This Full GAPS honey walnut apple crisp has a glossy apple layer and a finely chopped walnut topping that sets as it bakes. It uses 6 to 8 cups of apples, honey in both layers, and walnuts prepared ahead. The separate spiced apple crisp with walnut and pecan topping uses fermented almond meal and bakes at 375°F for 45 minutes; this honey walnut version bakes at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes.
The long part is preparing the walnuts, not mixing the crisp. Once you have a batch of salt-soaked crispy walnuts ready, the fruit and topping come together quickly. Have the walnuts fully dry and cool before chopping them, so their texture stays distinct in the topping.
Ingredients
Use 6 to 8 cups of chopped apples, measured after chopping. The range lets you use a smaller or larger batch of fruit while keeping the topping amount fixed. At the lower end, each scoop has more topping; at the upper end, you get more soft apple under the walnuts. Chop the pieces to a similar size so they soften at about the same rate. A mix of tart and sweet apples works; the recipe keeps the fruit’s own flavor in front.
The spice blend is mostly cinnamon, with smaller amounts of ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk them with the salt before scattering them over the apples. This spreads the smaller quantities through the fruit rather than leaving a sharp pocket of clove or ginger in one bite.
Mix the dry spices before adding them to the fruit. The small measures of ginger, nutmeg, and cloves are easier to distribute through the apples after they have been stirred into the larger measure of cinnamon and the salt. Turn the fruit from the bottom of the bowl so the honey and spices reach the pieces underneath too.
The honey is divided. Four tablespoons coat the apples, while the final two tablespoons sweeten the walnut topping. Keep the walnuts finely chopped and fully prepared before measuring the one cup. The linked walnut recipe uses salt-water soaking and drying. Do not substitute raw walnuts or a packaged sweetened nut mix.
Use coconut oil while it is solid. Cutting it into the walnuts helps distribute it in small pieces. When the mixture is ready, no large visible chunks of oil should remain. The two tablespoons of honey added afterward should make the nuts lightly tacky, enough to scatter them over the apples in small clusters.
Using the oil while it is solid keeps the topping from turning into a pourable coating. If the kitchen is warm and the oil softens to liquid, cool it briefly until it is opaque and spoonable again. Keep the walnuts dry and cool too. Warm or damp nuts can make the topping clump before it is spread over the apples.
Why This Fits Full GAPS
This is a Full GAPS dessert made with apples, walnuts, natural honey, coconut oil, and single spices. GAPS guidance keeps fruit and baked goods to occasional snacks between meals. If you are starting with Full GAPS, Gut and Physiology Syndrome recommends leaving baking and fruit out for the first few weeks and introducing them gradually afterward. This recipe is not for the Intro Diet.
Fruit, honey, and nuts are all part of the Full GAPS ingredients in this dish, but this is still a sweet baked snack. Keep it in the role GAPS gives baked goods and fruit. If apples or walnuts are not part of your current stage yet, wait rather than trying to convert this particular topping into an Intro recipe.
How To Make Honey Walnut Apple Crisp
Have the linked crispy walnuts ready before you start. They should feel dry and crisp after cooling. If the centers are still soft, return them to the low drying step in their recipe and finish drying before you chop and measure them. Warm nuts can seem crisp while they are still hot, so let them cool before testing.
Heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish, or a cast-iron skillet, with a little extra coconut oil. Measure the full 1/4 cup separately for the topping. Chop the apples and spread them in an even layer. The fruit should cover the bottom without being packed into a deep mound.
Whisk the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture across the apples, then turn the pieces until the spices are spread through the fruit. Drizzle four tablespoons of honey over the apples and turn again. The surface should look lightly glossy, with no spice sitting dry in one place.
A spoon or flexible spatula works well for tossing. Lift from the bottom and fold the pieces over rather than stirring hard enough to break them. The apples should be coated, not mashed. If honey gathers at the bottom of the bowl, keep folding until it clings lightly to the fruit.
In the same small bowl, cut the solid coconut oil into the finely chopped walnuts. Keep working until no large chunks of oil remain. Stir in the remaining two tablespoons of honey. The walnut mixture should clump when pressed but still break apart into small pieces when scattered over the fruit.
Spread the topping across the apples. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Check one of the larger apple pieces with the tip of a small knife. It should be tender rather than firm in the center. The walnut topping should look set. If the walnuts are getting too dark before the apples soften, loosely cover the dish with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Let the dish rest until the bubbling at the edges slows, then serve warm. The apple juices thicken as the crisp cools slightly. The top stays more distinct when you serve it soon after baking.
Full GAPS Honey Walnut Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Have 1 cup of the linked salt-soaked crispy walnuts fully prepared, dry and cool. Chop them finely and measure after chopping.
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish, or a cast-iron skillet, with a little extra coconut oil. Measure the full 1/4 cup separately for the topping. Chop the apples and spread them in an even layer.
- Whisk the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and sea salt together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the spices across the apples and turn until spread through the fruit.
- Drizzle 4 tablespoons of raw honey over the apples and turn again. The fruit should look lightly glossy, with no dry spice patches.
- In the same small bowl, cut the solid coconut oil into the finely chopped walnuts until no large visible chunks of oil remain. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey. The topping should clump when pressed but still break apart into small pieces.
- Scatter the walnut topping across the apples. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Check a large apple piece with a small knife; it should be tender through the center and the topping should look set. If the walnuts are getting too dark while the apples remain firm, cover loosely with foil for the final 10 minutes.
- Let the crisp rest until the edge bubbling slows, then serve warm as an occasional Full GAPS snack between meals. Cover and refrigerate leftovers after they cool.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Storage And Serving
Serve this as an occasional Full GAPS snack between meals. Cover leftovers after they cool and refrigerate them. Reheat a portion in the oven until warm. The walnuts soften after chilling, but the apples remain spoon-tender.
For the other single-apple version, try the linked spiced walnut-pecan crisp with fermented almond meal. That recipe includes pecans and almond meal in its topping and uses a lower oven temperature. Follow one card from start to finish; they are separate recipes, not two options inside one batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Are The Walnuts Prepared In A Separate Recipe?
The walnuts need soaking and low-temperature drying before they go into this topping. The linked salt-soaked crispy walnut recipe has that full method. Make them ahead, cool completely, then chop and measure one cup for this crisp.
Can I Use Raw Walnuts?
Use properly prepared walnuts for Full GAPS. This recipe calls for the fully soaked and dried walnuts from the linked preparation. Raw walnuts would skip that step and would not give you the dry, crisp pieces this topping uses.
How Do I Keep The Walnuts From Burning?
Check the topping as it nears the end of the 30-to-35-minute bake. If the walnut edges are darkening while the apples are still firm, cover the dish loosely with foil for the final 10 minutes, then check the apple again.
How Much Honey Goes Into Each Layer?
Use six tablespoons total. Four tablespoons go over the apples with the spices. Stir the remaining two tablespoons into the walnut topping.
Can I Prepare This Ahead?
Prepare and cool the walnuts ahead. Chop the apples and assemble the crisp close to baking time so the fruit does not sit in its juices before the oven is ready.
Should I Measure The Apples Before Or After Chopping?
Measure 6 to 8 cups after chopping. The range is for prepared apple pieces, not whole apples. Keep the topping amounts the same across that range.
Can I Use A Glass Dish Instead Of A Skillet?
Yes. Use a greased 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish, or a cast-iron skillet. Spread the apples evenly before scattering the topping.
Recommended Equipment
A 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish matches the recipe. A cast-iron skillet is another option. If you prefer Le Creuset in Artichaut, the Heritage 4-quart rectangular dish has a 12.7-by-9.4-inch interior, close to the listed pan size. Use it without the lid for this bake.
If you are collecting simple fruit treats for the family, the upcoming Gummies & Fruit Snacks Cookbook will be listed in the WFLI shop when it is ready.
