Recipe Overview
⏱️ Time to Taste: About 50 minutes
🍎 Apples: Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith, though any variety works
🌾 Flour Used: Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour
💡 Helpful Tip: A mandoline makes it easy to slice the apples very thinly and evenly
🎉 Best For: Fall baking, apple season, brunch, or a simple dessert
This is one of my favorite gluten-free fall recipes, when apples are at their peak and I’m ready to warm my home with tasty, comforting treats.
Best of all, you can make this with any type of apple. Go apple picking as a family or simply head to the grocery store and choose the very best apples you can find. Then head home to make this easy gluten free apple spice cake!
The cinnamon crumble is one of my favorite parts of this cake! I use a similar buttery crumble topping on my gluten-free apple crumble too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free apple cake. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Oil: A neutral oil, like vegetable oil, adds richness and tenderness without weighing down the crumb of this gluten-free apple cake.
- Yogurt: Whole milk yogurt works with the oil to create a soft, tender apple cake. When I need a dairy-free option, I like to use Kite Hill Unsweetened Almond Milk Yogurt.
- Apple: Any kind of apple will work for this cake! My favorites are Pink Lady, Honeycrisp or Granny Smith. I also love using Granny Smith apples to make gluten-free baked apples. It’s such an easy fall recipe!
How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Cake
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Slice the Apples: How you cut the apples really matters in this cake! Big chunks of apple will cause the crumb to clump up, while grated apples will disappear into the cake. Very thinly sliced is best!
Add the Apples: I add them to the dry mixture and give everything a quick stir. I like doing this before adding the wet ingredients so the apple slices end up spread throughout the batter.
Add the Wet Ingredients: Mix the wet ingredients in one bowl, then gently stir them into the dry mixture until the batter is evenly mixed and ready for the cake pan.
Add the Crumble: Sprinkle the cinnamon crumble over the top of the batter in the pan. I try to spread it so every bite ends up with the buttery, cinnamon topping.
Do I Need a Mandoline to Slice the Apples?
No. A mandoline makes it quick and easy to get very thin, even slices, but you can absolutely use a sharp knife.
Why Doesn’t This Recipe Call For Butter?
I use a combination of oil and yogurt or sour cream in many of my gluten-free cake recipes because I find it gives gluten-free cakes a lighter, more tender crumb. In my experience, butterfat tends to make gluten-free cake clump up.
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: I’ll typically make this cake up to 1 day ahead for the best texture when serving. I wait to add the glaze until just before serving.
To Store: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: This cake freezes well without the glaze. Make sure it’s completely cool, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature while still wrapped, then unwrap and add the glaze before serving.
More Gluten-Free Apple Recipes
Gluten-Free Fresh Apple Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ⅓ cups (200g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Other:
- 1 large apple (160g), very thinly sliced, then chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup (120g) whole milk yogurt
- ½ cup (120ml) neutral oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Topping:
- ⅓ cup (71g) brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- pinch of kosher salt
Glaze:
- ⅓ cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 1 –2 tablespoons milk of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon and nutmeg
- Add the sliced apple to the dry ingredients and stir briefly to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix with a rubber spatula until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- FOR THE CINNAMON TOPPING: Make the topping by combining the brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and salt. Gently mix with a fork, keeping the mixture crumbly. Do not over-mix. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake batter
- Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- FOR THE GLAZE: Once the cake is fully cooled, make the glaze. In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk. Stir until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk. Drizzle the glaze over the cake.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in September 2022. It was updated with new photos and instructions in August 2026.
Could you freeze this?
Hi Philicia, it’s best to freeze this one unglazed. Just cool the cake, place it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. If it already has the glaze on it, it can still be frozen, just keep in mind that the glaze will change texture as it thaws and may even absorb into the cake. We hope this helps!
I have low fat greek yogurt. Can I use that instead of whole fat yogurt? Should I mix butter and low fat yogurt? Any suggestions?
Hi Donna, we recommend using whole fat yogurt in this one. If you decide to try the nonfat yogurt, keep in mind it may cause the texture to be slightly drier and little less rich. We hope you enjoy the cake!
I made this for a GF birthday cake. I got told ābest gluten free cake Iāve ever eatenā. Perfect consistency. Highly recommend! Added a few more spices & it was yummy!
Aww, what wonderful feedback! We’re so glad this recipe was such a hit, Donna. Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us!
Could you use buttermilk instead of yogurt
Hi Michelle, thank you for your question! We haven’t tried buttermilk, but it could potentially work. You would need to use a smaller amount of buttermilk since it is more liquid than yogurt. Or you’d need to reduce the other liquids, but that would require some trial and error. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
Can I use a bunt pan for apple cake recipe?
Hi there, we havenāt made it in a Bundt pan before, but itās definitely worth a try! Grease it well so the cake doesnāt stick and watch the baking time as it might need extra time in the oven. Once baked, let it cool 10-15 minutes then invert it onto a wire rack. We hope these ideas help!
I started making this for a gluten free friend, and now I make it for everyone, all the time. Itās spectacular. Do you think it would work for muffins?
Hi Melissa, we’re so glad the recipe has become such a go-to for you! Thank you for your feedback! We have a great gluten-free apple muffin recipe you might like!
It came out beautifully but can I freeze it.
Wonderful! We’re glad you liked it, Michelle. Yes, let it cool all the way, then wrap it in plastic wrap before storing in an airtight container or freezer bag. It will freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight or at room temperature for several hours. We hope this helps!
Can you freeze it for several days?
Definitely, Michelle! Let it cool all the way, then wrap it in plastic wrap before storing in an airtight container or freezer bag. It will freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight or at room temperature for several hours. We hope this helps!
Can I double this recipe and put it in a 9 x 13 pan?
Hi Janet, yes that should work great! We hope you enjoy the recipe!
I made this for my neighbor, and Baked up wonderful. Moist flavorful. I used vanilla Greek yogurt because I had it on hand, added more cinnamon But itās a keeper recipe!
We’re so glad the cake was a hit, April! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with us!
New go to! Whole family didnāt even believe it with GF! Delicious!!!!!
Yay! We’re so glad the recipe was a hit with the whole family, Casey! Thanks for sharing this positive feedback with us.
Perfect! So moist and tender and delicious! I used half monk fruit sweetener and only one cup. For the rest of the sugar I used a protein powder. It still came out great! Thank you for all your great gf recipes!
Hi ,quick question, did you use straight monk fruit granular for sweetener and the amount of it?
I use half natural sugar and half monk fruit.
Hi, this is my first GF apple cake.
Its tasty!
I wonder tho how the taste would alter instead of adding yogurt, to put in apple sauce.
Greetings from Germany.
Hi Elsa, we haven’t tried applesauce in place of the yogurt, but that swap would most likely result in a denser, sweeter cake. Applesauce lacks the acidity that the yogurt has; it’s the acidity that interacts with the baking soda to provide lift and ensure the best texture. We hope this helps!
Very moist, yummy cake. I used kite hill yogurt, plant butter and unsweetened almond milk to made the cake dairy free as well as gluten free. I would serve this to all my guests it has a wonderful texture and taste.
We’re happy to hear you loved the recipe, Kari! We’re glad the dairy-free substitutions worked well too! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us.
Wow thank u so much for a delicious recipe and I used a granny smith apple my whole family loved it
Hi there! Do you think this recipe would work in a Bundt pan, and if so would adjustments to cook time need to be made? Thank you!
Hi Victoria, we haven’t made it in a bundt pan before, but it’s definitely worth a try! Grease it well so the cake doesn’t stick and watch the baking time as it might need extra time in the oven. Once baked, let it cool 10-15 minutes then invert it onto a wire rack. We hope these ideas help!