If you are looking to clean up your holiday diet act, start with the following sugar and gluten-free apple crisp recipe, which will satisfy your taste buds and offer you the crave-worthy texture you seek without compromising your figure.
Homemade apple crisp is a lot like apple pie, only it is with a bit more crunch and a lot easier to put together. It has the ability to make the house smell like an apple orchard, full of warm comfort and holiday cheer. Each bite is a play of balance between caramelized, al dente apples and a crisp, roasted oat-based topping. However, apple crisp is an indulgence, to say the least, especially if you can’t stop at just one slice.
Traditional homemade apple crisp racks up some 280 calories per slice, of which 112 come from fat. Each slice contains a total of 12 grams of fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 7.4 grams of saturated fat and 26 grams of sugar. Needless to say, a slice of apple crisp is a treat. Sure, there are apples in there, but their benefits are far outweighed by the fact that the pie is based in white sugar, white flour, brown sugar and butter, together which are a recipe for disaster when it comes to your dietary goals. But it’s getting cold outside, the holidays are just around the corner and the last thing you want to do is deprive yourself of life’s most seasonally-apropos joys.
The following sugar and gluten-free apple crisp recipe is not only animal-friendly but also completely devoid of white sugar and flour. That means you get pure goodness in each and every single bite. Why not have another slice?
Sugar and Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Recipe
Makes one 13×9” pie
Ingredients
For the apple filling
4-5 medium apples, peeled and thinly sliced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons agave
For the crispy topping
1/2 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats oats
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup agave
4 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl toss together the apple slices and lemon juice. Add the vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and agave. Use clean hands to toss all the ingredients together until well combined. Place into a 13×9-inch baking dish.
For the topping, combine the flour, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Add the agave and stir. When the mixture begins to form a ball, add in the coconut oil, 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix with the edge of a fork until all is well combined and grainy. Sprinkle the topping over and across the apples in the baking dish.
Place in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the topping is crisp, but not burnt!
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Photo Credit: Stacey Spensley