Are you looking for a breakfast that feels wonderfully indulgent yet is genuinely nutritious? On a crisp morning, nothing quite compares to the heart-warming aroma of baked apples and cinnamon filling the home. If you’re seeking a morning meal that is delicious, wholesome, and deeply satisfying, your search ends here. We are delighted to present our definitive healthy gluten-free breakfast apple crumble recipe, a dish designed to elevate your daily routine from ordinary to exceptional.

This is far from the sugary dessert crumbles that sometimes pass for breakfast. We have thoughtfully developed this recipe to be brimming with whole ingredients, abundant fibre, and natural sweetness. It provides the ideal start to your day with slow-release energy, ensuring you feel full and content for hours. While it’s perfect for a leisurely weekend, it’s also straightforward enough to prepare in advance for hectic weekday mornings. It truly is the perfect fall breakfast to bring a little warmth and comfort to your day.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Wholesome and Nourishing: We rely on whole-food ingredients such as oats, nuts, and fresh apples, sweetening the dish naturally with just a hint of maple syrup. It’s full of fibre and essential nutrients to power your day correctly.
• Effortlessly Simple: With a few basic steps—preparing the fruit, mixing the topping, and baking—you can serve a beautiful breakfast with very little fuss. No advanced culinary skills are needed!
• Gluten-Free & Easily Vegan: This recipe is inherently gluten-free (simply ensure you use certified GF oats). It can also be made fully vegan by using coconut oil and maple syrup, catering to a wide range of dietary preferences.
• Ideal for Meal Prep: You can bake a generous batch over the weekend and have delicious, easy-to-reheat breakfasts ready for the days ahead. It warms up perfectly in either the microwave or the oven.
• Wonderfully Versatile: Although we adore apples in this dish, feel free to substitute them with pears, berries, or peaches, depending on what’s in season. You can also personalise the topping with your preferred nuts and seeds.

Ingredients

• Bramley or Granny Smith apples
• lemon juice
• pure maple syrup
• ground cinnamon
• ground nutmeg
• ground ginger
• gluten-free rolled oats
• almond flour
• pecans or walnuts
• coconut sugar or brown sugar
• coconut oil or unsalted butter

For this dish, we’ve organised the components into the succulent apple base and the crisp crumble topping. Here is what you will need:

• For the Apple Filling:
• 4 large Bramley or Granny Smith apples (about 900g), peeled, cored, and chopped into 2cm chunks
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground ginger
• 1 tbsp water
• For the Gluten-Free Topping:
• 150g gluten-free rolled oats
• 75g almond flour
• 50g chopped pecans or walnuts
• 50g coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 75g cold coconut oil (or unsalted butter), cubed

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make Your Breakfast Crumble

Just follow our straightforward guide, and you’ll soon be enjoying a warm, bubbling apple crumble. We find the heavenly scent from the oven is an added bonus!

1. Prepare Your Oven and Dish: To begin, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4). Lightly grease a medium baking dish, approximately 20x20cm or a similar oval shape.
2. Create the Spiced Apple Base: In a large mixing bowl, toss your chopped apples with the lemon juice to prevent them from discolouring. Next, add the maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and water. Stir everything together thoroughly until the apple pieces are beautifully coated in the spice mix.
3. Layer the Fruit: Transfer the apple mixture into your greased baking dish, spreading it out into an even layer.
4. Mix the Topping Ingredients: In a separate bowl, stir together the gluten-free rolled oats, almond flour, chopped nuts, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt until they are well combined.
5. Rub in the Coconut Oil or Butter: Add the cold, cubed coconut oil or butter to your dry topping ingredients. Using your fingertips, rub the fat into the flour and oat mixture until it forms a texture like coarse breadcrumbs, with some larger, pea-sized pieces remaining. This texture is vital for a super crunchy result!
6. Assemble and Get Ready to Bake: Scatter the crumble topping evenly across the apple filling. Avoid pressing it down, as this helps create a lighter, crispier layer.
7. Bake Until Golden: Put the dish into your preheated oven and bake for 35–45 minutes. It’s ready when the crumble is a lovely golden-brown colour and you can see the fruit filling bubbling at the sides.
8. Allow to Cool and Serve: Take the crumble out of the oven with care and let it stand for at least 10 minutes before you serve it. This short rest helps the filling to set slightly. We recommend enjoying it while it’s still warm!

The Wholesome Truth: What Makes This a Healthy Breakfast?

We’ve intentionally designed this recipe to be more than just a delicious dish; it’s a genuinely healthy fruit crumble that provides real nourishment. In contrast to classic crumbles that are often full of refined flour and sugar, our version puts the focus on whole, nutrient-rich ingredients. If you have a passion for baking with fruit, you will find this is a superb alternative to our classic Banana Bread Recipe.

The Goodness of Apples and Oats

Apples are a brilliant source of dietary fibre, especially pectin, which is known to support a healthy gut. They also deliver a good dose of Vitamin C and various antioxidants. We pair them with gluten-free rolled oats, which are widely praised for their numerous health advantages. Oats provide slow-release carbohydrates that give you sustained energy, helping you avoid that mid-morning energy dip. They are also high in a soluble fibre known as beta-glucan, which health authorities like the NHS acknowledge for its role in helping to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Smart Sweeteners and Healthy Fats

In this recipe, we avoid refined white sugar, opting instead for a modest amount of pure maple syrup and coconut sugar. These choices offer a pleasant sweetness without causing sharp spikes in blood sugar. For the crunchy topping, we incorporate coconut oil and nuts, both of which are fantastic sources of healthy fats. These fats not only contribute wonderful flavour and texture but also promote a lasting feeling of fullness and satisfaction.

Top Tips for the Perfect Baked Apple Breakfast

Are you keen to ensure your crumble turns out perfectly every time? Here are some of our best tips and tricks for this wonderful baked apple breakfast.

• Choose the Right Apples: To achieve a sublime balance of tartness and sweetness, we favour cooking apples like Bramley, as they cook down into a beautiful, soft compote. If you’d rather the apple pieces retained their shape, a firm eating apple such as a Braeburn or Granny Smith is an excellent choice.
• Don’t Overmix the Topping: The secret to a great “crumble” lies in its texture. When you’re rubbing in the fat, aim for a mixture of fine crumbs and larger, more substantial clumps. This variety is what creates the ultimate crunchy topping.
• Customise Your Crumble: Don’t hesitate to add a tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flaxseed into the topping for an extra helping of omega-3s and fibre. You could also replace the pecans with almonds or hazelnuts, or even use pumpkin seeds for a nut-free alternative.
• Serving Suggestions: This crumble is, at its heart, a warm and comforting apple crisp for breakfast. We enjoy serving it with a large spoonful of Greek yoghurt for an added protein kick, or with coconut yoghurt to keep the dish dairy-free. A final drizzle of maple syrup or a scattering of toasted seeds is also a delicious finishing touch!

FAQ

A Breakfast Worth Waking Up For

And there you have it—a straightforward, delicious, and truly healthy gluten-free breakfast apple crumble recipe that we are certain will become a new staple in your home. It’s proof that a breakfast that feels cosy and special can also be wonderfully nourishing. This dish is the ideal way to celebrate the seasons, fill your home with beautiful aromas, and begin your day on a wholesome, positive note.

So, we encourage you to give it a go this week. It’s a fantastic way to offer yourself and your loved ones a special treat. If you’re in the mood for another comforting baked good, why not check out our Fudgy Banana Brownies? We would be thrilled to hear how your breakfast crumble turns out! Feel free to leave a comment below or tag us in your pictures on social media.

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Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35-45 mins
Serves: 6

Ingredients

• For the Apple Filling:
• 4 large Bramley or Granny Smith apples (about 900g), peeled, cored, and chopped into 2cm chunks
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground ginger
• 1 tbsp water
• For the Gluten-Free Topping:
• 150g gluten-free rolled oats
• 75g almond flour
• 50g chopped pecans or walnuts
• 50g coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 75g cold coconut oil (or unsalted butter), cubed

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4). Lightly grease a medium baking dish, approximately 20x20cm.
2. In a large mixing bowl, toss chopped apples with lemon juice. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and water. Stir thoroughly until the apples are well coated.
3. Transfer the apple mixture into your greased baking dish and spread into an even layer.
4. In a separate bowl, stir together the gluten-free rolled oats, almond flour, chopped nuts, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
5. Add the cold, cubed coconut oil or butter. Using your fingertips, rub the fat into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms a texture like coarse breadcrumbs.
6. Scatter the crumble topping evenly across the apple filling. Avoid pressing it down.
7. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until the topping is golden-brown and the fruit filling is bubbling at the sides.
8. Remove the crumble from the oven and let it stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.