An easy-to-make cranberry apple crisp with a brown sugar and oatmeal topping. Perfect for fall!
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And now it really is fall! This morning I headed out for a walk and the air was crisp, cool and so fall-like I wanted to go buy school supplies. I know I’ve been writing about it going on for three weeks now, but today – today! – the season feels real. The weather has finally caught up with my autumn-loving heart.
The timing is perfect because today it’s all about a cranberry apple crisp. We’re knocking on the door of apple season right now and in the fall line-up of must-make recipes, apples top the list of ingredients. The scent of baked apples is hard to resist this time of year.
This crisp recipe has a fresh apple-cranberry filling. The tartness is balanced out with the buttery oatmeal topping for the finishing touch.
It’s the dessert of choice for people who hate making pies. You get all the feel-good aroma and flavor of an apple pie, without the fussy pie crust and the whole thing comes together with hardly any effort. Plus, you can make it ahead and pop it in the oven while dinner is served.
Cranberry Apple Filling
- Granny Smith apples
- Frozen cranberries
- Lemon juice
- Honey
- Cinnamon
The filling is so, so easy. Just combine the chopped apples, cranberries, lemon, honey, and cinnamon and pour the apple mixture into a baking dish.
Oatmeal Crisp Topping
- Old Fashioned Oats (rolled oats)
- All-Purpose Flour
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Cold, unsalted butter
Combine oats with the rest of the topping ingredients in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture until it’s evenly distributed. Spread the topping in an even layer over the filling.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the crisp for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly hot. You can serve it warm or at room temperature. Add a scoop of vanilla ice for a finishing touch.
FAQ
I like to use Granny Smith apples for this apple crisp because they are tart apples and hold their shape well. If you prefer sweeter apples you can try using Honeycrisp or do a combination of both. Golden Delicious apples will also work well in this apple crisp.
Yes, you can substitute fresh cranberries in place of frozen ones for this cranberry apple crisp recipe. I like to use frozen cranberries because I also use them to make cranberry smoothies. If you’re wondering about dried cranberries, I recommend saving them for the granola or trail mix.
Technically, you can use them but the topping may not have the same texture. Rolled oats are chewier and create a thicker topping that works well.
If you don’t like cranberries, you can make another fruit filling with apples. Try adding strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.
Enjoy this cranberry apple crisp as is or top each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Happy fall baking 🍏
More Dessert Recipes
- Berry Crumbles – another favorite fruit dessert with a mix of berries and an oat crumble topping baked in small ramekins for an individual-sized dessert.
- Dark Chocolate Pecan Bars – part dessert bar and part brownie, these bars are rich and decadent.
- Peanut Butter Pots de Creme – creamy peanut butter custard topped with chocolate ganache.
- Mocha Pudding Cake for Two – a one pan chocolate dessert for two.
- Easy Fruit Cobbler – a no-fail recipe from Pear Tree Kitchen
Cranberry Apple Crisp
An easy-to-make cranberry apple crisp with a brown sugar and oatmeal topping.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Filling
- Juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 granny smith apples, cubed
- 1 cup frozen cranberries
For the Topping
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Make the filling: Combine the lemon juice, honey, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Add the fruit and toss it all together.
- Make the topping: In a separate bowl, mix the oats, flour, and sugar together. Add the butter and cut it into the dry ingredients.
- Pour the fruit into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Spread the oatmeal topping over the top in an even layer. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet lined with foil (this will protect your oven in case the juices bubble over). Bake the crisp for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling hot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 469
- Sugar: 28g
- Fat: 18.2g
- Carbohydrates: 71.7g
- Fiber: 7.8g
- Protein: 8.8g
Keywords: cranberry crisp, apple crisp, easy crisp recipe
Post updated from the archives. First published in September 2017.
Bridget says
Your childhood sounds so nice.
My dad is going to love this recipe, apples, cranberries & crisps are 3 of his favorite things in this world. I will be his favorite when I bring this over!
We have lots of peaches here in CO right now, could I swap peaches for the fruit as well?
April says
Peaches would work well, too. You might need a couple more to serve four. I hope your dad likes it 🙂