Every bite of this gluten-free apple crisp is bursting with cinnamon sugar flavor, soft caramelized apples, and perfectly crunchy crumble topping! I love the way the apples caramelized with the coconut sugar and the crumble topping is spot on. The star of this crisp is definitely the apples, and when topped with a dollop of dairy-free whipped cream, I can’t think of too many things that are much tastier! Plus, this apple crisp is allergy friendly and super easy to make!

Pioneer Recipe

Surprisingly, apples were actually a staple food in the Old West. The cowboys enjoyed them on cattle drives, the pioneers baked with them on the wagon trains, and the early settlers made baked goods with them for special occasions. Apples truly seem to be an American food! That being said, most of the time the cowboys, pioneers, and settlers had to use dried apples not fresh apples. While apples are quite easy to store, whole apples are not exactly the easiest thing to pack in your saddlebag or store in your covered wagon.

Apples were used in many baked goods, including pies, baked apple pudding, and fried apples. Surprisingly, apple crisp was not a common apple baked good back in the pioneer days! Apple crisp is actually more of a modern American recipe with the earliest records being in a cookbook printed in 1924.

However, we can still call this a modern pioneer recipe because it uses a traditional American West ingredient (apples) and it is allergy friendly! This apple crisp recipes is…

gluten-free
nut free
egg free
corn free
anti-inflammatory
uses a healthy sugar

I enjoy baking with fresh apples and fall always makes me want to try new apple recipes and resurrect favorite apple recipes. This apple crisp recipe is a fall favorite of mine!

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bowls of gluten-free apple crisp topped with dairy-free ice cream

Choosing Apples

When it comes to apple season, it seems like there are endless options of apple varieties to choose from! For anyone who is experienced with baking with apples, I’m sure you all have your favorite varieties and the ones you prefer for certain dishes. That being said, I know I still get confused sometimes when I look at all those fall apple names!

Which ones are best for pie? Applesauce? Crisp? I think I literally need an apple chart to bring with me shopping when I go to the farm market to pick out apples! That being said, I did a little research and found this helpful apple chart.

The chart divides apples into categories, sweet and tart. Then it lists a couple of varieties of apples in each category and indicates whether the apple is good for cooking, baking, or eating. Here’s a brief summary:

Sweet Apples

cooking: fuji, gala, cameo, golden delicious
baking: fuji, sonya, jona gold, cameo, golden delicious
eating: all the varieties listed above!

Tart Apples

cooking: honeycrisp, rome, braeburn, pink lady, granny smith
baking: red delicious, honeycrisp, rome, pink lady, granny smith
eating: red delicious, honeycrisp, braeburn, pink lady, granny smith

Of the apples listed, I didn’t see the apple variety that I actually used in this crisp recipe. Paula red apples were the first apples I bought from my local farm market. I had never worked with paula reds before but they have quickly become one of my favorite baking and cooking apples!

Paula reds resemble a McIntosh and they are an early season apple, meaning they are usually one of the first fall apples available. They bake down very quickly and are super nice for putting in baked goods or cooking with.

So for me, fuji and honeycrisp apples are my favorite eating apples and the Paula Reds are my new favorite cooking and baking apples!

homemade apple crisp with oatmeal crumble topping and ice cream

Using Apples

Apples are such a versatile fruit and there are so many yummy things you can make with them! From eating plain, to cooking, to baking, to dehydrating and so much more. Here are a couple ideas that I came up with to make the most of this delicious fruit while it is in season!

Cooking & Baking

Gluten-free apple pie
Grain-free apple hand pies
Baked apple pudding
Apple sweet rolls
Fried apples with bacon
Applesauce

Eating Fresh

apple slices with peanut butter
sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over apple slices
dip apple slices in homemade caramel sauce
make apple slice sandwiches with peanut butter, raisins, and other goodies

Sharing with the Homestead Livestock

chickens love apples and apples make for a great healthy boredom buster
make apple horse treats
goats will happily take care of any extra apple peels you have!
rabbits can have small nibbles of apple, but not too much since apples are high in natural sugar
dogs enjoy apples as treats, just make sure you remove the apple seeds
and of course, pigs will eat anything so they would enjoy apple scraps as well!

Preserving

make the apples into applesauce and can the applesauce
make apple pie filling and can the filling
peel and slice up the apples and freeze them for baking with
save the apple peels and cores to make apple cider vinegar with
dehydrate apple slices
store whole apples in a cool dry place and remove any bruised or rotten apples that could spoil all the apples

gluten-free blueberry cardamon granola free recipe

servings of homemade apple crisp with an oat crumble topping

Apple Crisp Recipe Tips

This apple crisp recipe is very simple! I don’t think you’ll have any problems making it, but here are a few tips to ensure your apple crisp turns out just as good as mine did!

Apples that bake down quickly are the best kind to use for this crisp.
When using ramekins, pile the apple mixture and crumble topping as high as you can since the apples will cook down quite a bit.
Make sure you thoroughly coat the sides of the ramekins or dish that you are using with coconut oil to make clean-up easier!
You can use any granulated sugar in this recipe, coconut sugar just creates a nice caramelized apple mixture.
Arrowroot flour can be substituted for the tapioca flour in both the apple mixture and the crumble mixture.
For the butter in the crumble, you could try using a dairy-free substitute like almond butter or coconut butter, just make sure it is chilled and firm so that crumble can form in the food processor.

Apple Crisp Baking Methods

This apple crisp recipe is so versatile, you can choose whichever method you prefer for baking this crisp, or try them all! Here are some tips for whichever method you choose:

Ramekins: Dice up the apples into small chunks to fit them in the ramekins with the crumb topping. Make sure you pile the crumble topping on high since the apples with cook down. Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet to bake in case any filling spills over.

8×8″ Glass Baking Dish: The apples can be sliced thinly or cubed and the crumble topping evenly distributed over the apples. Bake time will be the same as the ramekins.

Cast Iron Skillet: Use a 10″ or 12″ cast iron skillet depending on how thick you want your apple crisp. The apples can be sliced or cubed and the crumble topping piled on. Bake time may be slightly less since cast iron bakes things slightly quicker. Make sure you rub coconut oil in the skillet before putting the apples in it to prevent sticking!

Dutch Oven: Use a 10″ or 12″ Dutch oven. The apples should be thinly sliced so that they cook quickly. Paula Reds or other soft varieties of apples work best for cooking apple crisp in the Dutch oven since they cook down quickly. Bake time should be for at least 30 minutes or until the apples are soft, bubbling, and the crumb topping is browned.

This gluten-free apple crisp combines the delicious soft texture of baked apples with the perfect soft crunchiness of an oatmeal crumble topping to present you with a fall experience you will never forget! I love making this apple crisp every fall and it is a family favorite in my house!

Gluten-free Apple Crisp

Recipe by The Pioneer Chicks

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 10

Servings 4 people

Author Alexa Lehr

Ingredients

Apple Mixture

5-6 cups organic apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (approx. 5 large apples)
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon or apple pie spice
1/2 tsp. organic lemon juice

Crisp Mixture

1/3 cup organic, grass-fed butter cold
1/3 cup coconut sugar
2/3 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free whole oats
1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour or oat flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rub coconut oil into 4-5 small ramekins or in an 8×8" glass baking dish.
Mix together all of the apple mixture ingredients. Stir until all the apples are coated and everything is combined. Divide the mixture between the ramekins or spread it into the baking dish.
In a food processor, combine all of the crisp ingredients. For the cold butter, dice it up into teaspoon size pieces before adding it to the food processor. Pulse until a crumble forms.
Divide the crumble amongst the ramekins or spread it on top of the apples in the baking dish. If using ramekins, place them on a baking sheet to catch any spills.
Bake for 50-60 minutes. The apples should be bubbling. If the crisp topping starts to brown too much, cover the crisp with foil and bake until the apples are soft.
Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before serving with dairy-free whipped cream!

Where to Find the Ingredients

gluten-free apple crisp topped with dairy-free vanilla ice cream

Gluten-free apple crisp is the perfect American pioneer recipe that is allergy friendly and super easy to make! I love the sweet, soft flavor of the apples mixed with a cinnamon sugar flavor and topped with a delicious oat crumble. Add a dollop of dairy-free whipped cream to the dish and it turns a healthy apple snack into something more like a dessert! The caramelized apples and coconut sugar are amazing in this crisp!

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Gluten-free Apple Crisp

Pioneer Recipe