Here’s a lovely seasonal treat –gluten free apple crisp that’s simple and easy to make with very few, and very healthy ingredients. This recipe for Granny Smith Apple Crisp is particularly low carb because I use the low glycemic sweetener xylitol.
Since so many people have written to me to tell me they do not use agave, I thought it would be nice to research a variety of alternative sweeteners and experiment with them. Hence the use of xylitol (a low glycemic sweetener) in this recipe. My children couldn’t taste the difference and my doctor highly recommends xylitol for those that can digest it –it is not as easy to digest as agave for some people.
As always, use the ingredients that suit you best, and take the time to experiment with substitutions, as I cannot answer your (or my own) substitution questions without actually testing them in real life in my real kitchen.
As you can see from the note above, this recipe was a major hit with my older son. He left me a note on the dessert that said, “Mom, please do not let ANYONE eat the crisp. I want to eat it. TKS (Thanks).”
Granny Smith Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 slices, then quarter each slice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon xylitol
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
Topping
- 1 cup blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons xylitol
Instructions
- In a 1.5 quart pyrex bowl, toss apples, xylitol and lemon juice
- Stir water and arrowroot together to make a slurry then toss into apple mixture
- In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, salt and cinnamon
- In a small bowl combine vanilla, coconut oil and xylitol
- Stir wet ingredients into dry --mixture will be very crumbly
- Sprinkle topping over apple mixture
- Bake covered at 350°F for 45 minutes, until apples are soft and topping is golden brown
Every fall when I begin baking fruit desserts in earnest, I have the same internal dialogue –what is the exact difference between a crumble and a crisp? And every fall, without fail, I pull out my well worn copy of the Joy of Cooking and look this up again. I thought I would share what the good book says with all of you:
“For a crisp, the flour, butter, and sugar are mixed together like pie dough before the liquid is added, and the mixture scattered over the top.”
“A crunch is fruit sandwiched between two layers of sweetened, buttered crumbs; it is served cut into squares, like bar cookies , but is more fragile…Crumble is the British name for a crisp or crunch with oatmeal in the topping.”
Here are some more healthy gluten free recipes using apples:
–Cinnamon Apple Cake
–Caramel Apples
–Fennel Apple Soup
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Katie says
One of my favorite “sugar substitutes” for these kind of things is a pure fruit jam. The other day I made a pear cobbler with pears tossed in a plum jam I’d made. Obviously one would have to have an appropriately sweetened jam, but the other benifit is that you don’t need any thickeners either. For ripe peaches I don’t add any additional sweetener at all.
Saundra says
Ii usually use a sweetener from whey-low.com because it is for diabetics and has a low glycemic index. My husband is diabetic, and doesn’t like the taste of stevia. Honey has a higher glycemic index so I try to avoid that for him in my baking. We have found no side affects or problems with wheylow.
Saundra says
I forgot to add — that I have tried many of Elanas recipes and appreciate all of her efforts to share with us on her blog. Thanks so much Elana — you have been a lifesaver to me. That note from your son is just precious!! Love it.
Jane says
I would think sucanat, coconut sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave..stevia if people like it.. there are so many options. There is sooo little sweetener in this it’s unlikely to have a big impact on blood sugar- there’s already other carbs in the dish, so as desserts go, even organic cane sugar.. why not. As long as one isn’t eating a steady diet of desserts (I could but I don’t :-)…
Jane says
Thanks for Jay for information re xylitol toxicity in dogs. Apparently as little as 3 gms can kill a 60 pound dog. That’s not very much xylitol. I’ve never tried it, have always been afraid to for this reason. I don’t have kids but a big worry for me in a household with kids would be… one of the kids giving the family dog a taste of some baked goods- pretty common and pretty hard to instill in kids that this could be dangerous. My thought is why have it around.. I view it the same way I’d view bleach or any other household toxin.
The recipe does look beautiful, on a positive note!!! I’d just sub another sweetener.
Jerri-Lynn DeGayner says
Dear Elana
I have had trouble with the last several bags of apples I have purchased in that the skins are soooo tough they are like leather. I have had this in the last couple bags of grannies, galas, johnygold, and cortland. Is there a way to tell before purchasing? Also what are the best for, eating, baking, sauce etc? Thanks
Jay says
No offence intended, but I’m always amazed that so many people think artificial sweetners are perfectly safe to consume. The latest fad being stevia, as it’s touted as an “all natural” product.
Stevia may be an all natural product if you used the unsprayed plant leaves as your sweetener, but once those leaves have been put through a refining process, you are no longer eating a natural food.
I’m a big fan of Elanas recipes, I’ve had great success with many of them, but do admit I’m disapointed when I see an artificial sweetener, in this case, Xylitol, as one of the recipe ingredients.
I have two beloved dogs. Xylitol has been proven to be a toxic substance to dogs by the AMVA. Xylitol, even though its been shown can kill dogs, is still purported to be safe for humans to consume.
I could be told a million times over that Xylitol is safe for humans to consume, but I’d never buy such a claim. How could I or anyone for that matter, feed my children a product that’s proven to be toxic to dogs, with a clear concience?
For any of you that may have dogs. From the American Dog Breeders Association.
Xylitol Poisoning
Veterinarians are becoming more aware of Xylitol as a poison to dogs. The popular sweetener has many positive benefits to human health but like some other people products, it can be deadly to dogs. Clinical signs may be delayed for hours, making diagnosis more difficult but a sudden drop in blood sugar resulting in depression, loss of coordination, and seizures can happen quickly and requires immediate veterinary intervention. Our gratitude to Dr. Thorpe-Vargas for this timely information.
Xylitol Poisoning!
by Susan Thorpe-Vargas Ph.D
The Animal Poison Control Center has reported a substantial increase in the number of cases of Xylitol poisoning. Xylitol is a sweetener that is found in sugar-free gum, candy, baked goods, desserts, toothpaste, and other oral-care products. It can also be purchased as granulated powder for cooking and baking.
It can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening problems in dogs. In the October 1, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 8 adult dogs were evaluated for lethargy and vomiting after ingestion of Xylitol. Five of the 8 were either euthanized or died.
The Animal Poison Control Center managed more than 170 cases of Xylitol poisonings in 2005, up from approximately 70 in 2004. As of August, 2006, the poison control center had managed 114 cases in 2006. That may be due to the increased availability of Xylitol containing products or the increased awareness by the public and veterinarians.
While it was previously thought that only large concentrations of Xylitol could cause problems in dogs, lesser amounts of the sweetener may also be harmful.
Our concern used to be mainly with products that contain xylitol as one of the first ingredients, said Dr. Eric Dunayer, who specializes in toxicology at the center. However we have begun to see problems developing from ingestions of products with lesser amounts of this sweetener. He said that with smaller concentrations of Xylitol, the onset of clinical signs could be delayed as much as 12 hours after ingestion.
Dogs that ingest substantial amounts of items sweetened with Xylitol can develop a sudden drop in blood sugar resulting in depression, loss of coordination, and seizures. These signs can develop quite rapidly, at times less than 30 minutes after ingestion of the product. Therefore, it is crucial that pet owners seek veterinary treatment immediately after ingestion or suspected ingestion of products containing Xylitol. The poison control center also reported that there appears to be strong link between Xylitol ingestions and the development of liver failure in dogs.
Credit to: Dr. Vern Otte, DVM, State Line Animal Hospital, Leawood, KS and the Journal of the American Veterinary Association, October 2006.
Stacy says
there’s a lot of food humans can eat that dogs cannot (chocolate, coffee, macadamia nuts, onions, raisins, etc), that doesn’t mean these foods are toxic to humans. Just don’t feed your dog xylitol!
also, the Xylitol Elana recommends is NOT artificial (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000153A9M/)
Gretchen says
I have read research on all artificial sweeteners including Stevia, when they are processed by the body they give off chlorine and this chlorine kills off the good bacteria that is in your gut. The new recommendations are to not consume any artificial sweetener, even those that claim to be all natural, because they are not. Stick to honey, which is also approved when following the Paleo diet, which this dish is listed under.
c says
guess u dont eat chocolate either!
Maria says
I’m so glad you came up with a crisp recipe that doesn’t use agave, but I’m one of those people who can’t tolerate xylitol, so I’ll try it with erythritol instead. Maybe a little stevia too.
Dianne Goldthorpe says
A crumble is a mixture of flour, marg or butter, sugar and spice of choice. The flour and marg are mixed till thet look like breadcrumbs and then the sugar is added with the spice. The whole mix is then put over the fruit and baked at 350 till it is brown and bubblely. No wet stuff added. In UK where I come from no one has ever heard of a crisp except in a potatoe context !
Noel says
Thanks for this explanation!
I love the ease and simplicity of crisps — just fruit and topping, baked.
: )
Noel
Rachel B. says
I find Xylitol disgusting and for those with corn allergies, I just found this about Xylitol: It is found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, and can be extracted from various berries, oats, and mushrooms, as well as fibrous material such as corn husks and sugar cane bagasse,[2][3] and birch[citation needed].
When I make this, I will try it with coconut sugar.
kelli says
Xylitol can be very upsetting to little tummies too. I have 3 small children who get horribly sick from xylitol. I love the suggestion for coconut sugar!!
Mia says
I buy my birch xylitol from globalsweet.com I would never buy xylitol made from anything but birch.
Please read the link “All xylitol is NOT created equal!”
Jennifer says
This looks fabulous – and I love the very earnest note from your son! :-) I really appreciate you trying to accommodate everyone with their different sweetener preferences. You can’t please everyone all the time…!
Hazel says
I never use agave, stevia, or xylitol. My go to sweeteners are maple syrup or honey. I like Elenas post about agave, and sweetners in general-they should only be used in moderation. However, I really think it unusual when people call stevia or agave “all natural” as they are neither, both are highly refined and processed. I have found in all the recipes of Elenas, when I substitute maple syrup for agave they turn out perfectly.
Erin says
How much maple syrup would you use in this recipe?
Noel says
My sweetener of choice is raw local honey. I use the rest in moderation — actually all sweeteners in moderation, but I figure honey’s been around so long, and I love that it’s not processed.
Elana, all of your recipes using agave has worked so well for me b/c honey and agave are both liquid and similar in their sweetness. I’m sure maple syrup would frequently work well also.
I’m going to have to adapt to the variation now. I find all the comments helpful since we all have different cooking and taste preferences. And this group is not afraid to experiment. : )
Thanks for this recipe. I’m ready to make Apple Crisp!
: )
Noel
gluten free gift says
I have to agree with this… i feel like if I’m going to go to the trouble of making food from scratch, I don’t want too many over processed items in the item. It’s like making soup from scratch, but using cubes. I like maple syrup for sweetener – and anything that contains apples, raisins, carrots etc.will add to sweetness too.