Crisp, sweet apples and pears mixed with brown sugar and cinnamon. Topped with a gluten-free walnut oat crumble that is so good you could eat it all by itself! A super easy recipe that is a sweet treat the whole family will go crazy for!
An apple crisp with a crumble topping is my kind of dessert. I will take two, haha! This Gluten-Free Apple Pear Crisp, had me at hello. It’s so good plus it’s gluten-free!
Just like this Dutch Oven Apple Crisp that is made in one pot (dutch oven) and is also gluten free!
Super easy to make, even for non-bakers and it is packed with warm flavors like apples and pears, cinnamon and brown sugar.
The walnut oat crumble on top really takes this dessert to a whole new level. I could just bake the crumble topping and eat that all by itself. I won’t, but I could. Just saying..It’s that good.
Reasons to love this recipe
- Easy, easy, easy – my kind of dessert
- Packed with warm fall flavors like apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar
- Soft, tender, sweet fruit topped with a crunchy walnut and oat topping that is everything!
- Gluten-free and oh so good!
- A dessert everyone is sure to love!
Ingredients to make this gluten-free apple pear crisp
I made this last Christmas and everyone was asking for the recipe, which I did not have since I basically made it up. I did not expect for it to be such a hit!
Now everyone will have the recipe and will be happy that I am making it agian this year.
How to make this Gluten-Free Apple Pear Crisp
Peel and slice the apples and pears. It is your choice wheather to slice them or chop them up into large pieces, you will get the same result either way. I chose to slice them.
Add the jucie of the lemon to them so they don’t turn brown.
Then pour in the melted butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt and mix to coat all of the apples and pears
Pour the apple and pear mixture into an 8×8 baking dish or one similar in size that has been sprayed with cooking spray or butter.
Then make the walnut and oat crumble. OMG! It’s so good!
Combine all of the crumble ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with your hands, pinching the butter to incorporate it with the rest of the ingredients to get it all nice and mixed up.
Add the crumble topping to the apple and pear mixture and cover the fruit evenly with the topping.
Smooth it out and bake it in the oven, uncovered at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Check it 3/4 through the cooking time to make sure the top is not getting too brown. If it looks like the top is getting too brown, then tent it with some foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
Once it’s done, remove it and let it cool for a few minutes.
Then serve it up with your favorite vanilla ice cream. I like Halo vanilla ice cream. You can also drizzle on some caramel sauce for an even sweeter finish.
There you have it! A delicious and easy Gluten-Free Apple Pear Crisp your whole family will go crazy for!!!! Plus it’s healthy-ish! What more could you want in a sweet treat like this?
Recipe Tips and Variations
- You want to use a combination of apples that have sweet and tart flavors that will also hold up well during the baking process. The best combination I have found is Granny Smith mixed with Cortland or Honey Crisp apples. In this recipe I added pears and used a mix of Anjuos and Bartlet pears.
- Choose high quality fruit. When choosing both apples and pears follow these guidlines: Choose fruit that is free of blemishes and has a smooth skin without any dents. Look for the brightest colored fruits since they will have the most flavor and nutrition. For pears, you want them to be slightly soft to the touch and not too firm.
- Make sure the oats are gluten-free. Not all oats are created equal when it comes to whether they are gluten-free or not since some are processed in locations that process other products that contain gluten. Make sure the package notes that they are in fact gluten-free.
- Bake the crisp uncovered. This is very important to allow the topping to get nice and golden brown with slightly bubbly edges while it bakes.
FAQ’s
- How do you cut apples and pears when making a crisp? You can cut the fruit into any shape and size you like, just make sure you peel it first.
- Can you make this recipe dairy-free? Yes, you can! Simply swap the butter with vegan butter or melted coconut oil that is at room temperature.
- Can you freeze gluten-free apple pear crisp? Not really. This dessert is best if eaten right after it bakes and cools. You can cover and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat it in the oven at 300 degrees F or in the microwave.
- Can you use other nuts besides walnuts for the crumble topping? Certainly! I have used pecans and almonds in place of the walnuts and they both worked great in this recipe.
Did you make this recipe? If you did then please leave a rating and comment below!
Update: This recipe and post have been updated with step by step photos and an improved recipe card.
Gluten Free Apple Pear Crisp
Equipment
- 8x8 baking dish or one similar in size
Ingredients
- 4 medium size apples
- 2 medium size ripe pears
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbs light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1/8 tsp salt
For the walnut oat topping
- 1 3/4 cup gluten-free oats
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/8 cup maple syrup
- 4 tbsp cold butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray.
- Peel, core and slice the apples and pears, place them into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle them with the lemon juice and toss. This will prevent the apples from browning.
- Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and a pinch of salt to the apples and pears and lightly toss them to coat them all. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.
- To make the crumble: Add all of the crumble ingredients except the butter to a mixing bowl and toss. Add in the butter, pinching it with your fingers to break it down into small pieces and mix it in with the rest of the crumble ingredients.
- Top the apple and pear mixture with the crumble and spread it out evenly to cover all of the apples and pears.
- Bake in the oven, uncovered for 40-45 minutes until the top is nice and golden brown and the edges are slightly bubbly.
- Once done, remove and let cool for a few minutes. Serve and top with your favorite vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- You want to use a combination of apples that have sweet and tart flavors that will also hold up well during the baking process. The best combination I have found is Granny Smith mixed with Cortland or Honey Crisp apples. In this recipe I added pears and used a mix of Anjuos and Bartlet pears.
- Choose high quality fruit. When choosing both apples and pears follow these guidlines: Choose fruit that is free of blemishes and has a smooth skin without any dents. Look for the brightest colored fruits since they will have the most flavor and nutrition. For pears, you want them to be slightly soft to the touch and too firm.
- Make sure the oats are gluten-free. Not all oats are created equal when it comes to whether they are gluten-free or not since some are processed in locations that process other products that contain gluten. Make sure the package notes that they are in fact gluten-free.
- Bake the crisp uncovered. This is very important to allow the topping to get nice and golden brown with slightly bubbly edges while it bakes.
- How do you cut apples and pears when making a crisp? You can cut the fruit into any shape and size you like, just make sure you peel it first.
- Can you make this recipe dairy-free? Yes, you can! Simply swap the butter with vegan butter or melted coconut oil that is at room temperature.
- Can you freeze gluten-free apple pear crisp? Not really. This dessert is best if eaten right after it bakes and cools. You can cover and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat it in the oven at 300 degrees F or in the microwave.
- Can you use other nuts besides walnuts for the crumble topping? Certainly! I have used pecans and almonds in place of the walnuts and they both worked great in this recipe.
Nutrition
Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!