Gluten-Free Spin on Grandma’s Apple Crisp

This gluten-free, refined-sugar free, spin on my grandma’s apple crisp is simply the best! The fresh orange and lemon zest adds a tangy balance to the sweetness, making this a delicious crisp! Pair it with your favorite healthy ice cream or coconut whipped cream and you’ve got quite the dessert.

I grew up loving grandma’s apple crisp, it was a staple item every time we would visit her. As I got older my grandma taught me how to make it and passed her recipe down to me. Every time I make apple crisp, I fondly think of my grandma.

When I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, and learned of the connection between our food and inflammation, I started shifting over to an anti-inflammatory diet. This meant no more refined sugars and only gluten-free flours. I thought I would have to say goodbye to delicious desserts like this! Over the years I began to play around with some of my favorite recipes and found ways to modify them to fit my anti-inflammatory diet while also still resembling the recipes that I love.

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Recipe:

For the Topping You will need:

1/4 cup coconut flour

3/4 cup almond flour

3 tbsp arrowroot powder

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt (finely ground)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup of coconut oil (you could also use ghee if tolerated)

1 egg, beaten (optional)

For the Filling You Will Need:

~3 lbs of apples (My favorite are honey crisp apples)

zest of 1 orange

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup maple syrup (you could use honey instead)

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (I prefer ceylon cinnamon)

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Other:

Optional: ice cream or coconut whipped cream for serving

9 X 13 baking dish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Making the Topping:

Using a large bowl, mix together the coconut flour, almond flour, arrowroot powder, shredded coconut, coconut sugar, salt, and the 1/4 tsp cinnamon.

Using either a pastry cutter or fork, cut the coconut oil and (optional) egg into the dry mixture. Do this until it is coarse and crumbly. Set aside.

Making the Filling:

Peel, core, and slice the apples. Finely zest your orange and lemon.

Combine the apple slices, orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice, maple, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg in your baking dish.

Assemble and Bake:

After mixing together the filling ingredients, level them out in your baking dish. Then you will sprinkle the topping all over the apple mixture.

Place the apple crisp in your pre-heated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the top is crisp and browned.

This is wonderful served warm. Add your desired ice cream or coconut whipped cream topping and enjoy!

Helpful Tips for Making this Gluten-Free Apple Crisp:

Sometimes the coconut oil can soften too much while using the pastry cutter to make the topping. If this happens, just place the topping mixture in the fridge while making the apple filling. This helps the coconut oil firm back up a bit. Then use the pastry cutter again to create a crumbly but moist mixture.

Look for organic ingredients whenever possible. This is especially important if you are trying to combat inflammation throughout your body.

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