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I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but apple pie is my absolute favorite dessert, ever. If you told me that I could only eat apple pie for the rest of my life, I think I’d actually be pretty okay. Of course, apple pie isn’t exactly keto-friendly. It’s also not usually vegan. Then, there’s the issue of traditional apple pie being super time consuming, and sometimes I really don’t feel like doing anything more than turning on the blender and calling it a day. So, I decided to make some vegan keto apple pie bites to satisfy that need, while also being low carb and low effort.
In reality, these are pretty much fat bombs, but I like calling them apple pie bites because I feel like it’s more representative of how they taste. Plus, it’s way more appealing to reach for some “low carb apple pie bites” for breakfast or dessert than it is to grab a “fat bomb.” But still, the macronutrient profile of these is pretty great, especially considering they utilize actual apples. Not only do these bites contain some medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) for quick energy, but they’ve also got the omega-3 fatty acids from the flaxseed to balance out the 6s in the coconut oil and walnuts (if you want to learn more about balancing your omegas on a vegan keto diet, check out this post!).
Can You Eat Apples on Keto?
I’m sure this is the first question that comes to mind when seeing a keto-friendly recipe with apples in the ingredients list. Apples are a high-sugar food, so typically you wouldn’t be able to incorporate them into a very low carb diet. Your average medium apple has about 95 calories, with 19g of net carbs. Not too keto-friendy sounding to me. However, as the expression goes, “the damage is in the dose.” Because we’re using such a small quantity of apples here and splitting it among 10 servings, the net carbs become entirely manageable.
Why Incorporate Apples Into a Vegan Keto Diet?
You may also be wondering what exactly is the point of trying to cram a higher carb food into a very low carb diet? So, I’ll tell you about the nutritional benefits of apples: in that 95-calorie medium apple we talked about before, there are about 4g of fiber, which isn’t too bad! Apples are actually not super nutrient-dense, compared to other fruits. There’s about 6% of your daily potassium and 14% of your daily vitamin C, which is nice, but neither of those figures is particularly strong. So, why try to eat apples on a vegan keto diet? Taste! Apples are one of my favorite fruits, and it makes me happy to include them in my recipes. It also makes it a lot easier to stick with a way of eating if you incorporate a variety of flavors.
Notes on Making Low Carb Vegan Apple Pie Bites:
- Yes, these use real apples, but because it’s a small amount divided over twelve little fat bombs, the carbs are really minimal!
- I use freeze-dried or dehydrated apples instead of fresh because there is much less moisture, and they last a long time in the pantry (which is nice if you use them infrequently). Dehydrated or freeze-dried apples are also more flavorful, since the flavor is concentrated, so you can get away with using less, as each apple-y bite packs more flavor.
- If you want these to taste even more apple-y, doubling the amount of apple (to 1 whole ounce) only adds 1.2g of net carbs per serving! I think it’s worth it, to be totally honest, but figured I’d leave that decision up to you guys. ;)
- If you have a difficult time sourcing coconut manna, you could also use coconut oil. The texture will definitely change, but it’s not going to ruin the recipe.
- The texture is really up to you – I like having little bits of walnuts and apple still intact, but if you want them totally smooth, just process a bit longer.
- I’m a huge fan of Lakanto sugar-free maple-flavored syrup. It’s genuinely the only keto maple syrup I’ve tried that doesn’t upset my digestion. Plus, it actually tastes really good!
- I like to store these in the fridge as opposed to the freezer, so they are less hard and a little more pastry-like (in my mind), but they’ll keep much longer in the freezer.
- Please keep in mind when calculating the net carbs, you should subtract the grams of allulose or sugar alcohols like erythritol that may be present in the syrup you use.
- Nutrition Note: while I strive to provide accurate nutritional information, different brands varieties of ingredient will have varying nutritional profiles, so your calculations may be different than mine!
Low Carb Vegan Apple Pie Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (120g)
- 1/2 cup coconut manna (112g)
- 1/2 oz freeze dried apples (14g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- pinch ground cloves
- 2 tbsp sugar-free maple syrup
Optional Topping
- 2 tbsp vegan white chocolate
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- pinch apple pie spice blend to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until the desired texture is achieved, scraping down the sides of the container as necessary. This took me less than 2 minutes with my little food processor.
- Portion the "dough" into 10 wells of a silicone muffin pan and freeze until firm, about one hour.
- Optionally melt some vegan white chocolate with an equal portion of coconut oil and spoon on top of the apple pie cups, sprinkle with apple pie spices and then freeze.
Notes
Nutrition
Want more vegan keto treats and everyday recipes?
Get the free Vegan Keto Quick-Start Mini Guide.
For more recipe variety and a more structured plan, explore the Vegan Keto meal plans and ebooks.
Helpful next reads: the complete shopping list and the beginner’s guide.
What’s the best alternative to walnuts? I can’t eat walnuts or pecans, but everything else is good to go. These sound delicious!
Hi! This is a great question – you could definitely use almonds here instead! Sunflower seeds would also work :)
I used half walnuts and half almonds.
These are criminally good!!! I’m almost afraid to make them again, they’re so addictive.
I’m so glad you like them! Haha, I try to keep them in the freezer when I make them so that there’s at least a little bit of a barrier to immediate consumption.
Hi Liz,
Does this recipe make 10 or 12 pie bites? In the comments section you reference 12 bites but in the nutritional fact box it says 10 of them.
I am new to keto and also to your site. I’ve been going through your recipes tonight and plan to try several in the next day or two. They look delicious! I’ve also pre-ordered your book.
Thanks so much
I know it’s all personal preference but I was wondering how much liquid stevia you tend to personally use on this recipe? Thank you for your time :)
Hi Marvin, good question! I use about 10 drops of liquid stevia for this recipe. :)
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Appreciate the thorough research here. Studies consistently show that combining CoQ10 with healthy fats significantly improves absorption. The ubiquinol form also tends to be more bioavailable than ubiquinone.
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