This gluten-free apple crisp is MUCH lower in sugar than your traditional apple pie or apple crisp recipes, but while it might be lacking in sugar it’s most definitely not lacking in flavor! Sweet cinnamon apple filling (sweetened with just a touch of pure maple syrup) is topped with a delicious oat and nut topping (made with almond butter instead of butter!). My favorite way to eat this gluten-free apple crisp is warm and topped with vanilla ice cream, of course. OR you could try my no-churn maple pecan ice cream which is a perfect flavor combination!
Hopefully you’re ok with me sharing an apple recipe in December. I tend to think of apple desserts more in the fall, but I shared these chocolate peanut butter overnight oats in an effort to break up the streak of pumpkin and apple recipes. Also…does anyone else feel time is flying?! I cannot believe that Christmas is this week!!!! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! 🙂 All that to say, I simply cannot wait all the way until next fall to share this recipe with you!
Healthy Gluten Free Apple Crisp Swaps
Almond flour versus white all-purpose flour
As I’ve mentioned, this apple crisp is naturally gluten free since it’s made with oats, almond flour, and nuts instead of all-purpose white flour. Oats are whole-grain, and almond flour is literally just made up of ground almonds which provide healthy-fats!
White sugar versus maple syrup
The ENTIRE pan of this gluten-free apple crisp uses only 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of sugar total (including the brown sugar and maple syrup)! Most apple crisp or apple pie recipes literally use 4-6 times that amount! You really don’t need nearly that much sugar in fruit recipes…the apples are sweet enough! Be sure to use 100% pure maple syrup instead of pancake syrup for the best flavor and texture. You can also use coconut sugar in place of the 2 tablespoons brown sugar if you want this to be refined-sugar free.
Almond butter versus butter
Just like in this blueberry crisp, I used almond butter in place of butter for this apple crisp and it’s absolutely delicious! Almond butter provides heart-healthy unsaturated fats and a bit of protein versus the saturated fat in butter. The combination of almond butter, almond flour, and nuts provide a delightfully crisp topping. I can’t believe you don’t need any butter in this recipe at all!
What kind of apples to use for apple crisp?
Since this recipe doesn’t use a lot of added sugar, I do recommend using a somewhat sweeter apple for the filling. I’d recommend to use a firm/crisp apple so the filling doesn’t become overly mushy when cooked. My apple suggestions include: Honeycrisp, pink lady, fuji, Sweet Tango, Opal, etc. Feel free to use your favorite variety of apple though! Keep in mind if you use Granny Smith (which aren’t as sweet) you might need to add additional maple syrup or brown sugar in the filling.
- Crisp topping:
- 1 cup rolled/old-fashioned oats
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped pecans (or try chopped walnuts or sliced almonds)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup almond butter
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- .
- For the filling:
- 4 cups apples, sliced (about 3 medium/large apples)
- 1 tablespoon tapioca (or sub cornstarch)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix together crisp topping ingredients until crumbly and combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the apple filling ingredients.
- Place apple filling in prepared pan and spread crisp topping ingredients on top.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until apples are tender and crisp is...crisp!
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