This Awesome Almond Apple Crisp is the easy, last minute, under appreciated cousin to the Apple Pie. It is every bit as delicious and, I think, beautiful, in a rustic way, albeit not as refined looking.
It can be in the oven in less than 30 minutes and emerges bubbling, crisp (hence the name) and the perfect landing place for a scoop of ice cream. My topping typically has rolled oats, but this time I wanted the toasted almonds to be the clear star, so I used oat flour instead of the old fashioned oats and all-purpose flour, making this crisp entirely gluten-free (and vegan).
For my almond apple crisp, I used a mix of apples, as I always do, to give the fruit layer more depth of texture and flavor. I also sliced them thin, because I was using a shallow pan and I wanted the apples to create a dense layer that stood up to the topping. For me the ratio should be just barely more fruit than crisp topping, so you’ll see I go thick.
Apple Crisp Ingredients
- Apples (choose a variety for texture and flavor)
- Oat flour or all-purpose flour
- Brown sugar and cinnamon
- Cold, unsalted butter (or coconut butter to make it dairy free)
- Toasted whole almonds crushed or cut into small pieces
Apple Crisp Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together the oat flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and butter.
Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles cornmeal (it will stick together when squeezed in your hand). Mix in crushed almonds.
In a large bowl, toss together the apples, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon.
Arrange the apples in a baking dish. I used an 8-inch Round Pan (measured along the bottom), but this will also fit in a 9-inch square baking dish. Cover loosely with the almond crisp topping and bake for about 1 hour or until bubbling on the sides and the apples are tender when poked with a knife. This will take more or less time, depending on the pan you use.
Serve with ice cream! This is a cranberry swirl ice cream I made by swirling the cranberry sauce from Dorie Greenspan’s Parsnip Cake with David Lebovitz’s vanilla ice cream base from The Perfect Scoop
Ingredients
Almond Crisp Topping
- 1 cup (100g) oat flour you can use all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (225g) brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces you can use solid coconut oil to make it dairy free
- 1 cup (140g) whole almonds, toasted and crushed into small pieces use a food processor or a mortar and pestle
Apple Filling
- 8 apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup raw sugar brown sugar will also do
- 2 tbsp cornstarch arrowroot, tapioca starch or flour will also work
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together the oat flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and butter.
- Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles cornmeal (it will stick together when squeezed in your hand). Mix in crushed almonds.
- In a large bowl, toss together the apples, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon.
- Arrange the apples in a baking dish. I used an 8-inch Round Pan (measured along the bottom), but this will also fit in a 9-inch square baking dish. Cover loosely with the almond crisp topping and bake for about 1 hour or until bubbling on the sides and the apples are tender when poked with a knife. This will take more or less time, depending on the pan you use.
- Serve with ice cream, if desired! I served mine with cranberry swirl ice cream.
Absolutely delicious. I didn’t change a thing. New family favorite. Good ice cream is a must with this decadent dessert.
Delicious! I halved the recipe, added a bit of rolled oats for texture. May seem like a lot of apples, but will cook down.
After making this for the first time with apples my husband said it was one of the best things I’ve made—and I bake a lot!! I tweaked it a bit with the seasonings the next time (added cardamom and a bit of maple syrup just because)! The next time I changed it out to a pear/ginger filling using bits of candied ginger in with the pears (and of course ginger syrup) and it rivaled the apple version. I don’t peel my fruit to keep it more rustic. Thanks for the inspiration you bring to my kitchen everyday
This apple crisp is amazing! I had to make a few substitutions, but it worked perfectly. I used the coconut oil Zoë recommends to make it dairy free and because my son is allergic to nuts, we swapped the almonds for a cup of oats in the topping. I used Zestar apples. Thank you, Zoë!!
Yay, I am soooooo thrilled you made it and I am certain other people will appreciate the note about substitutions!
Cheers, Zoë
The prettiest apple crisp, and I love the cranberry swirl ice cream!
this looks and sounds delicious! i’m saving it! thank you for not blabbing on about your family for 20 minutes!! perfect well-explained recipe. get a TV show! thanks very much
This is the best crisp ever, thank you for the recipe! The toasted almonds are deliciously crunchy and I didn’t miss the oats at all. This recipe is a keeper for sure.
I love apple crisp! I will definitely try your recipe! What mix of apples do you like to use?