Apple Cranberry Oat Crumble

I know it’s a little early, but promise me you’ll put this on your list for Thanksgiving. It’s an old-fashioned dessert of warm baked apples and tart scarlet cranberries with a crunchy oat streusel topping. The recipe comes from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson, a small and unassuming little cookbook that’s full of yummy treasures.

If you’re at all intimidated by baking, or just think of it as one of those things that other people do, this recipe will make you think again. There’s no fussy pie dough…just fruit tossed with sugar and cinnamon and a simple crumb topping of oats, flour, brown sugar and butter. Unlike pie, it’s essentially foolproof (and I don’t know about you, but I’d take a crunchy crumble over flaky pie crust any day).

Just be sure to buy apples that are suitable for baking, otherwise you’ll end up with applesauce. I used a blend of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious but there are endless other options…try Jonathan, Jonagold, Fuji or Suncrisp, and feel free to mix it up for a more nuanced flavor.

As for the cranberries, you can buy them fresh or frozen. My market didn’t have fresh so I found them frozen at Whole Foods.

For dessert, serve this crumble warm out of the oven topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It’s also delicious on its own for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee.

I promise you, this one’s a sure crowd-pleaser. Bookmark it for the holidays!

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Apple Cranberry Oat Crumble
From Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber & Julie Richardson
Printable Recipe

Serves 8-12

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, for dish

For Topping

2 cups rolled oats
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1⅓ cups light brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted

For Fruit Filling

8 large baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 cups (8 ounces) cranberries, fresh or frozen
1⅓ cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart baking dish.

2. To make the topping, mix the oats, flour, brown sugar and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter, then press the topping together with your hands to form small clumps. Put the topping in the freezer while you assemble the filling.

3. To make the fruit filling, toss the apples, cranberries, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Transfer the filling to the prepared pan and spread it out, pressing the fruit down into the corners.

4. Press the oat crumble evenly over the fruit, then bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the crumble is lightly golden and the filling is bubbling up in the corners. Cool for about 20 minutes to temper the heat before serving, then top with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

Storage: This crumble is best served the day it is made, but any leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in a 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until warm.