Healy Eats Real

Healthy Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Living

  • Home
  • Search
  • About
    • About Me
    • Work With Me
    • Contact
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Recipes
  • Wellness
    • Wellness Articles
  • Free Quit Sugar Guide
  • My Books
    • Ultimate Paleo Cookbook
    • Sugar Free Paleo Desserts
    • Decadent Paleo Desserts
    • Paleo Vegan Desserts
    • Gluten Free Vegetarian
Home » Cakes » Healthy Apple Cake (Paleo, Low Carb & Sugar Free)

Healthy Apple Cake (Paleo, Low Carb & Sugar Free)

August 20, 2019 by Hannah Healy 10 Comments

Overhead view of whole apple cake with arranged apple slices on top on a white plate with an apple in the background next to red and white plaid dish towel

This healthy apple cake is slightly sweet, moist and fluffy with hints of cinnamon. It's the perfect paleo, gluten free and sugar free dessert for holidays or any occasion.

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
Pin635
Share137
Yum49
Tweet
821 Shares

This ‘Healthy Apple Cake (Paleo & Sugar Free)’ post is sponsored by iHerb. I only recommend products that I have personally tried and believe are of value to my readers. All opinions in this post are my own.

This healthy apple cake is slightly sweet, moist and fluffy with hints of cinnamon. It’s the perfect paleo, gluten free and sugar free dessert for holidays or any occasion.

Overhead view of whole apple cake with arranged apple slices on top on a white plate with an apple in the background next to red and white plaid dish towel

When fall comes around I love making recipes with autumn harvest foods like apples, but I like to stay away from added refined sugar. I thought a light, fluffy and not-too-sweet apple cake would be the perfect recipe for the upcoming season.

This recipe was a hit with my friends and family. They loved the spiced cinnamon and apple flavors and moist texture but enjoyed that it wasn’t too sweet. They could see it as a good breakfast cake with a nice cup of coffee or a great holiday dessert with some whipped coconut cream or ice cream on top!

Slice of apple cake on white plate with entire cake in background next to cinnamon sticks and red and white plaid dish towel

Get A Discount On Your Healthy Baking Supplies from iHerb!

Even though I often order my supplements and herbs from iHerb, many don’t know that they also carry lots of specialty paleo and keto foods and baking supplies too!

I got almost all of my ingredients for this apple cake recipe from iHerb!

iHerb carries over 30,000 natural products and ships to over 150 countries. All orders are shipped from climate-controlled distribution centers to ensure the quality of products. iHerb also offers customer service 24 hours a day / 7 days a week in 10 different languages.

New Customers can get a discount off their iHerb order with no minimum purchase by clicking here.

Almost all of the healthy paleo apple cake ingredients that I used for this recipe are available on iHerb…

  • Nutiva Organic Coconut Flour
  • Barney Butter Blanched Almond Flour
  • Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener
  • Swerve Confectioners Sweetener
  • Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
  • California Gold Nutrition Virgin Coconut Oil
  • Frontier Organic Vanilla Extract
  • Earth’s Best Organic Applesauce

Click here to get a discount on your iHerb order!

apple cake ingredients laying flat on a white wooden table

Why I Love This Recipe:

  • One of the top reasons why I love this recipe is that it’s just so dang pretty! It’s an impressive looking dessert to share with family and friends. Plus it’s fun to arrange the apples on top in a beautiful design!
  • The apples and cinnamon together with the nutty and dynamic flavors of the almond and coconut flour make for a delicious treat. Plus the added applesauce adds a nice moisture to the cake and natural sweetness.
  • Even though this recipe is pretty and tasty, it’s actually quite easy to make! You don’t need any advanced baking skills or special equipment to make it.

Whole apple cake with arranged apple slices on top on a white plate with an apple in the background next to red and white plaid dish towel

Healthy Paleo Apple Cake Recipe Tips:

  • The combination of almond flour and coconut flour is what helps make the texture of this cake so great. What one flour lacks, the other one makes up for. It’s best not to substitute these flours as it will drastically change the texture. Be sure to use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. 
  • The apple sauce adds moisture as well as a little extra apple flavor and sweetness. Without the apple sauce you may end up with a more dry or brittle cake.
  • I used granulated monk fruit sweetener for this recipe to make it sugar free. You can substitute that for any other granulated sweetener such as coconut sugar, swerve or organic cane sugar.
  • The addition of apple cider vinegar helps to make the cake a little more fluffy by reacting with the baking soda.
  • The eggs are critical to making this recipe work since they are needed as a binder with the coconut flour. They also make the cake fluffy. It’s best not to substitute them.
  • I cannot attest to any other substitutions apart from the ones mentioned above. Any other changes to the original recipe may change the flavor and/or texture and might result in an inedible cake. However, if you do experiment and find substitutions that work well, please comment below to help others who may want to make similar changes.

How to Make this Healthy Apple Cake:

First, preheat the oven to 325°F. Gather your ingredients for the recipe. Click here for a discount on your paleo baking supplies from iHerb.

Ingredients for apple cake on a white wooden table

In a bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, granulated sweetener, sea salt, baking soda and cinnamon and mix together.

Mixed dry apple cake ingredients in clear glass bowl on a white wooden table

Add the eggs, vanilla extract, almond milk, applesauce and apple cider vinegar to the bowl and mix with a stick blender, hand mixer or food processor until smooth. Then add 1 tbsp melted coconut oil while mixing until it’s fully incorporated. Let the mixture sit for a couple minutes to allow the coconut flour to settle and firm up a bit while you cut up the apples.

Mixed apple cake batter in clear bowl on a white wooden table

Cut 2 apples into uniform slices. Grease an 8 inch cake pan with 1 tbsp coconut oil. Pour cake batter into the cake pan.

Uncooked apple cake batter in metal cake pan next to wooden cutting board with sliced apples on it on a white wooden table

Arrange the apple slices on top of the cake batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Uncooked apple cake in metal cake pan on a white wooden table

Bake at 325°F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Whole baked apple cake in cake pan on a white wooden table

Let cool before removing from the pan. Sprinkle liberally with swerve confectioners sweetener. Enjoy by itself or with some dairy free ice cream!

Overhead view of apple cake on a white plate with a slice out of it next to smal white plate with slice of apple cake on it

Did you like Healthy Apple Cake (Paleo, Low Carb & Sugar Free)? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest!

4.1 from 21 votes
Overhead view of whole apple cake with arranged apple slices on top on a white plate with an apple in the background next to red and white plaid dish towel
Print
Healthy Apple Cake (Paleo, Low Carb & Sugar Free)
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 

This healthy apple cake is slightly sweet, moist and fluffy with hints of cinnamon. It's the perfect paleo, gluten free and sugar free dessert for holidays or any occasion.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Apple Cake, paleo cake, Sugar Free Dessert
Servings: 8
Calories: 211 kcal
Author: Hannah Healy
Ingredients
  • 1 1/4 cup blanched almond flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated monk fruit sweetener or swerve
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • dash of sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil + 1 tbsp more for greasing the pan
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 apples
  • 1/4 cup swerve confectioners sweetener (optional- for sprinkling on top)
Instructions
  1. First, preheat the oven to 325°F. In a bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, granulated sweetener, sea salt, baking soda and cinnamon and mix together.

  2. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, almond milk, applesauce and apple cider vinegar to the bowl and mix with a stick blender, hand mixer or food processor until smooth. Then add 1 tbsp melted coconut oil while mixing until it's fully incorporated. Let the mixture sit for a couple minutes to allow the coconut flour to settle and firm up a bit while you cut up the apples.

  3. Cut 2 apples into uniform slices. Grease an 8 inch cake pan with 1 tbsp coconut oil. Pour cake batter into the cake pan.

  4. Arrange the apple slices on top of the cake batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

  5. Bake at 325°F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

  6. Let cool before removing from the pan. Sprinkle liberally with swerve confectioners sweetener.

Recipe Notes
  • Subtract 11g carbs per serving from sugar alcohols to achieve net carbs. This recipe makes a total of 8 slices. Net carbs for one slice is 5.6g. 
  • The combination of almond flour and coconut flour is what helps make the texture of this cake so great. What one flour lacks, the other one makes up for. It's best not to substitute these flours as it will drastically change the texture. Be sure to use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. 
  • The apple sauce adds moisture as well as a little extra apple flavor and sweetness. Without the apple sauce you may end up with a more dry or brittle cake.
  • I used granulated monk fruit sweetener for this recipe to make it sugar free. You can substitute that for any other granulated sweetener such as coconut sugar, swerve or organic cane sugar.
  • The addition of apple cider vinegar helps to make the cake a little more fluffy by reacting with the baking soda.
  • The eggs are critical to making this recipe work since they are needed as a binder with the coconut flour. They also make the cake fluffy. It's best not to substitute them.
  • I cannot attest to any other substitutions apart from the ones mentioned above. Any other changes to the original recipe may change the flavor and/or texture and might result in an inedible cake. However, if you do experiment and find substitutions that work well, please comment below to help others who may want to make similar changes.
Nutrition Facts
Healthy Apple Cake (Paleo, Low Carb & Sugar Free)
Amount Per Serving (1 Slice)
Calories 211 Calories from Fat 133
% Daily Value*
Fat 14.8g23%
Carbohydrates 20.7g7%
Fiber 4.1g17%
Sugar 5.1g6%
Protein 7.8g16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Slice of apple cake on white plate with entire cake in background next to cinnamon sticks and red and white plaid dish towel

Healthy Apple Cake (Paleo, Low Carb & Sugar Free)
Pin635
Share137
Yum49
Tweet
821 Shares

Filed Under: Cakes, Desserts, Holidays, Paleo, Sugar-Free, Sweets Tagged With: apple cake, holiday, paleo, sugar free

FREE "6 Easy Tips to Quit Sugar" Guide!

By submitting your name and email you are consenting to receive a free copy of "6 Easy Tips to Quit Sugar" as well as regular newsletter emails from Healy Eats Real including information about our products and special offers. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. If you don't see it, check your spam folder or "promotions" folder on gmail.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you purchase something mentioned in this post. See more details here. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Information and statements regarding health claims on this blog have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Comments

  1. Annemieke says

    March 6, 2021 at 5:42 am

    5 stars
    I needed a gluten free and diabetic friendly cake to enjoy with my gluten intolerant Mum and diabetic Dad. I was sceptical at first but made this exactly according to the recipe and it’s absolutely beautiful! Lovely texture and tastes amazing. Everyone loved it!

    Reply
    • Hannah Healy says

      March 8, 2021 at 2:56 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Lizzy Briskin says

    August 20, 2019 at 3:00 pm

    What a beautiful and elegant presentation! This looks like the perfect cake to welcome fall.

    Reply
  3. Jordin says

    August 20, 2019 at 1:42 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my, this looks so delicious! I need this! YUM!!

    Reply
    • Mar says

      September 24, 2020 at 11:45 pm

      Jordin, why are you posting a review for something you never tried??? Don’t be misleading by sending a review without basis.

      Reply
  4. Gloria | Homemade & Yummy says

    August 20, 2019 at 1:23 pm

    5 stars
    Apple season is just around the corner. This rustic cake is perfect for dessert or on the brunch menu. Also a great take-along dessert to a potluck too.

    Reply
  5. Tayo says

    August 20, 2019 at 1:11 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for this excellent recipe! I have been cutting down on the amount of sugar my kids eat and this recipe was such a hit. They absolutely loved it!

    Reply
    • Hannah Healy says

      August 21, 2019 at 10:32 am

      Awesome! so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Raia Todd says

    August 20, 2019 at 1:03 pm

    5 stars
    This cake has such a beautiful crumb! I love the apples on top, too. It will be perfect for Rosh Hashanah. 🙂 Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hannah Healy says

      August 21, 2019 at 10:33 am

      Definitely! Shana tova!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi, I’m Hannah Healy!

woman with black hair standing over cutting board with vegetablesI created Healy Eats Real to share healthy gluten-free, sugar-free, keto recipes and tips on healthy living. Sign up for my newsletter below for recipes, natural health info and my FREE Quit Sugar Ebook!

FREE "6 Easy Tips to Quit Sugar" Guide!

By submitting your name and email you are consenting to receive a free copy of "6 Easy Tips to Quit Sugar" as well as regular newsletter emails from Healy Eats Real including information about our products and special offers. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. If you don't see it, check your spam folder or "promotions" folder on gmail.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Popular Posts

Why I Stopped Being Vegetarian After 11 Years

Why You Should Never Use Canned Tomatoes

10 Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar

Recent Posts

Rich Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe (Vegan, Keto & Paleo)

3 Health Benefits of Quercetin*

Best Vitamins to Support Healthy Cortisol Balance† for Stress Resistance^, Energy & Mood*

Featured

Paleo Pasta Butternut Gnocchi 4

Amazing Paleo Pasta: Butternut Gnocchi

1-Pot Paleo Chicken Soup Recipe

1-Pot Paleo Chicken Soup Recipe

Almond Cake Recipe

Simple Almond Cake (Paleo & Gluten-Free)

Popular

Slices of keto bread with slabs of butter on them on white plate next to loaf with slices out of it on wooden cutting board

Easy Almond Flax Keto Bread Recipe with Crunchy Crust! (Paleo & GF)

One paleo biscuit cut in half with butter and jam on it on a white plate

Southern Style Fluffy Paleo Biscuits (Keto & Low Carb)

Paleo Pizza (AIP, Low-FODMAP)

Copyright © 2023 · Healy Eats Real · Privacy Policy