Everyone's got that go-to dessert for hosting, and this vegan and gluten-free apple crumble is mine! It's extra crispy, perfectly baked, and not the "healthy kind" of apple crisp you may know—this one is indulgent, cozy, and perfect for fall.
An easy vegan & gluten-free dessert
I'm not a huge baker, mostly because I find baking desserts that are both vegan and gluten-free pretty challenging.
But this gluten-free apple crumble has been one of my go-to desserts whenever I'm hosting friends and family for years. It's really easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
It requires just a few simple ingredients and a homemade gluten-free flour blend. No specialty ingredients such as psyllium husks or xanthan gum needed.
The key here really is to find the right ingredients when it comes to brown sugar and vegan butter. Once you've found your staples, it's a fail-proof recipe.
And if you're curious what my other signature dessert is, it's this aquafaba chocolate mousse.
What are the best apples for apple crumble?
Pink Lady's are my favorite apples to make apple crumble. They have a sweet yet tart taste giving this dessert a perfect balance between sugary sweetness and tangy acidity.
They also have a firm texture and hold their shape well during baking so that you don't end up with applesauce at the bottom of your baking dish.
Gala, Honeycrisp, and Jonagold apples are great alternatives to Pink Lady's.
If you like tart apples, you can replace half of the apples with Granny Smith apples.
Key ingredients and substitutions
- Fresh apples: They form the base of this recipe. You can also replace half the apples with pears if you'd like.
- Brown rice flour: It's the gluten-free alternative to all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- Gluten-free oat flour: It helps create a crispy crumble. You can easily make your own from certified gluten-free oats. Simply add them to a blender and blend until a fine powder forms.
- Corn starch: Just like oat flour, it helps form crispy top. You can replace it with arrowroot starch or tapioca flour.
- Brown sugar: Do not substitute with white sugar, cane sugar, or a liquid sweetener (e.g., maple syrup, agave syrup). If you're based in Europe, dark brown sugar does not refer to unrefined cane sugar. It refers to a slightly wet, dark brown sugar with a higher molasses content. It's often called "cassonade" in Belgium and Canada, and "vergeoise" in France. You can easily make your own by mixing 1 cup of crystallized white sugar (200 g) with 2 tablespoons of molasses. Combine with your hands or a spatula until there are no lumps and the sugar has the consistency of wet sand.
- Vegan butter: Preferably use vegan block butter and not a vegan spread. Do not substitute with coconut oil. My go-to's in Europe are Solo and Violife.
Elo's tips
- Take the vegan butter out of the fridge 10 minutes before starting to make sure it's not too hard and easy to work with.
- Try different kinds of vegan butter as this recipe truly stands and falls with the butter alternative you're using. It can heavily impact the texture of the crumble when it's baking. If you're not satisfied with the results, give this recipe another try with another vegan butter brand.
- Whisk the dry ingredients to make sure there are no lumps of sugar or flour.
- Add in the butter gradually to prevent adding too much and obtaining a crumble that's smooth and not crumbly. How much butter you'll end up needing can vary based on the brand you're using.
- Peel the apples after making the crumb topping to prevent them from turning brown.
- Bake the apple skins into apple chips instead of discarding them.
How to make apple crumble (step-by-step)
STEP 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Add the rice flour, gluten-free oat flour, cornstarch, and brown sugar to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
STEP 2: Make the crumble batter. Cut the vegan butter into cubes and add half of them to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Pinch the butter and dry ingredients in between your fingers. Then, rub the mixture in between your palms until it reaches a sandy consistency. Add in more butter cubes until the crumble batter resembles the texture in the photo.
STEP 3: Prep the apples. Peel and core the apples. Cut them into bite-sized pieces. Add them to a large baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon. Toss until they are all evenly coated.
STEP 4: Bake the crumble. Top the diced apples with the crumble. Try to spread it evenly across the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes until golden and crispy.
Storage tips
You can store this vegan and gluten-free apple crumble in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or transfer the crumble to an airtight container.
You can either eat cold from the fridge (which I love!!) or reheat it in the microwave or the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 10-12 minutes.
Serving tips
- Eat it plain. This apple crumble is amazing on its own.
- Add some vegan vanilla ice cream. It's amazing when it melts on the warm apple crumble so that you get a little bit of ice cream with every bite.
- If you have a sweet tooth, you may wanna top it with some vegan caramel sauce.
- Top it with roasted sliced almonds for a nutty flavor.
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The recipe
Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Crumble
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150 g) brown rice flour or 1:1 gluten-free flour blend
- ½ cup (30 g) gluten-free oat flour or grin gluten-free in a blender
- ½ cup (30 g) corn starch
- 1 ½ cup (240 g) brown sugar see notes
- 12 tablespoons (180 g) vegan block butter I like Violife's unsalted butter
- 6 Pink Lady apples sub Honeycrisp or Jonagold
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Dry ingredients: Add the brown rice flour, oat flour, cornstarch, and brown sugar to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
Make the crumble: Cut the butter into small cubes and add half of it to the mixing bowl. Use your fingers to pinch the butter and the dry ingredients together. Gradually add the remaining butter cubes, continuing to mix until the crumble batter has a dark brown color and crumbly texture (as shown in the picture).
Apples: Peel and core the apples. Cut them into small pieces and add them to a baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon and toss until evenly coated.
Bake: Crumble the mixture onto the apples. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350°F (180°C, fan) until the top is golden brown.- Let it cool for 10 minutes to help it crisp up if you want to serve it warm or for 2-3 hours if you prefer it cold.
Notes
- Vegan butter: Make sure to use plant-based block butter and not a vegan spread. I'm based in Europe and have had great results with Solo Gourmet (based on palm and sunflower oil) or Violife's unsalted butter. If you're successfully making this recipe with another vegan butter brand, please share it in the comments with us.
- Brown sugar: If you're based in Europe, dark brown sugar does not refer to unrefined cane sugar. It refers to a slightly wet, dark brown sugar with a higher molasses content. It's often called "cassonade" in Belgium and Canada, and "vergeoise" in France. You can easily make your own by mixing 1 cup of crystallized white sugar (200 g) with 2 tablespoons of molasses. Combine with your hands or a spatula until there are no lumps and the sugar has the consistency of wet sand.
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