Best Healthy Apple Crumble (Paleo, Vegan, Gluten-Free)
The best healthy Paleo apple crumble recipe is filled with sweet apples and cherries and topped with a crunchy topping without oats. It's naturally sweetened and deliciously flavored with a hint of warm spices and herbs. It's an absolute must-make dessert that is also gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan-friendly!
Servings: 9 Servings
Calories: 390kcal
Equipment
- 1 Baking Dish A 13 by 9-inch baking dish works perfectly for this serving size.
- 1 Blender To blend the dates into a smooth paste.
- 1 Medium Bowl To mix the crumble topping ingredients.
Ingredients
Apple Cherry Filling
- 5 large sweet apples such as Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious (about 1 to 1.2 kg)
- 1 bag frozen pitted cherries 10-ounces/283-grams
- 5 large pitted (Medjool) dates 90 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened cashew milk or any other nut or plant milk (110 grams)
Crisp Topping
- ½ cup coconut oil 90 grams
- 1 cup chopped nuts—I use a mix of walnuts and pecans 95 grams
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes 30 grams
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon cracked dried rosemary needles
- ¾ cup blanched almond flour 85 grams
- ¼ cup Cassava flour 40 grams
- ¼ cup coconut sugar 40 grams
- 1 teaspoon freshly minced or grated ginger
Instructions
Prepare the apple-cherry filling
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F/180 °C.
- Core and peel the apples. Then thinly slice them into half moon shapes.5 large sweet apples
- If using frozen cherries, briefly rinse them under water.1 bag frozen pitted cherries
- Divide the apples and the cherries into the baking dish. Set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, mix the dates with vanilla extract and milk until you get a light brown paste.5 large pitted (Medjool) dates, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup unsweetened cashew milk
- Stir the date paste into the apples and cherries until all the fruits are slightly coated. Set aside.
Prepare the crumble topping
- If needed, melt the coconut oil in a small pan over the lowest heat setting.½ cup coconut oil
- In a small bowl, combine the chopped nuts, coconut flakes, cinnamon powder, rosemary, almond flour, cassava flour, and coconut sugar.1 cup chopped nuts—I use a mix of walnuts and pecans, ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes, 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1 teaspoon cracked dried rosemary needles, ¾ cup blanched almond flour, ¼ cup Cassava flour, ¼ cup coconut sugar
- Then stir in the melted coconut oil and the grated ginger until the dry ingredients are just coated but well combined (everything will be barely coated).1 teaspoon freshly minced or grated ginger
- Divide the topping over the apple cherry filling.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown, the fruit is soft, and fruit liquids are bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and serve as-is or with a scoop of your favorite ice cream.
Notes
Variations & Substitutions:
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- Cherries: For an extra burst of freshness, substitute fresh cherries when they’re in season. Make sure to remove the pits.
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- Rosemary: For a more aromatic flavor, swap dried rosemary for fresh needles. If you're not a fan of rosemary, try adding a sprinkle of apple pie spice.
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- Sweetener: For a sugar-free version, use monk fruit sweetener instead of coconut sugar to lower the sugar content.
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- Vanilla Extract: You could swap this for maple extract.
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- Plant Milk: I prefer cashew milk, but hazelnut or almond milk are also great options.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg
