This cranberry crisp is the ultimate holiday dessert. A sweet and tart cranberry filling with a hint of citrus is topped with a sweet, crunchy crisp topping, then baked to perfection until it’s golden and bubbly. It’s the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or simply because you want something delicious and festive.
Jump to:
Cranberries are such a classic holiday flavor. Whether you’re making cranberry sauce for your holiday table or sweet muffins for a holiday-themed treat, cranberries play a big part in our lives during the holiday season. I love making all kinds of cranberry dishes when the weather starts changing, and I don’t wait for a specific holiday!
As soon as cranberries appear on the store shelf, I start making delicious treats! One of my favorite cranberry desserts to make this time of year is my delicious crisp. It’s full of classic flavor, and I’m in and out of the kitchen in no time flat. You can’t beat that!
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Crisp Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Aside from the cranberries, every ingredient in this recipe is a kitchen staple.
- Easy to Make: It only takes a few minutes of prep and about 45 minutes in the oven to make this delicious crisp.
- Perfect for the Holidays: The classic combination of cranberry, citrus, and sugar and that crisp topping make this the perfect holiday dessert.
- A Year-Round Recipe: While I usually make this with fresh cranberries, you can use frozen cranberries, as well. Make it any time of year!
Ingredients
Crisp Topping
- Flour and Chopped Pecans: Flour and pecans make the base for the crumble topping. The flour binds the ingredients, and the pecans add flavor and texture.
- Butter: Butter adds richness to the topping, along with binding it together and helping it get crisp and golden.
- Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar adds sweetness and creates a deep, golden color.
Cranberry Filling
- Cranberries: Fresh cranberries add a kick of tart flavor that’s balanced out by the citrus and sugar added to the filling.
- Orange Juice and Zest: These add another layer of tanginess, along with a bit of natural sweetness.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds the sweetness necessary to balance out the tartness of the cranberries and orange juice.
- Chopped Pecans: More chopped pecans are added to the filling for even more flavor and crunch in every bite.
For a full list of ingredients and their exact measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
Flavor Variations
- Pecans: You can use your choice of pecans, walnuts, almonds, or even cashews to create different flavor variations.
- Pumpkin Spice: It might be called pumpkin spice, but this blend works well with the sweet and tangy flavor of this dish, as well.
- Crisp: Replace the crisp with cobbler batter for an easy cranberry cobbler.
- Fruits: Replace part of the cranberries with other fruits like apples, pears, or peaches to create different filling flavors.
How to Make This Cranberry Crisp
For the Topping
1: Whisk the sugar and flour.
2: Add the butter and mix on low until crumbly. Then, stir in the chopped pecans and set aside.
For the Filling
1: Whisk the sugar, salt, and cinnamon together.
2: Mix the cranberries, pecans, orange juice, and orange zest in another bowl. Then, add the sugar mixture and mix until everything is coated.
To Make the Crisp
1: Pour the mixture into a baking dish and spread out in an even layer.
2: Top with the brown sugar pecan crisp mixture and bake until the top is golden brown. Enjoy!
Hint
Unlike most other baked recipes, your butter shouldn’t be softened before mixing it into the crisp topping. Keeping the butter cold allows you to get a nice, crumbly texture.
Storage
Refrigerate this cranberry crisp in an air-tight container for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave!
What to Serve with Cranberry Crisp
Serve this deliciously sweet and tangy crisp at your holiday gathering alongside other sweet, seasonal desserts like frosted Christmas cookies, gingerbread cupcakes with molasses frosting, or pumpkin bundt cake with cream cheese frosting.
Its flavors also make an excellent dessert after meals like ribeye roast, crock pot pork loin, or sheet pan chicken and potatoes.
Tips
- Use cold butter for the crisp topping to get the best texture.
- Be sure to rinse your cranberries thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris and to find any spoiled or marred berries.
- There’s no need to defrost frozen cranberries if you use them for this recipe, just add a little more cornstarch to the mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
The only difference between a crisp and a crumble is oats. Crips have oats mixed in which make the top crispier. Crumbles have no oats, which makes the topping softer. Some crumbles forgo nuts and add chopped nuts to make the topping crunchy.
You sure can! Unless otherwise specified, frozen cranberries can always be used in place of fresh. A huge bonus is that they don’t have to be defrosted!
Cranberries are in season from late September through early November. You’ll usually find them in grocery stores from October through December.
This cranberry crisp will cook for almost an hour at 400 degrees. That’s plenty of time for the cranberries to soften and burst, so there’s no need for stovetop cooking beforehand.
Try This Easy, Delicious Cranberry Crisp This Season
From the filling to the crisp topping, this cranberry crisp is loaded with holiday flavor, but it’s not loaded with work. Just toss the filling ingredients together, top them with the crisp mix, and bake. That’s all there is to it. A recipe with this much flavor and so little effort has to be tried at least once. Give it a shot, and I know you’ll fall in love with it.
More Delicious Cranberry Desserts You’ll Love
If you try this recipe and love it, please be sure to leave a 5 ★★★★★ rating below and leave a comment! You can also pin it you to favorite Pinterest boards and save it for later.
Also, follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Remember to “like” or “follow” us on all social media.
Cranberry Crisp
Ingredients
Crisp Topping
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup butter, (2 sticks)
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Cranberry Filling
- 2-12 ounce fresh cranberries
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- Zest from 2 oranges, plus juice from one of the oranges
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° and lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or 3-quart baking dish. Set aside.
Crisp Topping
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and brown sugar.
- Add 1 cup of butter and mix on low speed until crumbly.
- Stir in chopped pecans. Set aside.
Cranberry Filling
- In a medium bowl, whisk sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
- Rinse cranberries and add to a large bowl, add pecans, orange zest and the juice from one orange.
- Stir in sugar mixture and gently mix until cranberries and pecans are coated well.
- Pour fruit mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Add the flour mixture on top of the cranberries and spread evenly.
- Bake uncovered at 400° for 45-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Notes
- Use cold butter for the crumble topping to get the best texture.
- Be sure to rinse your cranberries thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris and to find any spoiled or marred berries.
- There’s no need to defrost frozen cranberries if you use them for this recipe.
Nutrition
