Gluten-Free Apple Crisp (Vegan, Allergy-Free)

Published: Oct 14, 2019 by Rebecca Pytell · This post may contain affiliate links.

Dive right into this easy Gluten-Free Apple Crisp! An essential fall dessert that's vegan, allergy-free, healthy, and naturally sweet! Warm tender-baked apples, covered in a crunchy, dairy-free & buttery, cinnamon oat topping. Top this old-fashioned classic recipe with vanilla ice cream and enjoy every seasonal cozy bite!

What's better than apple pie? Apple crisp! Those sweet tender-baked apples and that crunchy cinnamon sweet oat streusel baking away in the oven. THAT is what Fall smells like! Get out your rustic ole' cast iron skillet, grab the pounds of apples (I know you have from apple picking), and get ready for the BEST gluten-free apple crisp you've ever tasted! Bonus points...this crisp is super easy, vegan, and did I mention healthy?

If you've been a Strength and Sunshine reader for any length of time, you know how I feel about "cooked apples" and how I prefer smooth pies. Sometimes you just need to make an apple crisp (I'm doing this for YOU!). But what can I say? The crispy topping drew me in...

Apple Crisp vs. Apple Crumble

Terminology lesson for you! What's the difference between an apple crisp, crumble, even cobbler? They're all baked and contain fruit, but each topping is slightly different.

A crumble is a dense topping of flour, butter, and sugar.
A crisp is a lighter, crunchier topping of flour, butter, sugar, and OATS.
A cobbler has a topping of dough, either pie crust or biscuits.

The best apples for an apple crisp

Whenever you're baking with apples, you need to choose the variety wisely. You want a crisp, tart and sweet, sturdy and firm apple. No soft Red Delicious or Macintosh. Personally I wouldn't use Granny Smith either (hate the sour!). My top suggestions are the coveted Honey Crisp, Jonagold, Jonathan, Braeburn, or Pink Lady. For this gluten-free vegan apple crisp, I used Honey Crisp apples.

How to slice the apples

This comes down to preference, just like your apple choice, but baking time may vary. You can cut thick wedges (what I did), thin wedges, spiralize it, chop it into cubes, even flat round for a gratin-style crisp. You can either leave the skin on (what I did and strongly suggest) or peel it (and waste the best part!) The apple and skin get super-soft, ooey, and gooey, once it's baked so don't harp on this too much. Nothing needs to be uniform either; keep it rustic! Just remove the stem and seeds...

How to make apple crisp

Now for the details. You don't need much to make a fruit crisp. It's perfect for when you want to enjoy the season's prime fruit, but don't feel like making an intricate pie, yet want something fancier than eating the fruit straight up! Budget-friendly, lazy-cook approved, easy, delicious...need I say more?

For the apples:

Honey Crisp Apples (or other varieties, noted above)
Lemon Juice
Granulated Sweetener (sugar-free!)
Cinnamon

Slice your apples, add them in a bowl, and toss them together with the other ingredients to coat. Then place them in a large, seasoned cast iron skillet or greased baking dish.

For the crisp topping:

Gluten-Free Flour (any kind will work, all-purpose, brown rice, sorghum, etc.)
Gluten-Free Rolled Oats (certified purity protocol)
Brown Sugar Sweetener (sugar-free!)
Vegan/Soy-Free Butter
Cinnamon
Pure Vanilla Extract

Add the crisp topping ingredients to a bowl and crumble it up with your hands to combine. Sprinkle it over the top of the apples in your baking dish. Pop it in the oven and enjoy the wonderful cozy smells while everything bakes to soft apple and crunchy crisp perfection!

Crisp topping without the oats?

You know how I feel about gluten-free oats, so if you don't want to use or can't get certified gluten-free oats, swap them with quinoa flakes! Texture and taste will be slightly different, but it works!

Do you cover apple crisp while baking?

No! You want the oat topping to get CRISPY, i.e. apple CRISP. If you cover your baking dish or skillet with foil, the moisture and steam from the apples baking will make you topping a mushy dough with no crunch!

How long does it last?

Once you've baked up your easy apple crisp, you'll need to let it cool completely, right in the baking dish or skillet before storing. You can keep it in the baking dish, covered or you can scoop it out into a container. Store it in the fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat the crisp, you can warm it up back in the oven for a few minutes if you left it in the baking vessel you used or simple microwave the individual portions you'll be serving.

How to serve your crisp

This should be a no-brainer! When you have a plate of warm, steaming, cozy apple crisp in front of you, what's the best way to top it? ICE CREAM! Pick your favorite dairy-free, vegan vanilla ice cream and contract the warm apple crisp with the cold creamy ice cream! So yummy and it gets all melty...swoon!

Is it healthy?

Well, minus the ice cream, you've got a pretty healthy seasonal dessert if you make this crisp recipe! It's...

Gluten-Free
Vegan
Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Coconut-Free, Corn-Free)
Oil-Free
Sugar-Free (sans natural sugar in the apples!)
Kid-Friendly, Mom-Approved

Easy Gluten-Free Apple Crisp