Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Gluten-free apple crisp recipe, with option to also make vegan. A fall classic dessert that's super simple to make and wonderfully delicious! Sliced apples spiced with cinnamon, topped with a crunchy oat topping, combine perfectly in this easy dessert.  

As the days become shorter and the leaves start to change colour, is there anything more comforting than this classic fall dessert. Apple crisp has always been one of my all-time favourite desserts.  The only thing better than the warm cinnamon scent as it bakes, is digging into a dish of it topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

With very little flour used in most standard crisp recipes, they’re especially easy to make gluten free.  To make my crisp gluten free, I use oat flour (certified gluten free) instead of all-purpose wheat flour. It's a super simple swap, and no one will taste the difference. 

You can also easily adjust this recipe to suite a variety of dietary needs.  Already gluten-free and nut-free, just swap out the butter for a non-dairy butter alternative to make it dairy free and vegan. 

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Top Tips for Perfect Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
• Substitutions
• Storage
• Recipe Card

Ingredients

• apples
• old-fashioned rolled oats, certified gluten free
• oat flour, certified gluten free
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
• salt
• butter

See recipe card for quantities.

Ingredient Notes

Apples:  Use any apple variety that’s good for baking, according to your taste preference.  If you’re here in Ontario, some local varieties to try include, Northern Spy, Cortland, Crispin, Idared, Jonagold and McIntosh.  For more information, refer to the Ontario Apple Growers Apple Usage Guide. You can also use Granny Smith.  

Old-fashioned rolled oats:  If you want your crisp to be gluten free, make sure your oats are certified gluten free.  During processing, oats are often contaminated with gluten-containing grains (wheat, barley, rye); therefore, it’s important to make sure you’re only using certified gluten-free oats. Certified gluten-free oats are harvested, stored, transported and processed in dedicated gluten-free facilities and tested for purity. For more information on adding oats to your gluten-free diet, please refer to the Canadian Celiac Association's Oats Statement.

Oat flour:  Again, make sure your oat flour is certified gluten free.  You can also make your own oat flour. To make, just put old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten free) in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until they form a fine flour.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In a medium sized bowl,  stir together the rolled oats, oat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.  

2. Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine. 

3. In the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish, toss together the apple slices and cinnamon.  

4. Evenly sprinkle the crisp topping over the apples. 

5. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the crisp topping is golden brown and the apples are fork tender.  Let cool slightly in the pan before serving.  Serve warm.  

Substitutions

Make it dairy free and vegan:  replace the butter with your favourite non-dairy butter stick or margarine. 

Storage

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3 – 4 days.  

Recipe Card