Gluten-Free, Vegan Apple Crisp Recipe

Ali Segersten Sep 25, 2009 134 comments

We really are not just about sweets here. Really, we're not! But this week it seems we are, huh. Hope some of you enjoyed the White Nectarine Ice Cream I posted last weekend. More main dish recipes to come next week I promise!

Since I will be going out of town for four days I thought it was high time for another delicious giveaway. This awesome giveaway is for 2 pounds of coconut sugar! I used coconut sugar from Essential Living Foods to make this fabulous gluten-free apple crisp.

What is Coconut Sugar?

Coconut sugar is a low glycemic granulated sweetener with a glycemic index of 35. Compare that to honey of 75, agave nectar of 30, pure maple syrup of 54, or sugar (sucrose) of 95. Coconut sugar or coconut palm sugar as it is also called is made from the dried sap of the coconut palm blossom. Sounds lovely doesn't it? But what does it taste like?

I find the taste mild with slight molasses undertones, possibly even a little like maple syrup. The flavors marry well with spices, which will be quite perfect for your autumn baking needs. Coconut sugar can be substituted 1 for 1 in baking. Use it where you would use brown sugar, Sucanat, or white sugar. I used it in my apple crisp recipe with absolutely delicious results! I have used it before in cookies and muffins and it works great. I have also used it to proof yeast with great results as well. Those with cane sugar allergies will find this sugar suitable for their needs.

Recipe from our Meal Planner

Coconut Sugar Apple Crisp

Coconut Sugar Apple Crisp Gluten-Free Vegan
Servings
6
Cook Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes

I am a big fan of just about any type of cooked apple dessert! This is a great recipe to add to a weeknight meal because of the ease of prep time involved. You also don't need to have much experience in the kitchen to make this recipe. My favorite variety of apple to use here is Granny Smith, though the Gingergold variety works great too! Coconut sugar is a low-glycemic sweetener with the benefit of having its vitamins and minerals still intact; it hasn't been refined like cane sugar.

Tip

For an Italian Plum Crisp, use 4 to 5 cups of pitted, halved plums in place of the apples or a combination of plums and apples. Toss with 3 to 4 tablespoons arrowroot, and omit lemon juice.

Ingredients

Filling

4 medium granny smith apples cored and thinly sliced (or another baking apple)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Topping

1½ rolled oats
½ cups superfine sweet rice flour
¾ cups coconut sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoons sea salt
½ cups melted coconut oil (or unsalted butter)
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Place all ingredients for the filling into a 7x11-inch baking pan. Gently stir together with a large spoon. A good gauge for sufficient fruit is to fill your pan almost to the top with sliced fruit. It will cook down quite a bit. See the photo below.
  3. In a small mixing bowl stir together the oats, sweet rice flour, sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt. Add oil and vanilla and stir together with a fork. If the mixture seems too dry, add a few tablespoons of water or additional coconut oil. Using your hands, crumble the topping evenly over the filling.
  4. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the juices are bubbling up and the topping is lightly browned.

Use this recipe in our Meal Planner

Take a Tour View Recipe

Posted In
apples autumn baked goods Coconut sugar dessert easy GF/CF giveaways xanthan-free recipes recipe
ALI-2023-PHOTO-VERTICAL-2

About the Author

Ali Segersten

Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.

See More

Nourishing Meals Newsletter

Email updates.

Add Comment

Comments

karenk (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 7:49am

Wow, love the picture and I love apple crisp. I had never heard of coconut sugar, sounds wonderful.
Thanks for chance to win some.
Karen Kraus - Calgary AB

Hilma Olson (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 7:46am

Yes, please, enter me in the coconut sugar drawing. Thanks. sc

Hilma Olson (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 7:43am

A new baking adventure! Any recommendations on brand name and where to find it locally?

Where I am in The City, doesn't have a working oven...but then, I am too busy to recreate here my kitchen :o), so I will have to wait til my return in November.

Kristina Brown (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 7:40am

Thanks for sharing the info about coconut sugar. I didn't know that it existed! The crisp recipe looks yummy. can't wait to try it.

I have your blog on my FB so everyone can experience your creative healthy cooking.
Kristina

Desi@ThePalate… (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 7:40am

I LOVE COCONUT SUGAR! I've been using it for a few months now and I'm obsessed. Now, I can't wait to try it in this crisp recipe because... well... I am a huge fan of crisps, too :) Go figure... I just discovered your blog a few weeks ago and I check it every day, I love it it so much. Thank you for every thing you do!
~Desirée D.

SydneyND (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 7:36am

Hi there,
Recipe looks delicious! I recently sampled coconut sugar at a food fair. Completely agree with your description. Thanks for your yummy recipes!

Terry Christie (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 7:30am

Coconut sugar, hmm? Sounds fabulous! Would love to try it! I think I will do some baking this weekend.
Terry Christie

Lori D in SC (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 7:19am

That looks delicious! I made something simillar this week but I added diced bartlett pears to mine. Also when I was done baking it and it was still warm, I ate some with a dallop of organic plain yogurt on top. It was very much like cobbler with ice cream. Who says eating healthy has to taste bad!

Jennifer (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 7:10am

Oh Ali, I do have one question, though. Lemon juice was the intolerance I found in phase 2. Do you think it would be ok to leave out the lemon juice or is there a non-citrus alternative. I found even a tablespoon or two in a recipe bothers me. Thanks for any advice!

Jennifer M.

Sandy Gillett (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 7:06am

I linked to you blog via Amy at SimplySugarandGlutenFree. I have enjoyed reading through your recipes. I made Chocolate Banana Teff Bread and it is not only delicious but the perfect texture and amount of sweetness. Thanks for sharing your life and your knowledge and skill.

Jennifer (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 7:04am

Oh Wow. This looks amazing. Thanks so much for posting all of these lovely recipes! I'm reposting on facebook and my blog because I have friends who eat whole grain diets like myself. I'm in phase 3 of the elimination, but plan on making this for my family as soon as I'm done.

And a special thanks to Tom, who gave me some advice this week about a citrus intolerance I found in phase 2! It was very helpful.

Tree (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 6:44am

oooh, i've been wanting to try coconut sugar, and haven't been able to find it anywhere. i'd use it to make your apple crisp, because we just went apple pickin', and we've got to use up those apples somehow!
:)

Deanna Reardon (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 6:44am

I love coconut, I love sugar, and I love a contest!

Diane-The WHOLE Gang (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 6:35am

Not sure what happened to my comment. Trying again.

This looks amazing. My stomach is now growling. I hope you are bringing this with you to BlogHer Food.

I wonder if I can get that coconut sugar where I live. I've been hearing about it more and it sounds good.

Unknown (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 6:23am

Please enter me into this contest; coconut sugar looks great and low(er) glycemic!

Brynn (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 6:23am

Yumm. Looks good. We have been cooking with coconut oil. I keep hearing about the coconut sugar and flour. Nice to learn more about it here! We just bought many, many pounds of apples. This will be on our list.

~M (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 6:23am

I have been wanting to try coconut sugar for a while. Thanks for the contest!

Angela (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 6:18am

THIS is why I loooove fall!
Love your site and all the recipes. Can't wait to try this one. Thanks for sharing!

Jayn Anderson (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 6:10am

Looks amazing!

Lauren (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 5:52am

That recipe looks amazing!! :) I will definitely be trying it out! Thanks for the giveaway!

Beth (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 5:41am

This recipe caught my attention because I am obsessed with coconut products! I would love to try this and have never seen coconut sugar! Where can I get it? I am sharing this on my FB page - I have quite a few Celiac and allergic friends!

GF Gidget (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 5:36am

This recipe looks delicious! I would love to try coconut sugar. I just discovered the joys of all things coconut a few months ago. I never knew coconut sugar existed!

Amanda (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 5:36am

Wow! That looks amazing. We've got an abundance of apples right now. Just finished an apple pie and was wondering what to make next! I've been falling head over heels with coconut, I can't wait to try the coconut sugar. Thanks for all the inspiration!

Sarita (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 5:35am

This looks delicious! I would LOVE some coconut sugar!

Heidi B. (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 5:26am

This looks delicious! I'm new to the whole foods/gluten free lifestyle and I've been trying a few of your recipes. The ice cream was amazing!!

Stacy (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 4:49am

Wow, the recipe looks awesome. I was also curious on the coconut sugar.

Sara Ballard (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 4:40am

Ooooo coconut sugar! I have been wanting to try it, but wasn't sure how it tastes. The apple crisp recipe is perfect timing as I was looking for a yummy vegan recipe to try out for the family today!

SammiK (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 4:38am

Autumn is the perfect time for buckles, slumps and grunts! I am ready to head out to the apple tree right now!

thanks for sharing this with our GF SF house.

Anonymous (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 4:31am

I am so glad that I have found your website and cookbook. I love trying the new recipes that you post. Thanks so much for sharing all you do - - Nettie McFarland - Daytona Beach Florida

Katie (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 4:17am

This sounds amazing! I have a ton of apples right now because I went picking at an orchard last week, so this is the perfect time to try this crisp. I'm really intrigued by the coconut sugar, too, and would love to try it.

Tim (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 3:28am

Wow the Apple Crisp looks wonderful and I am interested in trying coconut sugar in some recipes.

astrotsarina (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 1:30am

We'll definitely be making this apple crisp! We made the nectarine ice cream today to celebrate our youngest's half birthday (she's 5 1/2 and did a great job helping to make the ice cream). She and I loved the ice cream. Her brother didn't (and I wonder whether it's because I made the mistake of telling him what the ingredients were (had he been part of making it, it might have been different)).

Parent's Village (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 1:25am

This looks so yummy! I'm posting it on facebook as well. Thank you so much!! :)

Stephanie Mckenzie (visitor) Sep 25, 2009 | 12:59am

Thanks for posting on the coconut sugar, I had been wondering how it tasted and baked. Also thank for your wonderful,healthy dishes!

Related Posts

Dec 30, 2017

Tigernut Flour Apple Crisp (grain-free, nut-free, paleo, vegan)

I'm excited to be sharing this amazing apple crisp recipe with you today. It's made with prebiotic-rich tigernut flour, which is a healthy, grain-free, nut-free, gluten-free flour. Going on an elimination diet can be challenging sometimes, especially during the holidays and family gatherings where food plays such an integral role in the celebration. Having alternatives that are just as tasty as your old favorites can make it much easier to stick to your new diet.
Read More
Oct 16, 2011

Harvest Green Smoothie

It is harvest time and we are working on ways to not only preserve the harvest but also to use up nature's bounty while it is nice and fresh. Green smoothies are a great way to use up fresh produce. Plus, they are the perfect vehicle to deliver raw, digestible green vegetables to your children!

Read More
Gluten-Free Vegan Deep Dish Apple Pie
Nov 04, 2010

Deep Dish Apple Pie with a Flaky Oil Crust (gluten-free)

This luscious gluten-free, vegan apple pie uses a slightly different type of pie crust recipe. I first created this crust for a potato-pea samosa recipe. Everyone loved it so I decided to create it into an apple pie. The dough isn't your normal pastry dough because I don't use a saturated fat.

Read More
Sep 23, 2010

Raw Caramel Dip for Apples

Happy Autumnal Equinox! As the evenings become as crisp as the apples, darkness begins to triumph over light. Today we celebrate the closure of summer, the dying of the light, and prepare ourselves for a new season. Autumn.

Read More
Oct 06, 2009

How to Make and Can Applesauce

Today I wanted to share with you one of our family's most treasured fall projects: making homemade applesauce and canning it. I use applesauce quite a bit in my vegan, gluten-free baking recipes (which I will be sharing more of this fall) so I thought it would be fitting to demonstrate how to make it with step-by-step photos.

Read More
Mar 24, 2009

Green Apple Salad Dressing

Phase 1 is the most restricted and difficult phase of the diet so it is helpful to have more ideas. The green apple salad dressing recipe below is a creation of mine but some of the other ideas and recipes here come from a good friend who recently did the diet.

Read More