Treat yourself to gluten free apple crumble coconut flour cupcakes. This delicious recipe is full of fall spices, apples, and nuts. The crumble topping is just the right amount of sweetness.

Coconut flour and apple crumble; two things that just seem to go well together. When the weather is getting warmer and summer is on the way, we love to make some apple crumble in the evenings, it’s perfect to have with an ice cream or just on their own.

GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN APPLE CRISP (APPLE CRUMBLE)

This Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crisp (Apple Crumble) is made with tender, subtly spiced, caramel-flavoured apples and a chewy, crispy, nutty crumble topping. It’s also refined sugar free and is the best comforting dessert that can be enjoyed hot or cold.

What type of apples should you use to make Apple Crisp (Apple Crumble)?

You can use any type of apples you like. For best results, I recommend a crisp, slightly tart apple, or even a mixture of sweet and tart apples.

Cooking apples can be used too, but generally require a longer cooking time and require more sweetener.

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Scroll down for the full recipe.

• Place the apples, coconut oil, coconut sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a pan.

• Leave to cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes until soft.

Tip: Cooking time will depend on the type of apples you use – some varieties will require a shorter cooking time and others will require a longer cooking time. I’d recommend checking at 10-minute intervals and cooking until apple pieces are tender enough to gently pierce with a fork.

• Place the cooked apple mixture in a baking dish – I used one measuring 26 cm (10 inch) by 18 cm (7 inch) and 7 cm (2 ½ inch) tall.

• Mix together the ingredients for the crumble topping in a glass mixing bowl.

• Use your fingers to crumble the topping over the top until it is all used up and the apples are completely covered.

• Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

SUBSTITUTIONS YOU CAN MAKE

• You can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil.
• The ground almonds (almond meal) can be replaced with ground walnuts.
• You can replace the gluten-free flour with rice flour.
• You can replace the gluten-free flour with plain flour if you’re not gluten-free.
• For a nut-free version: replace the ground almonds (almond meal) with ground sunflower seeds or use 30g (¼ cup) coconut flour instead of 150g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds.
• You can use normal sugar or some other sweetener (like maple syrup) instead of the coconut sugar, but if using a liquid sweetener I’d recommend adding 1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch) to the uncooked apple mixture to make sure the apples aren’t too watery. Make sure to mix the cornflour into the apples completely to make sure the cornflour doesn’t clump up.

FLAVOUR ALTERNATIVES

• If you’re not into apples, you can use any type of fruit: pears, peaches, plums etc.
• You can top it with any type of chopped nuts before baking: pecan nuts, walnuts, pistachios, desiccated coconut, flaked coconut etc.
• For a different crumble topping recipe, try the one in my Blueberry Crisp recipe instead!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

You can enjoy this Apple Crisp hot or cold. It tastes great with custard, ice cream or plant-based yogurt.

Apple Crumble with Coconut Flour

This gluten-free, vegan, apple crumble with coconut flour is a cozy dessert recipe that’s perfect for fall. It’s delicious on its own but even better topped with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat.

This recipe would be perfect as a vegan Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert but works equally well year round. If you’re making it for the holidays and need to feed a crowd, go ahead and double the recipe and use a larger pan.

Main ingredients

To keep this apple crumble vegan, I opted to use coconut oil as the fat in the crumble topping. I added some pecans and lemon zest as well to round out the flavors.

I used coconut flour instead of oats in this vegan apple crumble recipe so it’s ideal if you’re avoiding grains. You could substitute gluten-free oat flour or even cassava flour instead of the coconut flour if you prefer, and the results should be equally delicious.

This gluten-free vegan apple crumble is spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. If you want to kick up the spice factor even more you could add a pinch of ground ginger or cloves, but I love it as is.

I think the perfect apple for this recipe is golden delicious, but if you prefer a more tart apple dessert, granny smith would work well. Any apple will do, just expect some variation in texture and sweetness depending on which variety you choose.

Storage

Store this apple coconut flour crumble in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

More gluten-free vegan recipes

• For another plant-based apple recipe, try these vegan applesauce muffins. They’re perfect as a make-ahead breakfast or nutritious snack.
• These banana chocolate popsicles are a delicious way to use up ripe bananas.
• These paleo diet friendly banana cookies are sweet, soft, and chewy.

Apple Crumble with Coconut Flour

This gluten-free, vegan, apple crumble is made with coconut flour and other nutritious ingredients.

CourseDessert

CuisineAmerican

Prep Time20 minutes

Cook Time40 minutes

Total Time1 hour

Servings6

Calories252kcal

Equipment

• Blender or food processor
• 8 inch baking dish

Ingredients

For the apple layer:

• 4 cups peeled and chopped raw apples
• 1 teaspoon coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crumble topping:

• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup solid coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Add the apples, 1 teaspoon coconut flour, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl and mix well.
• In a food processor (or high powered blender) add 1/3 cup coconut flour, pecans, coconut oil, coconut sugar, lemon zest and salt.
• Process with several quick on/off pulses to combine all the ingredients.
• Spoon the apple mixture into an eight inch baking dish and then spread the crumble mixture evenly on top of the apple mixture.
• Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.

Notes

• You can substitute your preferred oil for the coconut oil.
• Any type of apple will do, but my personal favorite is golden delicious.
• Store this apple crumble with coconut flour in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

HEALTHY APPLE CRISP (GLUTEN FREE + DAIRY FREE)

Look no further for the perfect gluten free apple crisp recipe! This apple crisp is healthy, easy, and made from simple, real food ingredients. Warm apples, cinnamon, and a crisp oat topping…the ultimate fall food combo.

When the seasons change and apple orchard time is here, one of my favorite things to make is healthy apple crisp. Warm apples with a sweet crisp oat topping… delish! And to make this more mouthwatering, I like to top it off with some dairy-free vanilla ice cream or coconut whipped cream.

This healthy apple crisp recipe is clean with no refined sugar, is gluten free, and vegan. This is a pretty light dessert packed with good-for-you, real food ingredients.

APPLES FOR APPLE CRISP

The combo of tart and sweet apples is a must when making an apple crisp. I prefer granny smith and honey crisp, but you could really use any combination of tart and sweet.

I only peel about half of each apple. I actually like having a little bit of the skin left on when baked… it creates a more hearty and wholesome dessert. Plus, so many of the nutrients in apples are found in the skin, so this just makes it that much better for you.

TIPS FOR KEEPING THE INGREDIENTS CLEAN

These are specific things I look for when buying the ingredients for this gluten-free apple crisp recipe. Ingredients not listed don’t have any specifications when it comes to keeping/purchasing them clean. If you don’t purchase items with my recommendations below, know the recipe will still turn out great.

APPLES – apples are on the EWG’s dirty dozen list (meaning they contain the highest amounts of pesticides), so I recommend organic.

CINNAMON– the FDA does not require spice manufacturers to label spices with added ingredients like sugar, salt, colors, or preservatives… so you can’t really be sure what you’re getting with conventional spices. Certified organic spices have more standards. They don’t have anything added, so what you see is what you get. With organic, you can also be sure no chemicals were used in the growing process of the spices.

OATS AND OAT FLOUR – like with most grains, oats are sprayed with glyphosate (an herbicide that’s been linked to increase cancer risk) prior to being harvested. Because of this, organic is best to ensure this herbicide does not make its way into your oats.

Oats are naturally gluten free, however, during processing they can become contaminated with gluten. If you are gluten free (like me), look for certified gluten-free oats. My favorite oats are One Degree and GF Harvest oats.

COCONUT OIL – coconut oil can be a very clean oil. You’ll notice though that you can buy refined or unrefined. I typically opt for unrefined (think less processing), however, there are some refined that are clean/good for you too! I have an entire post about coconut oil if you’re curios to learn more. I love Nutiva Virgin Coconut Oil.

SUBSTITUTIONS

NOT GLUTEN FREE? – you can use regular oats and instead of oat flour you can use regular flour (I recommend white whole wheat flour as it’s a whole grain/keeps it a real food)

VEGAN NOT YOUR THING? You can use regular butter in place for the coconut oil; and with most things, I recommend organic butter.

APPLES –as mentioned, I like granny smith and honey crisp. I would keep with the granny smith for the tart apples, but you could use pink lady, gala, or Fuji in place of the honey crisp.

STARCH – I use arrowroot starch in this recipe, but tapioca starch or corn starch could be used in it’s place.

WHY I LOVE THIS RECIPE

So many things to love about this gluten free apple crisp recipe!

NO REFINED GRAINS/FLOURS – only grains used are oats and oats are considered a whole grain.

NO REFINED SUGARS– not only is this lower in sugar than most apple crisp recipes, but it also only uses coconut sugar, which is considered a natural/unrefined sweetener.

EASY – only a few simple steps with simple ingredients for this warm, addicting healthy apple crisp recipe.

CROWD PLEASER – not sure if I’ve ever met someone that doesn’t like apple crisp! This recipe is sure to be enjoyed by all.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS APPLE CRISP?

If you are looking to keep this dairy free, and even if you aren’t, make sure to check out my coconut whipped cream! Would be amazing with this! I also love a good dairy free vanilla ice cream. Nada Moo is one of my favorites (not 100% clean, but it’s not bad either… and you need to have balance!).