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Rustic Apple Crisp with dried cranberries, oats and walnuts
Juicy tart apples covered in a sweet, crispy oat and nut filled topping.
This fantastic combination of flavors and textures makes homemade Apple Crisp one of the most beloved fall desserts. If you can peel an apple, you can make this incredible, timeless treat!
Like many other recipes for fruit crisps, ours is easy to make. However, we’ve taken the basic combination a step further by adding 1/2 cup apple cider to the fresh apple mixture.
By cooking the apples in cider, we’ve created an intensely flavored juicy base for the sweet streusel topping. This is a memorable dessert you’ll want to make again and again!
Where does Apple Crisp come from?
The original crisp recipe was invented in Britain and first published in a cookbook in 1924. According to Wikipedia, this dessert became even more popular during World War II when food rationing made it difficult to find ingredients for the more elaborate apple pie.
The British call this an apple crumble but across the pond we call it a crisp. We just have to be different!
Overview: Ingredients for the best Apple Crisp recipe
For the Apple Crisp topping:
- All-purpose flour
- Old-fashioned oats for loads of texture and chewiness.
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans or almonds. This ingredient is optional but highly recommended!
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Unsalted butter for binding the crisp topping together
- Vanilla extract for flavor
For the apple mixture:
- Apples, peeled, cored and sliced or chopped
- Lemon juice
- Apple cider to create more juice and add intense apple flavor. If you don’t have apple cider (not vinegar!) you can use water.
- Vanilla extract for flavor.
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch, all-purpose flour or Minute Tapioca for thickening the sauce. We’ve made this recipe with each of these ingredients but prefer cornstarch. It thickens the apple juices perfectly, creating a smooth, silky sauce.
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Dried cranberries or raisins. This ingredient is also optional, but highly recommended. Tart chewy cranberries plump up when baked in all the juices adding a pop of flavor that’s sublime.
Overview: How to make Apple Crisp
First, prepare the apple crisp topping:
- Combine flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, salt and nuts. Pour the melted butter and vanilla over the oat mixture and stir to combine. Refrigerate while preparing the apples.
Next, prepare the apple mixture:
- Peel, core and chop or slice the apples and place in a large bowl. Combine the lemon juice, apple cider and vanilla and pour over the apples.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients and pour over the apples. Toss to coat.
- Pour the apples into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with dried cranberries.
- Scatter the chilled crumbly topping over the apples leaving some pieces in large clumps.
- Bake until the topping is golden brown and the juices are bubbling.
To serve a fresh fruit crisp:
Cool slightly before serving. Spoon into bowls and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce or a splash of heavy cream.
The best size pan for baking a crisp
For this dessert you can use an oven-proof skillet, a square baking pan or any casserole dish that will hold the apple mixture.
To cover all the apples use a 9×9-inch baking pan as we do with our Peach Crisp. If using a 13×9-inch pan as shown above, you’ll have some some apples peaking through.
Again, this is such an easy and forgiving recipe, it’s hard to mess up! If your apple mixture fills up the pan, bake on a foil lined baking cookie sheet to catch any juices that might bubble over.
Best apples for baking
I often say that the best baking apples are the ones that you already have on hand. However, if you’re going to the store anyway, here’s a few of our favorites:
- Granny Smith
- Golden Delicious
- Braeburn
- Jonagold
- Empire
- Cortland
Many bakers also love to bake with honeycrisp and Winesap varieties.
Feel free to use a combination of delicious apples or just one variety; it’s all good! We typically use at least a few Granny Smith apples as they keep their shape when baked but soften into tender, tart pillows of deliciousness.
How to store leftover Apple Crisp
If you have leftovers cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for up to two days. For longer storage seal in an airtight container and refrigerate.
To rewarm individual servings microwave at 50% power for 30 second intervals to take the chill off.
This apple dessert is completely delicious served warm, room temperature or even cold straight out of the refrigerator. We’ve tested this many, many times. Pinky shake promise!
Can you freeze Apple Crisp?
As with any fresh fruit dessert, it’s best eaten the day it’s made. If you want to sneak a bowl or two into the freezer, make sure it’s well sealed in an airtight container.
It will keep for about two months and should be refrigerated once removed from the freezer to thaw.
The crisp won’t be as crispy as when it was first baked, but the flavors are still terrific. It still has a good chewiness from the oats, cranberries and nuts.
Crisps and crumbles
Rustic crisps and crumbles can be made with just about any kind of fruit or berries. While the topping ingredients may be basically same, the fresh fruit mixture can vary from recipe to recipe.
Try our Blueberry Crisp when berries are in season or use a combination of peaches and blueberries for a visually beautiful dessert.
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Apple Crisp
Ingredients
For the topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (66g)
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats (40g)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed (56g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (55g)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, or pecans (50g)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the apple mixture:
- 3 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced or chopped (about 10 cups or 8 large apples)
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- ½ cup apple cider (4oz) or water (not apple cider vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar (110g)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, flour or Minute Tapioca
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup dried cranberries, or raisins optional (35g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or butter a 13×9-inch baking pan. Set aside.
To prepare the topping:
- In a medium bowl stir together the flour, oats, sugars, nuts, cinnamon and salt. Combine the melted butter and vanilla and pour over the oat mixture. Stir to combine. Refrigerate while preparing the apples.
To prepare the apple mixture:
- Peel, core and chop or slice the apples and place in a large mixing bowl. Combine the lemon juice, apple cider and vanilla in a small measuring cup. Pour over the apples and toss to coat.
- Whisk together ½ cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt. Pour the sugar mixture over the apples and toss to coat. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle evenly with cranberries.
- Crumble the chilled topping mixture over the apples leaving some pieces in large clumps, about the size of a quarter. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are bubbling. Tent with foil during baking if needed to prevent over-browning.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving. Top with ice cream, whipped cream or a drizzle of heavy cream, if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Store lightly covered at room temperature for up to two days or refrigerate for longer storage.
- Rewarm gently in the microwave at 50% power.
- Nutritional information is estimated and may vary depending on the products used.
- Baking time may vary depending on the size of pan used to bake the crips. Make sure the juices are thickened and bubbling before removing from the oven.
Andrea says
Made this for a women’s group. Everyone loved it. Now sharing the recipe with several of them!
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Andrea. So glad you gave it a try. I love the textures and flavor myself. Such a terrific seasonal dessert! Thanks for sharing and for taking the time to comment.