Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Granola Crisp

This post featuring my recipe for gluten-free apple cranberry granola crisp is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill and features the company’s new pan-baked gluten-free granola.

Fall is almost here and I’m already channeling the wonderful colors and flavors the season has to offer.

I recently had the opportunity to try Bob’s Red Mill’s new gluten-free Pan-Baked Granolas. They are dangerously delicious.

Let’s talk about these crunchy and sweet bits of granola first, and then I want to share a new fall recipe to inspire your fall baking adventures.

Bob’s Red Mill’s Pan-Baked Granolas

Bob’s Red Mill just launched a line of crunchy and sweet gluten-free pan-baked granolas made with GFCO certified oats. It tastes like homemade granola – seriously!

The pan-baked granolas are certified organic, Non-GMO Project Verified and kosher, and they come in these fantastic flavors:

• Lemon Blueberry – a hint of citrus is a-okay with me
• Cranberry Almond – a flavor profile channeling the fall
• Coconut Spice – if you like coconut, this should be your top pick
• Maple Sea Salt – sweet and salty for those of you who can’t make up your mind

The pan-baked granolas taste more homemade than any other store-bought granola I’ve tried. And each serving contains only five grams of sugar. Isn’t it nice when something can still taste great without excessive sugar?

While I love snacking on the pan-baked granola right out of the bag, I couldn’t help myself by dreaming up a recipe, too. I feel like granola can be an excellent addition to baked goods in addition to being your go-to yogurt topper.

Apple Cranberry Granola Crisp Recipe

I was inspired by the flavor profile of Bob’s Red Mill Cranberry Almond Pan-Baked Granola, so I decided to use that “flavor” it as the inspiration behind my latest recipe.

I personally love fruit pies, especially in the fall, but making a gluten-free pie crust can be challenging. Last year I used Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free pie crust mix to make this gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe. It was incredibly delicious, but I won’t lie to you; it required a bit of work and jiggering to get that pie crust just right.

I also enjoy making cobblers. The difference between a cobbler and a crisp, however, is that a cobbler has a doughy, biscuit topping dolloped on top of the filling while a crisp has a crunchy and sweet topping spread over the entire filling. (If you prefer cobbler, check out my gluten-free peach cobbler recipe.) Both cobblers and crisps are much easier to make than pies.

I find that a crisp satisfies my craving for a fruit pie without having to spend hours in the kitchen trying to get that gluten-free pie crust just right. With a crisp, you simply put the fruit filling in a baking dish and top with a crunchy and sweet streusel topping.

To make my gluten-free cranberry apple granola crisp recipe, combine cranberries (fresh or frozen okay), sliced apples, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, salt, vanilla and cornstarch in a small bowl.

Toss all of these beautiful ingredients together before adding the mixture to your baking dish. What a beautiful filling, right?

Please note I used granny smith apples because they’re tart and crisp. You could also use honeycrisp or pink lady apples. They are slightly sweeter but still wind up crisp when baked. You don’t want to have mushy apples in your gluten-free apple cranberry crisp, do you?

In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients used for the topping, including the Bob’s Red Mill Cranberry Almond Pan-Baked Granola, softened butter and brown sugar. Coat the granola in the butter and sugar (you may need to get in there with your hands).

You’ll then generously sprinkle the topping mixture over the apple-cranberry filling. It looks so good already, doesn’t it?

You’ll then place the gluten-free cranberry apple crisp in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the topping is slightly brown.

You may find, depending on your oven, that the granola topping browns a little too quickly. Keep an eye on things. If this happens, cover the baking dish with foil and continue baking. Remove the foil for the last 5-10 minutes of baking to crisp up the top before serving.

You can serve your gluten-free apple cranberry crisp with a dollop of vanilla ice cream (or dairy-free ice cream). I like to serve the crisp warm, but it will taste great cold and can be enjoyed for several days post-baking.

Look at that wonderful fruit filling and crunchy granola topping. Yummy! It tastes as good as it looks, indeed!

A Few Closing Thoughts

I think you’ll find that this gluten-free cranberry apple crisp is the perfect combination of sweet and tart. A match made in gluten-free heaven. I hope you enjoy it during these last summer days and through the fall season.

I encourage you to visit the Bob’s Red Mill website to learn more about these pan-baked granolas and other gluten-free treats to fall in love with this coming holiday season.