Gluten Free

I’m not a huge dessert person. I don’t eat pies or cakes. But apple crisp is something I would eat for breakfast, lunch, supper, snack, desert, or anytime in between! I have perfected my recipe and look forward to fall when apples are in season.

Unfortunately, my delicious apple crisp recipe is not gluten free, so when we had to put Einstein on a gluten free diet a year and a half ago, this was one of the treats he missed out on. I’ve tried a few times to adapt my recipe into a gluten free one but have not had any good results. In fact, the results have been little short of disastrous! Some attempts were inedible, others were mush or burnt while some were just plain gross!

I had almost given up on the idea of figuring out the secret to gluten free apple crisp…but…

The apples are out on our neighbour’s trees now and they have let us know that we can come and pick them anytime, so I knew that I had to figure out a way to make delicious gluten free apple crisp for my sweet son to enjoy. I was hesitant to try again, but a while back, Udi’s had sent me some of their awesome products to try and one of them caught my eye and I started to build a recipe in my mind around it.

I’m so happy to say that it worked! We all ate delicious gluten free apple crisp today.

Gluten Free Apple Crisp Recipe

8 medium sized apples
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 cup Udi’s Sweet & Crunchy Vanilla Granola*
1/2 tsp. apple pie spice or cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter

1. Peel and slice the apples. I like to use a mixture of different types of apples. I find this gives the apple crisp better taste and more texture. Place apples in bottom of baking pan.

2. In a bowl, mix together all the other ingredients except for the butter and then stir in the melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over the apples.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes.

*please note that the Udi’s Vanilla Granola does contain almonds so you would want to use one of their other granolas if there is a nut allergy in your home

My kids enjoyed helping me make this, enjoyed eating the apple peels as I went, and especially enjoyed eating the end result!

Disclaimer: I did receive complimentary Udi’s Brownie Bites, however, they are delicious and I would have happily bought them to make this recipe!

This dessert is so easy to make but absolutely delicious! It’s beautiful enough to serve to company and requires very little prep time.

Needed:

Udi’s Gluten Free Brownie Bites (I used the Dark Chocolate)
Mini Peanut Butter Cups
Peanut Butter
Whipped Cream
Instant Vanilla Pudding (be sure it is gluten free)
Milk

Directions:

This is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make…trust me! My kids think I’m a hero for making this…especially my son who is on a gluten free diet and often feels he has to miss out when it comes to dessert. Even one of our non-gluten-free kids has requested that I make this for his next birthday!!!

Take the wrappers off the brownie bites and cut them in half. The thing that makes the Udi’s ones so great in this recipe is that they have chocolate chips in them so they add a little crunch. Place about a third of the brownie bites in the bottom of your bowl.

It is best to use a glass bowl so that the layers can be seen.

Mix pudding according to package directions. (This usually involves adding 2 cups of milk and whisking for a few minutes.) When the pudding begins to firm up, add about a half a cup of peanut butter and whisk that in. Congratulations! As easy as that, you have made peanut butter pudding!

Spoon a layer of the pudding on top of the brownie bites in the bowl. Add a layer of whipped cream and sprinkle with some of the mini peanut butter cups.

Repeat the layers again beginning with the rest of the brownie bites and ending with the little peanut butter cups. As easy as that, you have a lovely gluten free dessert ready to serve!

Salsa is a staple in our house but once in awhile, we run out of the store-bought jarred variety and have to make it out of what we have on hand. I usually make it with fresh tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, onions, garlic, and serrano or jalapeno peppers. This time, I decided to roast the vegetables first.

I lay out 3 jalapeño peppers, 6 Roma tomatoes (quartered), 1 large onion (quartered), and 6 whole cloves of garlic (peeled) on a baking tray. I drizzled them with olive oil and popped them in the oven at 400 degrees (top rack) for a little less than half an hour.

I poured 2 Tablespoons of vinegar, 4 or so Tablespoons of lime juice, a dash of sugar, and sea salt into the blender. I added the roasted vegetables and a handful of fresh cilantro. I blended it up and we had our salsa!