My Grandmother’s Apple Crisp

My grandmother had several apple crisp recipes she rotated between but this one was my favorite! It's packed with juicy apples and has the most delicious crumble topping. Now we make it gluten-free and it's every bit as delicious!

gluten free apple crisp recipe easy dessert
My Grandmother’s Apple Crisp

Easy to make & SO YUMMY!

If you’re looking for Apple Crumble Bars, click here.

New! I’ve added a cooking video on this page so you can see how easy it is to make the yummiest Gluten-Free Apple Crisp!

As with all our recipes, there is a printable recipe at the bottom of the page with exact measurements and directions.

Hope you love it!

gluten free apple crisp www.healthygffamily.com

Original post..

Apple season is one of my favorite parts of Fall!

My entire family loooves apples and we eat them as fast as I can purchase them.

We used to go apple picking but as the boys have gotten older (and busier), I have started getting all our apples at the farmer’s market which is the next best thing, sometimes better!

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The local farmer’s bring their freshest and just picked apples to the farmer’s market each week and I always ask for the crispest and tartest apples which is what my family likes best.

When we’re not eating them straight from the fridge, we’re baking with them! We love Apple Cinnamon Muffins, my Grandmother’s Dutch Apple Cake, and apple crisp!

My grandmother had several Apple Crisp recipes she rotated between and I’ve shared one of them before but this classic is my personal favorite!

Packed with juicy apples and topped with lots of delicious crumble, this apple crisp is classic for a reason… it’s SO YUMMY!

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And it is beyond easy to make!

All you need is lots of apples and a simple crumble topping.

Let’s start with the apples.  You’ll need 7-10 depending on the size and your preference for how filled you like it but we always recommend more apples than less because they shrink when baked.

A note about the apples: With apple crisp, any apple will work but baking apples or Granny Smith apples will give a nice tart flavor in contrast to the crumble and will hold their form best. Other apples may lose their form and become more “mushy” when baking (but will still taste great!).

That said, an apple crisp is a great way to use up “older” apples because they are hidden underneath the crumble and will still taste great even if they get a little “mushy” when baked.

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Once you’ve peeled and cut the apples, we mix them with cinnamon, then top it with crumble!

The crumble topping is simply:

All-purpose gluten-free flour (we use GF Jules All Purpose Flour – Affiliate link)

brown sugar

cinnamon  (you could also mix the cinnamon with the apples instead of the crumble)

butter or dairy free butter

gluten-free oats

flax seed meal (optional but gives a nutritional boost and you won’t taste it).

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As an aside, you may have noticed that we are affiliate for GFJules.  To learn more about why we love GFJules flour and why we have used it for 10 years, click here.

Bonus: at the bottom of that post is a one-time use affiliate Discount Code.

And importantly, purchasing through an affiliate link does not change your cost at all. It generates a small percentage of the sale for me, and purchasing through an affiliate link helps me fund this website and all the recipes I share, so thank you!

Back to the Gluten-free Apple Crisp…

The crumble topping couldn’t be easier.

You place all the ingredients in one bowl and mix them together by hand or with a pastry cutter.

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I like to make the crumble topping first, then cut the apples so that the apples will have less time to brown but that’s just a preference.

You place the apples in a large pan of any shape you like.

You can see by this photo that my family tends to overload the baking dish with apples because the apples will shrink or “fall down” after baking and settling.

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Then top with a simple crumble topping.

gluten free apple crisp #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

Bake for 35-40 minutes (your house will smell amazing) and enjoy!

It is super easy to whip up, cozy & perfect way to enjoy Fall apples!

Want a scoop?

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Perfect for any day or a holiday!

It’s waaaaayyyy easier than making apple pie and my family thinks yummier!

Hope you love it as much as we do!

PIN it!

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Scroll down to see the recipe and leave a comment if you try.

Recipe

 

gluten free apple crisp recipe easy dessert
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4.56 from 9 votes

My Grandmother's Apple Crisp

A classic apple crisp, loaded with juice apples and topped with a delicious crumble. My grandmother's recipe is classic for reason... it's is always a hit!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert, Holidays, Fall, Baking
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Optional, Nut-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Healthy Gluten-free Family

Ingredients

Apples

  • 7-10 apples depending on how full you want it and size of baking dish
  • TIP: Any apple will work but baking apples, Cortland and Granny Smith apples will give a nice tart flavor in contrast to the crumble and will hold their form best. Other apples may lose their form and become more "mushy" when baking-- I love using a combination of apples. And an apple crisp is a great way to use up "older" apples.
  • TIP: my family tends to over fill the pan because the apples will shrink or "fall down" after baking and settling. If you over-stuff it with apples you will still be left with a lot of apples.
  • Cinnamon to taste approximately 1/2 teaspoon- 1 teaspoon

Crumb topping (this is a very forgiving recipe if you need to adjust quantities for your pan size)

  • 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour with xanthan gum we use GF Jules - affiliate link
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar packed (could cut back to 2/3 cup depending on size of pan)
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or dairy free alternative (We often use Earth Balance soy free sticks), Softened
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free oats could add more if using a large pan and trying to make a larger quantity of topping
  • 1-3 tablespoons flaxseed meal optional, adds some nutrients and no one will taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°.

Apples

  • Peel, core and slice the apples 1/4-1/2 inch thick, and place in a large bowl. Tip: don't worry if some of the apples are in different sizes or shapes. It's a very forgiving recipe! The thicker may take longer to bake and soften.
  • Add cinnamon to the apples and stir to combine.
  • Place apples in a baking pan (any shape, approximately 9-10 inch -- this is a 10 inch round, I've used 11 x 7 rectangle and 8x8 square -- it's a forgiving recipe!).

Crumb Topping

  • Place all ingredients in a large bowl and with a pastry cutter or your hands (preferably) mix the crumb topping together.

Assemble & Bake

  • With your hands "drop" pieces of crumble over the apples until it's covered
  • Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until topping slightly golden and apples tender. TIP: Check at 30 minutes and if the crumble is getting too brown and you want apples to cook longer, cover with foil and continue baking another 5- 10 minutes)
Tried this recipe?Mention @HealthyGFFamily or tag #HealthyGFFamily!

 

32 thoughts on “My Grandmother’s Apple Crisp

  1. Love this recipe! Made it a couple weeks ago and made it again today for Thanksgiving. It is really good and way easier than apple pie.

    1. Thanks so much Carolina! I am so happy you love it too and agree, so much easier than pie! So honored to be part of your Thanksgiving table.

  2. Made this recipe, it is amazing!! I doubled the recipe and it came out perfect. Gone in two days, it was a family hit!!!?

  3. I went apple picking over the weekend and was excited to use the apples! Found this recipe of the apple crisp and decided to bake this! Just finished making it and it looks so delicious!! I also like that the recipe doesn’t feel like it’s unhealthy!

  4. 5 stars
    Just made this for a family gathering and I couldn’t help but sneak a test taste (or 5) first. ? It is scrumptious! Best apple crisp I’ve ever made!

    1. 5 stars
      Oh yes, I did add the juice from half a lemon just because I didn’t have any tart apples. I also threw in few caramels but I will omit them next time because I think it would be best as written. ?

  5. 5 stars
    OMG!! This Apple Crisp was amazing. I made it for a work pot luck and everyone who tried it loved it!
    I won’t have to miss out on any desserts in the future this will be my go to. Being GF is hard when your the only one in the family.
    Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes ❤️

  6. Hi karen my na.e is Patty. I wanted to know if I could use a different kind of flour and can I substitute the sugar for Zing Organic stevia sweetener ? I wanted to make this because I’m going to my sister’s and we’re going to have a family get together. I may be leaving on the 25th.

  7. 5 stars
    So easy to prepare, my three-year old mixed up the topping. I love the simplicity of this recipe – can’t wait to make another.

  8. So delicious!! I used Trader Joe’s GF flour which doesn’t contain xantham gum. I used 1 egg white to substitute and turned out great. Will definitely make again!

  9. 5 stars
    I made this apple crisp again this year for my Thanksgiving dessert and it was amazing!! I LOVE this recipe it’s so easy, delicious and perfect for any occasion.

  10. 5 stars
    I made this last night to use up some Granny Smith apples that were on its last legs. I actually thought the apple mixture could have been a little sweeter, but probably because my apples were very tart. Next time I will taste an apple first! And I couldn’t help myself and added a half cup of chopped pecans to the topping, and it was perfect. I will tell you that my non gluten free husband had 3 helpings! Thank you!

    1. Love that your non gf husband loved it so much! And true, whenever you bake with apples, the flavor will vary depending on the tartness or sweetness of your apple… so it’s always a great idea to adjust the sugar to taste! Love that you added pecans! Thanks for sharing!

  11. A fall favorite! I prepped it before a long swim meet & we all came home and ate it cold with vanilla yogurt for dinner, it was FABULOUS. Another easy, delicious recipe from your kitchen.

  12. 5 stars
    I had a “peck” of apples that needed to be used so I thought I’d try this recipe. After the apples were all peeled, corded and sliced, it was so easy to make. I doubled the batch and pretty much had to double the cooking time. It turned out so well that even my non-gluten-free family LOVED it!

  13. I’m about to make this and noticed there’s no sugar added to the apples like the other fruit crumbles — the auger is in the topping. Is this correct? Just double checking. Thanks.

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