Cranberry Apple Crisp

Crisps are those lovely fall desserts that are absolutely delicious but look less than appealing with spooned out and schlopped on a plate…so we tried our best to give this one a glamor shot and add a few accompanying goodies to make it look as appealing as it tastes. You’ll be the judge of whether or not we succeeded, but I think this one is having a pretty good hair day. It’s also amazing with a scoop of ice cream, which I know for a fact because after shooting the above and below plate of goop, I dug right in and ate the entirety of it. Two thumbs up, guys. It’s our Cranberry Apple Crisp, perfect for all of those seasonal fruits and can even be made with any leftover cranberry sauce you have lying around after Thursday. If you’re fed up with turkey sandwiches or soup or pie, toss this together (it’s quite simple) and sit back with a plate of it next to a roaring fire (unless you’re in SoCal, in which case, heap on the ice cream and go sun yourself on the porch).

We’ve already waxed poetic about cranberry bogs, so I’ll spare you more of the same here (for more reading, see Cranberry Clafoutis), but it’s worth noting that cranberries and apples are a wonderful pairing in this extremely-autumnal dessert. The crisp topping is a bit unique as well – at least different from our normal apple crisp topping. We added in more spices, and even added more buttery, nuttier flavors with chopped macadamia nuts and extra butter (because why not). This makes for a particularly crisp-like topping, different from a crumble topping (more just flour/butter/sugar) or a pie crust (a bit too bland for the filling in this case). The tart, earthiness of the packed-in, simmered fruits shines with the nutty, spiced crispy bits. We also start off the recipe by actually cooking (on the stove) the apples and cranberries (along with cinnamon, other spices, and orange and lemon zest), and we promise that your whole kitchen will smell like mulled cranberry apple cider or other similarly amazing hot winter drinks.

If you’re wondering how we have such a massive plate of crisp compared to the apples strewn about for the photos, not to worry, they’re tiny apples! A fun highlight of food photography (even just amateur photography in this case) is finding all sorts of quirky or colorful props to toss into the frame. For this one, I found a bag of the tiniest apples (edible, not crab apples) at the store and immediately knew they were destined for the big screen (at least my laptop Lightroom screen). Here’s to fall fruits, family who linger past the holiday and need to be fed with this crisp, and more holidays to come! Do what tastes good!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Gluten Free Cranberry Apple Crisp

Source: Sisters Sans Gluten

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: apple, cranberry, crisp

Servings: 10 people

Calories: 150kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• Pie pan

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 4 medium apples cored, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 1/2 Cups raw whole cranberries
• 1/4 tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup white sugar
• 1/4 Cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp orange juice
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp orange zest
• 1/4 Cup water

For the crisp topping:

• 1/4 Cup gluten free flour 1-1 mix
• 3/4 Cup quick oats
• 3/4 Cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 Cup almond meal
• 1/4 Cup chopped unsalted macadamia nuts
• 1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 Cup melted salted butter

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch pie plate then set aside. In a large sauce pan, on the stove, combine all of the pie filling ingredients (cored, peeled, sliced apples, cranberries, zest and juices, water, sugars, spices, and vanilla). Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until cranberries have popped and become mushy and apples are softer and more translucent. Pour entire pot into the greased pie plate and let sit while you make the topping.
• In a large bowl, combine all of the topping ingredients (flour, almond meal, chopped pecans and macadamias, sugar, spices, vanilla, salt, and melted butter). Stir together using a wooden spoon or spatula until combined. The topping will be fairly buttery, but crumble it over the top of pie filling until it covers it evenly.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes until top has browned nicely. TIP! Put the pie plate on top of a cookie sheet just in case any of the filling bubbles up (you don’t want it dripping onto the bottom of the oven and burning).
• Let cool slightly or completely until serving! Great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your crisp!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber