Best Gluten Free Apple Crisp Recipe - Build Your Bite (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken apple crisp? ›

The best way to prevent a watery apple crisp is to use a thickener in the filling – some recipes use flour, but I've chosen to use cornstarch in this recipe (or arrowroot starch, which can be substituted 1:1 for cornstarch) because I think it provides superior thickening power.

The main reason your crumble topping isn't crunchy is probably because you haven't used Demerara sugar. Although, it could also be that you've got your topping ingredient quantities wrong: either too much or not enough flour and butter alongside the sugar.

An apple crumble is much like an apple crisp, but without the oats or nuts. It's often compared more to a streusel with a crumbly dough of flour, sugar, and butter.

Granny Smith, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and Pink Lady are all excellent apples for baking. You could even use a blend of baking apples for a more unique flavor, if desired. I love using a few tart apples like Granny Smith with a few sweeter apples like Honeycrisp.

You can add cornstarch or flour. I do this when making an apple pie and the filling is not watery. Add a thickener, I like Arrowroot powder or tapioca powder before cooking. Add more dried oats.

“I have used tapioca flour in place of cornstarch for crisps, pie fillings, and cobblers,” Guas says. “The rough substitution is 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour for 1 tablespoon cornstarch.” Another significant benefit of tapioca is that it freezes well, keeping your baked goods the perfect consistency.

A pastry chef friend shared the technique. Instead of sprinkling the raw crumbs on top of the fruit, where they absorb the juices and turn a little mushy on their undersides, he spread them out in a pan and baked them separately, until crisp and cookielike.

SweeTango: SweeTango apples naturally have larger cells giving them an extraordinary crunch and perfect fracture, in fact, it won the Guinness World Record for the World's loudest crunch ever!

There are two essential factors, the type of apple you choose and the cooking method. Some varieties of apple turn to mush when cooked. Macintoshes and Red Delicious are among these. Granny Smiths stay firm but are tart.

This has led some historians to believe that Betty was the name of the cook and creator of the recipe and that brown was in reference to her skin color.

Should I refrigerate apple crisp? ›

Apple Crisp is very much like apple pie in that it doesn't NEED to be refrigerated, but the shelf life will be extended if you do store it in the refrigerator. I recommend storing it on the countertop for up to two days, or up to four days in the refrigerator.

Baking: Start baking the apple crisp covered with foil. This allows the apples to soften without any risk of the topping over-browning. After about 20 minutes, remove the foil and let the crisp finish cooking uncovered. Once the juices are bubbling, the topping is golden brown, and the apples are tender, it is done!

Gala apples are my favorite variety for this recipe – I like their sweet/tart flavor and firm texture. But if you have a favorite baking apple, feel free to use it here. Granny smith apples, Honeycrisps, Jonagolds, or a mix would all be excellent.

As mellow as sweet apples come, Gala apples are known for their sweet, vanilla aroma and soft bite. Bittersweet and soft fleshed, the Red Delicious is a classic apple with mild crispiness. The Golden Delicious sits at the bottom of the crunch list with soft skin and mellow, yellow apple flavors.

Flour as Pie Filling Thickener

Teaspoon for teaspoon, you will need to use about twice as much flour as you would cornstarch or tapioca to achieve the same thickening effects. Adding too much flour to your pie filling will turn it cloudy and pasty, with a distinctly floury taste.

When you cook apples, the pectin in them breaks down, making the apples watery. The lower pH value of tart apples reduces the amount of pectin that breaks down, so the apples hold their shape and get less mushy. This will prevent your pie from getting watery.

The ingredient list for a crumble or crisp is relatively short, but don't be tempted to leave out the cornstarch. As fruit cooks, it releases its juices, becoming saucy and soupy. This is partially what makes a crisp so delicious—but also what can turn it from a casserole-style dessert into fruit soup.

When thickening a fruit pie filling, there are several options to consider. Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency.