Apple Cranberry Crumble (Crisp)
This Apple Cranberry Crumble recipe is everything you want from a fall dessert: sweet and tart fruit, a buttery cinnamon crispy topping, and just enough effort that it feels special without ever feeling fussy. Grab a spoon (or several) and let’s get into it.
Apple and cranberry crumble is a dessert I really fell in love with after moving to the U.S. Living in Seattle for 15 years gave me a front-row seat to the Pacific Northwest’s incredible apple orchards, and it wasn’t long before cranberries, another PNW specialty, found their way into my baking too.
What I love about this particular combination is how the tartness of the cranberries cuts through the sweetness of the apples, so the whole dessert stays bright and balanced instead of one-note sweet. It reminds me a little of the apple filling I use in my apple empanadas, just baked into one big, shareable pan instead of tucked into individual pastries.
Why You’ll Love This Holiday Crumble or Crisp
- It’s a one-bowl, no-mixer dessert. There’s no pastry to roll out and no electric mixer required, just two bowls, a baking dish, and your hands to work the crumble topping.
- The apple and cranberry combo is perfectly balanced. Apples and tart cranberries keep each other in check, so the crumble never tastes cloying.
- It’s endlessly adaptable. You can swap the apples, cut back on the cranberries, or use a different berry entirely depending on what you like or what’s in your kitchen.
- It’s a make-ahead holiday hero. This is the kind of dessert you can prep earlier in the day and pop in the oven while you finish the rest of your meal.
- It feeds a crowd. Baked in a 9×13 dish, this crumble (or crisp) is built for potlucks, holiday tables, and second (or third) helpings.
Ingredient Notes
- Granny Smith apples: Their tartness and firm texture hold up beautifully during baking. Peel, core, and slice them evenly so they cook at the same rate.
- Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen cranberries. If using frozen ones, go straight from the freezer into the bowl, don’t thaw them first.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar sweetens the filling and balances the tart apples and cranberries.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the fruit filling.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Used in both the filling and the topping, this blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove gives the crumble its cozy, fall flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the crumble topping, giving it structure.
- Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and a deeper, caramel-like sweetness to the topping compared to white sugar.
- Salt: A small amount balances the sweetness and makes the other flavors pop.
- Unsalted butter: Keep it cold and cut it into cubes so the topping stays crumbly rather than melting into a paste.
Variations & Substitutions
- Apples: Swap the Granny Smiths for a sweeter variety like Gala or Honeycrisp if you prefer a less tart filling.
- Cranberries: Use half the amount of cranberries for a milder tartness, or replace them with blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries.
- Gluten-free: Substitute the all-purpose flour in the topping with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
- Dairy-free: Replace the butter with a plant-based butter substitute. Look for one meant for baking so it holds up in the crumble topping.
- Nutty crunch: Stir in a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping for extra texture.
- Oats: Add ½ cup of rolled oats to the topping mixture for a heartier, more crisp-like texture.
Tips for Success
- Keep your butter cold. Cold butter is what creates those irresistible crumbly, buttery clumps on top, so cut it right before mixing rather than letting it sit out and soften.
- Slice your apples evenly. Uniform slices cook at the same rate, which means no undercooked or mushy bites in your finished crumble.
- Use your hands for the topping. Mixing the topping with your fingers, rather than a spoon, helps you feel when the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is evenly moistened.
- Watch for bubbling edges. The cranberry apple crisp or crumble is done when the edges are visibly bubbling and the topping is deep golden brown, not just lightly colored, since that bubbling means the fruit filling has fully cooked down.
Serving Suggestions
This easy apple cranberry crumble is best served warm, straight out of the oven, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or cinnamon ice cream melting into the fruit or a generous dollop of whipped cream on top. Yum!!
Storage Suggestions
Store any leftover cranberry apple crumble covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm individual portions in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, or reheat the whole dish, uncovered, in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 15 minutes to help the topping crisp back up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do cranberries and apples go together? Yes, cranberries and apples pair really well! The tartness of cranberries balances the sweetness of apples nicely. This combo is popular in pies, sauces, crisps, and even fresh salads.
Do I need to peel the apples? Peeling gives the crumble a smoother, more traditional texture, since the peels can turn slightly chewy after baking. If you don’t mind a bit of extra texture, you can leave the peels on to save time.
Why is my crumble topping soggy instead of crisp? This usually happens if the butter was too warm when mixed in or if the crumble wasn’t baked long enough for the edges to fully bubble. Make sure your butter is cold going in and bake until the topping is deep golden brown and the filling is visibly bubbling at the edges.
Can I make this crumble ahead of time? Yes, you can assemble the crumble up to a day ahead and refrigerate it unbaked, then bake it fresh when you’re ready to serve. You can also bake it fully in advance and reheat it, though the topping will be at its crispiest on the day it’s baked.
Is this recipe very tart? Compared to a classic apple crumble, this version does have a noticeably more tart edge thanks to the cranberries. If you’d like it sweeter, use a sweeter apple variety like Gala, cut the cranberries in half, or swap them for a milder berry like strawberries.
Apple Cranberry Crumble
Ingredients
For the apple cranberry filling:
- 6 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and cut into slices
- 8 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries 225 grams
- 1 cup sugar 200 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
For the crumble topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 120-130 grams
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold 113 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Add all the filling ingredients (apple slices, cranberries, sugar, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice) to a large mixing bowl and mix until the apples and cranberries are fully coated. Set aside.
- Cut the butter into squares and add them to a separate mixing bowl along with all the other topping ingredients (flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt).
- Mix with your hands until the butter is fully incorporated and the entire mixture is moistened. Set aside.
- Spread the apple cranberry mixture evenly into the bottom of a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top of the apple cranberry mixture.
- Bake the crumble in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
- Serve the apple cranberry crumble warm topped with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Notes
- If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before using them for this recipe, simply use them straight out of the freezer.
- When compared to a regular plain apple crumble, this crumble has a slightly more “tart” taste due to the cranberries. If you prefer a sweeter taste, you can switch out the Granny Smith for a sweeter apple, for example Gala apples. You could also use half of the amount of cranberries, or replace them with blackberries, raspberries or strawberries.
Photos of the step by step preparation process for apple cranberry crumble/crisp:
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