Apple Crisp // Almond-Pecan Crust
August 28, 2010 
Let me start by saying that I love desserts that have anything to do with apples. When I began to rebel against traditional birthday cake as a kid, the first confection I requested was homemade apple pie. There's something about the combination of tender apples with warm and spicy cinnamon, swimming in their own syrupy juices and tucked into a flaky crust. Holy, I say.
The crisp I'm about to share with you is slightly different, however. As you know, I'm a fan of putting a healthy spin on things and trying new combinations. In fact, now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever made the same thing twice. Everything comes out different every single time, simply because I always manage to find some random ingredient to throw in or some new technique to try.
I might have fibbed a little right then. I may have made my Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread exactly as I wrote it. My friends, I guess there are some things you just shouldn't mess with.
Apple crisp is not one of them.
It can be made better, much better, and I'm about to tell you how. This crisp has a tart crust made from almonds and pecans. It has a crumble topping that uses Greek yogurt. Yep, yogurt in crumble topping. It has minimal sugar, no butter and plenty of great spice. It's magical!
Let's begin!
Start by grinding 1 cup each of almonds and pecans in a food processor to make a coarse flour. Be careful not to process too long, or you may end up with nut butter.
Take 1 1/2 cups of your almond/pecan meal and place in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/8 cup softened coconut oil. Then add 1/3 plus 1/6 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a few shakes of cinnamon. Mix it all together to form a sticky dough. Grease a 9-inch pie plate with coconut oil and press the crust into it, like so:
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then allow to cool completely before filling.
For the filling, peel and chop 2-3 apples, depending on size. The ones I used were quite large, so I only needed 2. Combine in a bowl with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Set aside while you make the crumble topping.
For the crumble, combine 3/4 cup rolled oats, 3/4 cup of the nut flour you just made, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, a pinch of salt, 1/3 cup melted coconut oil, and 1/3 cup Greek yogurt. Mix well.
Once your crust is pretty much cooled, fill it with the apple mixture and make sure to scrape all the juices in there. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top. You may have to use your hands, like I did, because it's a little dense.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, until golden on top. The edges of the tart crust may burn slightly, but don't worry. You can easily remove the burned parts. Let cool slightly, if you can wait that long, and then serve. It would probably be fantastic with a scoop or two of Vanilla Island Coconut Bliss ice cream! I'm obsessed with this stuff at the moment.
Apple Crisp with Almond & Pecan Crust
1 1/2 cups almond/pecan meal, or any nut meal you prefer
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup coconut oil, softened
1/3 + 1/6 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
a few shakes of cinnamon
Directions for crust:
Combine all ingredients above to form a sticky dough. Press into a 9-inch pie plate greased with coconut oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, and allow to cool completely.
2-3 sweet apples, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp. cornstarch
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup almond/pecan meal
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
Directions for filling and crumble:
Combine apples with brown sugar and cornstarch. Toss to evenly coat, and set aside.
Combine oats, nut meal, cinnamon, salt, coconut oil, and yogurt. Mix thoroughly. Once the tart crust has cooled, pour in the apple mixture. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, until golden. Slightly cool, and serve!
Yield: About 6-8 servings.
Reader Comments (11)
Great job! I love the crust also...I make grainless crusts like this also. It looks delicous!
Love the topping recipe for your apple crisp!!! Can just smell it now. :)
now that is one seriously delicious crust! I love the use of the nuts, how could apples not taste good on top of that!
Ohh yes it is so good!
Do try it! Delicious and healthy to boot :)
It was very very good. What do you use in yours?
Oh my. Chewy sweet goodness. Looks AMAZING.
I highly recommend the crumble and crust recipes! They would go with anything and everything!
The topping and the crust...and in between looks great!
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