This easy Gluten-Free Apple Crumble is made with warm cinnamon apples and an oat flour vegan crumble topping. Serve this total crowd-pleaser warm with a scoop of ice cream.
Whether you are having a dinner party, making a holiday spread, or just want a simple dessert, there's nothing that beats a fruit crumble or crisp.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Uses just 8 simple ingredients
- Easy recipe
- Gluten-free diet and vegan friendly
- Baked fruit dessert that highlights apple season
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete list of ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.
Gluten-free oat flour - A whole-grain flour makes up the base of the vegan crumble topping. You can easily make your own oat flour with a food processor if have oats on hand instead of using store-bought.
Arrowroot starch - This starch helps bind our gluten-free crumble topping together. Corn starch is a great substitute.
Fresh apples - You can use one type of baking apple or a variety of apples for the tender apple filling.
Organic cane sugar - This gives our topping its crunch and sweetness. An unrefined alternative to white sugar and much less processed. Coconut sugar can be substituted 1:1 if necessary, but this will decrease the sweetness, make a darker streusel topping, and slightly change the texture.
Maple syrup - Instead of apple cider or juice, this natural unrefined sweetener makes for a deliciously syrupy fruit filling.
Ground cinnamon - We don't skimp on this warm spice. The result is wonderfully aromatic cinnamon apples.
Vegan butter - Helps to replicate the true buttery flavors of a traditional fruit crumble.
Vanilla extract - Little but mighty, the ingredient that ties everything together! Quality pure vanilla extract is recommended for the best flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Before you start: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel and slice the apples. Grease the baking dish.
Step 1: Toss the apples in a large bowl with cinnamon, maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of arrowroot starch.
Step 2: Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Step 3: Clean out the bowl and add the organic cane sugar and cold butter. Cream with an electric mixer. With two forks or a pastry cutter, cut in the oat flour and a ¼ cup arrowroot starch until the mixture is crumbly. Once thoroughly integrated, use your hands to form smaller crumbles and then cover the apples with the crumble mixture.
Step 4: Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
Storage and Reheating
Store the gluten-free crumble recipe by wrapping foil over the baking dish or in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
To reheat the whole dish, allow the crumble to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before heating it in a 300-degree Fahrenheit oven until warm. Tent the baking dish with foil so that the topping does not brown too much.
To reheat portions, place an individual portion in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second intervals until warm. This method will soften the topping.
Serving Suggestions
- Add some date caramel sauce
- Top with coconut whipped cream
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream
Tips
Only have gluten-free oats on hand? You can make your own oat flour easily in a food processor.
FAQs
Classic apple crumbles use all-purpose flour for the topping which contains gluten. This recipe uses gluten-free oat flour to make it safe for those that cannot have gluten.
Crisps and crumbles are both baked fruit desserts with a topping layer. Crisps often incorporate oats and nuts in their toppings while crumble toppings are more streusel-like.
Apples that are a bit more firm and crisp tend to be best for baking crisps, crumbles, tarts, and pies. Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and Jonagold are all great options. Use a variety of apple types for more depth of flavor in your dish.
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
More Gluten-Free Apple Desserts
Gluten-Free Apple Crumble
Ingredients
- 6 medium baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Jonagold
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup cold vegan butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract divided
- 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon + ¼ cup arrowroot starch divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 1.5-2 quart baking dish with cooking spray or extra vegan butter.
- Place apples into a large mixing bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch and the cinnamon. Add maple syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla, stir to coat.
- Transfer apple mixture to prepared baking dish.
- Clean out the mixing bowl and add organic cane sugar and vegan butter. Cream with an electric mixer. Then, with a couple forks or a pastry cutter, blend in remaining vanilla, the oat flour, ¼ cup arrowroot starch, and the salt until the mixture is crumbly. Once flour and starch are thoroughly integrated, use your hands to form smaller crumbles and then cover the apples evenly with the crumble mixture.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and bubbly.
Dianne
I loveapplecrumble. Usually braise my Brantley apple slices in butter cinnamon and Demerara sugar. Cool. Add arrowroot. Topping I use whole gluten free oats rubbed with butter and sugar. Then few flaked almonds. Sweet and slightly crunchy. Nice combo. Also this time of ye I add blackberries.
Tessa
Almonds and blackberries sound like delicious additions!