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

FAQs

How do you thicken apple crisp? ›

Adding cornstarch and flour to the apple mixture will help bring your crisp's filling together. You want to make sure you have a nice balance of the sweet and tart in your dessert. Taste your apples for sweetness before adding sugar to your filling.

The lemon juice will keep the apples from turning brown. Set your prepared apple crisp aside on the counter until ready to bake. Put the apple crisp in the oven to bake just as you are serving dinner. And by the time dinner is over, this warm syrupy dessert will be ready.

Why is Apple Crisp not crispy? Don't forget to evenly distribute the butter with the topping. That melted butter helps crisp everything up on top for the perfect texture and flavor!

Apple Crumble is synonymous with Apple Crisp in the U.K. and Australia, but in Canada and the U.S., it is a slightly different dish. Like an apple crisp, an apple crumble is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping. But unlike the crisp, the crumble topping rarely includes oats or nuts.

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.

Cornstarch- I used cornstarch to help bind the apples. You could also substitute with all-purpose flour, but I prefer the texture with cornstarch. Cinnamon- I added a little bit of cinnamon because it pairs so nicely with the apples. Nutmeg- The nutmeg is optional, but gives this apple crisp a nice touch and spice.

The best apples for baking keep their structure under heat, which prevents the chunks of fruit from turning into mush after baking. The firm and crisp Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties are popular apples to use in apple pies and apple crisps.

Flour: All-purpose flour thickens the apple filling and is the base of the topping.

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.

Why are my apples mushy in my apple crisp? ›

Picking the wrong apples

Softer apples like Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, or Macintosh break down too much in the heat of the oven, basically turning into applesauce. So avoid those, and opt for a variety that's firm and crisp like Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp.

You don't want to overcook your apples at this point. They're going into the oven after all. And it's way more satisfying to eat when they're not completely soft, but still have a little bite.

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.

Bake the apple crisp until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown and crisp, about 45 minutes. Serve the crisps warm with vanilla bean ice cream or fresh whipped cream, if desired.

Both are very similar apple desserts, but the difference mainly comes down to the crumble topping: Instead of the flour and oat mixture used in an apple crisp, an apple brown betty uses breadcrumbs for its crumbly, delicious topping.

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

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.

But if you feel your topping is still too dry and crumbly, (even for a crumble) add a bit more melted butter, a tablespoon at a time. If you think it's too wet, add a little more flour to soak up the extra butter.

Tips For Making a Classic Fruit Crumble

Use cold butter and work it into the flour mixture for a pastry-like topping. The top should be brown and the filling should be bubbling. In order to thicken properly, the cornstarch in the filling must boil.