Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

I have a wonderful dessert for you, a delectable Gluten-Free Apple Crisp. A crisp is a fruit dessert with a sweet crumbled topping, similar to a streusel. It’s an apple pie without a crust!

Today we are celebrating luscious, crisp apples! I love the fall, with warm days and cool nights, bright sparkling blue skies and golden sunsets. Sweater weather is coming (hopefully soon) and I couldn’t be happier to see it arrive!

One of my all-time favorite desserts, and one of the first that I made when I was young and learning to cook, is a fruit crisp. You can make it with any of your favorite fruits, but my personal favorite is apple.

I used to use only one type of apple, thinking that only Granny Smith or Pippins were the ones that worked in baked desserts. They are both wonderful because they are tart and hold up well to the heat, maintaining their shape in pies, tart, crisps, and crumbles.

This time as I looked over the selection of apples at my local grocers, I knew what each one would taste like and looked for a selection that would complement each other. I wound up with some Granny Smiths for their tartness, Red Gravensteins for their sweet softness, and Jonagolds for their all around perfection. When they baked together, it was heavenly.

You are welcome to use a single type of apple in your desserts, but if you use a blend, you will have some that fall apart and create a base for the firmer ones to stand on. You wind up with apple in every single bite, some firm, some soft, some tart, some sweet, all creating a perfect apple blend.

Always taste your apples when cutting them up to determine how much, if any, sugar you need to add. Some years the apples are so incredibly sweet that I add no sweetener at all. Other years, it takes a lot. You won’t know until you taste the fruit. Today my apples were quite sweet so I didn’t add as much sugar. Use your best judgment. Remember, you can always add a sprinkling of sugar right before serving for those who like sweeter desserts.

This time instead of just sprinkling on cinnamon I decided to use a blend of spices. If multiple types of apples are so good together, why wouldn’t a combination of spices be the perfect match? So, in went a pinch of nutmeg, a little mace, some cinnamon, and a healthy dose of ginger. Such a beautiful blending of flavors, tingling my nose as they baked and making the house smell fantastic.

If you are going to a potluck dinner or just taking a treat to a friend, consider making a crisp. It has all the flavor of a pie without the worry of making the crust or having it get soggy as the dessert sits. In a crisp, the crunchy bits are on the top, keeping them from absorbing any liquids from the filling.

I love how baked apple desserts make my house smell, like walking into your grandmother’s home. Inevitably, The Artist comes down stairs just about the time I pull the apple crisp out of the oven, nose in the air, asking what smells so good. And then a huge smile breaks out on his face as he spies dessert. That smile warms my heart and makes everything right in the world.

Enjoy this old-fashioned but updated Gluten-Free Apple Crisp. It is gluten-free so it is safe for those with Celiac or gluten intolerance. And it is so delicious that your whole family won’t know the difference or care!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you!

 

Ingredients needed for Gluten-Free Apple Crisp:

• Tart and sweet apples, sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, mace
• Brown sugar, almond or hazelnut meal, salt, butter, pecans

 

How to Quickly Core Apples:

Peel your apples with a paring knife or vegetable peeler. Cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of each apple, creating flat surfaces to stabilize them when cutting. Stand the apples on a cut end and using a sharp knife, make four cuts around the center core, just wide enough to avoid cutting into the core. Spin the apple a quarter turn between each cut. You will wind up with four pieces of apple and a rectangular core. Set each of the four pieces flat on the surface and cut into thin slices.

 

How to make Gluten-Free Apple Crisp:

1. Peel and core the apples, slicing them into thin wedges and place in a large bowl; add the sugar, spices, zest, and lemon juice, and toss together until evenly coated
2. Pour the apples into a buttered 9×13-inch baking pan; in a small bowl combine the brown sugar, almond meal, salt, and butter, mixing with a fork until crumbly, then add the nuts
3. Sprinkle over the top of the apples and bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is browned and the apples are fork tender; remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes before serving
4. Serve warm or at room temperature; store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator

 

PRO Tip:

Using a variety of apples results in some apples that hold their shape, others that break down, and a delightful blending of pure apple flavor.

 

PRO Tip:

This is an easy recipe and perfect for your young ones to help you make. They will need help prepping the apples if they are not used to working with peelers and knives, but the rest comes together easily. I love to see the pride on their face when it comes out of the oven and the family enjoys it. I’ve never forgotten my first cake I baked for my family, one of my favorite memories.

 

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Paring knife or vegetable peeler
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Kitchen scale
• Mixing bowls
• 9×13-inch baking pan

 

Gluten-Free Tips:

If you are Celiac and have challenges finding gluten-free oats or can’t have oats, this crisp topping is perfect. If you have gluten-free oats in your cupboard, feel free to add some to the topping! You can find gluten-free oats from Bob’s Red Mill.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

 

 

 

 

Create a New Tradition Today!

Make sure you check out all of these remarkable recipes from my blogging friends!

The Lemon Bowl: Whole Grain Pancakes with Warm Apple Topping
In Jennie’s Kitchen: Homemade Apple Breakfast Bars
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Almost Crusted Cinnamon Apple Grilled Cheese
Dishing With Divya: Fresh Apple Salsa
Virtually Homemade: Potato Apple Gratin
Weelicious: Apple Almond Cake
Dishin & Dishes: Kale Waldorf Salad (A Healthy Recipe Redo)
Domesticate Me: Apple Cinnamon Baked Doughnut Holes
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Applesauce with Maple and Cinnamon
Red or Green: Apple and Green Chile Crustless Pie
The Sensitive Epicure: Toaster Oven Cinnamon Apple and Walnut Muffins with Almond Flour and Maple Syrup
And Love It Too: Apple Pie Cookies
Taste With The Eyes: The Culinary Legend of Apple Tarte Tatin
FN Dish: Early Morning Apple Recipes

 

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