Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Without Oats (Paleo)

A healthy apple crisp topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a bowl next to a napkin and spoon.

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Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Without Oats (Paleo)

This Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Without Oats is an easy, cozy dessert! Instead of oats, sliced almonds put the 'crisp' in the crisp topping. Plus it's grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, vegan and Paleo friendly.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

cooling time20

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 535kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

2 pounds apples see notes
½ cup coconut sugar divided
1 tablespoon arrowroot flour/starch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon divided
1¼ teaspoons ground ginger divided
½ teaspoon fine sea salt divided
1¼ cup blanched superfine almond flour (not almond meal)
½ cup sliced almonds
¾ cup coconut oil solid, not melted

Instructions

Heat the oven to 375° F.
Peel and core the apples and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Add to a large bowl with ¼ cup coconut sugar, arrowroot, lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ginger and ¼ teaspoon salt. Toss with your hands until the apples are evenly coated. Pour into an even layer in an 8x8" square baking dish and wash your hands and wash your hands.
Chop the sliced almonds until approximately the size of oats. In a medium bowl, add the chopped sliced almonds, almond flour, ¼ cup coconut sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Use a spoon to add the coconut oil to the almond flour mixture in small clumps. Using two knives, a pastry cutter or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, blend or slice the fat through the dry ingredients until the mixture has the texture of wet sand (see blog post for step-by-step pics). You can also use your fingers but it’ll get messy!
Spread the topping evenly over the fruit and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the juices are bubbling around the edges.
Let cool (preferably on a cooling rack) for at least 20 minutes but longer is fine. The longer it sits, the more the juices will thicken and set. Serve warm or at room temperature with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Substitutions

I like Granny Smith since they’re not very sweet and they retain some texture when baked instead of turning into mush. You can try other varieties of apples. I also like Fuji for baking - they're a bit sweeter and they also don't become mushy when baked. Gala, Cortland and Red Delicious are all also good options.

You can use maple sugar or date sugar instead of coconut sugar.

You can use tapioca flour/starch instead of arrowroot.

Feel free to add more or less spices to your liking. Some other good options are nutmeg or cardamom.

You can also add ¼ cup of dried fruit to the apple mixture, such as raisins, golden raisin or dried cherries.

You can use palm shortening in place of the coconut oil. Palm shortening is a healthy butter substitute that's totally different from traditional shortening. And it's dairy-free and Paleo friendly.

Make ahead

This is really best eaten the same day it's made. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a low oven until warmed through, about 15-20 minutes. But know that the topping will lose some of its crispness over time.

Freezer info

I do not recommend freezing this.

Nutrition