Since having to go gluten free several years ago, I’ve spent some time (and trial and error) trying to make my favorite recipes gluten free. This is especially true of my mother’s apple pie. Historically, I only made that pie at the holidays, but now my family and I go pick apples at a local farm this time of year and we always come home with way too many apples! We are fortunate to have an apple orchard only a few minutes away where the apple trees are young, so they are short – the perfect height for young kids to pick from.

I’ve tried several variations of gluten free pie crust (homemade and store bought) and haven’t really found one that tastes all that great. For instance, they’re either too crumbly or they soak up too much of the apple juices and become soggy (or both!). I’ve tried various recipes for apple crisps I’ve found online. I like the crisp topping, but the apple filling part just wasn’t the same as my mom’s apple pie. Therefore, I created my own combination recipe. (Full disclosure – my mom’s apple pie is actually the recipe from a 1960’s Better Homes & Garden’s cookbook called Perfect Apple Pie.)

Gluten Free Perfect Apple Crisp

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2. You’ll need 6-7 apples (Granny Amith are best, but really any variety that’s good for pies will do). When we go to the apple orchard, I just ask them which varieties they have then that are good for pie)
3. Peel, core & alice your apples. If you don’t have an Apple Peeler, Corer, Slicer tool, you’re missing out! These things make quick work of this process and even my young girls can do it – with some help and supervision. There are sharp parts. You can do this process with a peeler and knife too.
4. Next, mix your apple slices in a bowl with the following and set aside:
   1 cup Sugar
   2 Tbsp GF Flour
   1 tsp Cinnamon
   Dash of nutmeg
   Dash of salt
5. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl mix the following together for the toping:
   2/3 cup GF flour
   2/3 cup brown sugar
   1/2 tsp salt
   2/3 cup GF oats
   1/2 tsp Cinnamon
   1/2 cup butter, melted
6. Spoon the apple mixture into your pie pan. Crumble the topping on top, spreading it around to evenly cover the apples.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes.
8. You may want to put an empty cookie sheet or tin foil under the pie pan in the oven to collect any drippings. It can get messy!

Of course, when we go to the apple orchard, we come home with a serious number of apples! So, I make a few other recipes too.

Crock Pot Apple Butter

(Recipe originally from https://changingmydestiny.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/crockpot-apple-butter/). This recipe doesn’t need any special instructions or ingredients to make it naturally gluten free.

1. You need 12 apples.
2. Peel, core and slice your apples.
3. Mix together the following ingredients in a bowl:
   ½ cup water
   ¼ cup brown sugar
   ½ tsp cinnamon
   ½ tsp all spice
4. Add the apples to the bowl of ingredients and stir until all apples are evenly coated.
5. Pour everything into your crockpot.
6. Cook on low heat overnight (12 hours)
7. Using an immersion blender, blend the cooked apple mixture into a smooth consistency.
8. Pour into clean jars and store in the refrigerator.

Crockpot Apple Sauce

(recipe originally from https://womenlivingwell.org/2012/09/homemade-crock-pot-applesauce/). This recipe is also naturally gluten free!

1. You need 10 Apples
2. Peel core and slice your apples
3. Put apples in your crockpot.
4. Add the following to the apples in the crockpot:
   1/2 cup water
   1/2 cup sugar (optional)
   sprinkle of cinnamon
5. Cook on high for 4 hours.
6. You can use an immersion blender to make the applesauce smoother. I prefer to leave it chunky and serve it warm.
7. Scoop into storage containers and store in the refrigerator.

Need more gluten free recipes? Check out my previous post on my favorite gluten free cookie recipes here.

_{The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of The We Spot, it’s employees, sponsors, or affiliates.}