This Apple Crisp without Flour is the perfect cozy and comforting baked apple dessert for the fall and winter months.

Instead of flour, the streusel topping is made with gluten-free oats and almond flour, but it’s just as sweet, warmly spiced, and satisfying as the classic.

You’ll love this flourless adaptation of classic apple crisp, especially during the cooler months when you want something warm and comforting.

The crisp topping is made with whole grain rolled-outs, almond meal, maple syrup, coconut oil, and spice – and it’s delicious!

This recipe is VERY easy to make and tends to disappear quickly, so make a double batch.

Homemade apple crisp freezes very well, so you can bake a batch to enjoy now and freeze some of it to enjoy later.

Warning: Your neighbors may come around to see what’s cooking because this flourless apple crisp smells incredible while baking. Opening the door is optional!

Jump to:

Why You’ll Love This Apple Crisp Recipe

Here are four reasons to try this recipe:

It’s made with wholesome oats, almond flour, and NO refined sugar!
This is a great recipe for beginners. Making homemade apple crisp is seriously SO easy!
This is a delicious fall and winter dessert perfect for every occasion.
This crisp recipe is vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free (with gluten-free oats).

Ingredient Notes

Here is a brief overview of the ingredients:

Apples – The best apples to use in apple crisp are firm and tart and stand up well in the hot oven. Granny Smith, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious are good baking apples.
Warming spice – Cinnamon and allspice add warming flavor to the apples as well as the crumble topping. You can also add nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger.
Oats – The base of the crumble topping. You can use 5-minute oats or slow cooking rolled oats. For a gluten-free apple crisp, use gluten-free oats.
Almond meal – Acts as the flour in this apple crisp. It adds a pleasantly gritty texture to the streusel-topping. You can also use almond flour.
Salt – You will need just a pinch to enhance the tart, sweet, and warm flavors.
Coconut oil – Extra virgin coconut oil moistens the crumble topping making it soft and spreadable. It also helps achieve a gorgeous golden-crisp on the topping.
Maple syrup – This natural sweetener adds mild caramel flavor to the apple crisp. You can also use honey or coconut sugar for a slightly different flavor.

How To Make Apple Crisp without Flour

Here is how to make it in just four easy steps:

Prepare for baking: Preheat your oven to 350F, and lightly grease a baking dish with coconut oil (I use a round 10″ baking dish).
Toss the apples with spices: In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and allspice. Place the cubed apples in the bottom of your baking dish, then add the cinnamon-allspice mixture. Toss to coat the apples in spices.
Make the crumble topping: Stir the rolled oats, almond meal, salt, cinnamon, and allspice together. Add the melted coconut oil and maple syrup and mix well. Then, spread an even layer of the mixture over the apples.
Bake: Transfer the baking dish to your preheated oven, and bake until the apples are soft and cooked and the crumble topping is golden brown and crispy. Serve hot.

Recipe Tips

Here are a few tips to help you make this recipe:

Peeling apples for baked apple desserts is a matter of preference. I used to peel apples for apple crisp, but it’s an extra step, and apple skin is high in fiber, so I usually leave the skin.
Lemon juice is optional. When I made this with lemon juice, it needed more maple syrup to cut the acidity, so I decided to skip it but feel free to squeeze lemon over the apples to prevent browning.
Bake in individual oven-safe ramekins instead of a round baking dish. This is a great way to serve apple crisp at small gatherings.
If you want it sweeter, drizzle additional warm maple syrup onto the crisp before serving.

Variations

Want to customize the recipe? Here are a few ideas:

Add more fruit – Bake your next flourless apple crisp with a medley of fall and winter fruits, like apples, pears, and persimmons.
Add nuts – For a crumble-like crunchy topping, replace half of the oats with finely chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pecans).
Serve à la mode – Enjoy your apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, Greek yogurt, freshly whipped cream, or coconut cream.

Storing & Freezing

Storing: Once cooled to room temperature, cover the dish with a paper towel, then wrap the whole thing in plastic. It can be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Freezing: You can freeze flourless apple crisps before or after baking:

Before baking – Make it in an aluminum baking pan, then wrap the baking pan in plastic wrap and foil. Store it in the freezer for up three months. When you’re ready to bake, thaw the uncooked apple crisp in the refrigerator, then bake as instructed.
After baking – Let the apple crisp cool to room temperature, then wrap single servings or the whole dish with plastic wrap and foil. Keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat in the oven at 350F until hot and bubbly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between apple crumble and apple crisp?

Apple crumbles and apple crisp are baked apple desserts with a streusel-style topping. The difference is in the topping. Typically apple crisp topping includes old-fashioned oats, while apple crumble is a simple mixture of butter, flour, and sugar.

Do you cover apple crisp while baking?

Covering the baking dish isn’t necessary unless you prefer a softer, dough-like topping rather than a crispy topping. Cover the baking dish if the topping is cooking quicker than the apples.

What can I substitute for butter in apple crisp?

For this healthy apple crisp, I use coconut oil instead of butter. Avocado oil can also be used in place of butter.

More Healthy Apple Recipes You’ll Love

If you have some apples left from making this delicious apple crisp, check out these healthy recipes:

Meet Maria

Maria Ushakova is a holistic nutritionist and food blogger. She focuses on developing easy recipes using real food ingredients. She believes that healthy food is delicious and anyone can learn how to cook it. Maria’s work has appeared on numerous popular websites as well as in print.

Apple Crisp without Flour (Gluten-Free)