe! These are all favorites here!

My family loves dried apples, so I’m wanting to make these baked apple chips as I think they’ll like them too! I’m also definitely wanting to make this fresh apple pie dip recipe soon!

Gluten-free Apple Crisp Recipe:

Yield: 12-16 servings

Gluten-free Apple Crisp

Gluten-free Apple Crisp. Pan of deliciousness! Easy to make gluten-free and dairy-free recipe!

If you don't need a large pan of this yummy gluten-free apple crisp, feel free to halve all ingredients and bake in an 8"x8" pan instead.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 cups peeled, sliced apples
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp. water

Topping:

  • 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats or old-fashioned oats
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter or non-dairy alternative

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together sliced apples, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, lemon juice and water. Scoop into 9x13 baking pan.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together all topping ingredients except butter. Use a pastry cutter or 2 knives to cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over apples.
  4. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is crisp and browned.
  5. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream or non-dairy alternative.

Notes

Most brands of gluten-free flour should work just fine in this recipe. The flours I've used and recommend are: gfJules, Gluten Free Mama, and King Arthur Flour.

For the oats, I recommend GF Harvest and Gluten Free Prairie.

 Pin this gluten-free apple recipe to your gluten-free desserts Pinterest board:

Favorite Gluten-free Apple Crisp Recipe. Easily made dairy-free if you prefer!

Recipe originally posted October 2014. Updated text and pics in September 2018.

I hope you and your family enjoy this gf apple crisp as much as my family does!

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Lee

Saturday 2nd of March 2024

Can this be made with frozen apples? I can never find a recipie that works with them

jenn

Tuesday 21st of November 2023

Excited to try this recipe. Can it be made in advance and refrigerated until time to bake.

Thanks!

Jenn

Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen

Tuesday 21st of November 2023

Yep!

Sue

Wednesday 4th of October 2023

Hello, Is it ok to use apple pie filling instead of fresh apples?

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Thank you, Sue

Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen

Wednesday 18th of October 2023

I wouldn't recommend that.

allison

Wednesday 9th of November 2022

If I want to make this ahead of time (like a couple days ahead), what should I do after I bake it? Freeze it? Fridge? And what do I do to warm it back up for serving? Thanks!

Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen

Thursday 10th of November 2022

I would just keep in fridge, covered tightly with plastic wrap. Then I would set out a few hours before you want to eat, and then uncover and place in a preheated oven set at 275 for maybe 15 minutes before serving? It might take 20ish - I'm unsure. But that's what I would try! We have absolutely microwaved individual servings too. But if you want to warm whole pan, oven is a nice way to go. You could even pop into hot oven once dinner comes out and just leave it in until warm.

Karen

Wednesday 26th of October 2022

I just made this and topped it with HEB Creamy Creations coconut almond chocolate chip ice cream which I had in the freezer and it was sooooo yummy!

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