Introduction to Keto Apple Crisp
You would never guess that the secret ingredient of this keto apple crisp is Jicima! It’s sweet, tender, and generously topped with a cinnamon spiced crumble. Sadly, the crunchy and refreshing fruit we all grew up loving is not keto. Per 100 gram serving of apples, there are 14 carbs and 12 net carbs. Rather than use a chayote squash or zucchini, we decided to bring out the big guns, jicima. This vegetable has the same texture as apples, but without the sweetness. It makes it easy to create a delicious and authentic keto apple crisp.
The Problem with Traditional Apples
Say goodbye to apple pie and your best apple dessert. Instead, enjoy this delicious keto apple dessert crumble that takes less than 30 minutes to prep and tastes like the real deal. With this delicious dessert, it’s safe to say bye-bye Miss American Apple Pie.
Is Jicima Keto?
Jicima is the perfect low-carb apple filling replacement. Per 100 grams of jicima, there are only 9 carbs and 5 grams of fiber (4 net carbs). An added benefit to having all that fiber is just how much your gut will thank you. The good gut bacteria feed on fiber, which helps to improve overall digestion.
Does Jicima Taste Like Apples?
Jicima is crisp and crunchy like apples, meaning when cooked, the cubes will be soft and tender. The flavor is also very neutral, almost like an unsweetened apple. It will give the same look and texture as chopped apples, but flavor-wise has the versatility to be sweet or savory.
How to Cut & Peel Jicima
Jicima can be a bit tricky to cut if you have never prepared it before. While it may be tempting, do not use a vegetable peeler. That will be more dangerous because jicima often has extra wax from the grocery store that makes the peel even thicker. Instead, cut the top and bottom of the jicima to make a flat surface. Then carefully use a sharp knife on a cutting board to thinly slice the peel off.
To cut the apple portion, carefully slice the jicima into matchstick shapes and then cube them. Each cube should be about a half to full inch.
How to Sweeten Keto Apple Crisp
As stated above, jicima is a crunchy and refreshing vegetable making it the perfect apple replacement. However, unlike an apple, jicima is not sweet. That is why we use a blend of stevia and erythritol to make the perfect sweet keto apple crisp. Personally, we prefer a blend of the two sweeteners because we find it creates the best balance of natural sweetness in keto treats. You can always use a different sweetener that you have on hand if you prefer. Some other keto sweetener options include:
- Allulose– Allulose is a newer keto-friendly sweetener that is often found in many store-bought keto cereals. It has 0 net carbs and is completely sugar-free. The best part is that rather than being a sugar alcohol, it’s a natural sweetener.
- Monk Fruit– Monk fruit is another sweetener extract similar to stevia. Monk fruit is all natural and often more expensive than stevia, hence why it is often found in a powder bulked by erythritol. If you want plain monk fruit, make sure to buy the 0-calorie liquid sweetener, and then sub it for the liquid stevia in this recipe.
- Coconut Sugar– Coconut sugar is NOT keto. However, if you want to make this low-carb apple crisp paleo, coconut sugar will be the way to go.
What Is Xanthan Gum?
Xanthan gum is a keto-friendly gluten-free thickener. Unlike cornstarch, xanthan gum works well in very small amounts. For the entire recipe, you only need 1/2 teaspoon for the apple filling. This will help to gel up the jicima water in your baking dish and make a more jammy keto apple crisp. Xanthan gum has just 1 gram of net carbs per 1/2 teaspoon, making it the perfect cornstarch substitution.
Can I Make Low Carb Apple Crisp Ahead of Time?
Planning to make this recipe for a crowd and want to know if you can make it ahead of time? You certainly can! There are a few ways you can go about making this recipe ahead of time.
- Make and Store in the Fridge– Rather than pre-baking it, simply put all the ingredients together and store in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. We often do this when we want to prep the dish in the morning and then bake it while we’re having dinner. It finishes baking while we eat, so we can go right to this warm keto apple crisp recipe after dinner.
- Bake and Reheat– If you’d rather make the recipe a day in advance, you can also pre-bake it. Allow it to cool and then store in the fridge. When ready to eat: Preheat your oven to 350 and bake until the center is warm and the apple crumble topping is crisp.
The biggest takeaway from this is that you do not want to microwave an apple crisp recipe. Reheating low-carb apple crisp in the microwave will make a soggy, not-so-crunchy apple crisp topping.
How to Make Keto Apple Crisp
This keto apple crisp is simple and easy to make. The hardest part is just waiting for it to cook! Get your keto vanilla ice cream and spoons out, because this baking dish is sure to be empty in minutes.
Ingredients
The ingredients for this apple crisp recipe are broken into two categories: The apple Crumble and the apple Filling.
The Crumble
For the apple crisp portion, you will need a base of almond flour in place of typical white flour. You will also want nuts for crunch; we chose raw chopped pecans. For sweetness, we used granular erythritol (we’ve used Swerve brand before too) and liquid stevia, but you can also use other sweeteners like the ones suggested above. Finally, you will need cinnamon, salt, and cold butter that has been cubed for easy mixing. It should be cold rather than melted butter because it will allow the almond flour to chunk up and form those hearty apple crisp clusters.
The “Apple” Base
For the “apple” base, you will need chopped jicima (see notes for preparation above), water, and xanthan gum. To flavor the base, we’ll add erythritol, stevia, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Don’t skip on the lemon juice because it adds a nice refreshing contrast to the sweet cinnamon-y base.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, pecans, erythritol, stevia, cinnamon, and salt. Next, add in the butter chunks, stevia, and vanilla.
- Use a pastry cutter or two knives to blend in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl, combine water and xanthan gum, whisking until combined.
- In a separate large bowl, combine jicama, erythritol, stevia, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg, tossing to coat. Add water/xanthan mixture and stir well.
- Spread mixture in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or 8×8 casserole dish. Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly on top. Cover tightly with foil and bake 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and cook an additional 5-10 minutes, or until mixture is bubbling and crumble is browned.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 172
- Calories from Fat: 126
- Fat: 14g (22% DV)
- Saturated Fat: 4g (20% DV)
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 12mg (4% DV)
- Sodium: 111mg (5% DV)
- Potassium: 149mg (4% DV)
- Carbohydrates: 11g (4% DV)
- Fiber: 6g (24% DV)
- Sugar: 2g (2% DV)
- Protein: 3g (6% DV)
- Vitamin A: 161IU (3% DV)
- Vitamin C: 18mg (22% DV)
- Calcium: 45mg (5% DV)
- Iron: 1mg (6% DV)
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
