Gluten-Free Strawberry Apple Crisp (Nut, Wheat, Egg and Fish-Free, Can Be Soy and Milk-Free)

It's been awhile since I've made a crisp, and I decided to try my hand at a new one.  This is a recipe of my own design, and I hope you enjoy it!  It's a great blend of summer strawberries and autumn apples, which is great for August when summer is ending and autumn is beginning.  It's also a great blend of sweet and tart, too.  It's almost like eating a fruit-filled oatmeal cookie or fruit-filled cereal bar - delish!

This recipe is nut, wheat, egg and fish-free, and can be soy-free (if you use all soy-free ingredients), and milk-free (see variations).

Note: The gluten-free flour and baking mix I recommend do not technically contain soy, but the one contains xanthan gum and the other contains guar gum (see "Soy-Free" under variations for more details) which can cause issues for people with soy sensitivities or allergies, and that is why I will not claim that this recipe is soy-free.
 

Gluten-Free Strawberry Apple Crisp

2 Cups of fresh strawberries, quartered or halved (depending on size) 
(and that's 2 Cups after quartering or halving)
  
2 Cups Granny Smith apples, pealed and cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
(and that's 2 Cups after cutting the apples into bite-sized pieces) 

  

1/4 to 1/2 Cup white sugar
   
1 teaspoon lemon juice
   
Topping:

1 Cup gluten-free flour blend or baking mix 
(I recommend Pamela's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour or King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Baking Mix)

   

1 Cups gluten-free quick cooking or old fashioned oats

  

3/4 Cups packed brown sugar

  

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

1 Cup salted, full-fat butter

  

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF.
   

2. In a large bowl, gently toss together the strawberries, apples, white sugar and lemon juice; set aside.  (Note: The amount of sugar is based on how sweet you want the filling.)
   

3. In a separate large bowl, combine gluten-free flour, gluten-free oats, brown sugar, cinnamon.
    

4. Cut butter into flour mixture until crumbly.
   

5. Pour fruit mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan, and then sprinkle the gluten-free flour mixture over the top of the fruit.
  

6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until fruit is bubbly, the topping is golden brown, and the apples are cooked to the desired doneness. (Note: I recommend fork-tender doneness for the apples, but you can cook them longer if you want them softer, shorter if you want them more crisp.)

Serve hot or cold, plain or topped with ice cream or whipped cream as your diet allows.

Makes 12 to 24 servings, depending on size. 

 

Variations (Please keep your individual dietary needs in mind when using substitutions!):

 

• Milk-Free: Use lard, coconut oil, or a dairy-free butter for the butter.  You may need to add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the topping, however, if you use an unsalted fat.   
    
• Soy-Free: Neither Pamela's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour or King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Baking Mix claim to contain soy, but Pamela's contains guar gum and King Arthur Flour's contains xanthan gum, which can cause issues with people who have soy sensitivities and allergies, and hence the reason I won't claim this recipe is soy-free already.  You can use regular flour (if you can have it) or a soy-free, gluten-free flour of your choice.
    
• Less Topping: If you don't want as much topping, you can half the amount of topping.
     
• Different Flavors: I can use almost any fruit combination you desire, even frozen fruit (though the cooking time may need to be increased if you use frozen fruit).  You could use all apples, a different type of apples or a mix of a few, all strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb, raspberries, cherries, peaches, pears - anything you wish as long as it doesn't exceed 4 Cups of fruit, and you can use any combo that appeals to you.  You can even leave the peel on the apples or pears if you want, too.  I would not, however, recommend using canned fruit or bananas as the consistency would be greatly changed, and the result would be more mush than you'd want.
   
• Sugar Substitutions:  You could use any sugar substitute that is approved for baking for the sugar.  Make sure that you sub it according to the recommendations for that sweetener.  Not all sugar substitutes are subbed with a 1:1 ratio.  I would not recommend using honey, molasses or other liquid sugar, however, as that would greatly change the consistency, and the result would be more mush than you'd want.
   
• Topping Variations:  If you can have tree nuts, you can always add up to 1/4 Cup pecans, almonds, walnuts, etc. to the topping.  You can even sub nuts for the oats, though I would not exceed 1/4 Cup of nuts regardless.  You can also increase the cinnamon amount to up to 1 teaspoon if you want more cinnamon flavor.

  

Doesn't that look just yummy?

Trust me - it is!

 Enjoy!

(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)