Welcome Fall with this Apple Cranberry Crisp! Cinnamon baked apples, a sweet & tart layer of cranberry topped with a candied, crumbly, buttery oat topping! This recipe is made easy using canned cranberry sauce.
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Jump to RecipeCranberries – A Superfruit
My love of fresh cranberry is no secret. The tart little berries are my favorite thing to bake with. They pair well with apples, lemon, orange, chocolate…
As for the canned stuff – I really do like it – but I feel it misrepresents all the awesomeness of cranberries.
I quote myself:
“Poor, misunderstood cranberries. They have such a bad reputation. People associate this sweet and tangy berry with that lumpy, clumpy, almost gelatin like blob of canned sauce that gets served on holidays. There’s so much more to this superfruit.”
Stock Up On Fresh Cranberry While In Season
Even though we’re using canned cranberry sauce in this recipe – I still have to mention…Fall brings cranberry season! Yay!!!! I always like to remind everyone to stock up when they’re in season, or after the winter holidays when the prices drop. Cranberries freeze perfectly, just throw the little baggies in the freezer “as is” for year round goodness.
Here’s one of my favorite recipes – Cranberry Chocolate Chip Muffins – using fresh cranberry.
Fall also brings apple season and it’s currently in full swing. I just bought a half bushel of fresh, but imperfect, apples from a nearby farmer for $5 dollars. That’s over 20 pounds of apples for 5 bucks. It’s best to buy local (for so many reasons) whenever you can.
Reader Request
An email from a reader prompted me to share this recipe. She commented on how much she loves the flavor of cranberry but never has anything but canned sauce on hand. She requested an easy, fall dessert made with cranberry sauce. I have the perfect recipe!
Recipe Basics
Onto the recipe already, I know!
This Apple Cranberry Crisp is super simple to put together. The most effort here will be slicing the apples!
The apples and cranberry sauce get layered in a 11×7 baking dish. I use my trusty old pyrex dish. I love the lids with these dishes for easy storage!
To make the crumb topping – combine the oats, brown sugar, flour and cut in the cold butter. I use this pastry blender, but you can use forks, knives, a stand mixer – some folks use their hands.
Check out this article from “Master Class” if you need more help with the cutting in of butter.
Serve & Enjoy
This Apple Cranberry Crisp can be served warm or cold. It’s perfect as-is or add a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or your favorite yogurt.
Hope you enjoy!
Amanda ♥
Apple Cranberry Crisp
Ingredients
- 4-5 baking apples about 1 1/4 lbs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 can of cranberry sauce 15 – 16 oz. can
- 1 cup quick/rolled oats uncooked
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup butter cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease or spray a 11″ x 7″ baking dish.
- Peel, core and slice apples into sixteenths.
- Evenly arrange apples in baking dish.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon, gently toss.
- Spoon cranberry sauce on top of apples. Using a spatula, smooth cranberry sauce into an even layer.
- In a mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, brown sugar and flour. Mix.
- Add cold butter slices to mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly.
- Spoon & evenly spread topping over cranberry layer.
- Bake for about 40 minutes or until top is a light golden brown.
- Remove form oven and cool on wire rack. This can be served warm or cold.
- Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired. Enjoy 🙂
Neeli @ Neeli's Unique Creations
Honestly, I’ve always liked canned cranberry sauce. It’s slightly sweet, yet tangy at the same time. I can’t wait to eat some this Thanksgiving. I tried fresh cranberries a couple of years ago, but I didn’t like the taste. I guess cranberries aren’t meant to be eaten raw. Since I’ve seen a couple of your baked goods using fresh cranberries I might just have to buy some fresh cranberries when they become available at my local grocery stores. This recipe looks really good.
Amanda
Thanks Neeli! I do like the flavor of cranberry sauce, but the texture is a bit funky. Homemade cranberry sauce…yum. Raw cranberries, not so yum. I love cranberries – but not uncooked. You should def give them another try and do some baking with them this season 🙂
Angela @thechewylife
I love canned cranberry sauce as well!
Stephanie | Worth Whisking
Apple crisp is one of my all-time favorite desserts, but I’ve never tried it with cranberries (which I happen to also love). This is a must-try! Thanks, Amanda!
Amanda
Thanks Stephanie! I try to sneak cranberries into as many baked goods as possible 🙂
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen
This is a FALLTASTIC dish, Amanda! Mmmmm, apple and cranberry sounds a droolicious combo. Super delicious! 🙂
Amanda
Thanks Anu! Falltastic – I love that!!!
Angela @thechewylife
Perfect way to welcome autumn, Amanda!
Amanda
Thanks Angela! I have so many apples to welcome autumn with – I gotta get to baking 🙂
dianne
Oh this looks delicious. I love apple crumble – I eat it for breakfast (ooh is that bad ?? :))
Amanda
Thanks so much Dianne! I eat it for breakfast too! Top it with a little Greek yogurt and then you can say it’s good for you! Hehehehe 🙂