When you need the perfect holiday dessert, this Apple Cranberry Almond Crisp is always a crowd pleaser! It's the easiest Thanksgiving pie alternative, and those festive red cranberries carry you all through the holiday season! Nutritious apples and fresh cranberries (freeze an extra bag or two in November!) are tossed in maple syrup and almond extract, and baked with a crunchy buttery almond oat topping. A simpler, prettier, and downright delicious dessert, served warm with vanilla ice cream!
Why You'll Make This Every Year
- No pie crust required - so much easier, just toss and bake.
- Naturally gluten-free - always helpful with large parties!
- Make-ahead friendly - assemble the day before and bake when ready.
- That almond flavor takes it from ordinary crisp to amazing!
- Beautiful red cranberries make it undeniably festive and seasonal!
- Love a Good Crisp? So do we! Try this Pear Blueberry Crisp and this Apple Cherry Crisp!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
This dessert leans a little on the healthier side! Buttery, sweet and indulgent, but made with lots of nutritious fresh fruit and protein-packed oats and nuts.
- Apples - Use any type of apples, really, it doesn't matter! Slice them very thing, no need to peel and measure about 4 or 5 cups. Depending on the size of apples, you want to use 4 or 5.
- Lemon Juice - Keeps the apples from browning and brightens their flavor.
- Fresh Cranberries - An incredibly seasonal fruit, fresh cranberries are wonderfully tart (and grown right near my hometown in Wisconsin!). Rinse them well and buy organic if you can since they can be heavily sprayed.
- Maple Syrup - Sweetened with real maple syrup, those tart cranberries bake up soft and burst with their juices. Maple syrup adds deep rich flavor, but you could substitute honey or brown sugar.
- Cornstarch - When baked, cornstarch thickens the juices and liquid released by the apples and cranberries.
- Almond Extract - It just screams the holidays to me! If you don't have it, you can substitute vanilla extract.
- Oats - The main component of the crisp topping, offering crispy crunchy texture! Use regular rolled oats or old-fashioned oats. I like to buy them from the bulk bin at the store, same oats we use every month in our Homemade Granola.
- Almond Flour and Sliced Almonds - A big boost of almond flavor, I like to buy sliced almonds for the best texture, but slivered almonds or whole almonds chopped yourself would work too.
- Brown Sugar - I like a topping that's sweet but not too sweet! A little brown sugar is all that's needed, and try making your own Homemade Brown Sugar next time you run out, it's kind of amazing!
- Butter - Butter holds the topping together and helps it get crispy golden brown.
See recipe card below for full quantities.
Instructions
A crisp takes awhile to bake, but is really quick and easy to put together and pop in the oven! Plus it smells divine!
Step 1 - Thinly slice your apples, adding them to a bowl with lemon juice so they don't brown.
Step 2 - Toss the apples with the cranberries, corn starch, maple syrup and almond extract, use a spoon or your hands to mix well!
Use a bit of the butter for the topping to grease a baking dish and add the filling.
Step 3 - Use the same bowl to mix together all the ingredients for the topping.
Again, use your hands so the butter coats everything!
Step 4 - Loosely sprinkle the topping over the filling, leaving some space around the edges for the apples and cranberries to peek out.
Step 5 - Bake at 375°F for about 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Choose the Right Size Baking Dish - I used a medium oval baking dish here. You want 4 to 5 cups of sliced apples to fit in a nice even layer, not too spread out but not too thick. You can also make the crisp in two smaller pans, freezing or refrigerating one for later.
- Frozen cranberries work perfectly - no need to thaw, but they do need to be rinsed either before or after freezing. I always buy a few extra bags for the freezer in November!
- Ice Cream Options - We always serve Apple Cranberry Crisp with vanilla ice cream, but whipped cream would also be good. Leftovers are even delicious warmed up for breakfast and served with yogurt!
- Storage and Freezing - Extra baked cranberry apple crisp can be store in the fridge for about 4 days and reheated in the microwave. An unbaked crisp can be made ahead and refrigerated for a day, or wrapped well and frozen. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
Recipe FAQs
You can use any type of apples you have. I wouldn't buy specific apples for an apple crisp, anything you like to eat or pick from a tree in the fall will bake up delicious!
The purpose of the lemon juice is to keep the apples from browning and to add bright flavor. The cornstarch serves as a thickener for the filling as the apples and cranberries release their juices. Both are great, but in a pinch, the crisp will be fine without either or both ingredients.
Yes! This holiday apple crisp is naturally gluten-free if you use certified GF oats.
Yes! I always buy a few extra bags of fresh cranberries around Thanksgiving and throw them in the freezer! If using frozen, just rinse them well under cold water straight from the freezer.
More Favorite Holiday Baking!
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Apple Cranberry Almond Crisp
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For the Filling
- 4 to 5 apples (4 to 5 cups thinly sliced)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (from half a lemon)
- 8 ounces fresh cranberries (2 cups, rinsed well)
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup (or honey or brown sugar)
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
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 the oven to 375℉. Use a bit of the butter for the topping to grease a medium sized baking dish.
- Wash apples well and cut them into thin slices, no need to peel. Add them to a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice.
- Add all ingredients for the filling to the apples and toss well. Transfer to the buttered baking dish.
- Mix together all ingredients for the topping (you can use the same bowl). Toss well so the melted butter fully coats everything. Spread the topping lightly and evenly over the filling, letting a bit of the filling peek out around the edges.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Apples - Use any variety of apples, 4 larger or 5 smaller, no need to peel.
- Cranberries - Rinse well and use organic if you can. Frozen cranberries work great, just rinse before using, no need to thaw.
- Make Ahead - The crisp can be made a day in advance, refrigerated and baked when ready.
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