This apple cranberry crisp is full of all the fall flavors we love this time of year. Fresh apples and cranberries create a sweet and tangy filling that’s topped with a sweet, crunchy crisp topping and then baked to golden brown perfection. It will have you screaming, “It’s fall, y’all!”
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Apple and Cranberry Crisp
- Ingredients
- Flavor Variations
- How to Make Apple Cranberry Crisp
- Hint
- Storage
- What to Serve with This Apple Cranberry Crisp Recipe
- Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Try This Delicious Apple Cranberry Crisp Today
- More Delicious Crisp Recipes You’ll Enjoy
- Apple Cranberry Crisp
If you ask me, fall is the best time of year for baking. I’m a big fan of apples and cranberries, so I find myself making sweet treats like apple cobbler, cranberry dessert bars, and pretty much any other sweet I can think of when the weather starts to change.
One of my staple fall recipes is this apple cranberry crisp. I’ve been making it for years, and no one ever gets tired of it. The flavors are so classically fall, and it’s so easy to make. I love that combo because it means I get more time with family, and they get delicious treats. Everyone wins!
Why You’ll Love This Apple and Cranberry Crisp
- Classic Fall Flavors: Apples and cranberries are two classic fall flavors that everyone loves. Putting them together creates a delicious dessert that will have you itching to put on your cute boots and flannel jackets.
- Simple Ingredients: Everything you need to make this recipe is either in your kitchen or at your local grocery store. There’s nothing fancy!
- Easy to Make: This is one of the easiest fruit desserts you’ll ever make. You don’t even have to cook the filling first!
- Feeds a Crowd: Make this as a dessert for a hungry family or as a sweet addition to a potluck.
Ingredients
For the Crisp
- Flour and Chopped Pecans: Flour holds the topping together, while chopped pecans add flavor and texture.
- Butter: Butter adds richness to the topping and helps bind it together.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness and helps make the topping golden brown.
For the Filling:
- Apples and Cranberries: Granny Smith Apples and Cranberries create the base for this sweet and tangy filling.
- Orange Juice and Zest: Orange juice and zest add a citrusy flavor and sweetness that balances out the cranberries.
- Sugar: Sugar makes the filling nice and sweet.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Apples: Use your favorite apples for this recipe. They all work, and they all change the flavor of the filling just a touch.
- Raisins: Try adding raisins for more sweetness and flavor.
- Pecans: Try using any of your favorite nuts for the crisp topping. Almost any will work, so have fun experimenting!
How to Make Apple Cranberry Crisp
For the Topping
1: Whisk the flour and brown sugar in a large bowl. Then, add the butter and mix until crumbly.
2: Stir in the chopped pecans and set aside.
For the Filling
1: Whisk the sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
2: Combine the remaining filling ingredients in a large bowl.
3: Add the sugar mixture to the fruit mixture and stir until evenly coated.
To Make the Crisp
1: Add the fruit mixture to a prepared 9×13 baking dish. Then, top it with slices of butter.
2: Top the fruit with the crumble mixture and bake until golden brown. Enjoy!
Hint
For the best texture, use cold butter to make your crisp topping.
Storage
Refrigerate this crisp for up to 4 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Defrost the crisp in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it.
To reheat the crisp, microwave individual portions at 30-second intervals until heated through.
What to Serve with This Apple Cranberry Crisp Recipe
This delicious apple crisp is perfect with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea. It’s also a fantastic dessert to pair with other fall favorites like this pumpkin roll, apple streusel blondies, and pecan pie bars as part of a larger dessert spread at parties and holiday gatherings.
Tips
- Spray your baking dish with just enough nonstick spray to evenly coat it. You don’t want it to pool at the bottom of the dish.
- Keep your butter cold before mixing it into the crisp topping. It will make the texture so much better.
- Be sure you really pack the brown sugar down into the measuring cup for a nice, sweet topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Peeling apples before baking them is largely a matter of personal preference. Leaving the peel on results in a more rustic, chewy texture. Peeled apples meld together somewhat while baking, creating a softer filling.
The only difference between the two is the addition of oats. Crisps have added oats to create a crispy texture. Nuts may also be used in place of oats.
While Granny Smith will always have the top spot as the best apple for baking, there are several other varieties that also work very well. Each of them have their own distinct flavor profile and can subtly change the flavor of your dish.
Granny Smith
Honey Crisp
Jonagold
Pink Lady
Braeburn
Mutsu
Winesap
When choosing apples at the store, look for firm apples that don’t feel soft or spongy. Ripe apples are also heavier, indicating juiciness. You’ll also want to sniff the apples. If they have a fruity smell, they’re ripe.
Try This Delicious Apple Cranberry Crisp Today
With a sweet, crunchy topping and a filling loaded with the sweet and tangy flavors of apples, cranberries and orange, this is a fall recipe that you can’t pass up. It’s so easy to make, and it makes the perfect dessert or potluck treat. Give it a try, and I know you’ll make it a permanent part of your recipe rotation.
More Delicious Crisp Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Here is an Apple Pear Walnut Crisp that is a delicious crisp recipe too!
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Apple 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
Apple Cranberry Filling
- 4 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and sliced into ¼ inch slices
- 24 ounce fresh cranberries
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°
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.
Apple Cranberry Filling
- In a medium bowl, whisk sugar, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- Rinse cranberries and add to a large bowl, add apples and pecans.
- Stir in sugar mixture and gently mix until cranberries, apples, and pecans are coated well.
- Pour fruit mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, and add sliced butter randomly over the top of the fruit.
- Add the flour mixture on top of the fruit and spread evenly.
- Bake uncovered at 400° for 45-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Video
Notes
- Spray your baking dish with just enough nonstick spray to evenly coat it. You don’t want it to pool at the bottom of the dish.
- Keep your butter cold before mixing it into the crisp topping. It will make the texture so much better.
- Be sure you really pack the brown sugar down into the measuring cup for a nice, sweet topping.
Nutrition
This apple, cranberry crisp recipe turned out amazing! It was easy to prepare, and everyone loved it, can’t wait to make it for Thanksgiving!
This is such a great fall dessert. I love it as an easy option for Thanksgiving.
Made this on a chilly Sunday and the whole house smelled amazing. The balance between sweet and tart is perfect.
This was such a perfect fall recipe! I made it for dessert but I reheated it for breakfast the next day too haha…just love it so much!
The flavors of fall! Apple and cranberry are a perfect pairing. This rustic crisp looks so comforting and delicious. I need a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
This totally screams fall flavors. The cranberry and apple was great combo to use. Delicious!!
BOOM! This is so good. I love the combo of apples and cranberries.
I loved the combination of the fresh apples and cranberries in this. The nuts were a nice touch, too!
Hoooo boy, this is good on every level. It tastes like the holidays, and it’s super easy. LOVE IT.
I love the combination of ease and flavor here. Made it last night and it was a hit!
It appears you have changed your format for your posts………don’t like the new format……………no way to skip to recipe………………..yesterdays’ post had a pinterest button hidden near end, this one has nothing…..
No intro, I’m changing my stuff …….leaves your readers in limbo
Hello, the format has changed just a bit. The “jump to recipe” button is still at the top of the post. I did add a “jump to…” so others might just want to skip to certain sections. If you click the recipe title at the bottom of the “jump to” section, that is the recipe. This isn’t on all of my posts and it won’t be on all of them. It’s new and I might forget to add it. lol