Grain Free Apple Crisp (Paleo, Gluten Free)
This Paleo Apple Crisp is a healthier spin on the classic fall dessert. Fresh apples, maple syrup, spices, and a simple grain free topping get baked to perfection. Top it with some dairy free ice cream for the ultimate cozy treat!
*This post was updated with new photos and copy on August 31, 2021!
Along with fall (my favorite season ever) comes fall FOODS, which are also my favorite! I recently did a poll on Instagram asking if you are team pumpkin or team apple. So many people responded “do I have to choose?!”- I feel the same way. It’s like asking someone to choose their favorite child. That being said, I feel like I have focused on pumpkin a lot already and haven’t been giving apple any love. So, here it is! One of my favorite desserts- Apple Crisp! It tastes just as good as regular apple crisp with some better-for-you ingredients.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What You Need To Make This Grain Free Apple Crisp
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this delicious dessert.
- Apples – I like to use a combination of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith for the best combo of sweet and sour!
- Arrowroot powder – this helps to thicken the cinnamon sauce. It is a good replacement for corn starch.
- Coconut sugar
- Maple syrup – look for 100% real maple syrup. None of the fake stuff!
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Allspice
- Cashews (raw, unsalted) – I like to get these at Trader Joe’s or on Thrive Market.
- pecans
- almonds
- Pitted dates
- chia seeds
- shredded unsweetened coconut
- ghee or coconut oil
Many of these items can be found on Thrive Market or at Trader Joe’s!
How do you make this Healthy Apple Crisp?
Preheat your oven to 375. Spray a 9×9 inch casserole dish with cooking spray (Coconut oil or avocado oil work well). peel and slice your apples very thin. Add them to a bowl along with the arrowroot powder, lemon juice, coconut sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice. Toss to combine and add the mixture to the casserole dish.
Combine the topping ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times until it has a granola-like consistency. Scrape down the sides using a spatula (if needed), and pulse again. Add the topping on top of the apple mixture and use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the sides are bubbling and the topping is crispy.
Serve with dairy free vanilla ice cream or coconut whipped cream, if desired. My favorite brands are Coconut Bliss and Nadamoo.
Looking for some other fall recipes to try? Check these out:
Grain Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares
Whole30 Pumpkin Risotto with Shrimp
Instant Pot Pumpkin Turkey Chili
If you try this Paleo Apple Crisp, make sure to tag me on Instagram @maryswholelife so I can see!
Enjoy!
xo,
Mary
Recipe by Mary’s Whole Life, Photos by Casey from The Mindful Hapa
*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase using one of my links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Mary’s Whole Life!
Paleo Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Apple filling
- 6-7 large apples (I used 3 Honeycrisp and 3 Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 2 tsp arrowroot powder or tapioca starch
- 2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- â…“ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp allspice
Topping
- â…“ cup cashews
- â…“ cup almonds
- â…“ cup pecans
- 3 pitted dates
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil - solid at room temp
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9x9 casserole dish with cooking spray (I used coconut oil). Add all filling ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. Set aside while you make the topping. Add all topping ingredients to a food processor and pulse a few times until it resembles granola. Add filling to the casserole dish and spread the topping overtop evenly.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until cooked through and browned on top. Serve topped with dairy free ice cream or whipped cream! Enjoy!
15 Comments on “Grain Free Apple Crisp (Paleo, Gluten Free)”
This is absolutely delicious! It was a crowed pleaser. I always pick chocolate over fruit dessert but this one makes me want to re-consider. I think I will make this for my upcoming birthday instead of cupcakes or brownies.
Thank you for all your hard work to provide us healthy and delicious recipes!!
This crisp was so good!! I actually enjoyed it at breakfast with some greek yogurt and enjoyed a fall breakfast bowl. yum!
A staple dessert for the family!
This is amazing. Its super simple and packs good fall flavor
Can this be cooked a day or two before? If so, how can I keep and then reheat? Specifically thinking of Thanksgiving…. Thanks!
Hi! It’s best if you assemble it day of (you could make the apple portion the night before then add the topping the day of), but if you make the entire thing and bake it ahead of time, just warm it a 350 degree oven for 20 mins!
So good! I used a combination of pears and apples and they kept a little bit of crunch when I cooked it. Also loved the crumble part, I found it burned pretty easily, so covered for the first half then removed the cover. I think it is because I was using my Ninja toaster oven . Great falls recipe.
Can you leave out the coconut and still be good with the topping?
Yes 🙂
Finally a great paleo recipe for apple crisp! I can’t have oats and I’d say this recipe is way better than regular recipe. Amazing.
Thank you so much!!
I made this a few months ago and am about to make it again. I’m on an endless whole30 and so I do it without the maple syrup or coconut sugar and it is still really delicious!! Just wanted to leave an encouragement for anyone wondering if it would turn out without the sugars. It took about twice as long to bake but I also doubled the recipe since I had a lot of apples to get rid of.
Thanks for sharing the tip about removing the sugars. I will do that next time! It was so delicious that I can’t wait to make it again!
I am so glad you liked it, Stacey!
Absolutely delicious!! Big hit at a football party