This cranberry apple crisp is the perfect blend of tart cranberries plus sweet apples, topped with a gorgeously crisp and buttery gluten-free topping.

A pan of cranberry apple crisp with a plate of crisp with a fork on a plate.

Why You'll Love This Easy Cranberry Apple Crisp Recipe

This is a beautifully juicy crisp and the topping is to die for! It's a lovely fall and wintry treat, perfect for a quick weeknight dessert but worthy of serving after a holiday meal as well. Here's why you'll love this recipe:

It's totally gluten-free. Many crisps call for a little flour added to the filling for thickening - I've used arrowroot here instead, which creates a nice squidgy texture without needing any gluten.
Balanced flavors. Cranberries are quite tart, and the addition of apples balances them nicely with a hint of natural sweetness. Brown sugar steps in to make this a sweet-enough dessert without being overwhelming. And a hint of warming spice brings it all together.
Cozy. A fruit crisp is so perfect during the cooler months, and this cranberry apple crisp is no exception. It's the perfect rustic dessert that works for any occasion.

Ingredients for cranberry apple crisp are shown portioned out: apples, cranberries, oat flour, oats, butter, arrowroot, ginger, cinnamon.

What You'll Need

Check out an overview of the ingredients in this cranberry apple crisp below. The full ingredient amounts and detailed recipe instructions can be found in the recipe card lower down.

Filling

Cranberries - You can use fresh or frozen cranberries interchangeably.
Apples - I used Granny Smith apples, but any firm, slightly tart apple will work well.
Brown sugar - Light or dark brown sugar is fine.
Arrowroot - A gluten-free starch, arrowroot helps to thicken the filling.
Ground spices - Cinnamon and ginger.

Topping

Oat flour - This gluten-free flour is used as the base of the topping.
Oats - Use old-fashioned rolled oats and not quick-cooking oats for the best texture.
Brown sugar
Salt - I use fine sea salt in all of my recipes.
Baking powder - To give the topping a bit of lightness.
Butter - I prefer unsalted butter in baking.

A portion of cranberry apple crisp on a plate next to a pan of crisp.

How to Make Apple Cranberry Crisp

Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F and have an 8"x8" pan ready.
Make filling: Mix the filling ingredients and spread out evenly in the pan
Make topping: Stir together the topping ingredients, then cut in the butter.
Bake: Sprinkle the topping over the filling then bake for 40-45 minutes.

Cranberry apple crisp on a plate with a fork.

Tips & Variations Suggestions

If you need to switch out a few ingredients, I've included some substitution suggestions below along with a few tips to help you make this apple cranberry crisp:

Oat flour substitute - Use sorghum or teff flour, or try a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
Arrowroot substitute - Swap in cornstarch equally for the arrowroot.
Make it dairy-free - Use cold coconut oil in place of the butter if you wish to make this crisp without dairy.
Make it refined sugar-free - Substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar. Sometimes I'll do a mix of maple syrup and brown sugar in the filling for a bit of extra flavor.
Add nuts - Sliced almonds added to the topping are lovely and add a little crunch.
Add coconut - Stir in 1 cup of unsweetened, shredded coconut to the filling for a different flavor note.

A piece of cranberry apple crisp is shown with a fork on a white plate topped with vanilla ice cream.

Serving Suggestions

Apple cranberry crisp is delightful as a cold, late-morning snack filched from the fridge, but my favorite way to serve it is warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You could also serve portions of cranberry crisp with a dollop of whipped cream.

How to Store Cranberry Apple Crisp

There are several ways to store cranberry apple crisp:

Counter - Cover the baking pan with foil and keep it on the counter for up to 2 days.
Fridge - Place leftover crisp in an airtight container or cover the pan tightly with foil and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer - If you wish, you can freeze the baked crisp in a freezer-safe pan, tightly wrapped in foil, for up to 3 months. Defrost the crisp in the fridge before reheating.
To Reheat - Place cranberry apple crisp back in the oven at 250°F to gently rewarm it until the filling is heated through.

Cranberry Apple Crisp