Gluten-Free Apple Crisp with Ice Cream

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Enjoy the comforts of fall with this Apple Crisp Recipe! You won’t find a better gluten-free fall dessert this season!

Apple crisp with a scoop of ice cream in a bowl, pouring caramel sauce on top for serving.

This apple crisp with oats is so delicious and insanely easy to make! There is no substitute for wholesome ingredients, it’s warm and gooey in the center with a crunchy sweet topping.

When it’s apple season, this great recipe makes for an excellent addition to your fall dinners. Add it to your Thanksgiving menu, and serve with a cold scoop of ice cream! This is the best fruit crisp you’ll ever make and my favorite way to enjoy fall.

Table of Contents

What makes it the best?

The gluten-free apple crisp has everything a perfect dessert should have:

Gooeyness. Somewhere in any dessert, I need to feel that ooey, gooey deliciousness. And this cinnamon-apple center is exactly that.

Some sort of crunch. Crunch is necessary to balance out the gooeyness of the dessert! The “crisp” comes from a combination of rolled oats, sugar, cinnamon, and coconut.

An aroma that fills your home. Yes, I absolutely love the taste of this dessert. But I equally enjoy the smell that radiates throughout my home when this is cooking.

Apple crisp in a white bowl with a spoon, served with icecream.

So what’s the difference between this Apple Crisp and a classic Apple Pie?

No Pie Crust. You can skip the hassle of making your own pie crust with this recipe. You can make this Apple Crisp recipe from scratch, minus a pie crust.

More Streusel-Like Topping. This is what I love most about this recipe. Don’t get me wrong, I love pies, but there’s something about this rich, perfect streusel gluten-free topping that is just unbeatable. It’s soft, yet crisp.

Unlike other sugary sweet recipes, this perfect apple dessert doesn’t take you down a guilt-induced spiral. I love comfort food recipes like this wholesome, healthy, and easy to make crisp!

Key Ingredients

Apple crisp ingredients- arrowroot powder, lemon, apples, oats, coconut, coconut palm sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt.

Fresh Apples– Apples are rich in fiber and antioxidants.
Lemon juice– Help stop the apples from turning brown. They also help to balance the sweetness of the sugar and tart flavor that comes from the Granny Smith apples.
Arrowroot powder, dissolved in cup water. It supports the immune system and works wonders for the digestive system. In this recipe, it thickens the juices from the apples and can be used instead of wheat flour or almond flour.
Coconut palm sugar, or brown sugar Regular granulated balances out the tartness of the apples.
Cinnamon-The warm spicy flavor of cinnamon complements the sweet taste of the apple.
Vanilla extract– For a more natural flavor, use vanilla extract not vanilla essence
Salt just a pinch.

Crisp Topping Ingredients
Gluten-free oats- are known as rolled oats. They give this recipe a hearty crunch.
Coconut palm sugar– or brown sugar.
Coconut– finely shredded.
Cinnamon– A must-have for the streusel topping.
Maple syrup– Natural sweetener. Optional – replace with honey.
Coconut oil melted– for less coconut flavor use unsalted butter.
1 pinch salt– Always add a bit of salt for balance in your baking.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

How to make Gluten-free Apple Crisp

This easy recipe is a personal favorite for me and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too. These are the detailed instructions.

Step 1: Prepare the utensils and oven

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Spray a 9 X 13 glass baking dish with nonstick spray.

Step 2: Prepare the apples

Peel and cut the apples into 1-inch pieces and arrange them in the prepared baking dish.

Step 3: Add the rest of the filling ingredients

Toss the apples with lemon juice, arrowroot mixture, coconut palm or brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt then set aside.

Apples seasoned and mixed to bake in a glass pan.

Step 4: Combine the topping ingredients

For the crunchy oat topping, combine oats, coconut, coconut sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, coconut oil, and sea salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Apple crisp topping ingredients mixing in a glass bowl.

Mixed apple crisp topping in a glass bowl with a spoon.

Step 5: Add the topping

On top of the apples, sprinkle the oat topping in an even layer.

Crisp topping added to a glass pan, ready to bake.

Step 6: Bake the dish

Bake for 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown then remove from the oven. Let it cool for 15 minutes before serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can also add a drizzle of caramel sauce if you’d like.

Expert Tips:

You can enjoy apple crisp with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a healthier alternative like Greek yogurt.
There are so many apple varieties to choose from when it’s apple season. The best type of apples to use are fresh apples because they contain all the nutrients, unlike canned types of apples. Tart apples like Granny Smith apples retain their shape in this recipe but you can also use sweet apples like honey crisp and golden delicious apples for the fruit mixture.
Incorporate more warm spices such as clover, nutmeg, or allspice. These ingredients make the perfect balance of spices and add extra fall flavor!
For best results use an apple peeler as it makes peeling the apples so much easier. While the peel has nutritional value and crunch, the oats provide a crunchy topping so we can take the peels out.
This gluten free recipe is also a sugar free option for those choosing to go sugar free. Coconut palm sugar provides lower chances of a blood sugar spike. Compared to regular refined sugar, coconut palm sugar is considered an anti-inflammatory sweetener, with a low glycemic index.

Recipe FAQs

How to store the apple crisp?

Store apple crisp leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Reheat to serve, and don’t forget to add ice cream on top!

Do you need to cover apple crisp when baking?

Ideally, check your apple crisp after about 20-25 minutes. If the top has started getting brown while the apples haven’t softened, you can put foil paper to cover the dish.

Spooning baked apple crisp from a glass baking dish.

Other apple desserts you are sure to love:

Apple Sharlotka dessert is an easy and tasty family favorite apple dessert. Apple Tart is one I like to take to girls’ brunch as it’s always a hit. No time to bake? Try an Apple Pie Smoothie.

Other Gluten-Free Desserts that you can check out!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins are a baked-goods favorite for all chocolate lovers.
Make a soft, moist, and yummy Gluten-Free Plum Cake at home in your own kitchen.
Gluten-Free Coconut Macaroons are crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside.

More Tasty Apple Ingredient Recipes

If you tried this Gluten Free Quick and Easy Apple Crisp or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and leave your 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!