Gluten Free Apple Crumble

I grew up with apple crisp or peach crumble at every holiday dinner. The smell of apples baking while we ate was my reminder to save room for dessert (a rule I took very seriously).

My mom’s version was delicious, but her topping wasn’t really a crumble. It was a thick layer of brown sugar and butter. No oats. Just butter and sugar.

I love tinkering with my favorite recipes to see how much sugar I can cut before anyone notices. This version uses a lot less and adds oats so the apples get to shine. It’s still dessert, so you’ll still get plenty of sweetness. If you have more apples to use up, my German Apple Cake is another one we make all fall.

What Makes This Recipe Great?

• Honey has been used in place of white refined sugar in the apple mixture. Maple syrup can be used as well as a vegan option.

• This apple crumble uses brown sugar but much less than many recipes and can be replaced with coconut sugar if you wish.

• Gluten-free oats and almond flour are used to make a great gluten-free crumble topping, with the almond flour giving a slightly nutty flavour to this apple crisp.

• Cornstarch is used to thicken the apple filling instead of all-purpose flour.

• This recipe is super quick to prepare and after baking your house will smell amazing!

Star Ingredients

• Apples – Honeycrisp or green apples are my go-to for this recipe, and you will need about 5 or 6 large apples.
• Honey – adds sweetness to the apple mixture as well as creates a lovely syrupy filling when the sugars melt into the apple juices that are released while baking.  If you are vegan or just prefer it, maple syrup is a great substitute.
• Gluten-free rolled oats –  the key ingredient in the gluten-free crumble! If you aren’t gluten-free, regular rolled oats can be used.
• Almond flour – Adds some weight to the oatmeal crumble topping and has a terrific nutty flavor.
• Brown sugar – The sweet addition to the crumble topping with oats helps it stick together and stay crispy through caramelization. You can swap out the brown sugar for coconut sugar if you want to use a less-processed choice.

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Peel, thinly slice, and core 5-6 Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples. About 2 1/2 lbs before peeling. Place sliced fresh apples in a large bowl.
2. Add the honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, lemon juice and cornstarch. Mix well until combined and the mixture evenly coats the apples.

3. Pour the apple mixture into an ungreased 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish and set aside.
4. Prepare the gluten-free almond flour crumble topping next.
5. In a medium bowl, add the gluten-free rolled oats, almond flour, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt. 

6. Mix it all together with your hands, breaking up the butter and blending it into the dry ingredients so that a coarse oatmeal-like texture forms with pea-sized crumbly bits. 
7. Sprinkle the oatmeal crumble topping over the apple mixture in the baking dish and gently pat down to evenly cover the top. 
8. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before enjoying this easy apple crumble with oats by itself or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt.

Leftovers? No Problem!

This recipe will store well on the counter or in the fridge wrapped tightly for 3 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

Reheat the leftovers in the oven or in the microwave. If frozen, let it thaw first in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the oven until the centre is warm. If when reheating, the topping begins to brown too much, cover it with a layer of foil until it is done. Reheating it in the oven will allow for the topping to crisp up again.