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Warm spiced apple cranberry crisp with bubbling ruby red fruit filling, crunchy brown sugar oat streusel topping and melting vanilla bean ice cream

Warm Spiced Apple Cranberry Crisp

This Warm Spiced Apple Cranberry Crisp is the ultimate cozy autumn and holiday dessert. Juicy sweet Honeycrisp apples and tart fresh ruby cranberries are tossed in warm cinnamon, ginger, and pure orange zest, then baked beneath a thick, buttery rolled oat streusel until golden and crackling. Served warm with a melting scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, every spoonful delivers the perfect harmony of sweet, tart, and crunchy.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings (approx. 1 cup crisp each)
Calories: 345
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Spiced Apple & Cranberry Fruit Filling
  • 4 medium Honeycrisp or Gala apples peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick (approx. 4 cups)
  • 3 medium Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick (approx. 3 cups)
  • 2 cups 200g fresh whole cranberries (or frozen, unthawed)
  • 1/3 cup 70g granulated sugar or pure maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder for thickening fruit juices
  • 1 tbsp fresh orange juice plus 1 tsp fresh orange zest
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Golden Brown Sugar Butter Oat Streusel
  • 1 1/4 cups 120g old-fashioned whole rolled oats (gluten-free certified if needed)
  • 3/4 cup 95g all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free baking flour)
  • 3/4 cup 150g packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup 60g pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped (optional for extra crunch)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup 115g cold unsalted butter, cubed into small pieces
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Serving Accompaniments
  • Premium vanilla bean ice cream or freshly whipped cream
  • A pinch of ground cinnamon for garnish

Method
 

Step-by-Step Cooking Walkthrough
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch (or 2.5-quart) ceramic or glass baking dish with butter.
  2. In a large bowl, toss sliced apples, fresh cranberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, fresh orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until evenly coated and glossy. Spread fruit mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
  3. Prepare the oat topping: In a separate medium bowl, combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, cinnamon, and sea salt.
  4. Add cold cubed butter and vanilla extract. Work the butter into the dry oat mixture using a pastry cutter, fork, or clean fingertips until coarse, moist crumbly clumps form (pea-sized pieces are ideal).
  5. Scatter the oat streusel mixture evenly over the fruit filling, gently pressing down so it adheres across the top.
  6. Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes until the fruit filling is bubbling thickly around the edges and the oat streusel topping is deeply golden brown and fragrant.
  7. Remove from oven and allow the crisp to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature. This brief rest lets the fruit juices thicken and settle into a spoonable compote.
  8. Spoon generous warm helpings into dessert bowls, crown immediately with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, and serve while the ice cream gently melts into the warm streusel.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 345kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 95mgPotassium: 240mgFiber: 6gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 420IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1.8mg

Notes

Chef Secret: Combine tart Granny Smith apples with sweet Honeycrisp or Gala apples! The blend of apple textures prevents the filling from becoming overly soft while maintaining the perfect sweet-tart balance with the fresh cranberries. Tossing the fruit in fresh orange zest cuts through sweetness and amplifies the vibrant cranberry flavor.

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