Bursting with fresh, sweet apples and tart, ruby red cranberries, my Healthy Apple Cranberry Crisp is a guaranteed crowd pleaser! This dish is easy to make and can be assembled in advance- it's perfect for the holidays or anytime you're entertaining.
My Apple Cranberry Crisp is the perfect dessert for the holidays or any time you're entertaining. Bursting with fresh, sweet apples and tart cranberries, it’s not only lovely to look at, it can also feed a crowd. Plus the whole thing can be assembled in advance.
I love making fruit crisps, crumbles, and cobblers. Some of my favorites are my Triple Berry Crisp, Slow Cooker Apple Crisp, Blueberry Crisp, and Easy Skillet Blueberry Peach Cobbler.
Fruit crisps are much easier to make than pies and tarts and everyone always loves them! You simply spread the fruit filling in a baking dish, top it with a crumbly oat topping, and bake it in the oven until golden brown and bubbly. Top it with a scoop of ice cream and devour!
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Why You'll Love This Dish
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Packed with nutritious ingredients
- Can be assembled in advance
- Can feed a crowd- perfect for entertaining and the holidays
- Kid-friendly- both kids and adults will love this dish
Healthy Apple Cranberry Crisp
Here's why my Apple Cranberry Crisp is healthier than traditional recipes:
- Higher fruit to topping ratio. Fruit pies typically have a lot of pie crust and a little fruit. With a fruit crisp, I use a lot of fruit in the filling and just enough topping to add richness. Apples and cranberries are packed with essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and antioxidants so pile them in!
- Less sugar. I find that many crisp recipes have too much sugar. However, if you use fruit that's in season (like apples at this time of year), you won't need to add too much additional sugar. If cranberries aren't in season, you can always find them in the freezer section of the grocery store. I like to use pure maple syrup to sweeten the filling. I add just a touch of brown sugar along with cinnamon and orange zest for an extra hit of flavor.
- Whole grains. I use a combination of white whole wheat flour and whole grain oats in the topping to incorporate healthy whole grains into the recipe. Chopped nuts add texture as well as heart-healthy fats, protein, fiber and other nutrients.
- Less butter. I use just enough butter (or coconut oil) to ensure a crumbly consistency.
Doctor's Tips
This Healthy Apple Cranberry Crisp is packed with nutritious ingredients!
- Apples are a nutritious ingredient that are packed with vitamins and minerals. Apples have both soluble and insoluble fiber.
- Oats are another gut-friendly, nutritious ingredient. They’re rich in soluble fiber, like apples, and have many health benefits. These include helping to lower your cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar levels, and keeping things running smoothly in your intestinal tract.
- Cranberries contain many vitamins and minerals and are packed with antioxidants.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Step 1- Peel and slice the apples. Defrost the cranberries if using frozen berries. Toss the apples, cranberries, flour, sugar, cinnamon, orange juice, zest, and maple syrup together in a large bowl.
- Step 2- To make the topping, mix the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, salt and butter (or coconut oil) together in a bowl until a crumbly topping forms. Add the nuts and mix until just combined.
- Step 3- Spray a 13x9-inch rectangular or 15-inch oval baking dish with cooking spray and pour the fruit filling into the dish. Spread the topping evenly over the fruit. Place the dish on a baking sheet (to catch any drippings) and bake in the oven until it is bubbly and the apples are tender, 55-60 minutes.
- Step 4- Cool 10 minutes before serving (the filling will thicken as it cools). Top with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
Chef's Tips
- This healthy apple cranberry crisp is also delicious for breakfast topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
- You can prepare the apple cranberry crisp a day in advance, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the unbaked crisp for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can prepare the apple cranberry crisp a day in advance, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the unbaked crisp for up to 3 months. Allow the frozen crisp to defrost in the fridge overnight before baking.
More Tasty Apple Recipes
Looking for even more apple recipes? Check out my Best Apple Recipe Round Up!
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Recipe
Healthy Apple Cranberry Crisp
Equipment
Ingredients
Filling:
- 6 cups peeled and thinly sliced baking apples such as Fuji, Honey Crisp, Jonagold or Granny Smith (1.25 lbs or 4 medium apples)
- 2 cups frozen cranberries, defrosted
- 3 tablespoons flour (I use white whole wheat flour)
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
Topping:
- ¾ cup flour (I use white whole wheat)
- ⅓ cup rolled oats
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (can use coconut oil)
- ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Toss the apple slices, cranberries, flour, sugar, cinnamon, orange zest, 2 tablespoons orange juice, and maple syrup together in a large bowl.
- To make the topping, mix the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, salt and butter together in a bowl. Use a fork or your hands to break the butter up into small pieces. Add the nuts and mix until combined.
- Spray a 13x9-inch rectangular or 15-inch oval baking dish with cooking spray and pour the apple mixture into the dish. Spread the topping evenly over the fruit.
- Place the dish on a baking sheet (to catch any drippings) and bake in the oven until it is bubbly and the apples are tender, 55-60 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
- This healthy apple cranberry crisp is also delicious for breakfast topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
- You can prepare the apple cranberry crisp a day in advance, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the unbaked crisp for up to 3 months. Allow the frozen crisp to defrost in the fridge overnight before baking.
Ada says
Can I use quick oats instead?
sonaliruder says
Yes, you can use quick oats. The topping will have a finer texture and it won’t be as chewy but it will still be delicious. Let me know how it goes!
Lorrie Roa says
Great article. This article is well written and I agree with everything you said. You just took apple crisp to a whole new level…I LOVE it! This looks amazing. I just want to dive right into this for breakfast. Peanut butter is the perfect addition and you really nailed this! I always think about eating crisps for breakfast when I have them in the house! This looks fantastic! Love the peanut butter!
url says
Did not know about the Game of Throne Cook book. I will definitely look out for it.
Can we substitute with seasonal fruits?
Thanks for the great delicious recipe.
Kat says
My goodness - this looks and sounds incredible! I love the apple and cranberry combination.
Laura says
Nope! I can't even believe that 2017 is just days away! It's going to be a crazy crazy year for us...so I'm going to soak in the tranquility of the end of 2016! 😉
Lindsay Cotter says
What a great cookbook for fans! This apple cranberry crisp is perfect for the holiday dessert table! So easy to make gluten free too which I love!
Sarah- A Whisk and Two Wands says
This looks so delicious! Apple crisp is a favorite dessert of mine and I love cranberries. I wish I had a slice to have for breakfast tomorrow. I know it's a dessert but I always save a piece for breakfast because it's just fruit and oats so basically oatmeal right? It also goes so well with a cup of coffee!
Chelsey says
This looks SO good Sonali!!! I cannot wait to whip this up over the holidays! YUM!
Maria says
Loveeee Game of Thrones and everything about this dish 🙂 I'm going to try a gluten free version!
Elizabeth Shaw says
What a beautiful combination here Sonali! I love the addition of the oil to help bind the crumble together too, smart cookie you are! I don't have any NYE plans just yet (hoping for some big news that day lol), so for now, looking forward to hopefully having a new kitchen so I can get back in there and whip this up soon! Sending you a big hug and your family well wishes for a wonderful holiday!
Brynn at The Domestic Dietitian says
Sonali, I didn't even know there was a game of thrones cookbook!! I'm amazon ordering it last minute as a gift for my husband. We love that show!
This dessert sounds amazing and I love how you styled the photo.
Deanna Segrave-Daly says
Love the choice of cookbook - so fun and the photos are STUNNING! Love me a warm fruit crisp this time of year 🙂
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
This sounds amazing I like crisps so much better than pies. Plus, they're perfect for ice cream. 😉
Cindy Kerschner says
What a delicious dessert for my holiday parties!
amanda -runtothefinish says
wow this uses so much less sugar than I would think most do! I love the idea of that tart cranberry with the nice crisp apple, this is a fabulous way to get in some extra fruit to!!
Sara @ sarahaasrdn.com says
This looks so delicious Sonali! I cannot wait to try it! And I love that serving spoon! 🙂 Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Vitaliya Nadezhdina says
Oh my gosh!! I googled this book straightaway and now I know what I want for Christmas!! Ahah
And the recipe is delish!
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious says
How funny that Game of Thrones has a cookbook! Haha! This is totally my kind of dessert and I of course love the combo of the apples and cranberries with some orange thrown in there! Looks delish!
Farrah says
Yesssss. I love that this was inspired by Game of Thrones! It looks absolutely amazing, and looks like an awesome + super festive dish! That mix of apples + cranberries sounds awesome! :]
Kristy from Southern In Law says
What a scrumptious dessert! This would be perfect on a cold evening - but I bet it'd also make a perfect summer dessert cooled down with a scoop of ice cream 😉