Paleo Gluten-Free Apple Cake is THE best apple cake recipe ever! An easy, healthy dessert that’s full of all the best fall flavors! Plus it’s Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar free!
It’s September! {YAY}! Which means my favorite season of all is upon us….fall! I have thoroughly enjoyed summer…however I am ready for the cooler temperatures, scarves, boots, and all the fall recipes, including this Gluten-Free Apple Cake!
This paleo, gluten and dairy-free moist apple cake recipe comes together in no time and is packed full of nutritious ingredients! Eat it for breakfast, eat it for brunch, serve it warm for dessert smothered with some Paleo Vanilla Ice cream. You really can’t go wrong.
This Paleo Apple Cake is irresistible! My daughter and I kept sneaking bites before dinner, and couldn’t stop! Perfectly sweet, seriously moist, and bursting at the seams with bits of appley goodness!
Not all apples are created equal
I have to pause to say that I am a bit of an apple snob! I have been obsessed with delicious apples for as long as I can remember. The reigning champions in my life are Pink Ladies and Honey Crisps.
No joke…I even gave a speech in college on the superiority of Honey Crisp Apples (and their origin, science behind their discovery, etc.) and brought a tray full of apple slices to pass out to the class. Yep. I’m an apple nerd.
My husband, however, is the complete opposite. When we got married he thought there were three varieties of apples, red, yellow and green! {sigh}! I totally capitalized on that for a while and bought him whatever variety were on sale (saving cash money because my hubby is an apple monster), and me the {usually} more expensive favorites.
However, after a few years he got wiser and didn’t like his “Ritch apples” as much anymore. He insisted on eating my “Laura apples” and that whole “what’s yours is mine” thing went out the window.
I was horrified to open the fridge and find that all of my apples had been eaten, and the {obviously sub-par} apples were left sitting in the drawer. We worked it out and I simply bought more of the good stuff…but it was a trying time in our relationship. 😂🍎
What are the best apples for baking this Gluten-Free Apple Cake?
Any who. I believe the absolute best apples for baking are Pink Lady apples. They are a little sweet, and a little tart, and absolutely perfect in this Gluten-Free Apple Cake recipe! Some suggestions include (but are not limited to):
- Pink Lady Apples. Must mention again because they’re my favorite!
- Honey Crisp Apples. These are a sweeter variety, but super crisp with amazing flavor.
- Granny smith. The traditional tart baking apple! They hold up well and add a nice little sour kick to the recipe!
- Jazz apples and Gala apples. These varieties are very similar. They are great for baking but are mostly sweet with little (if any) sour taste!
How to make this Gluten-Free Apple Cake Recipe
- Finely dice the apples. This will ensure that the apples in the cake are fully baked (and not hard and crunchy)
- No Peeling Required. Since peeling is unnecessary, this best Apple Cake recipe is SUPER easy to make. I love that keeping the skin on the apples adds nutrition and fiber to this fabulous fall dessert!
- Making the topping. I know I say that the topping is optional, but really the sweet and salty crunch of the pecans is SO good I don’t recommend skipping it! I use a nut chopper to finely chop the pecans, but you can use a knife and cutting board if you don’t have one of those!
- Let it cool before removing from the cake pan. Please be sure to give this gluten-free apple cake recipe plenty of time to cool in the cake pan. This ensures that it will hold it’s shape and not fall apart when it’s removed from the pan.
Gluten-Free Apple Cake: Ingredients & Substitutions
As always it is best to follow this gluten-free Paleo Cake recipe as it’s written, but here are a few potential substitutions!
- Tapioca Flour. Arrowroot powder is an acceptable substitute for tapioca flour! You can also use corn starch but it’s not paleo.
- Coconut oil. Butter is a super yummy {but not dairy-free} substitute for coconut oil! Ghee is also a great substitution!
- Coconut sugar. Any granulated sugar works great in this recipe, just be sure it complies with your dietary needs.
- Pecans. I have used walnuts with delicious results as well!
Shop Essentials for making this Apple Cake Recipe!
measuring cups // measuring spoons // mixing bowl // spatula // round cake pan // cake stand // cake server
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Paleo Apple Cake
Paleo Apple Cake is THE best apple cake recipe ever! An easy, healthy dessert that’s full of all the best fall flavors! Plus it's Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar free!
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 TBS tapioca flour
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups chopped apples
Topping:
- ¼ cup pecans chopped
- 1 TBS coconut sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degress F. Grease an 8x8” pan, set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, salt, and ½ tsp of cinnamon; set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together melted coconut oil, coconut sugar.
- Mix in egg and and vanilla until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
- Stir in the apples, pour into prepared pan.
- Sprinkle pecans on top.
- In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle over pecans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven until the bars spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let bars cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Recipe Video
This recipe was originally posted on September 1st, 2016. The photos and post have been updated and a video has been added, but the recipe itself remains the same!
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Nana
These look perfect for fall!❤️
Edye
What a lovely recipe! Great for dessert 🙂
Brittany
Yum, this looks SO good! My mouth is watering just looking at the pics! I might have to make this for a treat this weekend!
Lindsey
Looks so moist and delicious!!
Nicole | The Professional Mom Project
This looks amazing! Perfect for when we go apple picking later in the fall. Pinning!
Laura
Apple picking is my favorite ever! I need to find an orchard near where we live!
Jamie @ Dishing Out Health
These look SO FABULOUS!! I’ve never been apple picking but would absolutely love to go sometime. Honey Crisp are definitely way superior to most varieties (I tend to be a little apple snobby myself, hehe), but there can be such a huge variance in quality across types. I just bought a big ol’ bag of Honey Crisps at WF yesterday so now I know their destiny! 😛
Laura
You MUST go apple picking it’s seriously the best! Fresh apples straight from the tree! Hay bales! Apple Cider! Apple Cider donuts! Ahh I’m feeling nostalgic just thinking about it!
Emily
It is so true that there are some apples that I really love; when we were in Europe, I discovered varieties I’d never heard of; It gave me more of an appreciation for apples. 🙂 AND I LOVE this cake so much already; the versatility of it (breakfast, lunch, snack, dessert) is wonderful.
My favorite apple is probably Honey Crisp or Gala or Fuji.
Laura
Thank you Emily! I love how many varieties of apples there are! 🙂 Honey crisp are the best!
Kristy from Southern In Law
Girl, you have done it again! This looks amazing!
We go apple picking every fall and end up picking and eating WAY TOO MANY apples 😛 We choose an orchard that allows you to pick whilst eating and tasting as you go along and usually bring home around 15 lbs (no joke!) of apples between the two of us. And then we look at each other and wonder what we were thinking in the car on the way home hahaha!
Laura
Thank you Kristy! There is NO such thing as eating too many apples! 😉 Sounds like SO much fun! That is one of the best parts….picking an apple straight from the tree, rubbing it on your shirt and taking a big old bite! 😉
Rebecca Miller
These need to get in my belly now!!! Yummy!
Laura
LOL Rebecca! It’s super easy to make! 😉
rachel @ athleticavocado
your creations always amaze me! This apple cake is nothing short of SPECTACULAR! Pinned 🙂
Laura
Thank you Rachel! 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
O this is lovely! Apples are one of my top 3 favorite foods 🙂
Laura
I agree!! Slathered with PB they’re my favorite snack!!!
Lisa W
I am in love with apples. I have my favorites, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Fuji…. But, I also have an obsession with ”Wild’ apple trees and the variety doesn’t matter. Where we live there are apple trees everywhere! Along the side of the road, at the edge of parking lots, lining the railroad tracks…every fall we go picking whatever trees look the best (biggest fruit, least bugs, etc). Though not always the best for eating plain, the apples we collect are fantastic for applesauce, dried apple chips and baking with! I’ve even been known to knock on doors of homes with beautiful Apple trees in the yard that we’re going to waste and asked if I could ‘rescue’ the fruit! Fall is my favorite and Apple season makes my heart happy!!!
Amylou @ The No Grainer
These look so delicious!!! I love the fall…especially being from New England. ITs such a special time of year and I’m missing it over here in the UK
Will have to try these ASAP they look amazing!
Thanks!!!!!
Laura
I hope you love it Amylou! Let me know how it goes!
Kathy
I’m with you on the honeycrisp apples!!! The only kind I even bother buying any more. And boy do they get eaten! Cannot wait to try this recipe!!!!!
Laura
They are SO delicious aren’t they?! I’d love to hear how it goes if you give it a whirl! Have a great day!
Elissa
I’m allergic to coconut. Any suggestions on what I can substitute for and have the recipe still work out?
Laura
Hey Elissa! In order to keep this recipe paleo….you could substitute grass-fed butter or ghee for the coconut oil! And you could substitute maple sugar or date sugar for the coconut sugar. You could also try using honey as a substitute although I have not tried it so I cannot vouch for the end result!
Gret
I chopped up 2 macintosh apples and that was enough to cause me to double the recipe. This recipe is described as both a cake and a bar, which was confusing to me – as I am usually rushing to prepare dinner and searching new recipes as the same time. I think this recipe would be even better if it were re-writtten in a standard format – separate the topping ingredients, divided use, acceptable substitutions AND pictures of the steps as this recipe comes together in a different way than many others and these photos would have been reassuring.
Good recipe and there is a little left for day 2. It is more moist than a reading of the recipe would have you believe. Also, the ingredients are in every paleo pantry. The next time – if doubling, I would not double the salt. I used liquid coconut oil.
Carolyn
This is excellent! I made it last night and had it for dessert — and now for breakfast… Dangerous. I used a single Honeycrisp apple, which yielded enough apple that I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9×13 pan. I followed the recipe faithfully, except I used 1/2 coconut sugar and 1/2 powdered stevia in the batter and it worked perfectly. Just the right level of sweetness. (I did use all coconut sugar in the topping, so it crisped nicely.) The salt balances the recipe nicely. In addition, I did add about 1/8 tsp of cardamom and 1/8 tsp of mace, which really made it special. Love it and will be making it again!
Laura
Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know you enjoyed this cake Carolyn!!! Those additional spices definitely sound like something we need to try next time I make it!
Erica
I typically never comment on recipes, but I just have to on this one! Made it this morning exactly as written. Turned out wonderful!!! It is so sweet, we cut them smaller than I normally would with an 8×8 pan. I did drizzle a tiny bit of coconut mana onto each… more for looks but it was fun to have a little “frosting”. Thank you for such a fun recipe! We made it for breakfast along with omelette for a birthday breakfast treat!
Suzanne
Yum!!! I’m trying this for a party this weekend!! Thank you for sharing.
connor
Now this is a colorful, delicious hearty breakfast! It’s filled with all the beautiful flavors and textures that I love most.
Laura
Thank you Connor!
Ashley
This recipe was AMAZING! I loved it and so did the people I made it for! I used a 10in spring form pan and 1.5x the recipe and used a ‘flax egg’ and it was delicious!!!
Anne
Everyone loves this cake. I cut the coconut sugar back to 2 TBsp in the cake and 1/2 a Tbsp in the topping and used sweet honey crisp apples. We love it. Thanks
Laura
Thank you for stopping by to let us know you love it!
judy Herington
thank you for the gluten free recipe. Ive been gluten free for a year this month and am always looking for new recipes.!
Laura
You will love this one Judy!
Laura
Delicious recipe! I’ve made it several times in a 10” spring form pan doubled the recipe and cook for longer. My family loves it and it is perfect for those with food sensitivities without sacrificing flavor ☺️
Laura
Thank you Laura! I love that you double it in a larger pan with a longer baking time! Such great advice!
Molly
So good! I made this and couldn’t believe it was paleo. I froze half the batch and they are even better out of the freezer! Such a good use for all those fall apples! And yes honey crisp are by far the best!!
Laura
Thank you Molly! It’s so good to know that it freezes well (and tastes even better)!
Konna
I just made this today and it was great! I used half blanched almond flour and half unblanched. I was a bit worried since the batter wasn’t very runny but it turned out great! I can only get one type of apple where I live but it still worked great. I also halved the coconut sugar in the batter. Thanks for a keeper than my hubby even liked!
Barbara
I was looking for something sweet for my family one night that could use up some aging apples. My family LOVED this cake! It was SO easy to make and so delicious! This will likely be made in our house again and again! Thank you!!