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.
The old version of this crisp is my absolute favorite (I’m sure this version is awesome as well!)! I’ve made it more in the last year than any desert ever and have never had a problem with it. The topping is so delicious and I love it that it’s wholesome and not packed with butter and sugar. I’ve now made versions of this with blueberry, cherry, blackberry, and apple– all are amazing and get rave reviews every time– delicious but not too sweet! I’ve subbed out the Greek yogurt for regular and for sour cream (when no yogurt on hand), both if which work fine. For the apple crisp, I like to leave the skin on and slice them in the food processor. Crisp for dessert and breakfast– yes, please!!
I am so glad the old version worked for you and I hope this one helps just as much! I love the crisp variations and that is recipe helped provide a based for you. Thank you, Janelle for your feedback! If you would want to leave a star review, I would really appreciate it :)
I made this last night and it was a big hit! The Bourbon definitely adds a little something extra. Delicious!
That is great to hear! Thank you, Stacey for your comment and review:)
This recipe needs to come with a warning. WARNING: BE PREPARED TO EAT THE WHOLE DISH IN ONE SITTING. My skinny jeans are crying right now. ;) Thank you for another awesome recipe! This was sooooooooo good
Hi Kate (and Cookie!),
I’d like to make this for guests coming Tuesday. Is there a way to make it ahead of time, say Monday night? Would you only make some of it ahead of time? Would you bake Monday night and just reheat Tueday night? What would you recommend?
Dana
It keeps for up to 5 days. Almost all crisps are best immediately from the oven, but you can make a head of time if needed. Monday night would work and then reheat for Tuesday. If you have time, use the oven to keep the topping more crisp. Hope this helps!
Kate, can I bake the apples, for 20 minutes cool and then put the topping on and bake the whole thing a few days later?
Hi Susana, I recommend this one to be made as is. I haven’t tired it separately, so I can’t say for sure. Let me know if you try it!
Cook’s Illustrated actually recommends cooking crumb topping for pie separately and then putting on after the pie is finished cooking to keep it nice and crispy. I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for a crisp as well. You could make both the day before, then reheat the filling and place the cooked topping on the last 10 minutes to warm/crisp.
This was delicious! I left the apple skins on because I was in a hurry, and thought it was just fine. I also didn’t have any starch, and despite my serious anxiety over this, it turned out just fine — so don’t let a lack of starch discourage you from trying the recipe.
And for any nut-allergy sufferers (me!) — I subbed regular flour for the almond meal (obviously) and (less-obviously) equal parts sunflower seeds and pepitas for the nuts and thought they were a delicious, crunchy addition (got the idea from Cookie and Kate’s tasty granola recipe). Next time, I’ll probably do about 75% sunflower seeds, 25% pepitas since the oat/sugar/yogurt mixture didn’t stick as well to the pepitas, but they sure looked and tasted good!
Will definitely make again!
Great! Thank you, Kathryn for your comment and review.
So delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
This was incredibly delicious! I had a friend come over for dinner recently who follows a gluten-free diet so this was perfect. You’re right about the vanilla ice cream, too! So, so good. Thanks for sharing this recipe. :)
You are welcome, Ashley! Thanks for your review.
I made this for Christmas – took inspiration from your pear-cranberry crisp, and replaced one of the apples with a cup of cranberries. It is delicious! (I especially love how easy it was to make). Served it with vanilla ice cream for dessert (so good) and I’m having some leftovers with Greek yogurt now. The yogurt makes it breakfast, right? ;)
Umm… Yes! ;) I say go for it. Thank you, Rachel. I appreciate your review!
SO easy and SO awesome. Since I didn’t have yogurt on hand I subbed plain kefir and it worked perfectly. Can’t wait to eat it for breakfast this week…even if I did use bourbon!
I’m happy to hear it worked even with a substitution! Thanks for sharing, Shelley.
I made this and it was delicious! I upped the amount of ingredients to fill a 13X9 inch pan. I also added dried cranberries (soaked overnight in ginger wine) to the apple mixture. There were only three of us and it was almost gone by the next day. The crumble mixture is wonderful, kind of like granola but better.
Sounds delicious, Janet! Thank you for sharing your variation. I might have to try that one myself!
Sounds amazing can’t wait to try this out! I think I will subsitute the sugar for a sweetener and hope it works
Let me know what you think when you try it, Meg!
Excellent! Working hard to accommodate my husbands new dairy free, gluten free, processed sugar free diet! Used coconut oil to replace butter and maple sugar to replace the sugar. Just delecious.
Such a good recipe, thank you! I used gluten free quick oats and Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose GF flour and everyone enjoyed it! I think I’ll go ahead and have the leftovers for breakfast.
I like this recipe, but I made it less sweet by omitting the coconut sugar in the topping and cutting back the maple syrup to 1/4 c in filling.
For my palate, it could be even less sweet. All ingredients are good.
Family liked it.
Thanks for sharing, Gloria, and for your review!
Wow. Ever good. Baking the apples for 20 minutes separately worked out very well. I’ve made many crisps in the past and found those tips very helpful. Next time I need to double the recipe! Thank you. I omitted the allspice/nutmeg, yogourt (preference) and turned out perfect.
You’re welcome!
Hi–thanks for this excellent recipe. Made it for Easter, and will do it again. I had to substitute some because of what I had on hand: All organic ingredients: Fuji apples, unpeeled, cut into bite-size chunks, worked fine, and 1 7/8 lb filled my square 9″ pyrex pan; I chopped cashews and almonds for topping; used goat yogurt; salted organic butter. Otherwise, just as you wrote. I used coconut sugar and honey, and yes, topped with ice cream, though what I had also had chocolate-covered mini-almonds in the vanilla ice cream, so that added a bit of extra texture and flavor! Had to bake a little longer–about 38 minutes until it was golden on top, but that’s just my oven–all of them seem to vary a bit.
That ice cream sounds amazing! Thank you, Maria for sharing and for your review.
Hi Kate!
I had a printed version of your recipe on hand from 2016, was checking back at your web version to get a digital copy and noticed you are now cooking the apples a bit before adding the topping. I am curious about the change… I had found the recipe worked quite well without doing this before.
I have made this recipe several times with the various modifications you mentioned and I have LOVED it each time. I have some vegan and gluten-free friends and they have all appreciated the easy mods to suite their dietary needs. My favourite is using coconut oil instead of butter.
Thanks again!
To ensure that the topping doesn’t get too crisp. I had a lot of feedback regarding it. I’m glad the other way has worked so well for you, Dawn!
Another winner by Cookie and Kate! I used organic granny smith apples, maple syrup and boiled cider. I doubled the recipe and used a 13 x 9 dish. I cooked it 5-7 minutes longer on the first bake, and on the second bake I just turned the oven off and let it stay in to keep warm as I wasn’t serving it for hours. It is delicious! The granola topping could be eaten alone, it is so good. I plan to freeze most of it and imagine it will freeze well.
Thank you!
This was a hit!! I used honey, apple juice, corn starch, allspice, walnuts, brown sugar, and Greek yogurt (stating those since they all had different ingredient options). I also used granny Smith apples and crisp apples. Tasted amazing as written!! Had just the right amount of topping to apples ratio.
Thanks! This recipe is a keeper. Super easy to make, too!
Thanks for sharing, Mille!
Hi
Would love to make this tonight, but am wondering why the initial baking of apples on their own? Is it to ensure that the topping doesn’t get too brown?
Thanks
Yes, and to make sure they are cooked through and to the right softness. Hope this helps!
Scratch my previous question. I re-read things a bit more carefully and see that you covered that issue – thanks:)
Great :)
I’d love to make it for my friend, but she can eat No flour and No nuts, so I can’t substitute almond flour or even gluten free flour. Would it be okay with just the oats?
Please checkout my note below the recipe as it should help! Let me know how it goes, Deborah. Thanks so much!
If I doubled the recipe would an 11×7 baking dish be better than a 9X13? Have you ever doubled it?
I made this today and my husband and I loved it . I used the bourbon and water and instead of yogurt, I substituted a little less than 1/4c of 2% milk with 1tbsp of lemon juice
Thank you creating such a tasty and easy to make apple crisp recipe
Oh, delicious Mary! Thanks for your comment and review.
Holy Moly! Easily the BEST apple crisp i’ve ever had (and certainly ever made)! When choosing options in the recipe I opted for maple syrup, apple cider, corn starch, nutmeg, pecans, coconut sugar and plain green yogurt. I served this after Sunday family dinner and every guest was amazed! So glad to have found this healthier option!
Love to hear that, Kristin! I’m glad it was a hit with your guests. Thanks for your comment and review.
Ummm WOW this is outstanding! Just tried it out last night. I used a giant Honeycrisp and a few Granny Smiths. Didn’t have a 9-inch pan so I used an 8-inch. And it still turned out amazing! I no longer need to search for other apple crisp go-to recipes; I am sticking with this one! Thanks so much <3
Thank you for reporting back your experience, Julie!
I found this recipe while looking for healthy dessert recipe to fit my husband’s diet that actually tasted okay. Little did I know we would be blown away by the best apple crisp we’ve ever tasted. Yummmmm. Making more ASAP.
The best! I will have to agree with you, Krista. Thanks so much for the review!
Hello!
I’m in the middle of baking my apples and I realized I don’t have any yogurt on hand. Are there any decent substitutes?
Thanks!
Ice cream, of course. :) You could always server alone too.
I’ve made this twice now with a mixture of apples from a co-Workers apple orchard. Super delicious! What made it most fun was my 3 year old grandson stealing apple slices from the cutting board as I sliced the apples can’t wait to try some of your other recipes! Thanks!
I’m happy to hear that, Louise! Thanks so much for sharing. I appreciate your review.
I was looking for a GF and dairy-free dessert to celebrate my birthday this past weekend (accommodating others’ dietary restrictions) and landed on this. It was fantastic! All 4 adults and 6 kids devoured it. I doubled it and loaded it in a 9×13″ dish so that we’d have leftovers. Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Jill!
Made this for dessert for a gluten free option. Great but for the after tast from the yogurt. I think next time I’ll substitute with something elsr.
Thanks for sharing, Caroline!
Super easy and yum! Flavor was great, and I really appreciated the no refined sugar aspect. I think your picture showed a bit more topping than what I ended up with (the topping was delicious), so I may need to make more of that the next time. :)
Thank you, Teresa!
Thank you for this delicious apple crisp recipe! I am Gluten-free, almond free and Dairy-free, so some modification was done and it still turned out yummy and everyone at the New Year’ Eve dinner loved it. I used Brandy instead of water, cornstarch 2 TBSP, !/4 tsp allspice, with all other ingredients in the apple filling. For the topping, GF all-purpose flour instead of almond meal/flour, GF oats, pecans, coconut sugar, sea salt, 6TBSP dairy-free butter instead of Yogurt. Coconut milk dairy-free ice cream to top it off. YUMMY! Happy New Year to all!
You’re welcome! I’m glad it was able to work so well with your dietary needs.
Love this recipe so easy to make and so so good! I’ve made it a lot and even frozen it and it’s great with vanilla ice cream!
Thank you for sharing, Sarah! Sounds delicious.
This recipe is a great one! The apples were nice and soft, and the crisp was delicious. I used allspice this time, but might try nutmeg next time. My daughter has recently started to eliminate gluten, so I love knowing you provide delicious gluten free recipes. Thanks for another recipe I can count on!!
Thank you for your review, Hillary!
Omg, this was delish! I made it vegan. My mistake was, I cut my apples to thin and they ended up mushy. Lesson learned, but, the family still couldn’t get enough!
Oh no! But, I’m glad it was still delicious. I appreciate the review!
I spent about 10 minutes trying to find the ingredients and method for this recipe on my phone. After 10 minutes of watching ads load on my phone, I gave up and tried on my laptop. Same problem. So I tried to contact you, but was directed to comment instead. When I got to comments, I FINALLY saw the ingredients and method. I thought you might like to know that you have so many things loading on your page, that is becoming difficult to impossible for readers to actually see your page, even with high-speed internet. I had the same problem with my blog, and there are only 2 possible solutions: reduce the number of elements loading; or upgrade your host. Otherwise, it is just really time-wasting for your readers. And does not help your bottom line when people get upset and move to another web site. I am looking at my phone again now. It has been open to this recipe for fully 20 minutes, and it is STILL impossible to see ingredients or method, as ads keep loading. I am going to rate this recipe in the middle, as we have obviously not yet been able to try it.
Hi Joe, I’m sorry you have been frustrated, but I do appreciate the feedback.
I had the exact same experience, Joe. Way too many ads loading. Too frustrating and distracting.
I made your turmeric spiced roasted cauliflower this evening. I used lemon zest in the dressing and basil with the other 3 herbs listed. I used fat free, dairy free yogurt. It was incredible!
Thank you for another awesome recipe! My whole family enjoyed it! ☺️
You’re welcome, Gina!
Hi Kate, I made the apple crisp recipe last night. Subbed the almond flour with a whole grain flour blend that I make because I was in a hurry and did not have any almond flour prepared and used ghee for the oil. Came out really good, but will most likely use the almond meal next time because the flour did make it a little heavier. The ghee adds great flavor. Thanks kate
Thanks so much for sharing, Barbara! I appreciate the review.
I have to avoid dairy. Is there a dairy free substitution for the yogurt? Thanks!
You could try a non-dairy yogurt.
I just made the vegan version of this crisp and it is glorious!!
Wonderful, Jeanne!
YUMMY! I made this for a bbq this past weekend and it was a hit ! My boyfriend recently went gluten -free recently so I’ve been on the lookout for good recipes . This should be in everyone’s recipe box ! I used bourbon and if you have it on hand I’d suggest using it instead of water . Thank you Kate :)
You’re welcome, Jen! Thanks for your review.
Just made your delicious apple crisp for an evening sweet – eating it now…so so good! I made the recipe nut-free as per your notes, and halved it as it was just for my mom and me. The addition of yogurt in the topping is ingenious – it adds the perfect moisture which crisps nicely in the oven, without having to add a lot of butter/oil. I served it with some vanilla greek yogurt in space of ice cream and would highly recommend it! Thanks again Kate for the recipe – my mom and me loved it!!
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing, Suzy.
This was delicious! I have Coeliac disease and live in Australia. Here oats are not considered gluten free so I increased the nuts and almond meal slightly and added in some coconut- it was so tasty and warming on a cold winters night! Thanks for the great recipes!
Can you find certified gluten free? I’m happy you were able to make this work for you, Irene!
I made this for family visiting from Italy. We all loved it. My guest requested the recipe but they need the recipe using metric measurements and not imperial measurements. Would you happen to have this handy?
Hi Pat! Sorry, I don’t use metric ingredients. But, I do know several readers user myrecipes converter chart. Hope this can help some!
This is such an awesome recipe!!!! Thanks Kate!
I Know! Right?
I doubled this recipe and used a 15×11 inch glass baking dish. I baked the apples for 20 minutes and the whole thing for 30 minutes. It turned out great! It was a huge hit at the party I brought it to. Thank you for the recipe, Kate!!
OMG! I now know why this is 5 star rated. This recipe is a keeper! My priority is gluten free, healthy with lots of flavor. I made this wonderful recipe with just a few adjustments: I added more old fashioned GF oats and substituted GF multi-purpose flour for the almond flour. Also added extra chopped walnuts and lots of spice including allspice, ginger and more cinnamon. I didn’t have yogurt or liquor but just added a little extra water to balance the moisture. Topped the baked crisp with vanilla ice cream. What a tasty treat!!!
I’m glad you agree, Jan! Thanks for sharing!
If I were to sub coconut oil for the butter/yogurt, would I melt it or use room temp?
I made exactly as written in my 12 inch cast iron skillet with 5 large Granny Smith apples, ground up almonds, brown sugar and Greek yogurt. So good! Nice to eat a dessert and feel good after. Just ate it by itself! Thanks for sharing this!
You’re welcome! Thank you for your comment and review, Janelle!
So delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!