Okay, I have a confession, Spiriteds. I don’t love pie, nor do I love traditional apple crisp. I mean, I’ll eat the apple crisp if it’s there, and I’ll munch on the pie crust, if it’s available. But mostly I just love chips and dip and cheese and crackers and all the savory snacks I can get my hands on. Until now. For some reason, this Paleo Cinnamon Apple Crisp absolutely hits the spot, and I LOVE EVERY SINGLE BITE of it.

Like Chocolate-Frosted Paleo Pumpkin Brownies, this one is an evolution of another Dr. Amy Myers recipe, Cinnamon Apple Crisp. We’ve made a few revisions over the years. Namely, we adjusted baking times, added a few more liquids, and doubled the crumble. Really, that last one just feels like a metaphor for leading a really good life. Like, if you have the chance to double the crumble in your day, you take it. Cinnamon coconut crumble is always a good choice. And it’s the perfect topping for Paleo Cinnamon Apple Crisp.

If I had to describe this recipe in just a few words, I think I’d choose “light yet comforting.” And maybe that’s why I love it so much. Paleo Cinnamon Apple Crisp is filling without the sluggish food hangover, yet the warm apples drizzled in lemon juice, cinnamon, and coconut oil are clearly comfort food all the way.

This recipe also happens to be our go-to paleo breakfast recipe as well as our go-to paleo dessert recipe. We take it to family gatherings, and we double the batch when we’re traveling out of town. Like, let’s say your family of four is at an out-of-town family reunion, and you’re staying at a hotel so you need something delicious that won’t take up too much space or require refrigeration. Well, this Paleo Cinnamon Apple Crisp recipe fits the bill.

It also stores well as a double batch. Thus we always manage to get two days worth of breakfast out of it, so long as we maintain our composure and don’t eat the entire thing in one sitting. This is an entirely fair stipulation because when our family loves something, we love it ALL THE WAY. And we love ourselves some Paleo Cinnamon Apple Crisp.

As for making it, I must say, it’s rather easy. Probably the most tedious step is peeling the apples. Once you’ve done that, it’s smooth sailing the rest of the way. Unlike The Gram, I have NOT mastered the art of peeling an apple in one swift move. She always ended up with a beautiful single apple peel ring. I on the other hand, end up with little chips of peel here and there and a messy cutting board to prove it.

After I peel and core the apples, I slice them into wedges, evenly pouring them on top of a little melted coconut oil in an 8×8 baking dish. Unlike a traditional apple pie, in which you form a peak, when making Paleo Cinnamon Apple Crisp, it’s best to form an even surface. Then it’s easier to get an evenly-distributed double crumble game going before baking.

Speaking of which, cover the dish with tin foil and bake it for about 45 minutes. Then remove the tin foil and bake for a few minutes more. You want the double crumble to be baked but not burned, and I would suggest rotating the dish one time during baking just to prevent undercooked and overcooked portions.

Finally, dive in! I suspect your guests won’t even know it’s paleo, if they even get a chance to taste it! In our family, we have to hide it from ourselves sometimes because sharing may be caring but sharing is hard.

Happy autumn, Spiriteds!

Paleo Cinnamon Apple Crisp

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 40 mins
Cook Time: 47 mins
Total Time: 1 hour 27 mins
Yield: 16 squares 1x

Ingredients

Scale

5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and divided
1/8 plus 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
8 soft dates, pitted and finely chopped

Instructions

Set oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine apple wedges, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt.
Grease an 8×8 glass baking dish with 2 tablespoons coconut oil and spread apple wedges evenly into dish. Set aside.
In a high speed blender or food processor, combine 3/4 cup coconut oil, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, coconut flour, shredded coconut flakes, and chopped dates. Blended until ingredients form a crumble mixture. If needed, add 1-2 more tablespoons of melted coconut oil and periodically stop blending to lift mixture from underneath the blades. Pour on top of the apple mixture, cover with tin foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 1-2 more minutes, or until crumble mixture is baked but not burned.