With a bushel full of fall flavors like apples, cinnamon, and walnuts, this gluten-free Paleo Apple Crisp is an easy and delicious autumnal dessert that everyone will love!

paleo apple crisp in a wooden bowl topped with a scoop of ice cream on a marble surface

Apple crisp is an Americana favorite for good reason: there’s just something so warm and cozy about a homemade filling made with crisp apples, sweet and warming cinnamon, and just a bit of sweetener — topped with a crispy and buttery topping studded with crunchy walnuts. Finish it off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you really can’t get anything better than this classic dessert! 

Our version is Paleo-friendly and grain-free thanks to paleo baking flour…but no one will be able to tell the difference. We like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples for this crisp, but feel free to use any tasty varieties you find at your local orchard, farmer’s market, or grocery store. (Or, you can use this flexible recipe as a template for experimenting with other kinds of fruit.)

Looking for more tasty ways to make the most of this fall’s apple harvest? Try our Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats, Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apple Cider VinaigretteHard Cider Roasted Pork Loin, Fried Apple Pies, or Apple Crumb Cake.

Why You’ll Love This Apple Crisp Recipe

  • A beautiful trio of fall flavors: apples, cinnamon, and walnuts 
  • Just 20 minutes of prep
  • Paleo-friendly and grain-free

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Recipe Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to bake up this easy and delicious fruit crisp recipe. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.

Ingredients for paleo apple crisp sit in a variety of bowls and plates on a light grey surface.

For the filling:

  • Apples – 3 pounds Granny Smith or Honeycrisp (about 6 total), cored and thinly sliced
  • Sugar – 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • Flour – 2 tablespoons paleo baking flour, like King Arthur brand
  • Lemon juice – 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Cinnamon – 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Salt – 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • Water – 1 tablespoon of water

For the crumble:

  • Flour – 1 1/2 cups 156 g paleo baking flour, like King Arthur brand
  • Walnuts – 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • Sugar – 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • Cinnamon – 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Butter – 8 tablespoons butter or ghee, melted
  • Vanilla – 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Recipe Variations and Modifications

Here are a few ways to make this gluten free apple crisp recipe your own:

  • Fruit – experiment with different kinds of fruit, including fresh pears, plums, or peaches.
  • Spice it up – Cinnamon is a must for this recipe, but you could also add a teaspoon of ground cardamon or pumpkin pie spice.
  • Nuts – no walnuts in your pantry? Try hazelnuts, pecans, or almonds instead.

How to Make Apple Crisp

One of the best things about this Paleo Apple Crisp is how easy it is to make! Just follow the steps below.

A spiced apple mixture sits in a white ceramic rectangle dish on a light grey surface.
A paleo crisp mixture is stirred in a stainless steel bowl on a light grey surface.

Step 1: The first thing you’ll do to make this apple crisp is core 6 apples and thinly slice them. You can leave the skins on or peel them – it’s up to you!

In a baking dish, combine the apple slices with the other filling ingredients (coconut sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, water, and Paleo baking flour). Toss to combine.

Step 2: To make the crisp topping, you’ll whisk together flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts. Then, stir in the butter and vanilla until the mixture is crumbly.

Paleo crisp mixture is tossed over apples in a white ceramic rectangle dish on a light grey surface.
Paleo apple crisp sits in a white ceramic dish prior to baking on a light grey surface.

Step 3: Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples, making sure it is evenly distributed.

Step 4: Bake the crisp at 350 F for 45 minutes, until the apples are cooked through, and the topping is browned and crisp. Let it cool slightly then serve warm.

Gluten-Free Fruit Crisp Recipe Tips

While this paleo apple crisp is delicious on its own, we find that a good topping really takes it to the next level. Here are our favorites:

Salted Caramel Sauce – If you really want to up the deliciousness of this dessert, try topping it with our salted caramel sauce that’s dairy and refined sugar-free!

Whipped cream or coconut cream – Whipped cream or coconut cream makes for a perfect easy topping for this crisp. 

Ice Cream – You can either make your own or go for store-bought. A few of our favorite Paleo-friendly ice cream brands are NadaMoo and Coconut Bliss.

How to Serve Apple Crisp

Serve warm straight from the oven, or at room temperature, with one of the above toppings!

How to Store and Reheat

Refrigerate and store leftover apple crisp in a covered container for up to 4 days.

To reheat, place in an oven-safe dish and bake at 350 F until heated through and re-crisped. 

paleo apple crisp in a white rectangular dish with some spooned out into a wooden bowl and topped with a scoop of ice cream

Frequently Asked Questions

What is paleo baking flour?

King Arthur’s new Paleo Baking Flour is a blend of almond, coconut, and cassava flours that can be used 1:1 to replace regular flour in your favorite recipes. We’ve used King Arthur’s gluten-free measure for measure flour for years, so we were very excited to test out this new grain-free blend. So far, we’ve made apple muffins, brownies, and now this apple crisp with this flour and are loving this easy-button option for Paleo baked goods.
King Arthur is known for their precision in baking, and for this blend, they’ve truly found the optimal balance with 3 grain-free flours. The healthy fats in the almond flour keep baked goods moist, tender, and fresh for longer, while cassava flour helps lighten up the baked goods and coconut flour helps thicken the batter.
You can find Paleo Baking Flour on the King Arthur’s website, Amazon, or at your local Publix, Walmart, Harris Teeter, Meijer, and more.

What Is the difference between a cobbler, a crisp, and a crumble?

Good question! There are a lot of names for similar dessert bakes made with fresh fruit and some type of topping, baked to golden brown and bubbly perfection. The differences just come down to the topping of choice. Cobblers are topped with dollops of biscuit-like dough. Crumbles are topped with a streusel made with butter, flour, sugar, and sometimes other ingredients. And the top layer of crisps is the same as a crumble — but usually with a “crispy” addition like oats or nuts (we use walnuts here).

If you tried this recipe for Paleo Apple Crisp, or any other recipe on the Fed & Fit website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below!

Paleo Apple Crisp

4.25 — Votes 8 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
With a bushel full of fall flavors like apples, cinnamon, and walnuts, this Paleo Apple Crisp is the perfect easy autumnal dessert that everyone will love!

Ingredients  

Filling

  • 3 pounds apples, granny smith or honeycrisp, about 6 total, cored and thinly sliced (skin on or off)
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 2 tablespoons King Arthur Paleo Baking flour
  • 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon of water

For the Crumble

  • 1 1/2 cups 156 g King Arthur Paleo Baking flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 8 tablespoons butter or ghee, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Place all of the ingredients for the filling in the bottom of a 1.75 quart casserole dish and toss to combine,
  • Whisk together the flour, walnuts, coconut sugar, and cinnamon until fully combined. Then, stir in the butter and vanilla.
  • Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples, making sure it is evenly distributed.
  • Bake at for 45-55 minutes, until the apples are cooked through and the topping is browned and crisp. Let cool slightly then serve warm, with Paleo ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 194mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 418
Keyword: almond flour, apple crisp, dessert, grain free, healthy, paleo, vegetarian

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Elizabeth Brownfield


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10 Comments

  1. 1 star
    I made this with one sub- Truvia for the sweetener. It ended up tasting awful. I don’t know why.

    1. Oh no! I’m so sorry, Becky. We haven’t ever tried it with Truvia, but thank you for the heads up!

  2. 5 stars
    So excited to see a paleo recipe for a long time family favorite. My mom has always made this and taught me that most people don’t bake it long enough for the apples to get nice and done and the crisp on top to actually be crispy. I haven’t made anything like this is years so I’m excited to try! Do you think that monk fruit (granulated) could be substituted for the coconut sugar to reduce the sugar/carb content? Or, any suggestions to otherwise reduce what sugar content you can, aside from the apples of course. ;0) Thank you!

    1. So glad you’re excited about this one, Kerry! We haven’t tried monk fruit, but I think it’ll work. Let us know if you try it!

  3. I am so excited to try this recipe! I have a question- can I use the King Arthur Measure for Measure flour for this recipe?

  4. I’d love to make this vs apple pie for Thanksgiving … make ahead and then just warm in the oven when ready to eat? Anyone had success with that? I don’t want it to get mushy.

  5. 5 stars
    Our familyโ€™s first favorite apple crisp recipe.
    Weโ€™ve tried many recipes for this, and eaten many other peopleโ€™s versions of apple crisp, but this is the first time weโ€™ve decided that apple crisp is a worthwhile dessert. It is excellent!