Name: Cranberry Apple Crisp
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 cups (204g) cranberries, fresh or frozen; 3 cups fresh apples, cubed (about 3 medium apples); 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar; 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar; 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg; 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold; 2/3 cup (54g) rolled oats

Ingredients

Below you'll find a few tips and recommendations for key ingredients. A full list of ingredients with measurements is available in the recipe card.

Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen for this recipe. Frozen berries should not be thawed.

Apples: Firm apples that won't break down during the baking process work best. We prefer a sweeter apple like a Honeycrisp or Braeburn.

Brown and granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to both the filling and topping. Brown sugar tastes slightly less sweet than granulated, so the filling uses both to counteract the tartness of the cranberries.

Flour: Thickens the filling and helps hold the topping together.

Butter: Gives the topping its signature crisp texture and adds moisture. To keep the butter from melting too quickly, make sure it's cold and right out of the fridge.

Ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon: Give this dish its warm, holiday-infused flavor.

Rolled oats: Add chew and flavor to the topping.

Working ahead

This crisp is easy to throw together, but if you want to work ahead, you have a couple of options:

Bake and reheat: Store the baked crisp in the fridge (it'll keep for up to five days but I recommend doing it no more than a day or two in advance so it's fresh) and reheat in a 350F oven until heated through (about 15-25 minutes).

Assemble the night before: Assemble the filling and topping in separate containers and refrigerate overnight. Bake as instructed.

How to make cranberry apple crisp

White pie dish filled with cranberry apple filling.

Peel and cube the apples.

Combine all of the filling ingredients and stir to coat. Pour into 9" round dish.

Combine the flour, sugar, spices and butter for the topping. Use a pastry cutter to combine.

Cranberry and apple filling in a white pie dish topped with a heap of oatmeal crisp topping.

Add the rolled oats to the topping and stir to coat.

Cover the filling with the topping.

Overhead view of cranberry apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the center.

Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes or until the sides bubble with a thick syrup.

Expert tips

Estimating apples: You'll need two to three medium size apples to create three cups of cubed apples.
Pastry cutter substitute: If you don't have a pastry cutter on hand, you can cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a fork or by rubbing it together with your fingertips.

Hand placing a scoop of crisp into a small white bowl.

Troubleshooting

Why is my crisp watery? Not enough thickener and not being baked long enough can leave your crisp watery. I tested this recipe four times with different amounts and kinds of thickener, and am confident the thickener shouldn't be a problem. Baking is what thickens the juices, so watch for a thick bubbling syrup along the sides to know when it's done. If you tilt the dish and liquid starts pooling along the sides, give it another 5 minutes before checking again.

Why is my topping dry? Butter is the secret to getting a topping that's crunchy but not dry. The mixture should result in pea-sized chunks that hold the dry ingredients together. If you're left with a lot of flour or spices at the bottom of the bowl, keep working the butter with your pastry cutter.

Why is my crisp dry? If your crisp dried out, it may be that it baked too long. While you can't un-bake an overbaked crisp, you can add some moisture back in by serving it with whipped cream, ice cream, or a sauce.

A small bowl of cranberry apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Nearby are the dish of crisp, another bowl of crisp and ice cream and a bowl of frozen cranberries.

Other pan sizes

Mini (2 servings): Make a smaller crisp for date night or just yourself by dividing the recipes by 2.6 and baking it in a 5" x 7" rectangular dish. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes.

8"x 8" square dish: If you don't have a 9" round tart pan, you can also use an 8" x 8" square pan. You do not need to scale the ingredients or change the baking time.

9" x 13": If you need crisp for a crowd, double the recipe and place it in a 9" x 13" dish. Bake at 350F for 45-55 minutes.

Recipe

Cranberry Apple Crisp