Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crisp

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Baking dish and bowls of Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crisp

I know it’s basically the holiday season at this point and all but I still have to tell you this fabulous story about why I absolutely HAD to make this gluten-free vegan apple crisp on Halloween. We have some pretty amazing friends in our life right now and John and I LOVE getting together with them often to chat and laugh and eat delicious food. Well, two out of the six of our group are gluten-free eaters and another two of us are borderline vegan eaters (guilty as charged), but you just can’t go without apple crisp in the fall. You just can’t. Am I right? So I buckled down and did some research (and snagged some gluten-free flour from my friend Rebecca’s pantry) and came up with a delicious way to satisfy everyone’s appetites and dietary needs with one warm, sweet apple crispy dish.

Ta-da!

Whole and sliced apple for making our Vegan Apple Crisp recipe
Removing the cores from apples to make homemade Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crisp

This apple crisp is about as simple and basic as they come, and though it’s vegan and gluten-free it’s just as delicious as any traditional version I’ve tried. Armed with non-dairy butter (Earth Balance, how I love thee), it’s totally dairy-free. And thanks to almond meal, gluten-free oats, and a gluten-free flour blend, it’s also void of the glutens. Good riddance, food allergies. Good riddance.

Bowls of Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crisp with some topped with a scoop of ice cream

Wondering what it tastes like? Warm, sweet apples, plenty of warm spice from the cinnamon, and the crispy, crumbly oat topping is just the bee’s knees. Top it with some non-dairy ice cream (or dairy, if that’s your thang) and dig in. Fall has never been so darn delicious (or healthy), I’m convinced.

Baking pan of our Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crisp recipe alongside a bowl of crisp topped with ice cream
Bowl of Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crisp with ice cream and the rest of the crisp behind it

Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crisp

Vegan gluten-free apple crisp that has all of the warmth, spice, and sweet flavor of traditional versions. It’s also ridiculously simple to throw together.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Ramekin of Gluten-Free Apple Crisp topped with vegan ice cream
4.86 from 83 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4
Course Dessert
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 Month (freeze before baking)
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

CRISP

  • 8 small-medium apples (peeled, cored and chopped // a variety of both sweet and tart // 8 apples yield ~6 cups)
  • 1 dash lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 heaping tsp cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt

TOPPING

  • 1/3 heaping cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup gluten-free flour blend
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free old fashioned oats
  • 1/4 cup almond meal
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup non-dairy butter (melted // such as Earth Balance // a little more than 1/2 stick yields 1/3 cup)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and lightly grease a 9×9 baking dish (adjust number/size of pan if altering batch size).
  • Add apples to a large bowl or plastic bag and sprinkle with lemon juice. Toss to coat with granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Transfer to baking dish and set aside.
  • Rinse and dry bowl and add brown sugar, flour, almond meal, oats, cinnamon, and salt and stir. Add melted butter and mix until it resembles wet sand.
  • Sprinkle topping over the apples and bake until apples are soft and topping is golden brown (between 45 minutes to 1 hour).
  • Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving. Is great with vanilla ice cream – caramel sauce is also a lovely addition.

Notes

*There will be some liquid in the bottom of the pan, which you can either drain off or pour over the top of your ice cream.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 g Calories: 381 Carbohydrates: 74 g Protein: 3.5 g Fat: 10 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Fiber: 8.6 g Sugar: 53 g

roughly adapted from Barbara Bakes

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  1. violatte says

    I really loved this! SO GOOD! I would suggest making a bit extra (x0.25 more?) of the topping, I feel like I didn’t have enough. It’s a great recipe though!

  2. Deb D says

    I’ve made this multiple times. I usually double the topping amount because I love the crunchy crumble. It’s always a winner at any gathering.

  3. Megan says

    If I freeze and store for the week before I need it. Can i freeze it all together and then pop it in the oven frozen?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      That should work! If using a glass container, let it come to room temperature first (or set in a warm spot such as on top of the oven while the oven is preheating) to avoid breaking the pan by going from very cold to very hot too quickly.

  4. Lenore says

    Crowd pleaser! Made this for a celebratory dinner last night. I was happy to find your recipe for a gluten free, vegan version of apple crumble as one of my guests has gluten and dairy intolerances. I used coconut oil instead of vegan butter and added some flaked almonds to add to the crisp. It was bubbling at around 35 minutes so I took it out of the oven then. Everyone loved it and I had some requests for the recipe which I shared with them. I’ll definitely be making this one again.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thank you for the lovely review, Lenore! xo

  5. Amanda Redman says

    Made this for the first time tonight. It’s delicious! I used all granny Smith apples and used almond flour in place of almond meal and also for the gluten free flour. I also added 2 dashes of pure vanilla extract (only because I love vanilla). I baked it for 50 minutes and it crisped up perfectly and the apples were just right. Thanks for this recipe!
    So simple!

  6. Isabelle says

    This was fantastic! I made it for Thanksgiving. Even though I’m gluten free I usually steer clear of GF baked goods because they all taste gluten free to me but this was just great. I reduced the sugar that got mixed into the apples to a scant 1/4 C because I prefer less sweet desserts but I put the full amount of sugar into the topping. It took pretty much the whole hour for the apples to get fully soft and cooked. I’ll definitely make this again. Thank you for the recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Victoria! You can use more gluten free blend in place of the almond meal, (maybe start with 2 Tbsp instead of 1/4 cup) it may be a little more dry and crumbly but it should work!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Lucy! The cornstarch helps thicken the juice from the apples as they cook, which helps keep the topping from getting too soggy. It will probably work without it, but we aren’t positive!

  7. Megan says

    This is so good! I would normally use ice cream over a crumble but forgot to buy some. It was amazing without it. Quick and easy to make.

  8. Barbara says

    This is the best apple crisp ever!
    I used almond flour and filbert flour as the binders.
    It was great! Thanks so much!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Barbara. We are so glad you enjoy it! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Hi Toni! We haven’t tried this recipe with almond flour in place of the gf flour, but it could work! Let us know how it goes!

  9. Luciana says

    This was amazing! I used almond flour instead of almond meal, and coconut oil instead of non-dairy butter, and it worked out perfectly! Thank you for this

  10. Bonnie says

    I made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious. I personally added a bit moee cinnamon because I love it, and I wonder if I didnt screw up because the topping seemed sparse. I’m going to make double the recipe next time. Otherwise easy and delicious!

  11. Hope says

    Our new favorite crumble recipe! I’ve made it at least 6 times this season and experimented a little. We’ve made it with apples, apple/pear, also tastes amazing as a persimmon/pear crumble. I used ground flax seed instead of almond meal, and coconut sugar instead of the brown sugar. Arrow root powder also worked good instead of corn starch. I also added coconut flakes to the topping. Love it and definitely being saved in my recipe book!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      I don’t generally refrigerate it for the first 12 hours, but do refrigerate (for food safety) after that

    • Carly says

      I never leave reviews, but this was SO good. I made it for Thanksgiving and followed the recipe as is, only slightly reducing the sugar in the apple mix from 1/3 cup to 1/4. The crisp came out perfect after 45 minutes. I may make more of the crumb topping next time, only because I liked it so much.

  12. Danyel Gimeno says

    Long time follower, first time poster- this recipe is A W E S O M E. Thank you for providing my super health-conscious yet super lazy self with recipes that are easy to follow and almost always have ingredients that live in my pantry. You’re giving the gift of confidence in making healthy and delicious food. I can’t think of a better service to your fellow humans. <3

      • Naomi says

        This is the most delicious gluten free Apple Crisp I have EVER tasted & I have used it a dozen times, tweaking the recipe each time. I like adding chopped rhubarb and sometimes strawberries (depends what I have to use up). I use almond meal, shredded coconut, quinoa flakes, buckwheat grouts & walnuts for a lovely nutty, crunchy topping. I would love to sub the sugar and try our honey. Any ideas for quantities?

        I do find the topping tends to burn easily so I cover the Apple Crisp with foil half way through. I also chop my apples quite small to help them cook through (especially if using Granny Smith apples).

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

          Thanks for sharing your review, Naomi! I’m not sure about subbing all of the sugar for honey, but perhaps half? Let us know if you try!

  13. Valeria says

    👋Love it. Like all things we, well I tweak them to make them healthier. Added a handful of ground walnuts and tablespoon of ground flaxseeds. Go fibre and omega 3s. Also, I don’t trust that commercial GF flour are actually a healthy product, so I compose my own from the options I may have at 🏡 I’ve used a mix of buckwheat, chestnut & a bit of rice flour to keep it lighter. Also 3 tablespoons of maple syrup instead of sugar, and more cinnamon.
    With the apple, I leave the skin on, +/- rhubarb, juice of one lemon, a few pitted prunes for sweetness and chuck the lemon skins in, cook the lot on medium to low heat. No sugar. Everyone seems to love that the fruit isn’t adulterated.🌱🌸

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Love the creativity! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Valeria!

      • Valeria says

        Whatever, more if I have plenty in the garden. My guess 3/4 of a cup of Rhubarb because that’s roughly the batch sizes I have frozen from the end of last season, (Australia,) before the cold weather put the plant in hibernation 🌱🌸 The 🍎 is whatever is left in the fruit bowl at the end of the week, or “odd fellows”, (imperfect looking “pink ladies”,) that I buy cheap for my lorikeets. Sometimes I put in a few cloves, but mostly I’m a cinnamon girl. 🍋 which ever are in season on the trees. Meyer are sweeter & come in first and when they are done the Eureka come in and are a bit more sour. I’ve even used lime when I had no lemon. I squeeze the excess fruit and freeze in baggies like breastmilk. I’ve tried freezing lemon juice in ice cube trays to be more environmentally sound but it wasn’t great. Lemon cubes stuck together, got sticky became pretty impossible to separate. (Cleaver)🤗

  14. Taryn says

    Delicious! I am not eating wheat so I used cornflour for the crumble instead. The crumble mixture wasn’t dry or a sand like texture as stated, I was worried but it spead while baking and covered most of the apples. It was such a yummy treat and a great way to use up apples!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Taryn. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  15. Michelle says

    I love everything about this recipe. Due to my food allergies I usually make a couple of substitutions … not this time, just a simple trade of coconut flour in place of the almond meal and I was good to go. So delicious and yummy. I make sure to have this in the fridge and ready to go as it has become my husband’s favorite snack.

  16. sharon says

    I absolutely love this! I made it once and decided to make it again for Christmas. I got a bit ambitious and made it today (a week before Christmas) I know that you recommend not baking it if you are planning on freezing it. How long will the cooked apple crisp stay fresh if I freeze it or should I refrigerate it? Thanks! Sharon

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, we wouldn’t recommend keeping in the fridge for a full week for food safety. And we aren’t sure about freezing after cooking as it may cause there to be too much liquid in the bottom when reheating. It will still taste good though! Let us know how it goes!

  17. Faith says

    Made this for Thanksgiving dessert and it will be a yearly staple for sure. I used half Granny Smith and half Gala apples for the perfect combination of tart and sweet. Made exactly as written and added So Delicious non-dairy vanilla ice cream on top. Fantastic! Thank you for a great GF, vegan option that everyone loved.

  18. Amanda says

    This dessert was a hit at our Thanksgiving gathering! I picked it specifically for a family member that needs GF dishes, but everyone enjoyed it (especially with vanilla ice cream ?)!!!
    I was worried one batch wouldn’t be enough, so I doubled it and one definitely would’ve been enough… But no one was complaining about leftovers!
    The only change I made was using regular butter, and larger baking dishes since I made more ?
    This will definitely be added to my recipe book and used in the future!

  19. Elizabeth Amend says

    Yummy, yummy yummy!!!!! Wow! I used Almond flour instead of “almond meal”, and Smart Balance vs “Earth balance, ”(not knowing if they are the same?) It was sooooo delicious and the first time I was able to bake a delicious gluten free/dairy free apple crisp! Both my husband and son LOVED it, (who can tolerate gluten and dairy) and didn’t notice any flavor difference from a regular recipe. YES! My daughter in law (who’s gluten/dairy intolerant) also LOVED it. We just consumed that whole entire dish after dinner. What a happy surprise for me. Thumbs up! It’s gonna be my go-to recipe for many years to come. ?Elizabeth

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Elizabeth. We are so glad your whole family enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  20. Steff says

    This apple crisp is the best I’ve ever tasted and will be the dish I bring to every gathering from here on out.

    *changes: used coconut sugar 1:1 in place of both sugars called for, and used real butter.

    *save the peels and dry them with some cinnamon or cinnamon sugar! Easy to do in the oven or dehydrator and no food is wasted.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Great tip about the peels, Steff! We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for the lovely review!

  21. stephanie says

    I want to make this for a dinner party this weekend. However I have commitments during that day. If I bake it the morning of the party & don’t plan to eat it until 12 hours later whats your recommendation of storing and reheating?

    Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      That would actually work well! Just refrigerate and reheat in the oven (at 350 F) before serving!

  22. Keri says

    I have made this a few times and everyone loves it! Anyone freeze it? I have so many apples from going apple picking thought I would make a few and freeze !

    Thank you

  23. Almut says

    I had not enough apples,so I used also some blue berries and 1 Mango ,less sugar and little more lime juice, used normal butter,baked only for 35 min
    Was delicious ? thanks for the idea

  24. Kimberley says

    I have made this recipe twice now! We love it!It is my daughter’s favorite dessert, she has many food allergies. I sub gluten free baking flour for the almond meal.

  25. Patti Massey says

    I played with recipe. Added chopped walnuts and raisins. I didn’t have any gf rolled oats so I substituted gf granola. Awesome.

  26. Natalia Cherubini says

    Have made this apple crumble about 10 x’s since November, doubling the recipe each time. It’s been a HUGE hit!! Amazing recipe!!

  27. Sara says

    Easy and delicious!
    Subed coconut oil for vegan butter, gluten free flour for cornstarch, and some date sugar for half of sugar in apples. Worked like a charm!

  28. Anjuli says

    Delicious.. I went ahead and baked just the apples for half the time then pulled out of oven and added topping for second half and that kept topping baked perfectly. I didn’t have cornstarch so I just skipped it and turned out great. I added other spices like allspice as I am a lover of chai etc. Thank you for the post :)

  29. Elizabeth says

    OMG! So I made a few changes – used apples and pears – substituted almond flour with pecan meal, added 1 tsp of vanilla and used regular unsalted butter. Gobsmacking good!
    I’ve recently become interested in cooking – your recipes make it fun and inspiring. Thank you!

  30. Toni Dockery says

    I didn’t have any almond flour so I just left it out. I used Bisquick GF pancake and baking mix. The results? Absolutely wonderful. My husband and I ate the entire Crisp at one sitting!!!!

  31. Michelle says

    This was amazing! We picked apples at the orchard and had a hodge podge of varieties in our bag so I have no idea what types even went in- but it said a mixture so that’s what we did. We substituted almond flour for almond meal just due to not having almond meal on hand. My husband said this was one of the best desserts he has had and I agree! Made 4 giant servings but we actually got it to last for 8 servings. So good, thank you from our gluten free family!

  32. Alison Strang says

    I have just recently joined the gluten free & vegan world! I made this dessert & my fiancé agreed it’s the best apple crisp he has ever had. Thank you so much! Look forward to trying more of your recipes!

  33. Holly says

    Hi. Instead of non-dairy butter or coconut oil, do you think vegetable shortening would work? I read here that someone tried with ghee but didn’t get raving results? My daughter can’t have sunflower or coconuts or pea protein. (It is extremely difficult to feed her. Sigh.)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Holly! We haven’t tried using vegetable shortening but if you give it a try, report back on how it goes! Good luck!

  34. Laura says

    This was my first ever completely vegan/gluten free dessert attempt and I have to say IM SOLD! I doubled everything and made a 9×13 for a dinner party and everyone raves. The topping was the perfect combo of crunchy, buttery, and sweet to compliment the tart first of the season apples we picked. I will be making this even when I DONT need a GF dessert! Thank you!

  35. Violet Ahrenholtz says

    Wow Great recipe! I am gluten free and I had to find a dairy free recipe because we were out of butter (GASP) and I needed one that worked well with coconut oil. Lets just say I will never think that I NEED butter to make a crisp again! this may have been the best crisp ever.
    I made a few changes because I didnt have everything on hand (added a pinch of nutmeg and ginger, used coconut oil, and used gluten free flour because I had no almond meal -but almond meal would have been better I am sure) I also used wealthy apples which taste AMAZING but are really hard to find these days. Excellent recipe. Thank you for sharing this with the world!

  36. Sarah Beauchamp says

    I need some help. I’ve made it as written, but now I’ve a neighbor who is recuperating from a serious illness. Sometimes food gifts are overwhelming, so I want to freeze it in a disposable paper cake pan and have the topping in a baggy.

    Can you tell me or help me find out how to change the baking temp and time if cooking from frozen?

    Thank you very much.

  37. Sam says

    Thanks for the recipe, How would I make this a peach and apple Crisp? Should I use half and half of each and how firm should the peaches be? Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Brittany! We haven’t tried and can’t say for sure, but if you test it out, let us know!

  38. Anna says

    This was an awesome recipe! I’ve made it twice now and both times went over super well with my company. I replaced the butter with coconut oil and used less sugar and more honey in the crumble part. Thanks for the recipe :)

  39. Judy says

    Made this for dinner party with half suggested amount of sugar in apples and topping. Best crisp I’ve ever made. Everyone had seconds!

    • Hannah says

      This far exceeded my expectations! I didn’t know how the vegan butter or the gluten free flour would react because I’d never used it before, but this was as good as any apple crisp I’ve ever had. Should’ve made it in the fall though, cause the apples around aren’t that good this time of year.