To know me is to know I am a die-hard chocolate lover, through and through (exhibit a, b and c). 

So it takes a really special dessert to get me to step outside of my comfort zone, and this gluten-free apple crisp is SO.GOOD. I’ve been forgoing my usual suspects in favor of baking it weekly. 

Not only is it super simple to make and very seasonal (with apples in their prime), but it’s truly the best-tasting crisp I’ve ever eaten, thanks in part to the topping (because it’s always about the topping).

It’s got oats (naturally) to give it a good crispy texture, quintessential fall flavors like cinnamon and cardamom, maple syrup for a touch of sweetness and almond butter, which adds so much rich, nutty flavor and binds the topping together to get those lovely clusters. 

It also happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free and sneak in some blood sugar balancing nutrients like protein and healthy fats. 

With that, let’s get into the details and recipe!

HEALTHIER GLUTEN-FREE APPLE CRISP INGREDIENTS 

+ Gluten-Free Protein Oats

Oats are essential for a good crisp, but I love adding in these gluten-free protein oats for an additional boost of blood-sugar-balancing protein. 

+ Creamy Almond Butter

Almond butter makes a delicious, velvety binder for the oats, helping them achieve that clustery topping, not to mention healthy fats to support blood sugar balance. 

+ Honeycrisp Apples

Apples are an obvious part of this dish, but I especially love the Honeycrisp variety for their delicious taste and texture, not to mention they’re high in fiber and anti-inflammatory antioxidants like quercetin. 

+ Pure Maple Syrup & Coconut Sugar

Sugar is sugar, but I prefer a mix of pure maple syrup and coconut sugar as they add a subtle sweetness and are less refined (re: processed) options than white sugar.

+ Arrowroot + Almond Flour 

I love using arrowroot flour as a less processed option than cornstarch to help thicken the apple base, while almond flour is my preferred gluten-free flour for baking. 

+ Warming Spices 

Spices like cinnamon, cardamom and ginger add so much flavor, as well as antioxidants and digestive and blood flow boosting properties. 

WHAT MAKES THIS GLUTEN-FREE APPLE CRISP HEALTHIER?

Obviously, dessert is not a necessary pillar of a hormone-healthy diet (i.e. sugar is not a vital macro or micronutrient needed for hormone production or synthesis the way protein, fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals are).

That being said, this gluten-free apple crisp is a fantastic option for anyone with gluten and/or dairy sensitivities, and has much less sugar and inflammatory ingredients then most store-bought or bakery style crisps. 

It also also contains a solid dose of fiber from apple, almond flour and oats, as well as some protein and anti-inflammatory healthy fats from the protein oats and almond butter, which help to counteract a blood sugar spike. 

GLUTEN-FREE APPLE CRISP SWAPS/ADD-INS

+ Switch Up The Nut Butter

I think the almond butter is so complimentary in this recipe, but peanut or cashew would also be tasty, as well as tahini for a nut-free alternative!

+ Swap The Apple Variety

Honeycrisp apples are my favorites to cook/bake with as they have an ideal sweet/tart flavor and hold their texture well with heated, but Pink Lady or Fuji would be great alternatives. 

+ Use Different Oats

Feel free to use any variety of rolled oats, as long as they are certified gluten-free (if needing to keep the recipe gluten-free-friendly).

HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE APPLE CRISP

This gluten-free apple crisp is such a simple dessert to make, boiled down into three steps (see recipe below for full details):

1) Prep the apple crisp base. Preheat the oven to 350° F and lightly grease a 9-10 inch diameter pie pan or oven-safe skillet with avocado oil. Mix together the sliced apples, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, arrowroot flour, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ground ginger and cardamom in a medium-sized bowl and transfer to the pan or skillet once well-combined.

2) Mix together the crisp topping. Stir together the gluten-free oats, almond flour, almond butter, ¼ cup of the reserved maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla extract and sea salt until well-combined. The texture should be chunky and stick together thanks to the almond butter and maple syrup as a binder. 

3) Bake your crisp! Spread the mixture evenly over the apples and bake for 40 minutes, until the apples are cooked through and bubbling and the crisp is golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 

GLUTEN-FREE APPLE CRISP TIPS

+ Use A Runnier Nut Butter

The runnier consistency will make it easier to mix in with the other topping ingredients and bind everything together well. 

+ Thinly Slice The Apples

This will help the apples soften as they bake and release their juices/flavors. 

+ Use An Apple Variety That Holds It’s Texture When Heated

You want your apples soft, not mushy, so make sure to pick a variety that holds it’s texture when heated, such as Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Fuji. 

MORE GLUTEN-FREE DESSERT RECIPES

+ FLOURLESS FUDGY PMS BROWNIES 

+ Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies

+ Mom’s Best Ever Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

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Photography by: Tanya Pilgram

The BEST Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

DF

GF

VG

This gluten-free apple crisp is delicious, easy to make, refined-sugar-free & rich in fall flavors like cinnamon, cardamom & almond butter.

PREP TIME:	TOTAL TIME:
10 Mins	01:00 Mins

• Author: Lauren Chambers

• Servings: 6-8

• Recipe Type: dessert

• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

 

• Avocado oil spray
• 4 organic Honeycrisp apples, cored and thinly sliced (about 4-5 cups) *Pink Lady or Fuji also work well
• 2 tablespoons + ¼ cup reserved pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ + 1 teaspoon reserved cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom spice
• 1 ½ cups gluten-free protein oats 
• ¼ cup almond flour
• ¼ cup creamy almond butter *I prefer a runnier consistency for this recipe 
• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• ½ teaspoon sea salt + flaky sea salt for topping

Serve with: vanilla bean ice cream (or your fave dairy-free option), optional drizzle of olive oil and flaky sea salt 

Instructions

1. Prep the apple crisp base. Preheat the oven to 350° F and lightly grease a 9-10 inch diameter pie pan or oven-safe skillet with avocado oil. Set aside. Mix together the sliced apples, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, arrowroot flour, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ground ginger and cardamom in a medium-sized bowl and transfer to the pan or skillet once well-combined.
2. Mix together the crisp topping. Rinse out and dry your mixing bowl to reuse for the oat crumble, stirring together the gluten-free oats, almond flour, almond butter, ¼ cup of the reserved maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla extract and sea salt until well-combined. The texture should be chunky and stick together thanks to the almond butter and maple syrup as a binder. 
3. Bake your crisp! Spread the mixture evenly over the apples and bake for 40 minutes, until the apples are cooked through and bubbling and the crisp is golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Serve and enjoy! Scoop servings into bowls and top with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Option to drizzle with olive oil and top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. 

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat as needed.

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