Cranberry Apple Crisp

Name: Cranberry Apple Crisp Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 6 cups diced apples (cut into 1/2" pieces); 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 4 tablespoons sugar; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen); 8 tablespoons butter (cold and cubed); 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 2/3 cup light brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

This Cranberry Apple Crisp combines tart cranberries and juicy apples with buttery oat crumble seasoned with holiday spices. It’s the perfect holiday dessert whether you are serving a crowd or just a few close friends and family.

My favorite way to enjoy this is served warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. And feel free to have fun playing around with adding different seasonings to both the filling and the crumble.

A white dessert plate with cranberry apple crisp topped with vanilla ice cream.

Looking for more crisp recipes? You can also try this Caramel Apple Crisp, Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, or this Berry Crisp.

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Cranberry Apple Crisp

When it comes to last minute desserts, crisps are always at the top of my list. For some reason I usually associate them with summer, which is totally unfair to fall and winter fruits. This cranberry and apple crisp is living proof—with tart cranberries, sweet juicy apples, and a buttery oat crumble topping flavored with warm spices.

The prep can be done in 15 minutes or less, and you can even make it the night before. Bake in a large baking dish, smaller cast iron pans, or even individual ramekins. You can also go nuts experimenting with different flavor combinations in both the filling and the crumble.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy to adapt to any size. It’s easy to bake crisps in any size—large, small, or individual portions. This means it’s just as easy to make for a huge crowd as it is for an intimate dinner party.
Can make it ahead of time. Not only does the prep for this dessert only take about 15 minutes. It can also easily be made ahead of time.
Perfect for the holidays. You might think of crisps as strictly a summer dessert, but this proves they can be made for any season. The combination of tart cranberries, juicy apples, and buttery oat crumble with seasonal spices like cinnamon and nutmeg is just as delicious as any summer fruit crisp! Plus nothing beats a quick and easy recipe during the hectic holiday season.

Diced apples in a glass bowl with cinnamon and sugar being added.

Key Ingredients

Apples– go for a crisp apple variety. Gala, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Fuji are all great apple options.
Cranberries – both fresh cranberries and frozen cranberries will work great for this recipe. If you do use frozen cranberries, don’t thaw them ahead of time.
Flour: using a little flour on the fresh apples will keep the apple crisp from being too runny. You will also need it for the crumble.
Oats- Use regular old-fashioned rolled oats. This gives it a hearty structure and helps give the apple crisp the chewy, crumbly texture we all love.
Brown Sugar– the flavor of brown sugar goes great with sweet, juicy apples and tart cranberries..
Cinnamon and Nutmeg- These give the crisp that rich, warm holiday flavor that is the perfect combination with warm apples.

How to Make Apple Cranberry Crisp

Prep the apples. Peel and slice the apples into 1/2″ chunks.
Mix together the filling. In a bowl, sprinkle the flour and cinnamon over the apples and cranberries and toss until well coated.
Transfer to a pie plate. Place the apple mixture into a 8-9″ square baking dish.

Cranberries and diced apples in a baking dish with a bowl full of oat crumble next to it.

Make the oat crumble. In a large bowl, mix the cold cubed butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Add in the oats and mix until well combined with small 1/2″ crumbles.
Add the topping. Using your fingers, sprinkle the oat topping over the apple cranberry mixture.
Bake. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden.
Finish. Remove from the oven to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

A baking dish with baked cranberry apple crisp.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep a crisp from getting soggy?

The best ways to make sure your crisp doesn’t get soggy are to add enough thickener and to bake it long enough. In this recipe, you’ll add flour to the cinnamon sugar mixture which helps to soak up some of the cooking juices and thicken them. Also, if you don’t bake your crisp for long enough, there won’t be a chance for the extra liquids to evaporate or for the sugars to get hot enough to thicken the filling.

What are the best apples to use?

For this crisp recipe you want to choose apples that are firm and crisp. Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gala, and Pink Lady are a few of my favorites to use for baking.

Can you make crisps the night before?

Yes! I recommend making the filling and topping, then storing them separately in the fridge. Once you are ready to serve them, you can assemble and bake as directed.

A baking dish with cranberry crisp that has a portion removed.

Recipe Tips

If you use frozen cranberries, plan on baking your crisp for at least 10 minutes longer.
If you notice the outside crust getting too dark before the crisp has finished baking, cover the exposed top-side with aluminum foil for the rest of the bake.
Use cold butter for the oat topping. It’s a little like giving the other crumble a head start. If the butter is too warm, it will melt in the oven before the other ingredients have a chance to bake together.

Storage Instructions

Room Temperature: cover any leftovers with aluminum foil and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Refrigerator: you can also cover and refrigerate your crisp for up to 5 days.
To reheat: you can microwave a small portion or reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Freezing: if you want to freeze, I recommend freezing the oat topping and cranberry apple mixture separately in airtight containers for up to 2 months. When you want to bake your crisp, pull from the freezer and transfer to a baking dish before baking as directed.