This Apple Cranberry Crisp is a holiday-inspired twist on a classic dessert! With a sweet tart filling, warm spices, and a buttery crumb topping, you’ll want to save this easy recipe for all your holiday gatherings.
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Easy Apple Cranberry Crisp Recipe
Most holiday dessert tables feature a sea of pies and perhaps a pumpkin pinwheel or apple cider cake, for good measure. But here’s the thing–and I’m going to say this next part real quiet, because I don’t want to hurt caramel apple pie’s feelings–I would choose a fruit crisp over a pie 99% of the time.
What can I say? I love a fruity dessert that’s not trying to be too fancy. Give me that melt-in-your-mouth buttery crisp topping over a pie crust any day!
And it just so happens this Apple and Cranberry Crisp is the best of the best when it comes to fruit desserts. Combining tart cranberries with apple crisp gives it a bright, lively tang and a gorgeous, festive, ruby color that elevates this dessert to special occasion territory.
I’m always going to recommend serving crisp hot from the oven with big scoops of ice cream and/or dollops of cinnamon whipped cream. It’s an easy dessert that’s just as perfect for the holiday season as it is for a cozy night at home.
CourtneyP.S. If you love this, you’ll want to also try our apple blueberry crumble!
Key Ingredients
For the filling:
- Apples– You can use a mix of apples or all one kind. Choose firm apples that hold up well, like Pink Lady, Braeburn, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp.
- Cranberries– This recipe uses fresh, whole cranberries, not dried.
- Sugars- A mix of brown and granulated sugar is used for a balanced sweetness.
- Flour– Just a little bit of flour in the filling keeps it from becoming too runny.
- Spices– Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg provide all the festive warmth this dessert deserves.
- Orange juice + Zest– Brightens things up while also complimenting the cranberry flavor.
For the crisp:
- Butter– You can use salted or unsalted butter. If using unsalted, add a fat pinch of salt to the topping.
- Oats– I use old fashioned rolled oats for a heart, rustic texture. Quick oats will produce a more sandy crumb topping.
- Flour– This helps hold the crumbs together.
- Brown sugar– Rich and molasses-y. Perfect for the topping!
- A bit more cinnamon– It’s the holidays after all!
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and instructions.
How to Make Apple Cranberry Crisp
Step 1: Mix together the filling. In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, combine chopped apples, cranberries, sugars, flour, spices, orange zest and juice, and vanilla extract, tossing until well combined. I find it easiest to use my hands to mix.
Step 2. Prepare the crumb topping. In a large bowl, whisk together oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add cut pieces of butter and use your fingers to rub it into the flour mixture until small, pea sized crumbs form.
Step 3: Bake. Pour the crumb topping over the filling, then bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the filling is bubbly.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
- Make ahead: Prepare the filling and crumb topping up to 24 hours in advance, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Serving: Cranberry apple crisp tastes best the day it’s served. We recommend serving it warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Reheating: Crisp can be microwaved, but it won’t retain its crisp texture. To re-crisp, bake uncovered in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Leftovers: Store in a covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
FAQs
Choose firm apples that hold up to long periods of baking. I recommend using a mix of tart and sweet apples. Tart baking apples include Granny Smith apples, Braeburn, and Jonathan. For sweet apples, choose Jonagold, Cosmic Crisp, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp. Avoid softer apples like Gala and Red Delicious that fall apart and get mealy when baked. Save those for Crock Pot Applesauce!
Absolutely! This would be great with a 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
I don’t recommend completely omitting the flour, but if you need a gluten free option, a gluten free 1 to 1 flour should work just fine for this recipe.
YES! Toss them in the mixture without thawing.
Yes! Use the slider in the recipe card below to adjust the servings by half. A half size bakes beautifully in a 9 inch pie plate.
More Fantastic Fruit Crumbles, Cobblers, and Crisps
- Nectarine, Cherry, and Strawberry Crisp
- Cherry Almond Crumble
- Healthy Berry Crisp
- Blackberry Peach Cobbler
- Buttermilk Biscuit Peach Cobbler
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Apple Cranberry Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
For the topping:
- 3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (softened and cut in small chunks)
For the apples:
- 8 firm, sweet-tart apples (peeled and chopped, about 8 cups)
- 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (see note)
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
- Make the topping. In a bowl, mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until small crumbs form. You can also use a pastry cutter to do this if you prefer. Refrigerate the crumb while you make the apple filling.
- Place the apples and cranberries in the prepared baking dish, then sprinkle with sugars, flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, orange zest, and orange juice. Toss well to combine then spread evenly over the pan.
- Pour the crumb topping evenly over the apples and cranberries. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the filling is bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.
Notes
- If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before adding them to the filling.
- Some of my favorite baking apples are Jonagold, Braeburn, Pink Lady, and Honeycrisp.
- At 45 minutes, the crumbs are usually done, but I find the apples sometimes need the extra 10 minutes to fully soften. If the topping looks like it’s getting too brown, you can cover it with foil, but always uncover it for the last few minutes so it isn’t soggy.
- Store crisp, covered, at room temperature for 24 hours or in the fridge for up to five days.
- Reheat crisp in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
Equipment
Nutrition
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