Apple Cranberry Crumble
When apples are in peak season, there is nothing better than an Apple Cranberry Crumble. It is a perfect, Autumnal dessert that takes only a few ingredients like apples, fresh cranberries, light brown sugar, a little flour, a little cinnamon, and that perfect crumble topping. What makes it better? I scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate indulgence.
Table of contents
Why you will love this crumble recipe
Unlike Apple crisp recipes that would likely have rolled oats, this Apple Cranberry Crumble features Granny Smith apples and fresh cranberries with a crumble topping that is all-purpose flour, sugars, and unsalted butter. At first, it may seem like these two fruits might not work together, but they balance each other quite well. The flavors are tart and sweet with that oh-so-good touch of cinnamon and sugar on the topping to make it perfect!
This recipe only uses 4 main ingredients and the remainder are pantry staples, so it’s a really easy Apple Cranberry Crumble recipe.
Lastly, I use a baking dish making it perfect for a brunch or group setting. For larger groups just double or triple the recipe and use a 13×9-inch baking dish or a larger, deeper baking dish.
The best apples for baking
There is nothing better than smelling the tantalizing smell of apples baking at home during the cooler months. Add some spices like cinnamon and whatever is cooking is transformed into an irresistible dish that no one can wait until it is out of the oven. The best baking apples are tart apples like the most common, green, Granny Smith. These are my personal favorites because they are easy to find. According to Bon Appetit, they name their favorites besides Granny Smiths: Jonagold, Braeburn, Mutsu, Winesap, and Pink Lady apples. Apples are my favorite baked fruit next to peaches in the Summer. Besides desserts and baked dishes like my Potato Apple Gratin, I love apples in salads, like my Apple Spinach White Bean Salad. Apples are incredibly versatile and easily used in both sweet and savory food recipes.
This Apple Cranberry Crumble recipe is inspired by a Cooking Light recipe I found in a cookbook published in 2010.
The difference between a crumble and a crisp
We often hear the word crumble and crisp used interchangeably when it comes to these baked fruit-based desserts. But what is the difference? Both have bases of flour, sugar, and chilled butter, but what is the actual difference? It is primarily the absence of oats and or nuts in a crumble. A crisp will have oats and sometimes nuts mixed into the topping. A crumble is also slightly chunky in texture…its hardly noticeable in my opinion but many note this. Now before we get the comments going, these baked desserts don’t follow linear directions. These may vary depending on the region you live in, or also family recipes that have been passed down through generations.
Ingredients for this Apple Cranberry Crumble
- 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
- 6 Granny Smith apples (medium-sized), peeled, cored and sliced.
- 2 cups of fresh cranberries
- 1/3 cup of fresh orange juice
- 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, ground
How to bake the crumble
Preheat oven to 375°F.
To prepare and bake this Apple Cranberry Crumble you will need a 2-3 quart baking dish and a food processor or dough blender/cutter tool.
Let’s start with the topping. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of light brown sugar and mix with a fork. Using the dough blender, cut the chilled butter into the flour-sugar mixture. Continue until the flour-sugar mixture has the consistency of cornmeal. Once fully combined, set aside.
If using a food processor, add all the ingredients to a food processor bowl and pulse until blended and the flour-sugar mixture has the consistency of cornmeal.
In the large bowl, add the sliced apples and fresh cranberries. Add the orange juice to the apple mixture. Add the 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Toss well until the fruit is covered in the sugar mixture. Pour the fruit mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly.
Add the crumble mixture to the top of the fruit mixture. The majority of the fruit will be covered with the crumble mixture, don’t worry if it doesn’t cover the fruit completely.
Bake for 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered. The Apple Cranberry Crisp with be done when bubbly and the sugar mixture has browned. Remove from the oven.
How to serve
The very best way of serving this Apple Cranberry Crumble is warm with vanilla ice cream. It’s the perfect pairing. A dollop of whipped cream works well with this dessert too. But this crumble can be enjoyed without ice cream or whipped cream and I guarantee it will be just as delicious!
Enjoy!
Tips and frequently asked questions
You can use frozen cranberries, just note that the crumble will likely be a little more watery versus using fresh cranberries. They hold more water content when frozen.
Blueberries work well with this recipe. Fresh or frozen.
For the recipe yield as written, you need a two-quart baking dish. For double the recipe, use a 9×13 inch baking dish (4 quarts), use a regular depth dish, not a shallow one. To triple the recipe, use an XL baking dish, like a 12×17-inch baking dish (5-6 quarts).
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Apple Cranberry Crumble
November 21, 2023Equipment
- 1 baking dish 2-3 quart
- 1 pie dough blender/cutter
- food processor for the crisp topping optional
Ingredients
Crumble
- 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chilled unsalted butter cut into small pieces
Apple Cranberry mixture
- 6 Granny Smith Apples peeled, cored and sliced
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice
- 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon ground
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
Crisp topping
- In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of light brown sugar and mix with a fork. Using the dough blender, cut the chilled butter into the flour-sugar mixture. Continue until the flour-sugar mixture has the consistency of cornmeal. Once fully combined, set aside.
- If using a food processor, add all the ingredients to a food processor bowl and pulse until blended and the flour-sugar mixture has the consistency of cornmeal.
Apple Cranberry mixture
- In the large bowl, add the sliced apples and fresh cranberries. Add the orange juice to the apple mixture. Add the 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Toss well until the fruit is covered in the sugar mixture.
- Pour the fruit mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly.
- Add the crumble mixture to the top of the fruit mixture. The majority of the fruit will be covered with the crumble mixture, don’t worry if it doesn’t cover the fruit completely.
- Bake for 30 minutes covered and then 30 minutes uncovered.
- The Apple Cranberry Crisp with be done when bubbly and the sugar mixture has browned. Remove from the oven.
- Enjoy warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
