Mmmm, this old fashioned apple crisp without oats recipe is simply heavenly! You won’t believe how easy it is. That’s why so many people make it again and again! This home baked apple crisp recipe uses stone fruit instead of the usual oats, to make it vegan, gluten-free, dairy free but still delicious and satisfying. Don’t be put off by the lack of oats! This crispy is gluten-free and a bit healthier than your traditional recipe.
Easy Gluten Free Apple Crisp Recipe | Simple, Delicious GF Fruit Crisp
Prep Time :25 minutes
Cook Time :1 hour
A combination of warm spices, brown sugar, big chunks of tender apples and extra crisp topping make the best gluten free apple crisp.
What makes this gluten free apple crisp recipe the best is a combination of warm spices, brown sugar, big chunks of tender apples and extra crisp topping.
How to prepare the apples for this gf apple crisp
This apple recipe calls for chopping your peeled and cored apples into chunks. That way, the apples in the filling remain chunky and don’t turn into applesauce.
To ensure that no one bites into a crispy piece of apples, and instead all the apple chunks are perfect fork-tender, we begin by baking the filling alone in the baking dish. The baking dish during this step is covered with foil to capture the steam they give off, which helps to cook the apples quickly but still gently (stirring once after 15 minutes, to make use of the liquid that forms on the bottom of the baking dish).
When the crumble topping is added, the apples are about halfway to being fork-tender. When you return the apple crisp to the oven without the foil cover, the crisp topping bakes and browns beautifully in just the time it takes for the apples to finish baking and make a delicious, caramel-style sauce.
If you’d prefer to slice the apples into 1/4-inch thick slices, you can follow the instructions for preparing the filling in our recipe for gluten free apple crumble. A crumble is similar to a crisp but with a chunky, nubby, coffee-cake type topping that gives when you bite into it.
Gluten free fruit desserts
Not all gluten free fruit dessert recipes follow the same rules. If you’d prefer to make a fruit dessert with berries, for example, you’d need a different recipe, like our master gluten free crumble recipe, which can be made with any berry or combination of berries.
Not only do berries bake differently than apples and stone fruits, but their flavor profiles are different. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and even blackberries begin to break down as soon as you apply heat on the stovetop or in the oven.
Stone fruits, like peaches and nectarines, and to a lesser extent apricots and plums, are more fibrous than berries. Apples are much more fibrous than other fruits, so they must be baked longer and often differently (like this apple crisp recipe, where we parbake them first for 30 minutes without the crisp topping).
Although all the warm spices, like cardamom, nutmeg, and cinnamon, are perfect for apples and even stone fruits, berries are best with a touch of sugar and salt alone.
What’s in the gluten free apple crisp topping?
A crisp is a crustless fruit-based dessert with a warm, brown sugar topping that “crisps” really well in the oven. Unlike in a crumble, we don’t want the topping to hold its shape during baking.
If you see any large clumps of topping when it’s raw, break them up! That’s why we don’t refrigerate the topping unless the butter was too hot and the topping is really really loose.
In this topping recipe, you’ll find the simplest ingredients. They are:
- Gluten free flour, for structure
- Granulated sugar (for crispness and sweetness)
- Light brown sugar (for sweetness, caramelization, and aroma)
- Butter, for fat, crispness, and flavor
- Certified gluten free oats, for texture (but they can be replaced if you can’t have oats)
- Warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, for aroma and warmth
- A touch of salt, to brighten the flavors
How to make gluten free apple crisp without oats
When properly sourced, certified gluten free oats are gluten free. However, you may still need or want to avoid them. In this recipe, it’s quite simple:
To replace the ½ cup (50 g) of certified gluten free old-fashioned rolled oats in the gf apple crisp topping recipe here, please use one of the following:
- an equal amount, by weight, of quinoa flakes (buckwheat flakes would also work, but they’re not easily available in the U.S.); or
- ¼ cup (36 g) additional all purpose gluten free flour blend. Just use more of the gf flour blend you’re already using
Ingredients and substitutions for this easy gluten free apple crisp
How to make gluten free dairy free apple crisp
The only dairy used in this recipe is the butter in the topping. Since we’re melting the butter, and we want it to brown, I think nearly any butter substitute would work well here.
If you use Earth Balance buttery sticks or another margarine-type dairy free butter alternative, you may have to reduce the second baking time, so just watch it carefully for browning. If you’re using vegan butter, like Melt brand or Miyoko’s Kitchen brand, there shouldn’t be any difference in baking.
How to make gluten free oat free apple crisp
In brief, if you can’t have or would prefer to avoid even certified gluten free oats, try replacing them with 50 grams of quinoa flakes, or an additional ¼ cup (36 g) of your all purpose gluten free flour blend. For a more complete discussion of making gluten free apple crisp without oats, please see that heading above.
Easy Old Fashioned Apple Crisp
This Easy Old Fashioned Apple Crisp recipe is a no fail dessert just like grandma used to make! Sweet cinnamon apples are topped with a crunchy, buttery oat crumble topping, then baked to perfection! Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate bite of apple crisp goodness.
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
Apple Crisp is an easy dessert that you can make for a crowd or just for your family. It’s perfect for entertaining, holidays, or just a cozy Sunday night. Everyone loves apple crisp, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to make – plus it makes your house smell amazing while it’s baking!
I have been on an apple kick recently, sharing both my favorite apple pie recipe, and also my Dutch Apple Pie recipe! I am fully enjoying fall baking and apple season. I haven’t met a person who doesn’t love a classic apple dessert, and this Apple Crisp does not disappoint.
Why I Love Apple Crisp
I love crisp recipes so much. They come together quickly, are best served with a scoop of ice cream and are just a casual option compared to pie. I feel like people get so nervous about making pie…the crust, the filling, trying to get a pretty slice…
Crisps are just the opposite! They have all the same best parts, but are way less stress-inducing!
What Makes This The BEST Apple Crisp?
I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I am going to share with you on how to make the best apple crisp. They are simple little things you can do to ensure success!
Secret #1
I feel like the top secret to my apple crisp recipe is adding orange zest and a little orange juice right into the apples. It’s a trick I stole from Ina Garten many moons ago after watching an episode of The Barefoot Contessa on Food Network!
You can honestly use any citrus in place of the orange, but the subtle orange flavor is just special enough to make it different but not be too noticeable!
Secret #2
Use Quick Oats in your crumble topping. I love this crisp topping because it includes oats. They help absorb some of the moisture the apples release, while also keeping the topping crunchy!
You CAN use old fashioned oats in place of quick, but I like the texture the oats give without feeling like I am eating oats, does that makes sense? Quick Oats are just rolled (old fashioned) oats cut into smaller pieces, which makes them less detectable and not as chewy!
Secret #3
Allow your apples to sit in the cinnamon, sugar, zest, and juice for a bit before baking. This will draw out some of the moisture from the apples, preventing your apple crisp from getting too soupy!
Secret #4
This might be more of a personal preference, but I almost always prefer Granny Smith apples in baking. They hold their texture, release less juice, are easily available, and have a great balance of sweet and tart after they’re baked. Yes you CAN use other apples, but I prefer Granny Smith.
How To Make The Best Apple Crisp
The process for this recipe is so super simple. The hardest part is peeling the apples! You can have this prepped and ready to go in under 20 minutes and then pop it in the oven before dinner, so it’s warm and bubbly when you’re ready for dessert!
- Peel and slice all your apples. I list 5 large Granny Smith apples in the ingredients, with no weight measurement. This is because you don’t have to be exact for this recipe, which is great!
- Stir in the orange zest, orange juice, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Make sure all the apple are coated in the mixture and let the apples rest a bit to release some of the juices.
- Prep the crisp topping by combining butter, flour, brown sugar, oats, and salt. You can use a pastry cutter or your hands for this step, just make sure the it’s all coated in butter, so you don’t have dust in the bottom of the bowl.
- Spread the apples into a baking dish, discarding any excess liquid the apples have released. This will prevent your crisp from becoming soupy.
- Bake it until the apples are bubbly and the topping is crisp and golden!
Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp Recipe
This old fashioned apple crisp is an easy recipe that kids can make in no time and it’s delish! It’s an old fashioned dessert that grandma would be proud of!
At Little Sprouts we’ve been exploring apples for the last few weeks. Each family brought a couple of apples a while back and we used them for sorting, counting, color recognition, and all kinds of math activities.
We also did a taste comparison with the different kinds of apples and charted our results. As our apple discovery is winding down, we used the rest of our apples to make an old fashioned apple crisp pie.
Even though someone recently called me psychotic for letting the kids cut apples, I again gave them butter knives to cut the apples into pieces. No toddlers were harmed in the making of this recipe!
Kids can saw back and forth with the butter knife and work them through the apples bit by bit. Also, you can slice the apples in thick slices and let the kids break them into pieces if they like. Any fine motor activity is good for kids. It doesn’t matter if the apples are perfect. They still taste great in this old-fashioned apple crisp.
This easy apple crisp recipe for kids takes no time at all to throw together once you have the apples cut. Then you just toss it in the oven and wait. There’s no work there either. It comes out bubbly and thick. The whole house smells like the taste of home old-fashioned apple crisp.
I love making any fruit crisps because they go together in just a few minutes. Easy, delicious, and fun.
First, I set out apples that had been peeled and sliced off the core in large chunks. I let the kids slice the apples into slices for the apple crisp.
After all the apples were cut up, the kids placed them in our bowl.
Next, we mixed sugar and flour with the apples for the filling of the crisp. We use raw sugar in our recipes, that’s why the sugar is brown.
Apple recipes for toddlers
After the apples were coated and poured into the baking dish, we mixed the crumble topping in the same bowl. On a side note, you could add some cinnamon or pie spices to this mix. I do not because I am allergic to cinnamon, even the smell.
The kids LOVE cooking anything. They loved using the apples they brought from home for our lesson plans to make all kinds of different things to learn from and eat.
Easy Old Fashioned Apple Crisp Dessert
Old Fashioned Apple Crisp recipe. Tender apples that are coated with cinnamon and brown sugar that is topped with a delicious brown sugar oat topping that makes for the perfect dessert. Made with pantry staples this easy apple dessert is a must make. This comfort food takes all the flavors of apple pie and puts them into an easy to make dessert.
Apple Crisp Recipe
If you are looking for an easy apple dessert recipe then you want to make this easy recipe for Apple Crisp. This easy apple crisp recipe is the perfect one to try. I am a big fan of apple desserts like apple betty, and this apple crisp is another one of my favorites. This apple crisp with oats is one that we make all the time and have for years. It is one of the easiest desserts there is to make and my whole family loves it.
Easy Old Fashioned Apple Crisp Dessert is an easy apple dessert the whole family will love. Sweet and tender apples with old fashioned oats topping that are baked in the oven for the best Apple Crisp.
I love making an oats apple crisp because it has all the flavors of apple pie without all the work of making a pie crust. The oats give this great crunchy texture while some staying soft that works perfectly with the soft baked apple filling. This is our favorite fall dessert, but it is perfect for any time of year that you are wanting a warm and tasty easy dessert.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Apple Crisp
- Easy to make. This apple dessert takes just a few minutes to put together and if you have kids then you know that getting things done with kids underfoot can make things difficult. This is especially if they are waiting for the dessert or they want to help make it. This recipe is both easy enough that the kids can help make it and easy enough that you can get it done while the kids are impatiently waiting for it.
- Quick cool time. Desserts with long cool times are never my favorite because I can never wait as long as I should because I am impatient. This recipe has only a 10 minute cool time.
- Basic ingredients. While making exciting and new ingredient recipes are always fun, classics that are going to warm you up with flavors you know you are going to love with ingredients you already have in the pantry are even better.
What are the best apples to use when making apple crisp?
When you are making this dessert it is important that you have good apples for apple crisp. I find the best apples to use for apple crisp are granny smith apples. If I do not have any Granny Smith Apples then I use honeycrisp apples. However, I have made this with just about any apple. I can think of, since we always end up with a ton of apples when we go apple picking during apple season.
You can use a variety of apples or a combination of sweet apples and tart apples if you want to, but know that all apple will work some will just be a little softer when it is done baking than others.
What is apple crisp topping made with?
The topping is soo simple to make for this easy apple crisp, because it is a delicious apple crisp with old fashioned oats, which is just put on the top of your apple crisp mixture and done. You don’t even need to worry about making it look good!
Do I need to peel the apples?
You do not need to peel the apples when you are making apple crisp, but most people prefer to have peeled apples in their desserts.
How to Serve Apple Crisp
I personally love this apple crisp recipe with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. While my husband rather just have the whole pie plate and a big spoon. You can also add a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce on top if you want to, the choice is yours, it is going to be amazing no matter which way you choose to enjoy it.
How to Store Apple Crisp
Store any leftover apple crisp in an airtight container. Apple crisp can be stored in the fridge for about four days, however the oat crumble topping will continue to absorb moisture from the apples so you want to be sure. to enjoy it sooner rather then later.
Apple Crisp Ingredients
- Granny Smith Apples or honeycrisp apples
- lemon juice
- butter
- All-Purpose Flour
- vanilla extract
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
- salt
- old fashion oats
How to Make Apple Crisp
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Peel and thinly slice your apples place them in a large bowl with the lemon juice.
In a small mixing bowl combine the melted butter, flour, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the melted butter flour, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt mixture in with the apples and mix well.
Pour the apple mixture into a 9-inch pie pan or a rectangular baking dish. Set this aside.
Combine all the ingredients for the crumb toppings in a medium mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your hand cut the butter into the flour mixture until you have pea size pieces of butter.
Pour the oat mixture crumb topping over the top of the sliced apples making sure to evenly coat the whole top of the apples in an even layer.
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
Let the crisp cool for at least 10 minutes, enjoy.