Description
A cozy fall dessert featuring sweet apples, tart cranberries, and a crunchy oat crumble topping. This easy recipe is perfect for chilly nights, potlucks, or whenever you need a comforting treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and diced (about 600g)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (150g)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67g)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
- Zest of 1 orange (about 1 tablespoon, optional)
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (90g)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (90g, or almond flour for gluten-free)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (100g)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (113g, or plant-based butter for dairy-free)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (30g, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Peel, core, and dice the apples into 1/2-inch pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine apples, cranberries, granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger (if using), and orange zest. Toss until evenly coated.
- If the fruit mixture looks too dry, add 1 tablespoon orange juice or water. If very juicy, add another teaspoon of flour.
- In a medium bowl, mix rolled oats, 3/4 cup flour, brown sugar, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and nuts (if using).
- Add cold, cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers to blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits.
- Pour the fruit mixture into a greased 9×9-inch baking dish and spread evenly.
- Spoon the oat crumble topping evenly over the fruit. Do not press down.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and fruit juices are bubbling at the edges.
- Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve warm, optionally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
For gluten-free, use almond flour or a 1:1 gluten-free blend and certified gluten-free oats. For vegan, use plant-based butter. Keep butter cold for a crisp topping. You can prep the topping ahead and refrigerate. Swap apples for pears or cranberries for other berries as desired. If topping is pale after baking, broil for 1-2 minutes. Let cool before serving for best texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1/8 of the pan
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 26
- Sodium: 120
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 46
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 3
Keywords: apple cranberry crumble, oat crumble, fall dessert, easy apple dessert, cozy dessert, Thanksgiving dessert, fruit crisp, gluten-free option, vegan option