This easy gluten free Bourbon Apple Crisp is prepared in under 25 minutes, and made with only 10 ingredients, making it the perfect warm & comforting apple dessert for the holidays! Be sure to serve the apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
If you love apple desserts, try my Gluten Free Apple Muffins, Gluten Free Apple Pudding Cake with Caramel Syrup or Apple Pie Honey Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting! They're all such phenomenal chef-tested apple dessert recipes.
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Ingredients
- Honeycrisp apples – Ideal texture and natural sweetness for baking.
- Lemon juice – Balances the sweetness and adds brightness.
- Granulated & brown sugar – Brown sugar adds a rich, molasses-like depth.
- Bourbon – Adds warm, complex flavor.
- Gluten-free flour – I prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1:1, but most blends will work.
- Cinnamon – Classic warm spice for apple desserts.
- Gluten-free oats – Essential for that hearty crumble topping.
- Pecans – Add nutty crunch and texture.
- Vegan butter – Keeps it dairy-free; regular butter works too.
- Salt – Enhances and balances the sweetness.
How to make bourbon apple crisp
Step one: Peel, core, and slice apples ¼" thick. Toss with lemon juice. In a bowl, mix sugars, flour, cinnamon, salt, and more lemon juice, then fold in apples.
Step two: Transfer the apple filling mixture to a cast iron skillet.
Step three: To make the topping, mix flour, cinnamon, salt, oats, pecans, and brown sugar. Add softened butter and pinch together into crumbs.
Step four: Top apples with crumble and bake at 350°F for 35–45 minutes, until bubbly and golden. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Air Fryer Instructions
Preheat air fryer to 350°F. Grease six 8-oz ramekins. Add apple filling, cover with foil, and air fry for 18–20 minutes until softened. Remove foil, top with crumble, and air fry another 7–8 minutes until golden. Cook in batches if needed.
Tips from a chef
- Slice apples ¼" thick – Too thick won’t cook; too thin will turn mushy. Use a sharp knife.
- Toss with lemon juice – Add as you slice to prevent browning.
- Use softened butter – Let sit 30–60 minutes until very soft; it’s key for the topping texture.
- Cover with foil if browning too fast – Lightly tent foil over the top if the crumble is done but apples need more time
Best Apples for Apple Crisp
- Honeycrisp – Sweet, crisp, and holds shape (my favorite!)
- Granny Smith – Tart-sweet and sturdy
- Pink Lady – Sweet with great texture
- Fuji – Extra sweet and firm
- Gala – Mildly sweet and soft
- Cortland – Very soft and sweet, though harder to find
Recipe substitutions
- Gluten Free Flour - You can substitute the gluten free flour in the topping with almond flour if you prefer!
- Chopped pecans - Feel free to swap the chopped pecans in the crumble topping with chopped walnuts or almond flour instead.
- Vegan butter - Swap the vegan butter with firm (but not cold) refined coconut oil for a healthier alternative. The texture may be a bit different, but it will still be delicious!
Recipe variations & add-ins
- Cranberry – Mix in 1 cup canned cranberries for a tart twist.
- Cherry – Add 1 cup diced, pitted cherries to the filling.
- Maple Pecan – Use maple syrup in place of brown sugar in both filling and topping.
- Caramel – Drizzle baked crisp with salted caramel.
- Amaretto – Swap bourbon for Amaretto for a sweet almond flavor.
Storing
- Cool completely, then cover with foil and refrigerate.
- For long-term storage, freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Reheating
- From freezer: Bake covered at 325°F for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes. Crumble will be softer but still tasty!
- From fridge: Bake uncovered at 325°F for 8–12 minutes until warm.
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Gluten Free Bourbon Apple Crisp
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Peel, core and slice the apples into ¼” slices. Sprinkle sliced apples immediately with a bit of lemon juice and toss until coated.
- In a large bowl, mix together all the filling ingredients except for the apples.
- Add the apples to the filling mixture and mix until well coated.
- Make the Topping:
- Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, except for the butter. Whisk together.
- Add the softened cubed butter and pinch it together with the dry ingredients until a softened crumbly mixture forms. It should look moist and not dry. Set aside.
- Assembly:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8” or 9” cast iron skillet or baking pan with oil or cooking spray.
- Spread the apple filling mixture into the pan.
- Sprinkle the apples with all of the oat topping.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and the apples are tender and cooked through.
Test Kitchen Notes
- My top 3 favorite apples to use for this apple crisp recipe are: Honeycrisp, Granny Smith and Fuji.
- Storage: Store the pan covered in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze the crisp for up to 3 months.
- The best gluten free flour blend for this recipe is Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour.
Steven Wolff says
I am a huge fan of this dish! The texture on the outside makes it very crunchy, and the Apple pie filling is sweet but not too sweet! Highly recommend!
Frieda Greenblatt says
Thanks Dalya for sharing your AMAZING Apple Bourbon Crisp recipe!! My family’s going to go crazy for this!!!
Richard says
Such a delicious dessert!! I tried it warm and it was amazing. Then the next day I tried it cold and it was fantastic, even better which I didn’t think was possible. 10/10
Gabriella says
Loved this Apple crisp!!! Just the right amount of sweetness. Perfect for fall!
Vida says
Just tried this and it was to die for!! Perfect fall desert.