Fall is in the air, my friends! Just look at the gorgeous lawn confetti – is there a better kind? I mean regular confetti is just kind of a nuisance. Don’t even get me started on cards with glitter…
Anyway, this past weekend was chock full of both work and play. We didn’t seem to have a minute of down time!
Play: having an impromptu get together with friends and their kids after work on Friday. Prayer hands emoji for Tarzan on Netflix so the adults could chat over wine.
Work: winterizing our landscaping with my trusty electric hedge clippers (peace out hostas,) since the next few weeks are going to be crazy and I don’t think I’d have another chance until mid-November. Felt really, really good to get it done, but holy hamstrings – I’ll be walking like our good friend Tarzan for at least another couple of days.
Play: Spending Saturday at my parent’s house circled around the first fire of the season. Leaves raining from the sky, warm, crackling fire at our fingertips, apple cider nearby – it was the perfect fall afternoon.
Work + play: testing the recipe for Caramel Apple Crisp with Easy Caramel Sauce! (Ok I won’t even lie, it was definitely more play than work – look at that gooey caramel sauce made with just 4 ingredients and ZERO corn syrup!)
I’m so happy to be partnering with Fisher Nuts for the third year in a row developing recipes like Caramel Apple Crisp with Easy Caramel Sauce using their high-quality nuts – the only brand of recipe nuts entirely free from preservatives.
I talk about this in my Gluten-Free for Beginners ebook, but preservatives can be really hard on people with Celiac Disease or other autoimmune disorders whose systems are ultra-sensitive to preservatives, artificial coloring, etc. Bottom line, I love that Fisher Nuts are just that – NUTS, and nothin’ else.
Which I included in my luscious homemade Caramel Apple Crisp with Easy Caramel Sauce. This easy, gluten-free dessert recipe has me ALL kinds of excited!
I don’t know a single person who doesn’t love apple crisp. Cinnamon-spiced apples blanketed under crisp topping then baked until golden brown and bubbly are high on the GIMME THAT list of pretty much everyone I know. Add homemade, 4-ingredient (including salt!) caramel sauce and toasty Fisher Nuts chopped pecans into the mix, and this fall-inspired dessert is going to send you into overdrive.
The inspiration for this dessert came from a recipe for Caramel Apple Bars that I made every fall when I lived in Minneapolis. Probably because the average high is somewhere around negative 75 starting in October and I needed something warm to hunker down with. Well, somehow it got filed away in a 3-ring binder and hadn’t see the light of day in 8 years when I unearthed it from a dark cupboard last week.
My bad.
Anyway, I attempted to reduce the sugar and butter in it and, well, it was terrible. This dish however, is loads easier, two of the three components can be made days ahead of time, and let’s just take a look at the photo – caramel + apple + crisp. No other words needed! Ok, I can’t help myself – complete. decadence!
How to Make Homemade Caramel Sauce:
Start by making the homemade caramel sauce. I have yet to find a gluten-free jarred caramel sauce so I turned to the interwebs to find an easy corn syrup-free recipe. Ree Drummond’s popped up and, just as the name implies, it was super easy to make. No thermometers involved, no hard ball/soft ball stage to look out for – simply combine 1 cup brown sugar with 1/2 cup half & half, 4 Tablespoons butter, and a dash of salt in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat.
Cook the sauce while stirring gently until thickened, 8-10 minutes, then add 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract and cook until thickened again, another minute or two. Honest to goodness it is the easiest caramel sauce you will ever make. So yummy!
How to Make the Crisp Topping:
Put the caramel sauce off to the side to cool a bit (you can make it several days in advance – just store in the refrigerator in a mason jar until ready to use,) then make the crisp topping.
Add 3/4 cup certified gluten-free old fashioned oats, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup gluten-free flour baking blend, 1/2 cup chopped Fisher Nuts pecans, and 6 Tablespoons butter to a bowl then use your finger tips to combine and set aside. Or, make the crisp topping a day ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Final steps! Peel then slice 4 Granny Smith Apples and toss with 4 teaspoons gluten-free flour baking blend and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, then add to a nonstick-sprayed baking dish and drizzle 1/2 of the Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce on top (about 1/2 cup.) You can use whatever apples you have on hand, but I like tart Granny Smith’s to balance out the sweetness of the caramel sauce.
Hold me.
Sprinkle the crisp topping on top then bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the apples are tender and caramel is bubbly. If your crisp starts to brown too early, gently place a sheet of foil on top and keep baking. I had to do this around the 10 minute mark, but every oven is a little bit different.
Let the crisp cool anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, then scoop into dishes, drizzle the reserved caramel sauce on top, and d-e-v-o-u-r.
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Caramel Apple Crisp with Easy Caramel Sauce
Description
Gluten-free Caramel Apple Crisp with Easy Caramel Sauce is decadent and delicious. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream for a heavenly fall treat!
Ingredients
- 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled then thinly sliced
- 4 teaspoons + 1/4 cup gluten-free flour baking blend, divided
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup certified gluten-free old fashioned oats
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped Fisher Nuts Pecans
- dash of salt
- 6 Tablespoons butter, cut into pats
- For the Easy Caramel Sauce (makes 1 cup):
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- dash of salt
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
Directions
- For the Easy Caramel Sauce: Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir slowly until caramel has thickened, 8-10 minutes, then add vanilla and stir until thickened again, 1 more minute. Remove from heat then let cool slightly. Can be done ahead of time - cool caramel sauce slightly then pour into a mason jar using a funnel and store in the refrigerator. Warm for 30 seconds in the microwave before using.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees then spray a medium-sized baking dish (like 8x8" or 10x7") with nonstick spray. Add apple slices to a large bowl then toss with cinnamon and 4 teaspoons flour until well coated. Transfer to prepared baking dish then drizzle 1/2 cup Easy Caramel Sauce on top.
- Combine oats, brown sugar, chopped pecans, remaining 1/4 cup flour, salt, and butter in the bowl then use your fingers to combine mixture until crumbly. Top caramel apples with crisp then bake for 30-40 minutes or until apples are tender and caramel is bubbly. NOTE: If crisp topping begins to brown before apples are tender, gently place a piece of foil on top and continue baking.
- Allow Caramel Apple Crisp to cool for 20 minutes-1 hour before scooping into bowls then topping with reserved Easy Caramel Sauce.
Notes
Easy Caramel Sauce from Ree Drummond.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
Since the caramel sauce is super sweet, I backed off on the sugar in the crisp topping, so this dessert isn’t tooth-achingly sweet. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a DESSERT, but the crunchy, roasty nuts and oats really help balance out all the flavors. If you went apple picking recently, or have plans to go this weekend, be certain to save some of your pickings for this fabulous fall treat!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fisher. The opinions and text are all mine.
I think you just read my mind about the exact recipe I was looking to make today! I try to reduce sugar and butter (I mean, the word Butt is right in there) when I can, but find I don’t. This looks beyond scrumptious and my family is going to be so happy tonight. Shhhh. don’t tell them I got the recipe from you blog, let them all think I thought of this myself =)
Wow, this looks and sounds absolutely incredible! This is definitely a recipe I need to make!
I love this recipe. You’re right, everyone loves apple crisp. And with that sauce? Even better!!
Wow, that looks so yummy. I just bought the best apples and I need to try this!
This looks crazy good! We went apple picking over the weekend, so we’re well-stocked at the moment. This is definitely on my list of things to try with my supply!
This is perfect for all the apples I just bought!!!
Caramel sauce is EVERYTHING and I absolutely have to put pecans in my apple crisp.
What a fun contest! I love a good caramel sauce and the crisp topping looks amazing..
Oh wow, this looks so delicious!! And thanks as always for the great pictures – it looks like something I could actually make. Your pictures help me so much :)
This looks seriously delicious!
Let me introduce myself… apple crisp makes me wanna hurl! :P (So now you’ve “met” someone who doesn’t like it.) In all fairness, I’m just not a fruit in my dessert kind of person. Warm fruit makes me wanna vom. But adding caramel sauce is certainly a step in the right direction! If you’d leave out the apples, I’d be all over this… but I guess that kinda defeats the purpose, huh? ;) I love 99% of your recipes, Kristin. ;)
Ummmm now I’m drooling at work, thanks a lot! Hahaha this is happening TONIGHT.
I want to stuff my face with this. Looks amazing! Perfect for Fall!
Is the caramel sauce thick enough to use as just an apple dip too? Or more of a drizzle sauce?
Definitely! It will thicken up as it cools (not as thick as the big tubs of caramel dip, but for a sauce, yep, it thickens up nicely.) :)
I will have to try this for my dad. He adores apple deserts. It looks delicious.
xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com
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Hi my mum is a coeliac, so I am always on the look out for gluten free dishes I can cook when she stays with us.
While this dish looks delicious I was curious when I picture with what looked like oats was labeled gluten free. As I was always told oats were not gluten free.
So I did a search and found the following post regarding gluten in oats:http://www.harraways.co.nz/healthy-living/hf-gluten.html
It would seem 1 in 5 coeliacs will react to oats, and that is a risk I’m not willing to take with my mother.
I have Celiac Disease too so I definitely understand your concern. The risk isn’t the oats themselves (they are naturally gluten-free,) but how they’re grown and/or processed. I use Trader Joe’s gluten-free oats that are grown and processed in dedicated fields and facilities and don’t have any issues. I have tried Bob’s Red Mill GF Oats in the past and had a mild reaction – likely because cross contamination was happening in the fields. All that to say, in my experience, it depends on how sensitive you are and which brand of certified gluten-free oats you are using.
I’m guessing you didn’t read the link.
“Gluten is the name given to the protein in wheat, rye, barley and oats that affect people with Coeliac disease. It is a composite name representing –
Gliadin in Wheat
Hordein in Barley
Secalin in Rye
Avenin in Oats
The current tests for gluten can measure gliadin, hordein, and secalin but not avenin as it is a slightly different protein.
So when people discuss gluten free oats (and laboratories advise that oats are gluten free) what should be said is that they are free from wheat (and rye, barley) gliadin i.e. there is no measurable contamination.
Very interesting! I’ve never heard of avenin but did some research last night after reading the information in your link. From the sources I checked it seems researchers can’t definitively say say one way or another – Celiacs should or should not eat oats. In a nutshell, some studies find certified GF oats to have no effect on Celiacs, while others say they might trigger symptoms. So, this one for me boils down to personal preference. Like I said, I don’t have a reaction to Trader Joe’s oats, so I’ll continue to eat them but everyone should of course make that call for themselves!
Ok, making this RIGHT NOW!
Also- have you tried Trader Joe’s salted caramel?? It is AMAZING- not to mention gluten free and corn-syrup free. I’m obsessed. (It’s labeled “Trader Jacques’ Fleur de Sel”). Seriously THE BEST!! And less than $4!
Thanks for the great recipes! I have your chicken wild rice soup in the crockpot right now. :)
[…] Caramel Apple Crisp with Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce–> Yes, I need this after Whole 30. […]
Kristen -I want to make this for Thanksgiving. Is this recipe easily doubled to serve 12?
It could probably work n a 9×13″, or you could try two 8×8″ pans (you could use the disposable aluminum ones if you don’t have two pyrex dishes!)
[…] recipe: Caramel Apple Crisp with Easy Caramel Sauce by Kristen at Iowa Girl Eats. I made this one for the previously unplanned company since I […]
I quadrupled this recipe for a big family get together tomorrow. So far I’ve had the caramel sauce at a slow boil for two HOURS and ten minutes…and it hasn’t thickened! Apparently this is one of those recipes you can’t expand. Sad waste of time and money.
This is perfect! I have *exactly* 1/4 cup plus 6 teaspoons of gluten free flour blend, so I can make this with a teeny tiny bit of flour left over (I guess it’s time to buy more! :) ) Thank you for a very good gluten free recipe!
[…] Caramel Apple Crisp with Easy Caramel Sauce […]
I literally sat in front of the stove (un)patiently waiting for this dish to come out of the oven! It was worth the wait. An amazing restaurant-quality dessert!
Hahaha, definitely been there done that! ;) So glad you enjoyed!
[…] Easy Caramel Sauce (with Apple Crisp recipe) […]
This is literally the best gluten free dessert I have eaten in the six years of being gluten free! It tastes just like the homemade caramel rolls my grandma would get for Easter morning plus the deliciousness of the apples. An absolute home run!
That is SO great to hear, Molly! I’m so, so glad you loved it! :D
My family and I loved this!!! Scrumptious! I also wanted to let you know I shared the recipe on my site, justbitsandpieces.com, as part of a 30-day gratitude challenge I am doing. This recipe was the taste I was grateful for during the challenge! I gave all the credit to you and your website with links to your page and this recipe!! Thanks for sharing such a great gluten free recipe!! ♥R
Thank you so much, Robyn – you are too kind!
The apple crisp (or crumble where we Brits come from) in the nicest dessert on planet earth. FACT!
May I ask if you used salted butter or unsalted butter for this recipe? I always end up with butter floating on top of my caramel sauce in the fridge.
Hi Angie! I think I used salted, though either would work!
When I saw the photo I got so excited! I love appley desserts and crumbly toppings so much. I made this and it is truly FANTASTIC. It is my favourite and I am gonna make it for Christmas dinner dessert. Thank you for a perfect recipe. I used wholemeal flour instead of gluten free. The butterscotch sauce is superb beyond words! Ha, I really love it.
Are you able to make this the day before serving and reheating or best right out of the oven?
It’s very delicious the day after but the crisp topping will only be crisp the day it’s baked is all!
[…] Every time an uncomfortable dinner topic comes up, just take a loud bite of this crunchy caramel apple crisp. Recipe here. […]
Made this for Thanksgiving as a gluten free option to apple pie. So glad I found this recipe!
So glad you loved it, Lola!! Just because I love it equally, here’s another recipe I recently posted for Stovetop Apple Crisp for 2! http://iowagirleats.com/2016/10/12/stovetop-apple-crisp/
[…] Caramel Apple Crisp with Easy Caramel Sauce | Iowa Girl Eats […]
[…] Caramel Apple Crisp with Easy Caramel Sauce from Iowa Girl Eats […]
How can I make this dairy free? Without using coconut milk!
Love it
Hey! Do you think this could be made with regular flour for us non-celiac folks? How about other apple varieties?
Absolutely! And you could really use whatever apples you have on hand – I like the tart Granny Smith’s up against the sweet crisp topping, and they’re really good for baking, but truly any apple will work. :)
I’m baking tonight mmmm thank you
I made this yesterday, and it was the most delicious apple crisp I’ve ever eaten! And I’ve made a lot of apple crisps. Make sure you toast the pecans beforehand; it’s amazing!!
Such a compliment – thank you so much for your feedback, Lise!
Well, shoot! I made your apple caramel cheesecake dip last weekend and loved it. The CARAMEL sauce! It’s too easy to know about! After dinner this week, I made a small portion for dipping an apple in – eek! Now I’ll be whipping this up tomorrow for dinner with some friends. I’m addicted! ~I’m off to lunch at the Cherry Cricket which always makes me think of you, too – this is a very unhealthy week…!
This is the best apple crisp I have ever eaten! So delicious! I was a little generous with the salt in both the caramel sauce and the crumbly topping for a salted caramel flavor. My pecans were already toasted, but they add so much flavor when they’re toasted! This is the only apple crisp recipe I will bother making in the future!
[…] photo credit: https://iowagirleats.com/2015/10/14/caramel-apple-crisp-with-easy-caramel-sauce/ […]
The apple crisp (or crumble where we Brits come from) in the nicest dessert on planet earth. FACT!
Thanks A LOTt, now I have to make Apple Crisp ALL THE TIME! AMAZING recipe!!!!
I made this last night with honeycrisp apples. Amazing! I doubled it because we had company. Everyone loved it, and I’m excited to eat the leftovers today! Thanks for a delicious recipe!
I needed a gluten free dessert to take to a friend’s house and this was by far the BEST dessert I’ve ever had- gluten free or not! The caramel sauce drizzled over the apples before baking was a nice touch. I used my phone for the recipe the first time; today I went back and printed it out so it’s always handy.
I’m so glad to hear it, Peggy! Thanks so much for your recipe rating and feedback!
[…] posted not one, not two, nonetheless three recipes for Apple Crisp on IGE through the years. Caramel Apple Crisp is sinfully optimistic, Stovetop Apple Crisp for Two is generous must you’re in a mosey (and wish […]
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