If you have a hankering for apple pie but can’t seem to nail down a grain-free pie crust (I feel your pain), this is a great alternative. You have the same soft, juicy apples, but with a sweet-tart cider sauce and a chewy nut-coconut mixture for contrast. Add a dollop of Whipped Coconut Cream and you’ve got the perfect bowl of autumn.
Prep time 25 minutes
Serves 6
6 medium tart baking apples (Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Jonagold work well)
1/2 lemon
3/4 cup (90 g) raw, unsalted walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup (60 g) unsweetened coconut flakes
6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
3 tablespoons (60 g) raw honey
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of nutmeg
2 cups (475 ml) unsweetened apple cider
3 tablespoons (43 g) Homemade Ghee or grass-fed butter
1/4 cup (38 g) coconut sugar
Whipped Coconut Cream, for serving (optional)
1 Arrange the apples in a 6-quart (5.7 liter) slow cooker—just to make sure you’ve got room for all of them.
2 Hollow out each apple by cutting an inch or so around the stem, toward the center. Remove the top and scoop out the core and seeds with a spoon. You don’t need to scrape out additional apple flesh. Squirt the insides and cut edges with the lemon juice to prevent browning.
3 In a medium bowl, combine the walnuts, coconut, and dates. Drizzle in the honey and add the cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Mix well.
4 Fill each apple with the nut mixture, pressing it in tightly. You may have a little bit of filling leftover.
5 Add the cider, ghee, and coconut sugar to the slow cooker. Arrange the apples in the cider, standing upright.
6 Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.
7 Remove apples carefully with tongs and transfer them to a serving platter. Pour the cider syrup into a small bowl.
8 Serve each apple with a generous drizzle of cider syrup and a dollop of Whipped Coconut Cream.
