Description
This Gluten-Free Caramel Apple Crisp recipe is your new favorite dessert for apple season! Made with layers of sweet apples, crispy oat crumble, and gooey caramel, it’s a delicious spin on a classic.
Ingredients
Scale
For The Apple Filling:
- 2.5 pounds apples, peeled and sliced (about 8 cups sliced)*
- 1/4 cup thick caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought), gently warmed if needed*
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt*
For The Crumble Topping:
- 6 Tablespoons butter, cut into cubes and slightly softened
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (68 grams) gluten-free oats (I like a mix of rolled oats and quick oats)*
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt*
To Serve:
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- More Caramel Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat The Oven & Prep The Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Set out a 9×9″ baking dish and place it on a sheet pan.
- Mix Up The Filling. In a large bowl, combine peeled, sliced apples with caramel sauce, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine well. Pour the apple filling mixture and all juices into the 9×9 pan.
- Mix Up The Topping. In the same bowl (no need for a separate bowl), combine butter cubes, brown sugar, gluten-free oats, gluten-free flour, vanilla, and salt. Mix with a fork, a pastry blender, or your hands (my pick!), until the butter is well distributed, the oat mixture is forming clumps and clusters and no dry patches remain. Sprinkle the oat topping over the apple mixture. It will be generous!
- Bake The Crisp. Make sure the 9×9 pan is on top of the cookie sheet to catch any potential drips or spills. Place the caramel apple crisp in the oven and bake 50-60 minutes or until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent the pan with foil, but you don’t want to pull it out until the sides are bubbling. (This boiling will help thicken the filling and ensure the apples are cooked through.)
- Cool Properly Before Serving. Remove crisp from the oven and cool at LEAST 20-30 minutes before serving. This will allow the filling to thicken and set. If you scoop into it right away, the filling will be more more liquid and thin.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy bowls of apple crisp with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of caramel sauce. Store leftover apple crisp covered with foil or plastic wrap in the refrigerator up to 3 days. (I don’t like transferring leftovers to an airtight container because it usually scrambles up the filling and topping)
Notes
-
Apples. We recommend tart, crisp apples like Honey Crisp & Granny Smith.
- Salt. We’re baking with kosher salt. If you’re using fine table salt, you’ll want to start with half of the amount.
- Gluten-Free Oats. To stay celiac safe, you must buy certified gluten-free oats. We like Bob’s Red Mill, Trader Joe’s, and One Degree brands, but there are lots of good ones out there!
- Gluten-Free Flour. We highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour blend. If you use another blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum. Measure carefully, weighing or using the scoop and level method so you don’t over-pack the flour.
- Caramel Sauce. I prefer a thick caramel sauce for this recipe. Our homemade caramel sauce works great, but if you’re buying one from the grocery store, look for a more old-fashioned thick caramel ice cream topping, rather than a thin sauce. You may need to gently warm the caramel sauce so it’s thin enough to thoroughly and evenly mix into the apple filling.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
