It's apple season and this Apple Cherry Crisp is the perfect fall dessert! Overall on the healthier side, baked with cozy cinnamon, frozen cherries, and a sweet almond oat topping, it's absolutely delicious with vanilla ice cream!
- We Love a Good Crisp! - Especially since they follow the seasons, Mixed Berry Rhubarb Crisp in the early summer, Peach Crisp in August, and the perfect Apple Cherry Crisp in the fall! You'll love this Pear Blueberry Crisp variation too!
- Easy, Healthier, and Delicious! - Warm cinnamon apple filling with hints of pink from the baked cherries, and topped with nutty, buttery, brown sugar oats, what's not to love?! The whole family devoured this recipe, and it really leans on the healthier side. Leftovers for breakfast with yogurt instead of ice cream are totally acceptable!
- If you LOVE all things Apple Season, try my Homemade Applesauce for the Freezer, Apple Cinnamon Raisin Scones and this Apple Crisp without Oats!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Lots of healthy apples and dark cherries, and a gluten-free oat almond topping, this apple crisp is lower in sugar than most recipes, but not short on taste!
- Apples - I really believe any kind of apples will work just fine for baking into a crisp. Use what you picked at the orchard, or maybe some less than perfect apples from the tree, or whatever you like for fresh eating. I used honey crisp, and didn't bother peeling them, but you can if you like. Try these Apple Banana Bread Muffins too!
- Lemon Juice - A squeeze of fresh lemon juice added to the sliced apples keeps them from browning, and brightens their flavor. If you don't have it, it's not totally necessary and can be skipped.
- Cherries - I used frozen dark cherries, a lovely addition making your regular apple crisp something special! They add a beautiful pink hue to the apples, and of course are very good for you. Fresh cherries would also be fine if they are in season, pitted and cut in half. If you don't have cherries, you can just make a basic apple crisp with this recipe, or substitute fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries.
- Cornstarch - Helps thicken the filling.
- Honey - The sweetener for the filling, and you don't need much since apples and cherries are naturally sweet! You could substitute sugar if you don't have honey.
- Cinnamon - Apples love cinnamon for that warm cozy spiced flavor!
- Rolled Oats - The base of the topping, you can use regular rolled oats, but quick oats, thick rolled oats, or old fashioned oats would all be fine. We use the same oats in our morning oatmeal and our favorite Homemade Almond Vanilla Granola.
- Almond Flour and Sliced Almonds - Most toppings call for regular flour, but we've made this recipe gluten-free, and made the topping deliciously nutty! I love subbing almond flour for regular flour as a healthier alternative, adding protein and giving a yummy nutty flavor. Sliced almonds really bring that flavor through, and add a delicious crunch to the topping.
- Brown Sugar - The sweetener for the topping, brown sugar, especially Homemade Brown Sugar, is the best for flavor, but we're using a bit less than most crisp recipes. With naturally sweet apples and cherries, plus topped with vanilla ice cream, so it's going to be plenty sweet!
- Butter - Melted butter brings your topping together so it can bake up crisp and golden!
See recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Apple Cherry Crisp is one of the easiest desserts! A quick mix of the filling, then of the topping, and pop it in the oven!
Step 1 - Slice the apples off around the core and cut into thin slices. Add the lemon juice to the apples right away so they don't brown.
Give the frozen cherries a rough chop, just to cut each one in half.
Step 2 - Add all ingredients for the filling to a bowl and mix well. You can use your hands!
Use some of the butter to grease a baking dish and add the filling.
Step 3 - In the same bowl, add all ingredients for the topping.
Mix well with the melted butter.
Step 4 - Spoon the topping over the filling in the baking dish.
Allow a few apples and cherries to peek out here and there and around the edges.
Step 5 - Bake at 375°F for about 40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!
Helpful Tips
- Flour vs. Almonds - Most apple crisp recipes contain flour in the topping. I've swapped it for almond flour to make the dessert a bit healthier, protein rich and gluten-free. You can certainly use regular flour, or really any type of nut flour. I really like the flavor and nutty crunch the almonds give the topping.
- The Right Baking Dish - I used a medium oval baking dish for this recipe which is somewhere between my 9x9 and my 9x13 casserole dish. You can eye-ball what dish you have that will fit your filling. You can even split it between 2 smaller pans, bake one and freeze the other!
- For Serving - Vanilla ice cream is a must in my book, but whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce would be pretty good too! And if you think of a crisp as basically a version of baked oatmeal, you can serve it with plain yogurt for breakfast!
- Storage and Freezing - Your baked Cherry Apple Crisp will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or can be frozen for 3 months. You can also make this crisp a day ahead of time and refrigerate it unbaked. An unbaked apple crisp can also be wrapped well and frozen for 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before baking.
Recipe FAQs
Any variety of apples are fine for this dish, use what you like to eat fresh! I used Honey Crisp apples for this recipe. A baked apple dessert is also a great way to use less than perfect apples you picked from a tree! Just cut off any bad spots, and measure about 4 or 5 cups when sliced.
I've made crisps with both cold butter worked into the topping, and melted but and decided it's just fine either way. I think the melted butter is way easier to incorporate!
Yes, the cherries make it something different and add unique flavor, but it's just fine to make it without. You can also substitute fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries.
More Apple Recipes!
If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!
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Apple Cherry Crisp
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For the Filling
- 4 apples (4 to 5 cups thinly sliced)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup frozen cherries roughly chopped in half
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Topping
- 1½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Use some of the ½ cup of butter to grease a medium sized baking dish.
- Wash apples, cut down through each apple next to the core, making 4 cuts all the way around, to remove the core. Thinly slice the apples, no need to peel. Add them to a large mixing bowl and toss with lemon juice.
- Add all ingredients for the filling to the apples and toss well with a spoon or your hands. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
- In the same bowl, mix all ingredients for the topping. Spread the topping evenly over the filling in the dish. Let a bit of the filling peek out here and there and around the edges.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Apples - Any variety of apples are fine for this dish, use what you like to eat fresh! I used 4 medium sized Honey Crisp apples.
- Cherries - Frozen or fresh cherries are fine, make sure the pits are removed. Run your knife through frozen cherries to roughly chop them in half. Fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries could be substituted.
- Honey can be substituted with white or brown sugar.
- Almond flour can be substitute with regular flour.
- Sliced almonds could be substituted with chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Use any sized baking dish or cast iron skillet that will fit the apple filling mixture. Or separate between 2 small dishes and freeze one crisp for later, baked or unbaked. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and either bake as instructed or rewarm in the oven.
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