Gluten-Free Apple Blueberry Crumble
This gluten-free apple blueberry crumble is an easy fruit dessert made with tender apples, juicy blueberries, fresh orange zest, and a buttery crisp topping. It’s amazing! The apples become soft and jammy, and the blueberries add sweetness and color, while the buttery topping turns golden and crisp. Perfect when you need a delicious dessert for a crowd. Best served warm with a scoop of ice cream or fresh whipped cream!
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About this easy fall dessert recipe
Apple crumble never fails. It’s a crowd-pleasing fall dessert, or every season, perfect for potlucks or family dinners. This recipe has a twist and adds blueberries. It’s similar to this popular Apple Crisp, but the crisp topping has oats, and the crumble is more like a streusel topping.
This baked apple dessert is super easy to make, with no complicated steps or equipment. The fresh apples and blueberries soften while baking, and the buttery topping turns golden and crunchy. The blueberries add flavor, color, and juice. It’s best served warm with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
Ingredients
Some NOTES about the main ingredients of this recipe:
- Apples: green, medium Granny Smith apples. Pink Lady or Golden goes well too.
- Butter: cold, diced, unsalted butter.
- Sugar: brown sugar for the crumble that gives a slightly caramel flavor.
- Orange: fresh orange zest that adds freshness to the filling.
- Blueberries: fresh or frozen blueberries; both work.
- Almonds: chopped and toasted almonds.
How to make gluten-free apple and berry crumble
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
For the filling: Place the peeled, seeded, and cubed apples, the blueberries, and the orange zest in a baking dish. Set aside.
For the topping: Place the gluten-free all-purpose flour, sugars, and cold diced butter in a food processor and pulse until crumbs form. Or, in a medium bowl, mix the cold diced butter, both sugars, and GF all-purpose flour. Rub together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle the crumble and the chopped toasted almonds over the apples.
Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and the apples are bubbling. Let the dessert rest for about 10 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set.
Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
Storing: Store the dessert covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Baking tips
- Keep the butter cold: Cold butter makes a crisp topping. If the butter is warm when making the crumble, it will become a paste. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator before adding it to the apple filling.
- Apples: Granny Smith apples are the common choice because their slightly tart flavor balances the sweetness of the buttery sweet crumble. But Pink Lady and Golden Delicious work perfectly. Chop apples into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Sweetness: Adjust the sweetness to taste. Reduce the sugar in the crumble or add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the filling if you like sweeter desserts.
- Bake until bubbling: The topping must be golden brown and the apple filling bubbling.
- Let rest before serving: Allow the dessert to rest for about 10 minutes after baking. The filling will thicken as it cools.
FAQ
Can I use frozen blueberries? Yes, fresh or frozen blueberries work. Don’t thaw; add them directly to the apple filling.
Do I need to peel the apples? Yes, peeling the apples is better for a softer texture.
Can I freeze apple crumble? You can freeze the dessert, but don´t recommend it; it’s never the same, and the crumble will lose some crunch. But if you freeze it, when you are ready to enjoy it, warm it in a medium oven.
Variations
- Gluten-free Flour: try a different mix of GF flour. You can also add almond flour.
- Lemon: replace orange zest with lemon zest and change the flavor.
- Blueberries: replace them with mixed berries, fresh or frozen.
- Dried fruits: replace almonds with walnuts to change the flavor.
Serving options:
- Cream: a dollop of fresh whipped cream, classic!
- Ice cream: serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Syrup: drizzle with maple syrup.
- Yogurt: a dollop of natural Greek-style yogurt.
For more GF fruit desserts
Gluten-Free Apple Berry Crumble Recipe (No Oats)
Ingredients
- 6 apples, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 1 cup blueberries or mixed berries, fresh or frozen
- ½ orange zest
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
- Almonds, toasted and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- For the filling: Place the peeled, seeded, and cubed apples, the blueberries, and the orange zest in a baking dish. Set aside.
- For the crumble topping: Place the gluten-free all-purpose flour, sugars, and cold diced butter in a food processor and pulse until crumbs form. Or, in a medium bowl, mix the cold diced butter, both sugars, and GF all-purpose flour. Rub together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Sprinkle the crumble and the chopped toasted almonds over the apples.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and the apples are bubbling. Let the dessert rest for about 10 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set.
- Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.