This low carb Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake, or coffee cake if you prefer, is lightly sweet and flavored generously with cinnamon.  The buttery apple topping is also loaded with cinnamon as well as the light crunch of toasty walnuts for texture.  You can easily adapt this to a muffin format – making it the perfect portable low carb breakfast or snack! Â
Living in Belize, it’s not easy to get into the spirit of the changing seasons when it comes to food. Â It’s hot all the time, and there is no feeling of Fall on the way here. Â Maybe because I grew up in New England, my internal clock still knows that apples are coming into season and that the days are getting cooler though.
We will be spending almost the entire month of October in the states and I can’t wait! Â I’m so looking forward to crisp mornings, changing seasons, and wearing sweaters and boots again – even if only for a short time!
In the meantime, I’m using my imagination to get inspired to cook some Fall appropriate recipes for you guys, starting with this delicious Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake!
It was a strange contrast that my house smelled like Fall in New England, while the view outside my kitchen window was still of palm trees and blue Caribbean seas – but the end result was delicious and transported me home for a few minutes.
No matter where you live and what the weather is there, I hope that you’ll have the same experience when you try this Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake. Â From the amazing smells, to the warm flavors and textures – it doesn’t get much more fall inspired than this recipe!
You can easily make this into muffins, just reduce the cooking time accordingly – I’ll add instructions to the bottom of the recipe for that.
This cake is lightly sweetened so it’s not overpowering and can even be eaten for breakfast. Â It’s still plenty sweet for dessert though, and if you wanted to add a scoop of low carb vanilla ice cream I wouldn’t hold it against you! Â ?
If you find after baking it that you wish it were a little sweeter, you can sift some Swerve confectioners mixed with a little cinnamon over the top and that should do the trick!
Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake – Low Carb & Gluten Free
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
- Category: Low Carb Dessert Recipe
- Cuisine: American
Description
A low carb and gluten free coffee cake or crumb cake that is flavored with cinnamon, apples and chopped walnuts. Perfect as a snack or with your morning coffee!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup Erythritol sweetener (I use Swerve)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
For the apple streusel layer:
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup granny smith apples, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup Erythritol sweetener (I use Swerve)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- pinch of salt
Instructions
To make the cake layer:
- Cream the butter and sweetener together until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then add the vanilla extract.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix.
- Pour in the almond milk and mix until just blended.
- Spread the batter into a greased 9×9 baking pan.
To make the apple streusel layer:
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet.
- Add the apples, cinnamon and sweetener and cook for 2 minutes, stirring the entire time.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the almond flour, pinch of salt and chopped walnuts. Stir well until a crumbly dough forms.
- Spoon the topping evenly over the cake batter and spread out.
- Bake the cake in a 375 degree oven for 35 minutes. If you find the topping getting too brown, cover it loosely with parchment or aluminum foil for the final 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool before slicing into 3 inch squares.
- Alternatively, you can bake these in 9 large muffin cups for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees (F) or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
To see a list of my favorite low carb products and brands that I recommend for sweeteners, flours, etc. you can check out the IBIH Pantry Ingredients Page!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3x3 square
- Calories: 306
- Fat: 28
- Carbohydrates: 5g net
- Protein: 8
If you’re looking for more delicious low carb apple recipes, try my Caramel Apple Mug Cake, Low Carb Apple Fritters, or Low Carb Apple Cider Donuts!
New to the low carb lifestyle and need some help? Try my FREE 3 day keto kickstart menu planto get into ketosis fast! Then follow it up with any of my 12 free weekly menu plans – complete with shopping and prep lists!
To get more great recipes for fall or anytime, download my super bundle of FIVE e-books for just $19.99!
Delia Narvaiz says
The cake was really great, however the streusel part was a little dry. Could you bake as an upside cake?
Desiree says
Is it possible to sub butter with oil?
Luba Zak says
Can you use Monkfruit sweetner instead?
I greatly prefer the taste.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes
Anonymom says
This recipe sounded nice ’til I tried it. While it was soft with a wonderful aroma, the taste was not that good. It was actually a bit bitter. After having some a few times, I just couldn’t take the taste anymore and had to throw it out.
★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
If it was bitter I can almost guarantee your almond flour or butter has gone rancid. Nothing else would account for a bitter flavor that I can think of.
CL says
Hi. Is it okay to use Fuji apple (red apple) instead? And is there any substitute to xanthan gum? Thank you!
Mellissa Sevigny says
A sweeter apple will have a tad more carbs, you can omit the xanthan gum but the cake will be a litter more crumbly.
Asad Mammood says
Hi Mellissa, I am from UK (England) as would love to try make this amazing recipe. Any chance of the recipe in Metric rather than Imperial measurements.
As with past experiences with measurements in imperial, the recipes always turn out horribly wrong. ( big difference conversion from weights, liquids etc…)
april says
does anyone know what the carb count is – NOT the net carbs? ( i have T1 diabetes, need the full picture here) thanks!
Tiffany Woods says
This. is.heavenly! I needed something apple after two years strict keto, and this was all I could ask for.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
★★★★★