Simple Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
This wholesome, honey-sweetened apple crisp is covered in an irresistible oat, almond meal and pecan topping. Everyone will love this dessert!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
What’s better than apple pie and a whole lot easier to make? Apple crisp! This apple crisp recipe is gooey on the inside, and tender but crisp on top. It’s made with wholesome ingredients, like old-fashioned oats, almond meal, pecans, honey, and of course, lots of fresh apples.
On a cool fall day, there’s nothing better the smell of this apple crisp baking in the oven. This homemade dessert would also be the perfect ending to your Thanksgiving supper.
This is my favorite apple crisp recipe, and it just happens to be gluten free and healthier than the rest. This recipe is made with significantly less sugar than most apple crisps, but tastes just as good. In fact, I’d say it’s even better!
This crisp turned out great for me when I made it a few years ago, but I heard that it didn’t turn out as well for some of you. This stuff keeps me up at night.
I’ve retested and tweaked this recipe, and it’s now better than ever. I’m so pleased to hear that with these updates, this crisp has been turning out perfectly in your kitchens.
How to Make the Best Apple Crisp
Apples take a long time to release their moisture, so my original crisp recipe was a little dry. To remedy this, I switched from using 1-inch chunks of apple to thinly sliced, which take less time to get juicy and cook through. I also added some liquid to the filling to the get the ball rolling, and reduced the amount of starch.
To ensure that the topping doesn’t get too crisp, you’re going to bake the apples for 20 minutes and then add the topping. This is actually pretty convenient, because it means that your crisp can start baking while you are still mixing together the topping.
That’s it! You’ve just made an apple dessert that rivals apple pie in flavor and comfort-food factor, but it’s so much easier.
Watch How to Make Apple Crisp
Healthy Apple Crisp Ingredients
The recipe is flexible. You can easily make it dairy free, vegan or nut free. See the recipe notes for details.
- Granny Smith Apples: Fresh and thinly sliced. No need to peel your apples—the skin softens up so much in the oven, you’ll hardly notice it’s there. You could also use Honeycrisp apples, or a combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp.
- Old-Fashioned Oats: Oats form the base of the topping. Once baked, they are perfectly crisp-tender. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free apple crisp.
- Almond Meal or Almond Flour: Almond meal (or flour) lends some irresistible richness and flavor. You can use regular flour in place of the almond meal, if you prefer (see nut-free recipe note).
- Pecans or Walnuts: Chopped pecans or walnuts are technically optional in the filling, but I never leave them out. I love those little bites of nutty goodness.
- Honey or Maple Syrup: We’ll use one of these natural sweeteners in the filling instead of plain sugar. As a bonus, they impart some additional flavor that tastes so nice.
- Coconut Sugar or Brown Sugar: We’ll use some sugar in the topping, since liquid sweeteners would interfere with the texture. I like to use coconut sugar since it’s less refined, but brown sugar works just as well.
- Butter: This topping calls for a reasonable amount of melted butter, and I promise, you won’t regret it.
- Greek Yogurt: We’ll use some Greek yogurt in place of some additional butter (though you can totally go all in on the butter if you’d like). I love that the yogurt imparts a subtle tang.
- Liquid (Water, Bourbon, Apple Cider, Etc.): A little bit of liquid helps the apples break down. Additional options include brandy or apple juice. I love to use equal parts water and bourbon so the bourbon flavor is subtle. I think it’s just right!
- Lemon Juice: A squeeze of lemon juice brightens up the flavor of the filling.
- Starch: You can use arrowroot starch or cornstarch. The starch helps the filling come together so it’s not watery.
- Cinnamon and Allspice: No apple crisp recipe would be complete without some warming spices.
The Best Apples for Apple Crisp
Granny Smith apples are the perfect apple for crisps. They retain their shape but become wonderfully tender in the oven, whereas other apple varieties turn to mush. Their tart flavor mellows and sweetens in the oven, but doesn’t turn overtly sweet. Some contrast is key!
Another great option, albeit more expensive, would be Honeycrisp apples. They possess similar qualities and have become widely available in recent years. You could even use a combination of the two!
More Apple Recipes to Enjoy
Craving more apple deliciousness? Check out these recipes:
- Applesauce
- Apple Steel-Cut Oatmeal
- Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas
- Gluten-Free Apple Tart
- Healthy Apple Muffins
- Homemade Bircher Muesli
Please let me know how this crisp turns out for you in the comments! I hope it’s your new favorite fall dessert.
Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
This wholesome, honey-sweetened apple crisp is covered in an irresistible oat, almond meal and pecan topping. This dessert is perfect for the holidays! This recipe yields about 8 modest servings.
Ingredients
Apple filling
- 2 ¼ pounds Granny Smith apples (about 5 large or 7 small), cored and sliced into ¼” thick wedges
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup water, or bourbon or brandy, or apple cider or apple juice (I like 2 tablespoons bourbon and 2 tablespoons water)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice or nutmeg
Oat, almond meal and pecan topping
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats (use certified gluten-free oats for a gluten-free crisp)
- ½ cup firmly packed almond meal or almond flour
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional but recommended)
- ⅓ cup lightly packed coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup plain yogurt (Greek or regular)
Don’t forget vanilla ice cream, for serving!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the sliced apples in a 9-inch square baking dish. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey and water until combined. Add the lemon juice, starch, cinnamon and allspice, and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture over the apples and toss to combine. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almond meal, pecans, coconut sugar and salt. Mix in the melted butter and the yogurt. Stir until all of the flour is incorporated and the mixture is moistened throughout.
- Once the apples have baked for 20 minutes, give them a stir and redistribute them evenly in the baker. Dollop small spoonfuls of the oat mixture evenly over the filling (see photos; no need to pack it down). Return the baker to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 more minutes, until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the top is nice and golden.
- Let the crisp rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream, I insist. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 5 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my pear cranberry crisp.
Make it nut free: To make this recipe nut free, omit the walnuts and use ¾ cup whole wheat flour and ¾ cup oats instead of the almond meal and oats specified above. It will no longer be gluten free. If you want to keep it gluten free, I suspect that you could replace the almond meal with certified gluten-free oat flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Make it vegan: In the topping, use non-dairy yogurt and coconut oil in place of the butter. In the filling, use maple syrup instead of honey.
Make it dairy free: Use non-dairy yogurt and coconut oil in place of the butter.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Thanks for posting, this is one of our favorite winter/Holiday treats. I usually just wing my apple crisp recipe, so it’ll be fun to try out yours and follow instructions. And it’s always nice to see other people using the “it’s just oatmeal with apples” rationalization and making it OK to eat for breakfast.
Thanks, John! I’m all about dessert for breakfast. :)
I almost didn’t look at this posting as I already make a good apple crisp that can be gluten free if necessary with certified gluten free oats but I am glad that I took a look. I always cut the apples in slices as I would for a pie but I am going to try dicing them as you show, I think it might cook a bit faster. I don’t use butter in anything and always use olive oil in my crisps and it works for me, no complaints from family or friends. Thanks for a new idea!
Thanks, R.A.! I’ll have to try the olive oil topping next time.
Mmm this looks delicious!
I love apple crisp–it’s so much easier than apple pie and just as tasty!
Yum! I’ll report back if I try the vegan version!
http://youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
Please do! Thanks, Ella. Happy Thanksgiving!
Sounds delicious, i will definitely try this out very soon! ♡
I’ll take apple crisp over pie anyway. This one is the best looking I’ve ever seen! Pinned!
Friendsgiving sounds like great fun! We have “family dinner” at our house, which is where my Mum and Dad gather their actual kids and all of their adopted children (our friends from high school and university) and we have a big dinner, play bocce, and spend time in the glow of love and company.
Even though it will be hot, I can tell that big batches of this apple crisp with some homemade vanilla ice cream (which is great especially if your crisp is a little too golden ;) ) will be a big hit with everyone.
I hope you are enjoying the start of the season!
Oh, I love the sound of your family dinner! How fun. :)
This apple crisp looks so amazing! I love the idea of eating it for breakfast – the yogurt topping makes it totally acceptable. It pretty much just oatmeal…
This looks heavenly! And just healthy enough :)
This looks both easy and delicious! Sounds like I’ll be making this immediately!
Apple crisp is one of my favorites!! I can’t wait to eat it on Thursday!!
Pinned this right away. Can’t wait to try making a single-serving version!
Apple crisp is my JAM. I am so jealous you’ve been to two Friendsgivings. I haven’t been to a single one!
Not one? Maybe you should throw your own! :D
There’s something about a crisp that is always so satisfying. Love that topping with butter and yogurt – I have to try that!
I love the idea of Friendsgiving, what an awesome concept! We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here as you know but I would love to do a Friendsgiving one year, just for the heck of it (appreciation and that sort of thing, ya know). And as some of my friends are vegan and gluten intolerant, this would be a perfect option for a delicious dessert. Want! xx
Oh, I think you should host a Friendsgiving! Just because. Love the idea of friends getting together for a holiday feast, just because. :)
Beautiful! I love crisps. So easy to make taste wonderful with very little sugar. Makes a wonderful breakfast after the holidays, too!
Apple Crisp has been on my list for years.. I need to make a version of it this Dec. Really nice swap for the unhealthy stuff.
Thanks for this recipe. I’m to bring the dessert in a few weeks for a get together and needed to find something that was wheat free. I’m going to double it as there will be 8 of us My usual apple crisp recipe has reg or wheat flour in it, so this should be perfect.C.an you make almond flour, or does it need to be bought?
Hi Cindy, I’m sorry I didn’t answer your question sooner! I believe you could make your own almond flour if you pulse whole almonds until they resemble a fine flour (just stop before you get almond butter!).
Ahh, apple crisp has got to be one of my weaknesses. Or actually.. maybe just crisp part. Because I could literally eat half the bowl before it makes it into the oven. Oops. This crisp looks insanely good. Happy Thanksgiving, Kate!
OMG crisp for breakfast sounds like the BEST THING EVER. Monday morning is going to taste so good.
wow that looks amazing! So does everything on your site actually :)
This recipe looked so good I had to make it straight away -it’s in my oven right now. :) I used walnuts instead of pecans.
Thanks, Kaja! Hope the crisp turned out great for you!
Just made this for dessert and so loved it! Loved how you used yogurt in the topping. Definitely a keeper!
Awesome! Thanks, Emily!
I have a gluten allergy,with two sons that have celiacs. So I am always looking for good gluten-free recipes. Your apple crisp recipe looks so delicious. I have made up my own gluten-free recipe as well,and it tastes fine,but will be trying yours soon, also. I have a question for you however,it states in recipe to peel,core,and slice up apples,but in the pictures, it shows the peel on the apples. I am curious if the skin on the apples make it more tough to chew? I know my husband and I don’t care for baked apples either,when the skin is too chewy. Thank you.
Yes, I should have explained in the post—I found the texture of the skin to be distracting, although my friends thought it was fine. I’d peel the apples if I were you.
I made this and it was delicious, thank you. Do you I could sub anything more natural for the brown sugar? Like maple syrup for instance?
Hey Sam, glad you enjoyed it! Coconut sugar would work. You can find it at Trader Joe’s now. I *think* maple syrup would work well, too, but I haven’t tried.
hi Kate
Long time reader here. I came across your blog because. I was looking for a falafel recipe and now I’m hooked. I make at least one new recipe from your blog every week. This week we had the soba carrot snappea salad AND the lentil soup. Yummmm!! Love the photos of cookie too.
Question about the apple crisp: do you need to peel the apples? I see your apples weren’t peeled (in the photos). I would rather not if I dint need to ;) do let me know.
Cheers,
D
Thank you for saying hello! So glad you’re enjoying my recipes. I thought the apple peels were a little distracting in this crisp, but if you don’t mind a little extra texture (my friends didn’t mind it) and/or the skin on your apples is soft, you can skip that step.
I made this recipe when I was in a pinch for a dessert at a dinner party I was hosting and it was a HUGE hit! It’s so simple and easy to make and uses ingredients you probably have on hand already. I used green apples and threw in some strawberries too! It’s delicious compared to all desserts in my book, not just healthier options. The fact that it is indeed a healthier option is just another reason to love it!
Thanks, Lauren! Delighted to hear that you all enjoyed this crisp. Your strawberry version sounds awesome. Crisps are my favorite dessert to make!
Hi Kate! This is yet another great recipe I tried from your blog. I absolutely love this apple crisp and so does my 2 year old son. He kept asking for more, even having it without the vanilla ice-cream!!!! Thank you Kate for introducing healthy and yummy! meals to my otherwise boring diet!!!!
Yay, thanks Monika! Really glad to hear it.
Hello, went through a couple of your recipes, they look amazing omg!
I’ve got a question though, can I use all purpose flour as I can’t find almond one in my local shops?
Thanks, Zivile! Yes, you should be able to substitute flour for the almond meal with no issue. :)
This looks delicious! Do you have any suggestions to make it dairy-free? Thanks!
Yes! Check my notes. :)
Glad I found your recipe. I made it this weekend and it was amazing! Definitely a dish to bring to parties. Thank you!!
Thank you, Kelly! So glad you enjoyed it.
I tried this recipe and really loved it! My personal preference is for a very thick oatmeal topping, so for round two, I doubled the topping recipe while using the recommended proportions for the apple filling. The result: extra deliciousness! Thanks for the great post and recipe :) And for those wondering; yes, I did peel the apples… Great!
Thank you, Emily! The more topping the better, if you ask me. :)
Love this recipe. I have made it 4 times in the past month, an apple a day keeps the doctor away-right! I was wondering if you think the recipe would work if the butter is replaced in part or whole with coconut oil. I have fallen in love with coconut from your other recipes.
Hi Michelle! So glad you’re loving the apple crisp. Yes, I think coconut oil will work great!
Far better than the candy we doled out today (I admittedly sampled that too but this was no doubt the winner!) and had success with 1/4 cup coconut oil plus 1/4 cup applesauce. Also used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. Delicious, thanks!
Thank you, Paula! :)
Made this Sunday night, and the recipe looked so delicious! Unfortunately, it did not taste as great as it looked. I used organic maple syrup to sweeten, and followed the recipe exactly. My family didn’t like it, and when I had some I knew why. The topping was bland, needed something to make it better. The apples were overcooked, which could be because of both the high oven temperature and the small-cut pieces. The pecans were tasty, and the maple syrup was nice in the apple mixture. But ice cream was really its only saving grace. We have leftovers, and no one wants anymore–which is unheard of in our house for anyone to leave a baked treat alone! So sad this came out how it did, I had high hopes for it. Maybe the recipe needs tweaking, will go back to my family recipe for apple crisp.
Hi Alaina, I’m so sorry to hear that. I’ve been testing a similar version of this crisp for my cookbook and just realized yesterday that the size of the apple pieces makes a BIG difference in the end product. For some reason, cutting them too small produces a dry crisp. I’m going to add that new information to my recipe now.
Yum, yum, and yum! We were so excited to try this and the house just smelt like Thanksgiving while it was cooking. Picky hubby devoured his (so did I). I managed to get the last bit for breakfast this morning…and this definitely qualifies as breakfast. I added a little cinnamon to the oatmeal mixture and 1 tsp water to the apple mixture, went light on the cornstarch per the directions and it’s just wonderful. I might double the oatmeal part next time to really make it a breakfast dish…right? Kate, thanks so much for this and all the great recipes you turn out (that I never get a chance to post about). You are amazing and I can’t wait for the cookbook!
Hi Jen! Thank you so much for your comment. Happy to hear that you both enjoyed the crisp! I could go for some right now… I’m working on a breakfast version of this crisp for my cookbook! :)
Best apple crisp I’ve every had! Seriously, the best! I loved the apple to topping ratio and the taste of fresh apples in every bite! This will become a regular in my house.
Thank you, Tami! :)
This recipe is wonderful! I made it for the first time for Thanksgiving, everyone loved it even being gluten free! The second time I made it with half the sugar, ghee instead of the butter and walnuts and almonds it was still wonderful! Thank you!
Thank you, Holly! Happy to hear it.
Hi! I was wondering if i could prep it the night before? Prehaps if i put lemon juice on my apples and keep wet and dry separated? Thanks!
This turned out really well with our xmas eve dinner. The topping was super yummy and had a nice amount on top. That is my favorite part :) Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you, Kristen! I’m so glad to hear that.
I’ve made this nut and gluten free, and vegan by substituting coconut flour for almond flour, palm oil shortening for butter and coconut yogurt for Greek yogurt. It comes out great!
Thank you, Monica! That’s really helpful to know!
Thanks so much for this delicious recipe! I was definitely inspired by it but made a couple of adjustments. It was so yummy! I used mini jazz apples (6 of them), pumpkin spice instead of the cinnamon and all-spice, 1/2 cup of golden flaxseed meal and 1/2 cup of oatmeal (instead of 1c oats), 2tbs of coconut oil and 2tbsp of butter (instead of 4 butter), I added no sugar to the apples and instead of brown sugar just a sprinkle of coconut sugar and a drizzle of agave. Very delish!!! It tastes just like apple pie with a nice crisp…mmmm! Thanks!
I made this recipe dairy-free with no butter or yogurt; about 4-5Tbls of olive oil and no nuts (reduce calories). My husband and I are enjoying this recipe as I write. Excellent. Also, I didn’t peel the apples.
Thanks for sharing.
This was so delicious! I love the topping, I had never tried almond flour before. Will save this in my favorites for sure! Thanks for sharing.
I made this the other night as a way to use up some apples I had that were going bad. I’ve never made anything “gluten free”, but had some coconut flour for a paleo recipe I want to try. I did change a few things-
Probably a bit more than the amount of apples called for.
Coconut oil in place of butter.
Coconut flour in place of the almond flour
Half the amount of cinnamon and nutmeg in place of all spice.
I used Greek yogurt in the crust.
Pecans were used in the crust.
It tuned out delicious. I think it needed a little more of either yogurt or coconut oil to moisten the crumble, but it was still good. My husband (who hates cinnamon, and is not big on trying new things…) said it was good, and my kids, 4 and 1, seemed to really enjoy it as well. I will make this again :)
I chose your recipe because I wanted a healthy apple crisp. I made a batch and a half (9×9 hasn’t been brought over to our new house) and used my lasagna pan. Used coconut oil instead of yogurt. I’m a baker (not professionally). I weighed my chopped apples to three lbs. LOVED it!!!!!
The honey was a fantastic idea! I’m glad I chose pecans. Thank you for the [reminder] note about starch and gooey factor! My husband is licking his plate clean… What a wonderful recipe!!! I’m happy you wrote it and I’m pleased how it turned out!!! I’m even happier that it’s not for a party!!
Thank you, Phyllis! So glad you enjoyed this one. Congrats on your new house, too!
I haven’t made this exact recipe (yet!), but I’ve made a vegan apple crisp and wanted to comment…I used coconut oil instead of butter for the topping and it came out delicious. It was a mixture of coconut oil, chopped dates and almonds, and of course cinnamon :)
Thanks, Lindsay!
I used buckwheat flour instead of whole wheat and it worked great for me!
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter in this?