Who can resist a freshly baked apple crisp? If you can see from the picture above, my 17 month old son Eli sure couldn’t. As I was arranging the food on the table to take pictures of one of my favorite Fall desserts, I briefly walked to a different room to grab my camera. When I returned, guess who I found picking away at my cranberry apple crisp!?! BUSTED! Honestly it was the funniest and sweetest Kodak moment. I started laughing and started taking pictures of the whole thing. Who could blame the little guy because what is Fall without a great recipe for apple crisp?
Earlier this week my friend Jen had tweeted about making a cranberry apple crisp with dried cranberries. I mentioned to her that I’ve used canned cranberries with great success. Twelve years ago a friend taught me how to make a cranberry apple crisp using a can of cranberry sauce and since then it has become one of my “Go-To” desserts. Every time I make one it’s always a hit at family gatherings. Now days instead of a can of cranberries, I use fresh cranberries which have been reduced with orange juice and sugar. The end result is a wonderful dessert worthy of any friends and family get together. Enjoy!
Cranberry Apple Crisp Recipe
INGREDIENTS
1-12oz bag of fresh cranberries, washed
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
5-6 large Granny Smith apples – cored, peeled, and cut into 1/4”-1/2” slices.
1 stick butter, cut into small pea sized cubes
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon cinnamon
*optional 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
*optional vanilla ice cream to make it a la mode
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large sauté pan or pot add cranberries, orange juice, and sugar. Stir everything and cook on medium-high heat for approximately 15 minutes until the cranberries have reduced to a thick sauce consistency. Turn off heat and add sliced apples to the pan and mix everything until all the apple slices have been coated with cranberry sauce. Pour the apple cranberry mixture into a greased 9×13 baking pan. Set aside. In a small bowl combine butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Work the mixture with your fingers until it resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle and distribute the mixture over the baking pan evenly. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream while warm. Enjoy!
{Related Post} 10 Minute Apple Crisp Recipe for One Person
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LOL, Eli is busted. 🙂 The cranberry apple crisp looks wonderful. I understand why Eli wanted some.
I just made, with a little bit less sugar though. It was delicious! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
I like to add ground pecans to my crumble topping. Adds a lovely nutty flavor to the topping.
Hi Jennifer,
Yes, you could freeze the apple and cranberry mixture. Depending if you planned on baking this frozen or thawed, your baking times are going to vary. If you’re going to bake from frozen, I would bake the apple mixture for 20 minutes before adding the topping and then add the topping and continue to bake until done.
Brytni,
I like the tartness of the granny smith apples but use any apples you have on hand.
i use whatever apples i have and it always turns out great
Do you have a recipe for rice pudding made on top of the stove as well as in the oven?
MMM this sounds scrumptious.
Has anyone used any other apples besides Granny Smith, or are there downsides to using a different kind of apple?
can i freeze the apple and cranaberry mix before cooking with the oat topping on. what would you suggest. i would like to get it ready today and then cook it on tuesday 🙂
i forgot to mention that you can use the same recipe with peaches or pears instead of apples, and rasberries or strawberries instead of cranberries… have fun with it, be inventive 🙂
my recipe is exactly like yours except that i dont cook the cranberries, thus using less sugar,,,and i only use the brown sugar in the dry mix,,,that way my diebetic hubby can enjoy some also…
I have been on an apple crisp kick lately – and have been eyeing the bags of cranberries I keep seeing at the store. This blends the two together beautifully! I know what I”ll be making for dessert when we have friends over next week! Thanks 🙂
Your photos could go right into a Donna Hay cookbook! 🙂
I have never cooked the cranberries first (usually just dump everything into the dish and into the oven) BUT from this day forward….I cook those cranberries down with sugar and orange juice first. Thank you.