Nightshade Free Paleo Apple Crisp with Almond & Pecan Topping
Warm, bubbling apple filling topped with a golden, nutty crumble — this dessert is pure comfort food that happens to check every box for anyone avoiding nightshades. Apples are tossed with maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and a touch of lemon juice before getting blanketed in a generous layer of almond flour, chopped pecans, and shredded coconut. The coconut oil and maple syrup bind the topping into those satisfying, chunky clumps that crisp up beautifully in the oven without a single grain of flour or refined sugar in sight. Because nightshade-free eating can sometimes feel restrictive when it comes to sweets, it's genuinely exciting to have a crowd-pleasing dessert that requires zero substitutions or workarounds — every ingredient here is naturally in the clear. Arrowroot starch does the quiet work of thickening the filling so you get that glossy, jammy texture rather than a watery pool under the topping. Let it rest for a few minutes after baking and the filling tightens up into something that scoops beautifully into a bowl, ideally with a scoop of coconut cream on top.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the apple filling
- 6 medium apples (about 2 ½ lb), peeled, cored, and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the crumble topping
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup raw pecans, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch baking dish with a small amount of coconut oil.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, toss the sliced apples with the maple syrup, arrowroot starch, cinnamon, ginger, and lemon juice until every slice is evenly coated. Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
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