This post may contain affiliate links.

A haven for anyone who loves fall flavors, this Gluten Free Apple Crisp features a nutty pecan crunch, warm spike of cinnamon, and cozy apple filling. The crumb topping is made with oats and almond flour (nutty and delicious!) for a gluten free version that’s every bit as delicious as traditional apple crisp. It’s easier to make than Apple Pie Filling and the perfect apple recipe for that orchard haul!

gluten free apple crisp with ice cream

Why You’ll Love This Gluten Free Apple Dessert

  • You’d Never Guess it’s Gluten Free. Like my Blackberry Crisp, this gluten free apple crisp uses no flour, instead opting for rolled oats and ground almond flour to create a perfect, rich streusel topping with a pleasing crunch. It’s just as satisfying and scrumptious as any classic recipe.
  • It’s a Major Crowd-Pleaser. Destined to be topped with ice cream, I have no doubt EVERYONE (no matter their diet) will fancy this gluten free apple dessert! Like my Peach Crisp and Strawberry Crisp recipes, no one can resist how the sweet fruit filling and crisp topping taste together. The dreamy combination of apples, oats, and cinnamon elicits feelings of nostalgia, coziness, and warmth.
  • Super Simple to Make. While I love my Fresh Apple Cake and apple pie made with Whole Wheat Pie Crust, they takes quite a while to cook. Similarly, this Apple Turnover is fantastic, but it requires a bit more prep work. This gluten free apple crisp is comparably fast, easy, and I bet you have the ingredients in your kitchen right now!

5 Star Review

“Awesome!! Tried this for a dinner party and everyone raved about it! Will definitely use it again.”

— Nancy —
Gluten free apple crumble with oats in a baking dish

How to Make Gluten Free Apple Crisp

The Ingredients

  • Gluten Free Rolled Oats. A star in texture, nutrition, AND the key to keeping this crisp truly GF. Make sure your oats are processed in a certified gluten free facility if you are preparing this for someone with celiac, as there can be cross contamination.
  • Almond Flour. I ADORE this ingredient! It’s made of finely ground almonds only and gives the crisp (and really anything you make with it) an unbelievably rich flavor. (This Gluten Free Carrot Cake is another one of my favorite desserts that takes advantage of it. You can also use it for any of these almond flour recipes.)
  • Pecans. In addition to the oats, pecans add scrumptious crunch and nuttiness to the topping. (Pecan lovers, don’t miss my Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler.)
  • Apples. I recommend using Granny Smith, Macintosh, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or a combination of these varieties for apple crisp.
  • Maple Syrup. Naturally sweetens the filling and adds a scrumptious, cozy flavor. Honey would also work fabulously here.
  • Bourbon. Because I couldn’t resist, and because the subtle warm vanilla notes in bourbon make it an excellent addition.  You could use rum instead. If you prefer to make your apple crisp without alcohol, you can swap it for water instead.
  • Lemon Juice. For a touch of brightness.
  • Cinnamon. It’s made to go with apple crisp!
  • Toppings. Ice cream, frozen yogurt, or Greek yogurt. You can’t go wrong!

The Directions

A mixing bowl with oats, pecans, flour, and a bowl of butter
  1. Stir the Dry Ingredients Together. This is the start of our topping.
A mixing bowl with crisp topping
  1. Stir in the Butter. Make sure the mixture is evenly moistened.
Sliced apples in a bowl
  1. Prepare the Filling. Stir together the apple slices with the other filling ingredients.
A baking dish with apple crisp on a baking sheet
  1. Fill the Baking Dish. Transfer the apple filling mixture to a baking dish. Scatter the oat mixture over the top.
  2. Bake the Crisp. Bake gluten free apple crisp at 350 degrees F for 45 to 55 minutes. DIG IN!

Recipe Variations

  • Vegan Apple Crisp. For a vegan, dairy-free apple crisp, check out my Vegan Apple Crisp recipe.
  • Gluten Free Apple Crisp for a Crowd. To scale up this recipe for 8 or more people, I recommend following the same recipe by using 1.5 times the ingredients and baking it in a 9”x13” pan.
  • Gluten Free Apple Crisp for Two or for One. If you desire to make this recipe in a smaller quantity, I recommend cutting down the ingredients to one-third or even one-fourth of those listed in the recipe. Then, portion it into individual ramekins for baking (make sure your ramekin is oven safe).
Gluten free apple crisp with oats and almond flour

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Refrigerate crisp in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days. 
  • To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F. 
  • To Freeze. Yes, gluten free apple crisp can be frozen. Let the crisp cool completely. Tightly cover it or place it in an airtight freezer-safe storage container. Freeze the crisp for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Meal Prep Tip

Assemble right up until the point of baking. Tightly cover your apple crisp, and lay it flat in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed.

Gluten free apple crisp in a bowl

What to Serve With Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Healthy Gluten free apple crisp in a baking dish
  • Baking Dish. The perfect size for the apple crisp recipe.
  • Mixing Bowls. This set has every size you need, and they’re dishwasher-safe.
  • Rubber Spatulas. I love this colorful set of everyday-use spatulas.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Use Fresh Apples. I do not recommend making gluten free apple crisp with canned apples. The texture of canned apples will completely break down once the crisp bakes (we want the apples tender, but not mushy).
  • Peel the Apples. While you don’t have to peel the apples for apple crisp, I prefer to peel them. Since the crisp’s topping of oats and nuts brings the A+ crunch game, I find the apples’ peels detract from the crisp’s balance of texture.
  • Protect the Topping. If your topping is baking faster than your filling (aka it’s getting too brown), go ahead and tent the baking dish with foil. This will protect the topping while allowing the apples underneath to bake a little longer.
  • Try a Variety. If possible, use a variety of apples in your crisp. Not only will each apple provide a slightly unique flavor, but the texture of each apple will vary too. This ensures your crisp has some deliciously creamy apple bites and some that are more firm.

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

4.85 From 20 reviews . Help us out! Review HERE.Help out & review HERE

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 6 servings (1 9×9-inch pan)
Gluten Free Apple Crisp featuring a buttery oat topping over a warm apple cinnamon filling. Easy and scrumptious. The perfect apple dessert!

Ingredients
  

For the Topping:

  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • cup almond flour
  • cup brown sugar
  • cup pecan halves chopped
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the Filling:

  • 2 ½ pounds mixed apples such as Granny Smith, Macintosh, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges (about 6 medium apples)
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup or honey
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon or rum or water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • Vanilla ice cream frozen yogurt, or Greek yogurt, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9×9-inch or similarly sized baking dish with non-stick spray.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, almond flour, brown sugar, pecans, and salt.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave (or a saucepan on the stove), melt the butter. Pour over the top of the oat mixture. With a fork or rubber spatula, stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
  • To a large mixing bowl, add the apples, maple syrup, bourbon, cinnamon, lemon juice, and cornstarch. With a big spoon, stir to combine.
  • Scoop the apples and any liquid that has collected at the bottom of the bowl into the prepared baking dish into an even layer. It will be very full. Nudge the apple slices around a bit so that they lay fairly flat.
  • With your hands, squeeze chunks of the crumb mixture together to create clumps of assorted sizes, and place them on top of the apples. Scatter any remaining crumb mixture over the top.
  • Bake the crisp until the apples are tender (you may need to use a fork to peek down underneath that generous topping and check on the apples) and the crumb topping is crisp and deep golden brown, about 45 to 55 minutes. Check the crisp halfway through, then periodically during baking; if at any point, the topping browns more quickly than you would like, tent the pan with foil to protect the crust, then continue baking as directed. Serve warm with a big scoop of ice cream.

Video

Notes

  • TO STORE: Refrigerate crisp in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days. 
  • TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350°F. 
  • TO FREEZE: Let the crisp cool completely. Tightly cover it or place it in an airtight freezer-safe storage container. Freeze the crisp for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • TO FREEZE UNBAKED: Tightly cover your apple crisp, and lay it flat in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 6)Calories: 549kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 6gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 30mgPotassium: 363mgFiber: 9gSugar: 53gVitamin A: 452IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 2mg

Join today and start saving your favorite recipes

Create an account to easily save your favorite recipes and access FREE meal plans.

Sign Me Up

More Delicious Apple Treats

Did you try this recipe?

I want to see!

Follow @wellplated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!

You May Also Like

Free Email Series
Sign Up for FREE Weekly Meal Plans
Each includes a grocery list, budget, and 5 healthy dinners, helping you save time, save money, and live better!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

Learn more about Erin

Leave a Comment

Did you make this recipe?

Don't forget to leave a review!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 5 MB. You can upload: image, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

  1. This was the best apple crisp I’ve ever baked! The only change I made was to substitute the one and a half teaspoons of ground cinnamon with 3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. Every bite tastes like autumn!5 stars

  2. Loved this. My 92 year old dad liked it, high praise indeed. Have had to make a second one just two days after the first one, of which I got 2 bites!! So glad its apple season.5 stars

  3. This is amazing. Followed the recipe with no changes and it was so good that I wanted to lick my plate. Highly recommended ??.5 stars

  4. Absolutely loved this recipe! It came out amazing. My whole family loved it. I will definitely be making this again…and again… and again :-). Thanks for a wonderful and delicious recipe!5 stars

  5. This recipe is such a winner! I’ve never added rum to an apple crisp and it definitely makes such a difference. I did substitute monk fruit for the brown sugar and it still taste great! Thanks for such a delicious idea! Easy to follow recipe and great results! Everyone in our family loved it.5 stars

  6. I followed Erins recipe to the t and it was fabulous. It’s so crispy and nutty.
    I’m trying it out again for my Thanksgiving crowd but made a day ahead and refrigerated.
    It’s alway nice to have a yummy option for your gf family and friends.5 stars

  7. Delicious! My husband was scraping the pan when it was all gone!

    I have a question, would the texture/recipe be affected any if I were to assemble the apple crisp but waiting to bake it until a few hours?5 stars

    1. Hi Alex, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I haven’t tried it myself but it might be okay to do that. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!

  8. I made this for Thanksgiving this year and it was a hit. I have family members that are gluten free and they raved about it. So guess what’s in the menu for Christmas!5 stars

    1. Hi Lynn! I actually haven’t tried it this way, so I am unsure. I think the mixture would be just fine. I fear the topping would get soft and the butter would solidify if placed in the refrigerator overnight. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!

No comments (yet). Help our readers and give a thumbs up to any comment you found helpful!