This healthy paleo apple crisp recipe has a juicy apple filling that's lightly sweetened with honey and topped with a nut free crumble topping. This recipe is paleo, gluten free, nut free and easily made vegan.
We've made apple picking a yearly tradition around here.
It's a great fall activity for the family, as my kids love picking the best looking apples they can find (and eating quite a few along the way) and I love having excess apples for baking.
Last year, I used our apples in a paleo apple pie (which is REALLY good and super easy to make, FYI) and this year I decided to create a healthy paleo apple crisp.
Recipe Highlights
Here's what you need to know about this easy apple crisp recipe:
- paleo and easily made vegan (swap honey for maple syrup)
- grain free & gluten free: no oats or flour in the crumble topping
- nut free: no almond flour, the crumble is made with tigernut flour and tapioca flour
- dairy free: this healthy apple crisp is made without butter or milk
My recipe is lower in sugar than you're average apple crisp. It's sweetened with honey (maple syrup for vegan) but you can omit it, making this a no sugar apple crisp.
Also, if you prefer a paleo apple cobbler, then you can use the filling for this recipe and the biscuit topping for my blueberry cobbler recipe.
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make this baked apple crisp:
Apple Filling
- apples - I used Honeycrisp but any variety will work
- non-hydrogenated shortening - I like Nutiva shortening, but any plant based butter or regular butter (if you aren't dairy free) will work
- lemon juice - I use freshly squeezed lemon juice
- raw honey (or maple syrup)
- vanilla extract
- tapioca flour (or arrowroot starch)
- apple pie spice (or cinnamon)
- salt
Crumble Topping
- tigernut flour (or almond flour)
- unsweetened shredded coconut
- tapioca flour (or arrowroot starch)
- apple pie spice (or cinnamon)
- salt
- non-hydrogenated shortening
- raw honey
The apple filling is made from fresh, juicy apples. I love the flavor of Honeycrisp apples for an apple crisp, but any tart/sweet variety will work. Lemon juice and honey really compliment the apples, adding more zing and flavor. And lastly, tapioca flour works as a thickener, which is needed to create more of a gooey filling once cooked.
As for the crumble topping, it's made with a combination of tigernut flour and tapioca flour. Despite its name, tigernut flour is completely nut free. Tigernut flour is made from dried and ground tigernuts, which are small root vegetables. I love it for baking since it's allergy friendly and has a naturally sweet, nutty flavor. That being said, the tigernut flour may be swapped with almond flour.
How to Make a Paleo Apple Crisp
This healthy baked apple crisp is super easy to make, healthy and tastes amazing - no one will guess that it's paleo.
Before you begin making the crisp, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grab a small baking dish, either 11" x 7" or 8" x 8" and grease it with non-hydrogenated shortening (or butter). I used an 11x7 ceramic baking dish, but have also made this recipe in an 8-inch square glass dish. If you only have a large baking dish, then double this recipe.
Make the Apple Filling
Next, make the apple filling. Wash, core and chop the apples (see photos below). I did not remove the skin, but you can if you wish. To chop the apples, cut the apple in half, remove the core, then thinly slice the apples top to bottom. Lastly, cut the apple slices in thirds.
Next, combine the apples with the remaining filling ingredients. Mix with a spatula until the apple pieces are well coated.
Place the filling in the lined baking dish and set aside.
Make the Crumble Topping
Next, make the crumble topping.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all dry topping ingredients. This includes the tigernut flour, shredded coconut, tapioca flour, apple pie spice and salt.
Mix in the shortening and honey using a fork or spatula. Combine the topping ingredients until they are just mixed.
Then, crumble the topping over the filling.
Bake the Crisp
Next, bake the apple crisp. Place the crisp in the preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
After baking, remove the crisp from the oven and cool in the baking dish. You may serve the crisp warm, room temperature or chilled. (It's excellent after a night in the fridge, so making this crisp ahead of time works well.)
Paleo Apple Crisp Toppings
I topped this paleo apple crisp with dairy free vanilla ice cream. I also love adding a dollop of coconut cream (just the cream from a can of full fat coconut milk).
Storage
This gluten free apple crisp needs to be stored in the fridge. It will last well up to a week.
Keep the crisp in the baking dish and cover with bees wax wrap, foil or plastic wrap. Or, place the crisp in an air-tight glass container.
More Paleo Apple Recipes
Enjoy!
Print
Healthy Paleo Apple Crisp (Nut Free)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 11" x 7" OR 8" x 8" pan 1x
Description
This healthy paleo apple crisp has a juicy apple filling that's topped with a nut free crumble topping. Simple, delicious and perfect for an easy apple dessert!
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 500g Honeycrisp apples (about 4 cups chopped)
- 1 Tbsp non-hydrogenated shortening, melted (or butter)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp raw honey
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp tapioca flour
- 1 tsp apple pie spice (or cinnamon)
- pinch of salt
Crumble Topping
- ½ cup tigernut flour (50g) (or almond flour)
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (50g)
- 3 Tbsp tapioca flour (25g)
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup non-hydrogenated shortening, room temp (45g) (or butter)
- 1 Tbsp raw honey
- ½ tsp apple pie spice (or cinnamon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a small baking dish, either 11" x 7" or 8" x 8", with non-hydrogenated shortening (or butter). If you only have a large baking dish, then double this recipe.
Apple Filling
- Wash the apples, cut them in half, remove the core, then thinly slice the apples top to bottom. Cut the apple slices in thirds*
- Place the apple pieces in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Combine with the remaining filling ingredients. Mix the filling with a spatula until all of the apple pieces are well coated.
- Place the apple filling in the greased baking dish.
Crumble Topping
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the tigernut flour, shredded coconut, tapioca flour, apple pie spice and salt. Mix in the shortening and honey with a fork or spatula until the topping is just combined.
- Crumble the topping over the apple filling.
Bake the Crisp
- Place the crisp in the preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool in baking dish.
Notes
*See process photos for more on how to cut the apples. I did not remove the skin, but you may peel the apples if you wish.
Katie
This apple crisp is one of my husband's favorite desserts. Hope you all love it too!
Katie
So delicious!
Katie
Yay! So glad you like it 🙂 Thank you for the review.
Karla A Metzdorff
I cannot use shortening or butter. What is a good substitute?
Katie
Coconut oil should work instead.
Amy
Hi. Any other substitutes beside coconut oil?
Katie
Instead of the palm shortening, you can use coconut oil, butter or ghee.
Cat Waller
We LOVE this apple crisp! I had been searching for one that used cassava flour instead of almond flour. This is it! Absolutely delicious. Currently making the fourth one (all doubled) this month.
Katie
Oh, I'm SO glad to hear that you love this recipe!! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Sharon
Katie, which is more health,
Tigernut flour or arrowroot powder? I know they’re both gluten free, can be used interchangeably, and used as a thicker.
Katie
Hi! I'm guessing you mean tapioca or arrowroot. Arrowroot is extracted from the roots of Maranta arundinacea, native to South America, while tapioca starch comes from the cassava root. They have pretty similar nutritional profiles, so there isn't really a benefit from one to the other. I know some people are sensitive to cassava, so will choose arrowroot over tapioca.
Haleema
Katie,
My current recipe combines oats and almond flour so I wondered if I could combine the tigernut flour with with almond flour. Have you tried it that way? I’ve never tried with coconut.
Katie
The coconut provides a texture similar to that of oats. I haven't tried the topping with just almond and/or tigernut flour, but it should work.
Haleema
Wow! I never would have realized the that the coconut had a similar texture to the oats! That’s what I was trying to actually achieve! You are a brilliant baker! It’s not easy to come up with good recipes while trying to achieve a healthy recipe. I love the lower Glycemic index recipes you share on your sure! I love the tiger nut bread! I’ve been eating with my protein of choice in the mornings after my workouts with a small amount berries, and apple made into a flax pudding. . Sometimes I add a bit of milk to my pudding and crumble the tiger nut bread into the whole concoction. It’s a great replacement for my oat/quinoa porridge and It reminds me of British Bread pudding LOl! I love just love it! The tiger nut bread is also a wonderful pre-workout snack with some protein powder! Thank you for what you have added to the world of healthy eating!
Katie
Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂 I'm so glad you like the tigernut bread too!
Haleema
Katie,
Another quick question. We have apples from our orchard and I wanted to use the apples before they become overripe. I love making apple crisp for the fall and holidays Do you think I can pre-prep this recipe to freeze before cooking? I would love to make several to use up my apples and cook them as needed. What do you think?
Katie
I haven't ever done this myself, but I did some research and it seems that yes, you can freeze an apple crisp and then bake later. I would prep the recipe in a freezer safe dish, cover it well with foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, take the crisp out of the freezer, unwrap and bake as normal. Hope that helps.