I do not know about you but apple crisp, apple pie, apple strudel, apple dumplings, I can go on if you want, are the kind of desserts I just cannot say no to. I mean, there are not many other desserts I say no to, but you know what I mean LOL.

In college, my roommate, Sophie and I, would make apple crisp from the box on Sundays to try and get rid of the Sunday scaries (not sure it ever worked but we got apple crisp out of it so). I knew for a long time that I wanted to create a healthier version of our beloved Sunday Apple Crisp. I helped curate a Thanksgiving menu with my other foodie friends, linked here, where I contributed this amazing Paleo Apple Crisp recipe.

As I continue my health journey and look for better alternatives, this Paleo Apple Crisp really does the trick. It has the sweet soft apple taste you expect, but also has the crumbly crunch you adore using minimal and clean ingredients. It’s unbelievably easy and is just as tasty. Check it out below and please feel free to rate this recipe, leave a review, or a ask a question below. Further, there are a bunch of notes on alternative methods below.

Paleo Apple Crisp (Gluten Free & Dairy Free)

Apple Crisp without the guilt. This Paleo Apple Crisp recipe is easy, delicious, and made with real, clean ingredients. It has the sweet soft apples but does not miss the crumbly crunchy top that we all look forward to! This is a great, clean dessert recipe that everyone will enjoy! The "Notes" section below has plenty of tips and alternatives!

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Side Dish

Servings 6 servings

Equipment

• 8×8 baking pan
• peeler
• sharp knife
• food processor or rolling pin or hammer
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 medium mixing bowl
• spoon
• measuring cups

Ingredients

  

• 8-10 small apples (type of good baking apples in notes) or 6-8 medium or 6 large (use your best judgement)
• 3 tbsp monkfruit sweetner
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup raw almonds crushed
• 1/4 cup raw cashews crushed
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup ghee
• 1/2 tsp or pinch of salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F°
• Peel apples, remove scraps, and slice apples into 1/2 inch slices
• Place apples into a mixing bowl and add 1 tsp of cinnamon, lemon juice, and all monk fruit sweetener
• Mix together until mixed evenly
• Grease 8×8 pan with ghee or olive oil
• Place apple mixture into 8×8 pan evenly
• Use food processor, rolling pin, or hammer to crush almonds and cashews into tiny pieces – you do not want it to be like a flour – you still want it to be small size pieces
• For the above step, if you are using a rolling pin or hammer, place the almonds and cashews into a Ziploc baggie and then crush
• Place crushed almonds and cashews into a medium sized mixing bowl
• Add coconut sugar, almond flour, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and a tiny pinch of salt
• Add ghee to nut mixture and fold it in the mixture. This step will take time and patience.
• Place topping on top of apples that are in the 8×8 pan evenly
• Place in oven for 35-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the apples are soft
• Serve with milk or ice cream or by itself and enjoy all this goodness!

Notes

Types of Apples That Are Good to Bake With:

• I used Empire apples. Everyone knows I am a honeycrisp apple snob. However, they just are not good to bake with, in my opinion. Below are some others that ARE good to bake with.
  • Granny Smith
  • Pink Lady
  • Empire
  • Gala
  • Braeburn

Monkfruit Sweetener Alternative: 

When it comes to monkfruit sweetner, I have only used Lakanto brand, but I love it. If you do not have Monkfruit Sweetner, you can use coconut sugar instead. The reason i prefer to only use it in the topping, is because it does taste a little coconut-y, and monkfruit tastes more like regular sugar. If you do not care about keeping it Paleo, you can use regular granulated sugar.

Cashew and Almond Alternative:

The cashew and almonds are used to make the crumbly topping. However, if you have a nut allergy or do not like nuts, you could use oats instead.

Almond Flour Alternative:

If you are not doing Paleo, you can use regular flour. I am sure other types of flours would work (like Oat, etc.) but I have not tried that so I can not speak to it.

Coconut Sugar Alternative:

You have a couple different options here. You could use Monkfruit Sweetner, maple syrup, or regular granulated sugar. If you do use maple syrup, I would just advise that you determine if your mixture is too runny. If you think it is, feel free to add a bit more almond flour.

Ghee Alternative:

If you do not care about sticking to Paleo, feel free to use regular butter or grass-fed butter. What I will say is that you want it to be a bit more room temperature-cold vs. melted or super soft.

 

And please, for the love of all things holy, enjoy this with some ice cream!

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