Warm, nutty, cinnamon-infused Paleo Apple Crisp is calling your name! The perfect treat to enjoy on a crisp, fall day.
Made with less sugar and only real food ingredients.
In Minnesota here, it’s prime apple-picking season. Apple orchards are the place to be on the weekend and everyone is making their favorite apple treats. Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite desserts to make in the fall – Paleo Apple Crisp – made with only real food ingredients and much less sugar. The entire recipe calls for only 1/4 cup of maple syrup and no refined sugar, which perfectly allows the natural sweetness of the apples to really shine through.
That nutty, crisp topping though!
The topping on this Paleo Apple Crisp is everything you’d hope for and more. The ratio between the crisp and apple filling is absolute perfection (I promise, I didn’t skimp on this part of the recipe). The crisp texture with the hint of cinnamon & nutmeg is 100% spot on. You’re going to love the the crunch from the toasted nuts and the slight sweetness that comes from the maple syrup and coconut flakes. The topping definitely adds to the deliciousness of this Paleo Apple Crisp because let’s face it, the topping just might be the best part!
Warm, nutty, cinnamon-infused Paleo Apple Crisp is calling your name! The perfect treat to enjoy on a crisp, fall day. Share on X
Add a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.
The thought of a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a fresh, out-of-the-oven serving of Paleo Apple Crisp makes my mouth water like nothing else. While this Paleo Apple Crisp is quite delicious served as is (even cold), adding a scoop of ice cream, in my opinion, takes it to the next level. The combination is simply indescribable. Now if you follow a dairy-free diet or you’d like to keep this recipe paleo-friendly, you could certainly give our Dairy-Free Vanilla Bean Ice Cream a try or there’s plenty of ice cream options to choose from at most grocery stores.
A quick tip about this recipe: I like to leave on the peels of the apples to not only save a considerable amount of time but also because the peels contain a good amount of fiber. As we know, fiber has a vast variety of health benefits and most of us could use a little more fiber in our diets. Additionally, because apples are ranked No. 5 on the EWG dirty dozen list, I recommend choosing organic apples.
You’re in for a real treat!
It’s time to take advantage of the abundance of apples available during this time of year and give this insanely delicious Paleo Apple Crisp a try!
Looking for more apple recipes? Try our Blender Waffles with Cinnamon Pan-Fried Apples or Gluten-Free Harvest Apple Crisp.
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Paleo Apple Crisp
Ingredients
For the Apple filling:
- 5 medium apples, diced or sliced, peeling is optional (Braeburn, pink lady, honey crisp)
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1½ Tbsp. almond flour
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- ¼ cup water
For the topping:
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ⅓ cup shredded coconut flakes, unsweetened
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. pure vanille extract
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a food processor (or blender), add the topping ingredients. When adding the coconut oil, break up into smaller chunks. Pulse just a few times or until ingredients resemble a course texture and stick together slightly. Set aside.
- In a greased 9×9 inch baking dish, add the apple filling ingredients except for the water. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Stir in water. Add 1-2 additional tablespoons of water if apples seem dry.
- Top the apples evenly with the crisp topping.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes uncovered. Cover with foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until apples are soft. Let set for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm. Top with whipped topping such as Coco Whip or ice cream if you wish! Garnish with chopped pecans and a dusting of cinnamon.
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Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/9th of recipe
- Calories: 250
- Fat: 18 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Carbohydrate: 22 g
- (Fiber: 4 g
- Sugar: 15 g)
- Protein: 2 g
Dietary
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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
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How should this be stored after cooking?
Hi Sarah,
You can either cover it and leave it on the counter for a day or store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I made this with frozen apples (I believe the variety was Golden Supreme) in an older nonstick metal 9×9 inch baking pan and all around the edges and throughout the apples it turned a funny dark purple color. The topping looks as it should. What do you think the color is from? I followed the recipe exactly and am sure my ingredients are all stable. It tastes wonderful, by the way!
Hi Jennifer,
That is strange, I’m not sure what would have caused them to discolor like that. I could have been a reaction with the metal pan, especially if the pan was/is nonstick and has some of the coating missing thus exposing the aluminum of the pan to the acid from the fruit. I’ve had that happen once with a strawberry-rhubarb crisp. It turned a funny color and caused the pan to rust.
A few questions: I love crisp toppings with rolled oats, is there a nutritional reason not to include, and if one includes, suggested amount and what should increase ie: coconut oil?
If it is covered after it has baked 25 min uncovered won’t the topping be less crisp? Thanks in advance!
The oats are omitted for this recipe because it’s intended to be grain-free for those following a lower-carb or Paleo diet or those who don’t tolerate oats because of an allergy or sensitivity. You can certainly add oats in place of some of the nuts if you’d like. The purpose of covering the dish is to help the apples cook faster and more evenly but you can cook it uncovered, placing a piece of foil over the top near the end of the baking time if you find that the topping is getting too dark.
Hi .. I love all your recipes.. how do you measure 1/9th of a recipe .. I am on a calorie deficit and using measuring cups help me a lot. Thank you
If you’re making the crisp in a square baking dish and cut the pan into 9 portions (3 x 3) then it would be about 3/4 cup.
Super easy and yummy. Love the crumble! I only added 1/8 c of water and I’m glad I didn’t add any more than that. Next time I wouldn’t add any as there was a lot of liquid in the bottom. Thanks for the great recipe!
Awesome! The crumble is really quite delicious! 🙂 And yes, it really depends on the kind of apples you use as some can contain more moisture than other.