This Almond Flour Apple Pecan Crisp is filled with tender and juicy apples, warmly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and baked under a thick, crunchy and buttery crisp topping. It's a naturally gluten-free crisp made from old fashioned oats, almond flour and chopped pecans. The crisp topping is also made extra thick and bakes up super crunchy thanks to the melted butter. It's made in a 9x13 pan so it's the perfect fall dessert to feed a crowd. As a bonus, it can easily be made vegan by using plant-based butter!
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Table of Contents
This recipe is 100% inspired by my almond flour peach crisp bars. I recently updated this recipe, and loved how the almond flour oat topping turned out, so I adapted it for this gluten-free apple crisp recipe.
It's not your typical gluten-free crisp topping as it includes almost as much almond flour as oats, and also uses baking powder and cornstarch. I also opted to use melted butter instead of cutting in cold cubes of butter. This saves time and helps keep the crisp topping extra crisp!
Key ingredients and substitutions
Below is a note on just a few of the ingredients. The recipe card at the end of this post includes all of the ingredients and the exact quantities used.
- Apples - You'll need 3 pounds of apples for the filling, or 8 cups of chopped apples (about 8 medium-sized apples). I used Gala apples for this recipe as they're sweet and hold their shape well. They're also more affordable and readily available compared to some other varieties. If you prefer a more tart/sweet apple, Honeycrisp works well, and for even more tartness, use Granny Smith. If you use these varieties, you may wish to add a little more sugar to the filling.
- Almond flour - My preference is to always use fine blanched almond flour but almond meal, which has a coarser texture, will also work in this recipe.
- Oats - Old fashioned rolled oats (or large flake oats) are best for a crisp as opposed to quick oats, which are thinner. To keep this crisp gluten-free, make sure your oats are labelled as certified gluten-free.
- Cornstarch - You'll need cornstarch to help thicken the apples as they start to cook in the filling, but you'll also need some for the crisp topping. This helps the topping stay tender while maintaining it's crunchiness.
- Pecans - For added crunch, the crisp topping includes 1 cup of chopped raw pecans. You can substitute with chopped raw walnuts or almonds if you prefer. Avoid using roasted or salted nuts as they burn quickly.
How to make gluten-free apple crisp with almond flour
Below is an overview of the steps to make this recipe along with photos. Refer to the recipe card at the end of this post for full recipe details.
A note on measuring ingredients
For convenience, US cup measurements are included in the recipe card for this recipe. To ensure greater accuracy, however, weight and volume measurements are also provided. So, if you see grams (g), you'll want to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, and if you see milliliters (ml), you'll want to use a liquid measuring cup. Smaller quantities of ingredients are provided in teaspoons and tablespoons.
Tips for making the best almond flour apple crisp
- Cut apples into even pieces. This will ensure the apples cook evenly. I like chunks of apples, so I recommend cutting the apples into 1-inch pieces. If you cut the apples smaller, they will cook quicker so you'll need to reduce the baking time.
- Cover with foil. The crisp topping browns quickly and the pecans burn easily, so you'll want to cover the crisp with foil midway through baking.
- Let the crisp sit. Once pulled from the oven, you'll want to let the crisp rest for 15-20 minutes. This gives it time to set up and cool slightly before serving.
Recipe FAQs
It's not absolutely necessary, but I prefer to peel them as the skin can end up a little tough and chewy in the filling.
Just substitute the butter with plant-based butter.
This recipe makes a large apple crisp, so I recommend using a 9x13 baking dish or pan. If you'd like to use an 8 or 9 inch square pan or pie dish, just cut the recipe in half.
Any leftover crisp is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The topping will stay crisp for 3-4 days. You can reheat the crisp in the oven or warm individual servings in the microwave for 45-60 seconds. (The crisp topping will still be crispy!) You can also freeze the crisp, but I find the topping and apples don't quite have the same texture once thawed and reheated.
More apple recipes
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Almond Flour Apple Pecan Crisp (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
For the crisp topping:
- 1 ¾ cups (198 g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cups (130 g) fine blanched almond flour
- 1 cup (130 g) chopped raw pecans
- ¾ cup (170 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted
For the apple filling:
- 3 pounds apples, about 8 medium-sized apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 8 cups) *see note
- ⅓ cup (80 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, almond flour, pecans, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
- Add the melted butter and vanilla and mix together until well combined. Place in fridge while you make the apple filling.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir until the apples are well coated.
- Pour the apple mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Spread the oat topping over the apples in an even layer.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Remove from oven and carefully cover the crisp with foil. Bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the apple filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Let cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- I used Gala apples for this recipe as they're sweet and hold their shape well. They're also more affordable and readily available compared to some other varieties. If you prefer a more tart/sweet apple, Honeycrisp works well, and for even more tartness, use Granny Smith. If you use these varieties, you may wish to add a little more sugar to the filling.
- Cut the apples into even sized pieces so they cook evenly. I like big chunks of apples in my crisp, so I cut them into 1-inch pieces. If you cut the apples smaller, they will cook quicker so you'll need to reduce the baking time.
- The crisp topping browns quickly and the pecans burn easily, so you'll want to cover the crisp with foil midway through baking.
- To keep this crisp gluten-free, make sure you use certified gluten-free oats.
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Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
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