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Cranberry Apple Crisp is the perfect balance of tart and sweet and is topped with a generous amount of buttery oat crumble!
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Wanna know something I think about every holiday season?? CRANBERRIES. Cranberries are the most under-rated fruit to bake with. Seriously, the tartness of the cranberries pairs so well with other fruits and brings such beautiful holiday vibes! It’s like my Cherry Crisp….but geared toward the holiday!
Though my Cranberry Bars are one of my go-to recipes, I can never find the will-power to resist a warm fruit crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! It’s an easy dessert to whip up and the perfect way to transition from fall into the holiday season!
Ingredients Needed (Full Recipe at the Bottom of the Post)
- Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar works fine
- Quick Oats – Old Fashioned Oats would work fine too, I just tend to prefer the texture of quick oats
- All Purpose Flour
- Butter – I use salted butter in this recipe; make sure it’s room temperature so it’s easy to work with.
- Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Milk
- Apples – For this recipe, I prefer sweet apples (like Jonagolds) to balance out the tart cranberries.
- Fresh Cranberries
How to Make Cranberry Apple Crisp
Make the Crisp Topping
The dry ingredients will be combined in a medium bowl and then the butter is mixed in with a fork or pastry blender. You can also use your hands to work the butter into the oat mixture.
Make the Fruit Mixture
Combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon and then whisk in the milk. You want to make sure the dry ingredients are well-combined before adding the milk so the flour doesn’t clump up.
Next you’ll add the sliced apples and the cranberries. Once the fruit is coated, you’ll pour it into the baking dish and then cover the apple mixture with the crumble topping.
Bake the Crisp
Time to bake! Put the easy apple cranberry crisp into the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Use a fork to prick into the crisp – if the apples aren’t tender yet, you’ll want to keep cooking it a bit longer. If the buttery topping is beginning to brown, you can always cover the pan with foil to keep it from over-browning while the fruit filling continues to cook.
There are lots of great options. For this recipe, I prefer a sweeter variety such as Jonagolds to offset the tart cranberries. Braeburn, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples are good options too!
No, however, it’ll stay good longer if it is refrigerated. If you’re going to enjoy it the same day, there’s no need to put it in the fridge (who doesn’t love a warm crisp?!) but if you’re going to wait a day or two to serve, let the crisp cool then cover and refrigerate.
I always use a fork to prick the apples before removing it from the oven. If the apples are tender, I’ll take it out of the oven and if not, I’ll cover it with aluminum foil (so the topping doesn’t brown too much) and bake longer. The type of square baking pan you use will have an effect on the time it’ll take to bake (a glass or ceramic pan will take longer than metal).
Yes! You’ll simply replace the flour with an all-purpose gluten-free flour. You’ll also want to make sure the oats you’re using are gluten free (they’re naturally gluten free but some are processed in the same facility as products with gluten).
Other Delicious Apple Recipes
Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/3 cup salted butter softened
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 4 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, oats and the 1/2 cup of flour.
- Add the softened butter and use a fork to cut it into the dry ingredients. (You can also use your hands to work the butter into the dry ingredients). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour and cinnamon.
- Then whisk in the milk.
- Stir in the sliced apples and cranberries then pour into a square baking dish (8×8 or 9×9 will work).
- Cover with the crumb topping and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are tender when poked with a fork.*
I was wondering if I could freeze this after baking it? Thank you !
Hi Patricia – Though I’ve never tried it, I think that would be fine. The top might not be as crisp, but would still taste delicious! ~Kelsey