Gluten Free Oatmeal Apple Crisp Recipe

Apple Crisp Highlights

• Double the crisp = double the deliciousness - I love that there are TWO layers of buttery crispy yumminess in this apple crisp!
• Use any apples you like - What apples are good for baking? Great question. Depending on the recipe, you can use firm, tart, or extra-sweet apples. A bonus of this crisp is that you can use ANY apples you have on hand and it will always turn out well.
• So simple - A crisp or crumble is pretty much the definition of a simple dessert and this one is no exception. You will need about 10 minutes or less to throw this together.

Ingredient Notes

• Oats - Use certified gluten free oats if needed (are you wondering are oats gluten free? The answer is: yes! But not everyone who keeps gluten free can eat oats. If you can't tolerate oats, you can use a gluten free flour of choice, such as brown rice flour, for the oats.).
• Almond flour - Fine ground almond flour or almond meal will work here, or substitute oat flour or teff flour.
• Brown sugar - Either dark or light brown sugar works.
• Ground spices - Cinnamon and ginger.
• Salt - I use fine sea salt to balance the sweetness of the crisp.
• Butter - Unsalted butter is best here, or use non-dairy butter to make this crisp dairy-free.
• Apples - Use your apples of choice (I used Golden Delicious apples from our tree). You may need to adjust the amount of sugar depending on how sweet your apples are.

See the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.

Variations

You can try other fruit in place of the apples, or experiment with some flavor additions, such as:

• Other fruit - Use the crisp recipe and fill it with any fruit of your choice! Pears are a lovely swap for apples, or make it in summer with stone fruit like cherries or peaches, or fill it with berries like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or a mix.
• Add nuts - Scatter some sliced almonds on top of the apples before you add the top layer.
• Drizzle with maple syrup or vanilla - For a little extra flavor note, drizzle the apple filling with 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup or pure vanilla extract.

Get inspiration for a summery crisp rendition with my recipe for gluten free blueberry crisp!

Tips & Substitution Suggestions

• Let it rest: In the recipe instructions, I advise letting the crisp cool to room temperature after baking to allow the crisp filling to solidify a bit. You can gently rewarm it in the oven before serving or just serve it at room temperature.
• Add nuts - Instead of the 1 cup of rolled oats, substitute 1 cup of sliced almonds (you can toast them lightly or leave them untoasted). Or, add ½ cup of chopped walnuts to the topping and leave in the oats.
• Oats and almond flour substitute - Use 2 ½ cups of your favorite 1:1 gluten free flour blend instead of the oats and almond flour.
• Make it dairy-free - Substitute your favorite non-dairy butter for the butter to make this oatmeal apple crisp dairy-free.
• Adjust the sugar - Depending on your apples, you can add more or less sugar to taste. For example, you may want to add more sugar if you use Granny Smith apples because they are more tart.

Serving Suggestions

• Ice cream: Top warm bowls of gluten free oatmeal apple crisp with big scoops of vanilla ice cream for the perfect finish!
• Whipped cream: I also like a dollop or two of softly whipped cream.
• With yogurt: You can also eat crisp for breakfast - in fact, I encourage it. Add plain or vanilla yogurt to your portion of crisp, or try Greek yogurt.
• Add dessert sauce: Drizzle homemade salted caramel sauce over the crisp when serving for a punch of sweet-salty.
• Warm, room temperature, or cold: Trust me when I say oatmeal apple crisp tastes amazing warm, at room temp, or even straight out of the fridge. It's up to you.

Storage

Save leftovers on the counter or in the fridge, or even freeze them! Here's how to do it:

• Counter - Cover the crisp with plastic or foil and store it on the counter for up to 2 days.
• Fridge – Place leftover blueberry crisp in an airtight container or leave it in the baking pan, cover it tightly, and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
• Freezer – This crisp freezes well! You can freeze it whole, by wrapping the baked and cooled crisp in a layer of plastic, and a layer of foil, and then storing it in the freezer for up to one month. And, you can reheat the crisp directly from the freezer: Place it in a preheated 350˚F oven until it’s hot all the way through. Or, place individual portions in freezer-safe containers and freeze them for up to 3 months. Defrost the crisp in the fridge before reheating or serving.
• To Reheat – Enjoy your crisp cold, or warm it up in a preheated 350˚F oven until the topping is crisp and the filling is bubbly. Or pop it in the microwave to heat in 30-second increments until warm.