There's something so comforting about the smell of apples and cranberries baking together. This gluten free cranberry apple crisp brings sweet and tart together under a golden oat topping. It's rustic, cozy, and just right for a fall gathering or a quiet night in.
I love making crisps like this one for company. You can put it together in the morning, then slide it into the oven right before dinner.
By the time the meal is over, the whole house smells like dessert, and it comes out warm and bubbling every time.
Serve it with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, either one is perfect.
If you are looking for more cranberry recipes try my Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Muffins, my Gluten Free Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs, my Gluten Free Cranberry Jam or my Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Biscotti.
Here are all of my gluten free fall recipes: My Favorite Gluten Free Fall Recipes
Jump to:
- Cranberry Apple Crisp Supplies
- Do You Need to Thaw Frozen Cranberries First?
- Why This Filling Doesn't Turn Out Runny
- Try It with a Touch of Orange
- Top Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Cranberry Apple Crisp Storage
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- You Might Also Enjoy These Recipes
- Gluten Free Cranberry Apple Crisp
- Ingredients
- Instructions
Cranberry Apple Crisp Supplies
Do You Need to Thaw Frozen Cranberries First?
No, frozen cranberries can go straight into the fruit mixture without thawing. The extra bit of moisture they release as they bake gets absorbed by the brown rice flour in the topping, so the texture still turns out set instead of runny.
Why This Filling Doesn't Turn Out Runny
A lot of apple cranberry crisp recipes call for cornstarch or arrowroot to thicken the fruit filling, since cranberries release a good amount of juice as they cook. This recipe skips the added starch and relies on the natural pectin in the apples and cranberries, plus a longer bake time, to let the filling set up on its own. The result is a filling that's soft and juicy without turning watery on the plate.
Try It with a Touch of Orange
Orange and cranberry are a classic pairing, and this crisp is easy to adapt if you want that flavor combination. Swap the lemon juice for the same amount of fresh orange juice, and add a teaspoon of orange zest to the fruit mixture. It brightens up the tartness of the cranberries and pairs beautifully with the warm, buttery topping.
Top Tip
Chop your apples and pecans a little larger than you'd think, roughly ½ inch pieces. Smaller pieces tend to break down too much during the 35 to 40 minute bake, and you'll end up with more of a sauce than a crisp with texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe for gluten free cranberry apple crisp is so easy! First core your apples, peel them and cut them into bite size chunks. In a medium size bowl add the apple chunks, fresh cranberries, brown sugar, granulated sugar and lemon juice. Stir the ingredients together and let sit while you mix up the crisp topping.
In the bowl of your stand mixer pour the gluten free rolled oats, brown sugar, brown rice flour, sea salt, melted butter and pecans. Blend until crumble forms, about 1-2 minutes.
Pour the apple mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top the apple mixture with the crumble.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. The crumble will be browned and the apple mixture will be bubbling when done.
The biggest difference is that a crisp contains oats and a crumble does not. Both a crumble and crisp are a topping that goes over a fruit mixture and is baked until bubbling and browned.
A crisp gets its name because the oats in the topping will be come crispy when baked. A crumble is usually made with a flour base and will not be crispy.
I like to use a combination of sweet and tart apples for my gluten free cranberry apple crisp. The sweet apples will break down more when baked, while the tart apples will hold there shape better. This combination gives a delicious sweet and tart combination to the fruit mixture.
My two favorite sweet apples are Fuji or Honey Crisp. My go to for tart apples is Granny Smith. There are many other variations of apples, but I find these three types easiest to get at my rural grocery stores.
Cranberry Apple Crisp Storage
Store leftover crisp covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze, let the baked crisp cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through.
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Gluten Free Cranberry Apple Crisp
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Sweet apples and tart cranberries bake together under a golden oat and pecan topping. A cozy fall dessert that's easy to assemble ahead and bake right before serving.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 2 cups Fresh Cranberries
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 tsp. Lemon Juice
- 1 ½ cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats
- ¾ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Brown Rice Flour
- 1 tsp. Sea Salt
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted
- ½ cup Pecans, chopped
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter or coconut oil. Set aside.
Core, peel and chop your apples. Place the apples, cranberries, brown sugar, granulated sugar and lemon juice in a medium size bowl. Stir to coat the fruit and set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer blend together the rolled oats, brown sugar, brown rice flour, sea salt, butter and pecans until a crumble forms. About 1-2 minutes.
Pour the apple mixture into your greased 9x13 pan. Cover that with the oat mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. The top will be browned and the fruit mixture will be bubbling when the crisp is done.
Let cool slightly and serve hot with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
If you made this recipe please leave a star rating and comment below. It helps other readers find this recipe and means so much to me.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter or coconut oil. Set aside.
Core, peel and chop your apples. Place the apples, cranberries, brown sugar, granulated sugar and lemon juice in a medium size bowl. Stir to coat the fruit and set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer blend together the rolled oats, brown sugar, brown rice flour, sea salt, butter and pecans until a crumble forms. About 1-2 minutes.
Pour the apple mixture into your greased 9x13 pan. Cover that with the oat mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. The top will be browned and the fruit mixture will be bubbling when the crisp is done.
Let cool slightly and serve hot with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Brenda says
This was unbelievably delicious. I swapped the granulated sugar out and used Sucanat. The texture was spot on, not too runny with the cranberries (I used frozen cranberries). Also added 1 tsp cinnamon. Made for our friends' to bring tonight to dinner and everyone loved, and couldn't tell it was gluten free...but for me, with an autoimmune disease, I was able to enjoy it!
smallfarmbiglife says
I'm so happy you liked this recipe Brenda! It completely makes my day when others with autoimmune diseases can make one of my recipes to enjoy with friends. Thank you so much for sharing. ~Elaine
Mariel says
Do you think this recipe would still work if I swapped the rice flour with oat flour?
smallfarmbiglife says
Hi Mariel. Yes, I think this recipe would still be delicious and would work to make that swap of flours. Enjoy! ~Elaine
Laura Bailey says
So excited to make 4 batches tomorrow!
May I add cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice? How much do you recommend? I would really appreciate a reply, thank you?
smallfarmbiglife says
Hi Laura. You could add one teaspoon of cinnamon to each batch. I'm not sure I would like nutmeg or allspice with the cranberries, but you could add a pinch of each if you like. I hope you enjoy this recipe. ~Elaine