Gluten Free Apple Crumble (with almond flour)
Gluten free apple crumble is easier than pie but just as delicious! Made with almond flour and chopped nuts, this gluten free apple crisp is the perfect fall dessert! Naturally sweetened, this healthy apple crumble is vegan, gluten free, dairy free and paleo friendly!
If you love recipes like this almond flour apple crumble, you should try Gluten Free Blackberry Crumble or Air Fryer Pears.
Why you will love this recipe
- So easy to make, great for beginner bakers.
- Perfect fall dessert
- Healthy dessert
- Customizable – Instead of apples, you can also use frozen fruit (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, peaches or cherries) in place of the apples!
Ingredient spotlight
- Apples – be sure to use a baking apple so that they maintain their texture when cooking. My personal favorite is a fuji apple or pink lady apple for apple crumbles!
- Arrowroot flour (or tapioca or cornstarch) – this helps to thicken the juice that cooks off the apples.
- Spices: Cinnamon and ground cloves – ground cinnamon adds the familiar flavor you are expecting when you make a dessert with apples. The ground cloves are my secret ingredient anytime I make an apple based dessert.
Crumble Topping
- Almond flour – you can use almond flour or almond meal, both will work great in this recipe since the topping tends to be a bit coarser. For a nut free version, use sunflower seed flour/meal (see notes below on how to make this yourself).
- Chopped nuts – you can use walnuts, pecans, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds to add crunch to the crumble topping.
How to make gluten free apple crumble
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Peel and slice the apples. Slice the apples into thin slices (try to make them uniform in thickness).
Many people recommend using a mandolin to slice apples but I’ve personally had bad experiences with them in the past. Recently I got a mandolin with a safety slicer that is amazing and so easy to use, your fingers never get close to the blade and it’s so fast!
Once the apples are peeled and sliced add them to a large bowl. Add the rest of the apple filling ingredients to the bowl and stir well making sure each apple slice is well coated.
Pour the apples into a large casserole dish. I like to spray mine with avocado oil or olive oil but this step is optional.
In the same bowl you mixed the apples in, add all the crumble ingredients and stir well until well combined.
Spoon or dump the crumble mixture over the apples and make sure there is an even layer over all the apples.
Bake in a 350F oven for 40-45 minutes until the crumble topping is golden and the apples are bubbling a bit on the edges.
How to know when the apple crisp is done
There are two things I check on to know if the apple crisp is done.
- The topping is a golden brown but not burned
- The apples are bubbling at the edges (this indicates they are cooked through)
Topping ideas
- Ice cream – ice cream is the classic companion of an apple crumble.
- Whipped cream – you can buy canned whipped cream or make your own coconut whipped cream to top the paleo apple crumble with.
- Vanilla cashew frosting – this frosting is sweetened with dates and has an almost caramel flavor. It would be incredible drizzled over the top.
- Simple drizzle of maple syrup – the extra drizzle of maple syrup can make this crumble even more delicious and a touch sweeter!
Common questions
Can you make this gluten free apple crumble with almond meal
Yes, although you may notice a little coarser texture to the crumble.
How to make this nut free
Almond flour: Instead of almond flour, use sunflower seed flour. You an buy it online or make your own. To make your own, add roasted sunflower seeds to a high speed blender or food processor and process on high until they resemble flour (but don’t go too long or it will start to become sunbutter). Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer in a well sealed container.
Nuts: Instead of pecans or walnuts, use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
Can you make this almond flour crumble with other fruit
Yes! You can easily swap out the apples for peeled pears, pitted cherries (fresh or frozen), blueberries, strawberries or peaches to make a whole different gluten free crumble.
Storing leftovers
- Fridge: This crumble is actually best the day it’s made but you may have leftovers! If so, you can store them in the fridge in a well sealed container for up to 3 days. Allow the crumble to cool completely on the counter before storing in the fridge. After 3 days the topping can get a little mushy. Reheat in the oven (350F for 10 minutes) to re-crisp the topping after being in the fridge.
- Freezer: Although the crumble can be frozen, the apples will lose their texture and the crumble will get mushy. I don’t recommend freezing.
More apple recipes
- Air Fryer Baked Apples (2 ways)
- Paleo Apple Butter
- Healthy Sliced Apples (no added sugar)
- Apple Sweet Potato Hash
- Apple Brussel Sprouts Hash
Gluten Free Apple Crumble
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sliced Apples
- 3 pounds apples
- 1 medium lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp. coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp. arrowroot powder
- 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
Gluten Free Crumble
- 1.25 cups almond flour
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 3 tbsp. coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp. arrowroot powder
- 3 tbsp. avocado oil
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Peel and slice the apples to an even thickness and squeeze lemon juice over top. Stir well.
- Add the apples to a large bowl along with the rest of the cinnamon sliced apple ingredients listed. Stir well.
- Add the apples to a large casserole dish (you may decide to spray it with avocado oil first).
- Add all the gluten free crumble ingredients to the bowl and stir well.
- Spoon the crumble ingredients over the sliced apples and make sure the apples are covered evenly.
- Bake the apple crumble at 350F for 40-45 minutes.
- Once you take the apple crumble from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Notes
- Try to slice the apples the same thickness so they will cook evenly. I love this safety mandoline, as it easily slices everything the same thickness.
- Use baking apples to maintain their texture.
- Add lemon juice so the apples don’t brown as you are slicing them.
- Best served hot, warm or cold the day you make it. The crumble topping is the best the day you make it. If you are serving it to company/guests, make the apple crisp the day of.
- Fuji apples
- Pink lady apples
- Granny smith apples (more tart, not as sweet)
- Braeburn
- Jazz
- Honeycrisp
