With crisp topping and sweet, jammy filling, fruit crisps are one of our favorite fall baking recipes. Since the topping heavily features oats, you might think all crisps are gluten-free—but they’re not! Luckily, it’s easy to make a gluten-free apple crisp, and the recipe is flexible enough to adapt to any fruit that’s in season.
Can I use this recipe to make other fruit crisps?
Definitely! While apple desserts are among our favorite, many fruits work well in crisps. Substitute the apples in this recipe with an equal volume (8 cups) of the fruit of your choice. Use ripe (or overripe) fruits for the best results. Pears, peaches, plums and most stone fruits work beautifully. Berries make for a jammy-style filling when used alone, or combine berries with pears, peaches or apples. Avoid bananas and other tropical fruits, which aren’t as high in moisture.
Ingredients for Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
- Crisp apples: The best type of apple for a crisp is a firm apple with a tart, or at least slightly tart, flavor which mellows and sweetens during baking. When cooking with apples, think classic Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp, as well as Cortland, Empire or Northern Spy varieties. Avoid grainier, softer apples, like Gala or Red Delicious.
- Certified gluten-free oats:Â While oats are technically gluten-free, they’re often harvested, transported and processed alongside wheat. Because of the high risk of cross-contamination, whole grain oats and oat flour are often specially processed to ensure that they’re safe for those avoiding gluten. These oats will be labeled as “certified gluten-free.”
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour mix:Â The topping contains both oats and gluten-free flour mix, which makes for a finer, crispier crumb. This recipe is fairly forgiving of which flour you choose. Make a homemade gluten-free flour mix, or try a store-bought blend. You can even use the GF flour already in your pantry, such as white or brown rice, or gluten-free oat flour.
Directions
Step 1: Make the filling
Apple crisp comes together quickly, so preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 13×9-inch baking dish. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the apples with sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Toss together until the apple slices are evenly coated. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
Editor’s Tip: Dried fruits like raisins or currants would be tasty in here.
Step 2: Make the topping
In a separate large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, flour and salt.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture, working with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the flour mix is moistened but not entirely homogenous. The final texture should resemble coarse crumbs or sand.
Editor’s Tip: Add chopped nuts to the topping for extra crunch.
Step 3: Sprinkle it over the apples
Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples. It’s easiest to use a teaspoon or your fingers. Aim for a fairly even distribution, but it’s OK if it’s a bit rustic.
Step 4: Bake
Bake, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm. If desired, top with whipped cream or ice cream.
How to Store Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
Apple crisp is a perfect gluten-free potluck dessert to share, as it travels well, and tastes good warm, cold or at room temperature. Store leftover apple crisp in the refrigerator, covered. It will keep for a few days, although the topping will get slightly softer over time. Reheat in the microwave or serve cold. Fruit crisp doesn’t freeze well.
Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Tips
Can I use other kinds of gluten-free flour?
As mentioned above, crisps are very flexible in terms of which flours to use. The most affordable option is usually making a homemade mix, but any store-bought blend will work, too. You can even add a couple tablespoons of a nut flour for added flavor and coarser texture.
Can I make this gluten-free apple crisp dairy-free?
Absolutely! Simply replace the butter in the recipe with your favorite vegan butter. Our top vegan butter brands are good for both baking and spreading.
How can I thicken the filling in gluten-free apple crisp?
If your fruit mix seems especially juicy, thicken it up by adding a tablespoon of cornstarch. Mix well. The starch will soak up the excess liquid and thicken it. No cornstarch? Use a tablespoon of all-purpose GF flour mix.
Why is my apple crisp soggy?
Few things are sadder than a soggy apple crisp. You can try to boost crispiness by toasting the crisp under the broiler for a moment—watch closely, as the topping can scorch quickly.
Next time, take good care to work the butter through the flour. If large portions of the flour and oats aren’t blended with butter, they’ll either sink into the fruit filling and taste soggy, or they’ll simply taste…sandy. If your topping seems too dry, add a tablespoon of melted butter and toss again before topping the crisp.
What can I serve with apple crisp?
Apple crisp is delicious warm from the oven alongside a scoop of ice cream: vanilla and salted caramel are some of our favorites. You can’t go wrong with whipped cream either. One of our personal favorites, though, is to eat a bowl of cold leftover apple crisp for breakfast with a scoop of plain yogurt.
