Elana's Pantry

New York Times Bestselling author Elana Amsterdam founded Elana’s Pantry, the go-to website for easy, healthy, grain-free, Paleo recipes, in 2006

cinnamon apple cake

Cinnamon Apple Cake

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Cinnamon Apple Cake is a fabulous fall dessert and super easy to make. This paleo cake recipe calls for 8 ingredients total. All you need to make it is apples, orange juice, almond butter, eggs, honey, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. My boys adore it smothered in my classic Whipped Cream or Dairy-Free Coconut Whipped Cream.

Healing Properties of Cinnamon

This healthy flourless cake recipe is not overly sweet and brims with the aroma of warming cinnamon. I love cooking with cinnamon because it’s a healing super-spice. Cinnamon regulates blood sugar and is touted in Ayurveda as fixing numerous ailments, including calming down the vata dosha. My go-to spice, I often add cinnamon to my morning Protein Shake and Dandelion Coffee.

Print Recipe
Cinnamon Apple Cake
Serves:12
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a food processor pulse apple, orange juice, and almond butter until well blended
  2. Pulse in honey, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon (yes 2 tablespoons), and salt
  3. Pour batter into a greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish
  4. Bake at 350°F for 32 to 36 minutes
  5. Cool and serve with Whipped Cream Frosting

Low-Carb Cinnamon Apple Cake

This Paleo Cinnamon Apple Cake recipe was inspired by Andre Anna. Just a few of the changes I made include using apples instead of bananas, adding a ton of cinnamon, and reducing the amount of sweetener in order to make this a low-carb flourless cake. If you are cutting back on your intake of sweeteners you’ll want to check out my Low-Carb Diet page. If you have totally eliminated all sweeteners that can spike your blood glucose you’ll want to take a look at my Ketogenic Diet page.

Healthy Apple Recipes

Love my paleo Cinnamon Apple Cake recipe? Here are some more low-carb apple dessert recipes for you!

This post is an oldie but goodie from the archives. I first published this recipe in 2010.

Comments

  1. I’m excited to try this recipe- but I have a sensitivity to almonds. Do you think a different nut butter could substitute, and if so, what would you suggest I try? Thank you!

    Reply

  2. Elana this looks wonderful!! I am going to make it for my Mother and myself. I am wondering if it would work to make as muffins or cupcakes rather than a cake?
    Thanks for all you do for us! God bless!!

    Reply

  3. My family loves this cake! My husband gobbles it up with plain yogurt, If we run out of coconut whipped cream. Kids love it in their lunch boxes as a treat. This is going to be in heavy rotation in our house. Also so easy to make. Thank you Elana!

    Reply

  4. It’s in the oven right now, and smells wonderful! It seems strange not to use any flour, but I haven’t had a failure on any of your recipes that I’ve tried, so I’m really looking forward to eating this tonight. Thanks for all your work creating and testing these recipes 😋

    Reply

    • Yes it’s unsalted. I have no idea why you’d be forced to click on a link to get that very obvious info. Elana, I love your recipes but that’s a bit much.

      Reply

      • Susan, thanks so much for your feedback, I really appreciate it! I love letting my readers know that the information they need is at their fingertips, and that there’s no need to wait for my reply. Also, there are over half a million readers here each month and only one of me, so using the information I provide saves my time, and lets me make more delicious recipes for you :-)

        Reply

  6. Elana, congrats to you on another successful cake. I made it last night and it was “delish”!! However, I did add the applesauce and baking soda, which made it “cake-like”. Also, added raw honey. Couldn’t believe this is made without any flour. I loved it, not being too sweet. Thanks again for your magic.

    Reply

    • I want to make this for some dear neighbors who are fasting for YK. I would like to know how much apple sauce and baking soda your commenter Joanna used. Do you know or maybe she might respond? I am dying to try this. Just bought a LOT of apples at CostCo!

      Thank you sweet Elana for all you are doing for us.

      Reply

      • Dorothy, thanks for your comment! I’m not sure how much apple sauce and baking soda Joanna used, so sorry I can’t be of more help :-)

        Reply

      • I would like to know how much applesauce to use as well. I made the cake and it is good. I like the lower carbs. Now I’d like to make it with applesauce because my food processor is lousy and I just want to throw everything in a bowl!

        Reply

  8. I am allergic to almonds – can I use something else besides almond butter? I may tolerate cashew butter or peanut butter??

    Reply

  14. I made this today and it was amazing! You can’t tell that it has no flour! Thanks Elana!!! All the recipes that I have make from your blog turn out perfect and are super simple =)

    Reply

  15. We made this tonight and I thought I’d let everyone know how it turned out because we made some alterations others were asking about. We used 1/2 cup of unsweetened natural applesauce (Motts) in place of an apple and raw honey i place of agave. We used regular table salt decreased to 1/4 t, and we also added 1/4 t baking soda and a dash of nutmeg. It came out AMAZINGLY!! Very cake-like. I don’t think it needs a topping. Great recipe.

    Reply

  16. I substituted zucchini for the apple and baked this last night. I also Torani sugar-free orange syrup for the OJ and substituted stevia green powder (1 1/2 tsp) for the agave syrup and added an extra egg. I REALLY processed it and it was very “liquidy” and frothy (from the eggs) then I folded in the almond butter. I was worried that I had messed up and it was going to be ruined because it was so liquid, but it came out fantastic. With no leavening, but all that frothiness from the eggs, it worked out fine. It has a brownie-like consistency. Thanks, Elana, for the inspiration!

    Reply

  17. oh wow this sounds so yummy and just what I’d love as an afternoon treat unfortunately that’s be a in a few hours and whilst I’m at work, so that won’t happen however, I’m definitely trying this on the weekend sometime!

    Reply

  19. I just made this recipe w/ home made organic apple sauce (our tree was very productive last year). I added orange zest from the orange before squeezing it. The batter was a bit runny so I added coconut flour to thicken it up and put it in muffin tins. The family loves them! Thanks again for your great ideas!

    Reply

  20. I came across this recipe earlier today, and I knew as soon as I saw the picture and read the ingredients that I just had to make it!

    I’m working on reducing/eliminating flour for my family, and this cake looked delicious at first sight! I only made two changes out of necessity: I used Simply Orange Juice since I didn’t have a fresh orange on hand, and I used 1/4 cup sugar since I didn’t have agave nectar on hand.

    This recipe is so simple and so delicious. My 3-year-old can’t stop eating, and I had to force myself to stop! Very good, indeed!!! =)

    Reply

  21. Fabulous. I was reading out possible recipes to try out to my boyfriend and he jumped on this one. I was a little disappointed because I thought it looked dry and a little boring – i was in the mood for your german chocolate cake! But I dutifully made it and YUM!!! I am a convert. SOOO easy to make and really satisfying. I didn’t have oranges and so just used plain water, and I sub’ed runny honey for the agave. I was skeptical about the large amount of cinnamon but it was perfect. My house smelled great too. I served a dollop of plain greek style yogurt on top of mine and boyfriend got honey-egg white frosting. He loved it too – and he eats gluten and sugar and everything. You rock.

    Reply

  22. Thank you, Elana!
    My belly is a little nutty and I’m still learning what I can and cannot eat. I am SO thankful to have found your website! I asked for your cookbook for my birthday and my hubby GOT it! :) Love it. I just made these bars and they are in the oven. My friend is coming over, her 2 little girls have celiac, so cannot wait to send some home with her.

    I love yoga! I am actually a yoga teacher and lover of life and all things simple, like you. I am 39 and live in Indiana with my hubby and daughter. We made your cashew milk ice cream for my birthday this week, too. It’s so yummy. I made it with honey and forgot the salt(woops!) but it was heavenly. For someone who is dairy free (except for goat cheese :)) it was a treat. Thank you, again. You seem like such a PEACH!

    I hope you are doing wonderful today and enjoy this sweet, chilly, pre-Thanksgiving weekend. I am very thankful for YOU! :)

    Love,
    Polly

    Reply

    • Polly, I’m so glad we are on this healing journey together and I’m so thankful for you! Glad you are enjoying my book :-)

      Reply

  23. Can’t wait to make this. Your cookbook is my goto birthday/thank you/wedding/whatever gift since I discovered it. I love the simplicity of it. And the results from the recipes!

    Reply

  26. i love baking with almond butter! with Trader Joe’s around here, it’s so affordable and easy! and this stayed up on my computer screen from when i received it until just now. i think the whipped cream was calling my name….

    thanks for the delicious dessert treat that satisfies our apple cinnamon cravings for this chilly but delicious season….

    so looking forward to the eggnog recipe that is coming up in the holidays- saw some at the store the other day and will be looking it up soon… coco-nog i’m sure!

    blessings and peace-

    Reply

  27. That is so indulging! I love the icing on the top. It seems to looks like perfect. I do icing too but it is more in a wet look and it is easy to melt. I think I should practice more my frostings.

    Reply

  29. Elana…thank you so much for all of your time and effort that you so graciously offer to all. Your recipes have really been a blessing to me since I have trouble with grains, dairy, and sugar. It has been so nice trying so many of your recipes, many of which my family likes also, and feeling “normal” again. The links you provide have also been so helpful and it is great to find sites where ingredients are much cheaper (and available) than what I find at the stores. Thank you so very, very much! Your caring has blessed so many!

    Reply

    • Kindle, you are such a dear! Thanks for your wonderful comment, I’m so happy to support you and all of my readers in their healthy cooking adventures :-)

      Reply

  31. Hi Elana,

    Just baked this cake this evening and I was very impressed, it was whipped up in a flash. It def needed the cream, i used a dollop organic sour cream..very yum. Will def make again…love that its grainfree and high in protein…great for nutritional type.

    Cheers Fee

    Reply

  33. I just made this with pumpkin instead of apple, no orange juice (didn’t have any)(substituted milk), sunflower butter instead of almond, and added some coconut cream. Great!! A nice treat, just the right sweetness. Thanks, Elana and AndreAnna, for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

  34. Elana-

    My fiance’s birthday was on Friday, and I offered to make him anything he wanted for dinner. Every single thing he requested was one of your recipes! Here is the menu he chose: mustard lime chicken, roasted broccoli, jelly-donut cupcakes with your peanut butter icing! Of course, I love all of your recipes because I don’t eat gluten, dairy, sugar, or soy, but he can eat anything he wants (and does) and loves all of your creations that I make.

    Thank you so much for providing us with such delicious, nourishing, and simple recipes- you are a true inspiration and cooking genius!

    Reply

  36. Thank you Elana!!!

    We only just discovered your book and I am working my way through each and every recipe! We used a 5 lb bag of almond flour in just one week! We were already gluten free but needed to go on a much healthier purely organic, low sugar diet due to serious health issues. Your book has given me a solution to successfully replace the kids existing high-sugar GF items. Taking away without having a replacement would have made this impossible! You are a life saver – and in this case I mean it literally.

    Having fun cooking!

    Reply

    • Laura, I’m so happy to support your family’s change to healthy eating! Thanks for your wonderful words. It sure is nice to be called a life saver :-)

      Reply

  37. Wow, that just looks irresistibly delicious! I love how nutrient dense it is too – would make a great, quick breakfast paired with a green smoothie! Can’t wait to try it. :)

    Reply

  39. Love it, Elana! Absolutely my kind of recipe … as soon as I get some almond butter I’ll make this. Or I might make some more pecan butter and use that, so I don’t have to wait as long. Sadly, my basic grocery store does not have almond butter or even raw almonds.
    xoxo,
    Shirley

    Reply

  40. Wow…another amazing recipe!
    Question for you; I am allergic to oranges. Do you think it would work with apple juice??

    Reply

    • I subbed apple/pear sauce last night (it’s what I had open in the fridge) and the cake turned out lovely! Be brave.

      Reply

  41. AH! I was just thinking about something like this today. I love apples and cinnamon. I would make this with butter. What a great combination!!

    Reply

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