This Keto Apple Cake, or low carb apple crumb cake if you want to get fancy with it, 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. It’s one of our favorite keto apple desserts!
You can easily adapt this keto apple cake into a handy muffin format – making it the perfect portable low carb breakfast or snack!
Living in Belize, it’s not easy to get into the spirit of the changing seasons when it comes to food. It’s hot all the time, and there is no feeling of Fall on the way here. 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! 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 keto apple recipes for you guys, starting with this delicious Keto Apple 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 Low Carb Apple Cake.
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 recipe into keto apple muffins, just reduce the cooking time accordingly – I’ll add instructions to the bottom of the recipe for that.
This keto apple cake is lightly sweetened, so it’s not overpowering and can even be eaten for breakfast. 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!
If you find after baking it that you wish this keto apple cake was a little sweeter, you can sift some Swerve confectioners mixed with a little cinnamon over the top and that should do the trick!
More Keto Apple Recipes
Keto Apple Cheesecake Bars – All Day I Dream About Food
If you make this keto apple cake please take a moment to rate and comment on the recipe below to let us know how it turned out!
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Keto Apple Cake – Low Carb and Gluten Free
- Total Time: 47 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
A keto apple cake that is flavored with cinnamon, apples and chopped walnuts. Perfect as a snack or with your morning coffee!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup Erythritol sweetener (I use Swerve)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup super fine blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
For the apple streusel layer:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup granny smith apples, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup Erythritol sweetener (I use Swerve)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- pinch of salt
Instructions
To make the cake layer:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- 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!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 37 minutes
- Category: Keto Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3×3 square
- Calories: 306
- Fat: 28g
- Carbohydrates: 5g net
- Protein: 8g
To get more great recipes for fall or anytime, download my super bundle of FIVE e-books for just $19.99!
Mellissa Sevigny says
And you’re sure you had the softened butter, and eggs, and almond milk in there? Because that would be more than enough to make a batter with 1 cup of almond flour and 1/3 cup coconut flour – Did you mix up and use 1 cup coconut flour because that would be too absorbent and would definitely give you trouble? Sorry it didn’t work out, wish I could help you figure out what went wrong!
Julie says
Found the problem. When the guys went to whole foods and went to the bins and picked out the almond flour, it turns out the bin had almond flour and coconut flour mixed in together! The flour was the regular color of almond flour, the texture was a bit different, and the smell was a little coco-nutty, but I just shrugged it off. Obviously there was A LOT of coconut flour mixed in and I should have believed my nose lol.
I am definitely going to try this recipe again; just bought a new batch of almond flour from somewhere else..no hint of coconut.
Charlie m says
Had SAME problem followed receptor to a team batter was like dough and cake did not rise ?
Cecilia says
OMG, esta para la lista de preferidos. ! gracias
Alex says
Is the xanthan gum required, or can it be omitted or substituted?
Mellissa Sevigny says
You can omit it, but it may make the texture a tad crumbly and less fluffy and soft. Not a problem in a cake like this!
Michael says
Can we substitute xantham gum with guar gum?
Kelly Garcia says
This looks amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe. Cannot wait to try it!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hope you like it Kelly!!
Nikol says
So excited to try these!!! I may try to sub zucchini for the apples to both lower the carbs and lower my supply of zucchini…I will let you know if its an epic fail :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
I would say if you use zucchini to bump your sweetener up a bit and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice to mimic the acidity of apples and you might be on to something! Let us know how it goes!
Nikol says
Ok so just an update. The zucchini was perfect texture wise and I loved the results. I didn’t get your comments until today so I had already made it, but I also thought of the lemon juice right after I had made it without. So, I should preface by saying I’m not a huge apple fan, so if anyone planning this sub is then they should for sure add the lemon juice. I didn’t think it needed any additional sweetener. I liked that it was just subtly sweet like a coffee cake. Mellissa, just on another note….thanks a ton for your site. Working on a huge weight loss goal via low carb and you have been a Godsend for recipes to keep me on the straight and narrow. :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
So happy that it worked out with the zucchini – will try that myself soon! And you’re welcome! ?
Jackie says
Very good! Haven’t had apples in a while so really enjoyed this!
Barbara says
My daughter is trying to be dairy-free right now to see if it helps with inflammation and, then, with her Lyme Disease. She can use ghee but, obviously, it doesn’t have the same body to it as butter. I can figure out the topping, that won’t be a problem.
I assume I can substitute coconut oil for the butter in cakes, cookies, muffins, etc. My question is: have you ever used ghee in baking in place of butter? I am not a huge fan of coconut oil so am thinking of trying it 1/2 and 1/2 with ghee.
I am game to try it and see what happens but if you have experience with subbing in ghee already … I can make an informed decision. :) Trust me … I hate the replies that ask you “can I use XXX in place of YYY” so I am not asking what can I sub in. Just asking if you have experience with it. :)
Thank you for your awesome recipes!
Pat says
Barbara, can you please let us know how is the oil working instead of butter? I try as much as I can be to be dairy free for the same reason as your daughter is facing.
marianne says
Hello Melissa!
Can I replace the butter with coconut oil?
Anonymous says
Seriously, you live in the Caribbean and you don’t know how to spell it?!!?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for catching that, typing too fast and didn’t notice it was misspelled!
Charmaine says
Seriously… she gave us this great recipe and you are concerned about her spelling. You are Petty.. get a life. I can’t wait to make this.. thank you!
Morgan says
Have I told you lately that I love you?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Back atcha Morgan! ?
Lisa says
I was thinking the same thing and then read Morgan’s comment! I love you too! Your recipes amaze me! I hope you’re enjoying your NE trip! The leaves are changing in OH nicely!