Keto apple crisp is a super-easy, low-carb dessert with only 6 ingredients! Juicy apples team up with walnuts, butter, sweetener, vanilla, and cinnamon, for a rich, satisfying dessert that won’t stick to your hips!
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Typical dessert ingredients such as flour and sugar are, of course, not keto-friendly. But by making a few simple tweaks, you can keto-ify apple crisp. What’s even better is that whipped cream makes a wonderful addition without adding any more carbs!
So if you want to indulge your sweet tooth with a fruity fall dessert, but also keep an eye on carbs, this low-carb recipe is sure to hit the right note. You won’t believe how amazing this makes your kitchen smell!
For more delicious apple recipes this fall, I recommend my easy apple pie puffy pastry and also these healthy pumpkin brownies!
Main Ingredients
Despite this dessert recipe only calling for 6 ingredients, it isn’t lacking in the flavor department! In fact, the warm cinnamon, sweet vanilla, and juicy apples combine to make this fall crowd-pleaser.
Here are the ingredients you will need:
- Apples: The star of the dish. Forget sugary apple pie filling and use fresh apples here. I used Fuji apples but any sweet variety will be fine. Don’t use soft ones like Macintosh since they will fall apart while cooking. Some people use chayote squash instead of apple, but it doesn’t really taste the same.
- Walnuts: For crunch. You could sub pecans instead or even chopped mixed nuts. Whichever nuts you use, ensure they are unsalted. Walnuts are a wonderful keto alternative to the flour and oats typically used in fruit crisp recipes.
- Butter: To give the dessert a luscious richness. Butter is better for low-carb eaters than margarine, and guess what, it tastes better too! Use unsalted butter if you have it, or else sub salted butter - it won’t make much difference.
- Cinnamon: For a warm, earthy flavor. Cinnamon and apple are wonderful partners, although nutmeg is also a great spice for apple desserts. Why not add a pinch of each?
- Vanilla: To give sweetness. Make sure you use natural vanilla extract or even vanilla paste.
- Sweetener: For the sweetness of course! You can use any kind of sweetener in this keto apple crisp. I like to use erythritol. Swerve (the brown one!) is also great in apple crisp recipes. If you prefer, you can omit this ingredient altogether since the apples offer natural sweetness.
Instructions Overview
Now you know this dessert is so easy to make and you need very few ingredients, I bet you’re keen to get started! So how exactly do you make this low-carb crisp recipe?
The first thing to do is prepare the apples. Peel them and then core and slice them. Arrange the slices in a baking pan.
Combine the remaining ingredients and pour the mixture over the apples. Bake for half an hour or until the nuts are golden and the apples are soft. Enjoy while it’s still warm!
Common Questions
This really depends on how you keto! Some keto eaters avoid all fruit except very low-carb berries, while others don’t mind as long as it fits their macros. One portion of keto apple crisp contains about 10 net carbs (equivalent to half an apple) so, even if you’re limiting yourself to 20 net carbs per day, it can still fit into your macros. I like mine with unsweetened whipped cream since that only adds about 1g net carb. I wouldn’t eat this every day, but as an occasional treat, it’s great! It also makes a good dessert for diabetics who want a dessert that won’t spike their blood sugar.
These are the same thing in Australia as well as in the UK. In the US and Canada, there are differences between the two. A crumble topping doesn’t usually contain nuts or oats. Instead, it tends to have flour, butter, and sugar to make a streusel topping. This keto apple crisp recipe is definitely a crisp since the topping is nut-based.
The key is in the butter. If you try to use more butter the topping will be wet and mushy. Butter is great for keto, but don’t overdo it in this recipe!
If you want to minimize the carbs in this recipe, choosing Granny Smiths is the best way. This tart green apple is lower in sugar (and therefore carbs) and the tart flavor contrasts really well with the sweetener used.
Yes, you can make this fruit crisp ahead if you like. Reheat it in the microwave at 50% power.
This dessert will keep for 3 or 4 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Although you can freeze the crisp after baking, I prefer to freeze it unbaked. Wrap the prepared crisp in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to a couple of months.
Whipped fresh cream is always amazing with apple recipes and since it’s keto-friendly you can be generous with the servings. A low-carb vanilla ice cream (such as Rebel at only 3 or 4g net carbs for a big scoop) would also be great.
This recipe serves 4 people. There are 14g total carbs in a serving. Subtract the 4g of fiber and you’re left with 10g net carbs per serving. Most people can stay in ketosis with a 20 to 40g daily carb allowance, so although this is 10g it’s worth indulging in from time to time!
Chopnotch Tips
- The shortcut of not peeling the apples isn’t worth it since the peel will come off during cooking and not be good in the texture of the dessert.
- If you prefer, you could whip the sweetener into some heavy cream instead of adding it to the apple crisp. The finished dessert will have the same amount of sweetness. I sometimes add a few drops of vanilla to my homemade whipped cream too!
- Swap half the nuts for almond meal or coarse almond flour if you want a slightly different texture.
- Add half a teaspoon of xanthan gum to the filling if you have it on hand. This ingredient can thicken up the texture. I don’t usually bother with it in my keto desserts though.
Sugar-free gelatin can get boring if that’s your only keto indulgence. That’s why I just know you will love this keto apple crisp recipe. Who knew something so low in carbs could taste so sinful!
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Recipe
How to Make
Keto Apple Crisp
Ingredients
- 2 Fuji apples, medium size, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, raw and unsalted
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon granulated sweetener
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Take a 9-inch baking pan and layer the sliced apples on the bottom of it.
- Mix the melted butter, cinnamon, walnuts, vanilla extract, and sweetener in a medium bowl. Then evenly pour this mixture over the layered apples.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the apple slices are soft and the walnuts should be golden. Divide the crisp into four serving bowls, drizzle them with the remaining juice from the pan, and then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- The shortcut of not peeling the apples isn’t worth it since the peel will come off during cooking and not be good in the texture of the dessert.
- If you prefer, you could whip the sweetener into some heavy cream instead of adding it to the apple crisp. The finished dessert will have the same amount of sweetness. I sometimes add a few drops of vanilla to my homemade whipped cream too!
- Swap half the nuts for almond meal or coarse almond flour if you want a slightly different texture.
- Add half a teaspoon of xanthan gum to the filling if you have it on hand. This ingredient can thicken up the texture. I don’t usually bother with it in my keto desserts though.
