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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowThis keto apple crisp tastes just like the real thing… and before you protest, “but apples aren’t keto!”, rest assured that there are no actual apples in here. And you’d never know it! We’re using a secret ingredient that tastes so much like apples when it’s cooked, but with much fewer carbs. Top it with a scoop of keto ice cream for low carb apple crisp a la mode. And if you prefer your keto “apples” in a pie, I’ve got you — here’s my keto apple pie.
Why You’ll Love This Keto Apple Crisp Recipe
- Warm cinnamon apple flavor
- Soft “apples” and a crunchy topping
- Takes just 10 minutes to prep
- Only 6.2 grams net carbs per serving
- Low carb, keto, and gluten-free
- Secret way to enjoy veggies as a summer or fall dessert!
A BIG part of the flavor in filling comes from the sweetener… Besti Brown Sugar Replacement has all the same flavor AND moisture of real brown sugar, without the carbs or sugar. It leaves the keto apple filling for this crisp truly caramelized, unlike other brown sweeteners out there. Give it a try and see the difference compared to other sweeteners!
Is Apple Crisp Keto?
No, typical apple crisps are made with apples, flour, and sugar, so would not be considered keto.
This is a keto mock apple crisp, or mock apple crumble. That means we make some swaps (for the apples, flour, and sugar) to get all of the traditional warm and cozy apple flavors and textures, without all the carbs.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for this keto apple crisp, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Mock Apple Filling:
- Gelatin Powder – This helps to thicken the filling. Make sure you are using unflavored gelatin, with no sugar or other ingredients added! If you don’t have any gelatin, you can also thicken the filling by adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum instead. Make a slurry with a bit of water, then add to the filling while cooking.
- Lemon Juice – Either bottled or fresh lemon juice will work.
- Butter – I prefer grass-fed for best flavor and nutrition, but you can use any unsalted butter. Coconut oil also works for a dairy-free option.
- Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This keto, low carb, and sugar-free sweetener tastes and acts just like brown sugar. Two key characteristics that make it different from other brown sweeteners are that it dissolves like sugar and caramelizes like sugar, so I don’t recommend substituting it.
- Seasonings – Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, sea salt, and vanilla extract. You could also use an apple pie seasoning in place of the cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom, as that usually contains these.
- Zucchini – Our secret ingredient to replace the apples! I know it sounds odd, but once you cook it with spices, the flavor and texture is just like cooked apples. Yellow squash will work as well, which is what I used in my keto apple pie recipe, or you can try chayote squash.
Keto Apple Crisp Topping:
- Almonds – Use unsalted almonds; they can be roasted or unroasted. This is what provides the crunch! You can also substitute pecans or walnuts here, but they turn out softer and a little less crunchy. If you need a nut-free option, you can try pumpkin or sunflower seeds, but their flavor is less mild than almonds.
- Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – See above for all the details and why I recommend this one in particular!
- Butter (Or Coconut Oil) – The same unsalted kind you’re using for the filling.
- Seasonings – Vanilla extract, cinnamon, and sea salt.
How To Make Keto Apple Crisp
This section shows how to make low carb apple crisp with zucchini with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Prep the zucchini. Peel the zucchini and dice into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Bloom the gelatin. In a small bowl, whisk together gelatin powder and lemon juice. Set aside to bloom.
- Bloom the spices. Melt the butter in a dutch oven. Stir in Besti Brown sweetener, more lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and sea salt.
- Thicken the sauce. When gelatin has thickened, whisk it into butter and spices in dutch oven.
- Cook the squash. Add the diced squash to the pan and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 30-60 minutes, until the squash is very soft, most of the moisture has evaporated, and sauce starts to thicken. Stir in the vanilla extract and transfer mixture to an oval baking dish (this one is the perfect size!).
TIP: At this point, taste the zucchini mixture and look at the consistency.
It should be very similar to apple pie filling! If it’s very watery, you may need to cook it for a bit longer.
- Make low carb apple crisp topping. Pulse almonds, Besti Brown sweetener, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt in a food processor.
TIP: Be careful not to over-mix!
You want to have a coarse texture, with lots of small almond pieces, as shown below.
- Bake. Crumble topping over the mock apple filling, and bake until the filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftover keto apple crisp in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can cover it in the same baking dish, or transfer to an airtight container.
- Reheat: Reheat in a 350 degree F oven, or in transfer to bowls and heat in the microwave until warm.
- Freeze: Cool completely, then cover tightly or portion into zip lock backs, then freeze for up to 3 months.
What To Serve With Keto Apple Crisp
This low carb apple crisp dessert is delicious on its own, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream never hurt. Here’s how to keep it keto:
More Keto Summer Dessert Recipes
If you like this low carb apple crisp recipe, you might also like some of these other keto desserts to make in the summer and early fall:
- Keto Apple Pie
- Keto Blueberry Cobbler
- Almond Flour Lemon Cake
- Keto Peach Cobbler
- Low Carb Zucchini Bread
Tools To Make Low Carb Apple Crisp
- Dutch Oven – This one is ideal for cooking zucchini apple crisp filling, because the tall sides will hold the zucchini well before it cooks down.
- Oval Baking Dish – This one is the perfect size for this apple crisp keto recipe.
- Food Processor – This is the one I use for all my recipes! It’s powerful and has lasted for years.
Low Carb Keto Apple Crisp Recipe
Low Carb Keto Apple Crisp
This low carb keto apple crisp has a secret ingredient to make it only 6g net carbs, with the same sweet, warm flavor and crunchy topping.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Filling:
Topping:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
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In a small pinch bowl, whisk the gelatin powder with 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Set aside to bloom.
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In a dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sweetener, the remaining 3 tablespoons lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and sea salt.
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When the gelatin mixture has thickened, whisk it into the pan, until dissolved.
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Add the diced squash to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for about 30-60 minutes, until the squash is very soft, most of the moisture has evaporated, and sauce starts to thicken, similar to apple pie filling. Stir in the vanilla extract, if using.
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Transfer the mixture to an oval baking dish this size. Set aside.
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For the topping, combine the almonds, Besti Brown, Butter, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt in a food processor. Pulse intermittently, until a coarse meal texture forms, with some almond pieces for crunch.
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Crumble the almond topping over the mock apple filling. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the filling is bubbly on the edges and the topping is golden brown.
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33 Comments
Shannon Reich
1Made this for dessert tonight and we all loved it! It was a big hit. Thank you for the recipe.
Jennifer Affinito
1This is an amazing recipe for a dessert using zucchini! I wouldn’t have known it was zucchini if I hadn’t baked it myself!
I give it 5 stars despite these tiny (and I mean tiny) items to note: I wasn’t too much a fan of the cardamom; I would probably use pumpkin pie spice next time (and there will be a next time!). It was just slightly liquidy at first, but probably because I didn’t give it a chance to cool down. The next day I heated some in the oven in a ramekin dish and it was perfect. I used Swerve, as I didn’t have Maya’s brand, and I was anxious to make it. p.s. easy peasy to make!
Carol
1This tastes amazing. So much so that my husband thought I used apples. The topping is nutty and satisfying. Just what I was craving! At least 10 friends have asked for the recipe!
Laura
1Made it. Love it. Next time going to try another reviewer suggestion to add in green apple extract, sounds good but was seriously good even without it. Topped it with your homemade whip cream.
Terra
0The first instruction is to preheat the oven when the squash will simmer for 30 minutes to an hour?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Terra, You can put that step after simmering the squash if you wish.
Sam
1This was my first time using besti brown sweetner. It was so easy to use and perfect to satisfy my sweet cravings. I also love the hidden zucchini in there. This recipe is a win in my book.
MonaLisa
0Made this tonight along with the vanilla ice cream. Oh my….I love it! I boiled it low for about 50 minutes and it’s still watery, but flavor is spot on! I left out cardamon (didn’t have any), and used pecans because that’s what I had. So delish!
Jenni
0I made this with yellow squash — didn’t tell my husband or our friend that was over and both thought they were eating Apple Crisp — I loved that they were able to enjoy it not knowing!!! 🙂 This recipe is EXCELLENT!!!
Erin
0Ok, I don’t know how you did it, but this tastes like apples and is soooo good! Well done! I like the commenter’s suggestion of pumpkin pie spice. Will try that next time.
Olivia
0Love this apple crisp! It’s the perfect low carb treat and so easy to make, thank you for the recipe!
Sharina
0I just love how flavorful and delicious this apple crisp is! It is actually my new comfort food.
Velma Henderson
0Can not wait to try the keto apple crunch. Yum
Tabania
0You know, I’m thinking hemp hearts instead of almonds. They are much lower in carbs and much higher in protein. I’d actually prefer ground flax seeds because I love the taste, but they are typically ground into a meal/flour. Any thoughts? Thanks for all you do.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Tabania, Yes, hemp hearts would work in this recipe to replace the almonds.
Jill
0Hi, I want to make this, but don’t have a food processor or blender, can I substitute almond meal for the chopped almonds?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jill, My suggestion would be to purchase chopped almonds instead of almond meal. I believe this would give you the best results.
JJ
0I can’t wait to try this on a fall day. Don’t have a food processor. What do you recommend to crush those almonds in that case?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi JJ, If you have a blender that could be used instead of a food processor. If you do not have a blender put the almonds in a zip lock bag and crush them with something heavy like a rolling pin and then mix in a bowl with the Besti Brown sweetener, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt.
Tre
0Hi, I’m not sure what I did wrong, but when I pulled the crisp out of the oven there was a large quantity of clear liquid under the topping. I reduced the squash/filling mixture for 60 minutes and it was thick before it went in the oven. It tastes good, but not sure why I had the clear liquid.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Tre, Sorry this recipe didn’t meet your expectations. Maybe next time try cooking the filling a little longer to fully evaporate any liquid. I am not exactly sure where a clear liquid would have been coming from.
Lisa Newman
0Great way to use up zucchini. I used one of the giant ones that got away and it was enough for the whole recipe. Since all ingredients are keto approved, I feel decadent digging in with a spoon for a snack.
Trudy
0The best zucchini for mock apple are those giant hard ones. The ones you don’t see to pick then suddenly you have a giant on your hands. Peel, cut into halves, then with a spoon scrape all the seeds and seed pith. You are left with half moon shape that you can slice into thin apple slices. They will be crunchier like apples instead of softer like zucchini. You can actually use these slices just like apples got pie or cobbler. Lemon juice is a must to mimic the tartness.
Stacy
0Haven’t made this yet but have everything ready to go! Is there anything I can substitute for gelatin (like agar maybe)? Thanks Maya! And btw, your donut recipes are the BEST
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Stacy, Sure. Feel free to use agar agar in the recipe in place of the gelatin. Alternatively, you can also thicken the filling with 1/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum. This will prevent the filling from gelling but will thicken it to a nice consistency.
Joyce Morris
0Maya, you are ridiculously clever and innovative!! I can’t wait to try this and due to all of the amazing recipes that I have made from your website, I expect this one to be equally as fantastic!!!
Joyce Kostro
0Can’t wait to try this – just placed order for your brown sugar Bestii! Do you think apple extract would work in this to give it more apple flavor? I’ve been dying to try my extract as apple crisp is my favorite dessert but previous recipes I’ve tried with zucchini just didn’t have that flavor. If so – any recommendations on how much to use? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Joyce, Yes, you can absolutely add apple extract to this recipe! Extracts can vary in strength by brand, so unfortunately I can’t give you an exact amount. Try adding a small amount to the filling and then adjust to taste before pouring into the baking dish for the final assembly. Best wishes!
Lynn
0I have made recipes similar, but use chayote squash instead with green apple extract. Tastes just like Granny Smith apples!
Toni
0This is such a perfect crisp recipe!! It’s healthy and delicious!!
Beth
0Oh wow! This crisp is so delicious and I can’t believe that it’s low carb too! My family and I are obsessed with this recipe.
Gale
0I wonder how walnuts or pecans would work?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gale, Walnuts or pecans may become a bit soft in this recipe. If you are looking for a crunch in the topping, then I would stick with almonds. If you don’t mind a softer texture, then pecans or walnuts should work just fine. Enjoy!