Cinnamon Apple Crisp
Tender spiced apples under a thick oat and brown sugar crisp topping, best served warm with ice cream.
Use two kinds of apple: one that holds its shape and one that breaks down into sauce. That contrast is what separates a good crisp from a dish of uniformly soft fruit. The topping goes on cold and thick, and bakes into something you can hear.
Watch
Video coming soon
How to make Cinnamon Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Quantities scale automatically. Cooking times stay the same.
Apple filling
Crisp topping
Equipment
- 23 x 33 cm baking dish
- Large bowl
- Apple peeler
Method
-
1
Heat and prep
Heat the oven to 190C / 375F and butter a 23 x 33 cm baking dish.
-
2
Toss the apples
Combine both kinds of sliced apple with the brown sugar, cornflour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Toss until the cornflour has disappeared, then spread into the dish.
-
3
Make the topping
Mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, then rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until you have big clumps alongside coarse crumbs.
-
4
Top thickly
Scatter the topping over the apples in a thick, even layer. Do not press it down, since the gaps are what let steam escape and the top crisp.
-
5
Bake
Bake 45-50 minutes, until the topping is deep golden brown and the apple juices bubble thickly around the edges. Cover loosely with foil if the top colours too fast.
-
6
Rest and serve
Rest 15 minutes so the filling thickens, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cream.
Cook’s tips
- Two apple varieties is the single best upgrade: one holds its shape, the other melts into sauce.
- Slice the apples evenly at about 5 mm so they cook at the same rate.
- Do not press the topping down. A loose, mounded topping crisps; a compacted one steams.
Variations
- Add blackberries, cranberries or a handful of raisins to the apples.
- Stir chopped pecans or walnuts into the topping.
- Add a tablespoon of bourbon or calvados to the filling for a deeper, warmer flavour.
Storage and make-ahead
Keeps 3 days covered at room temperature or 5 days refrigerated. Reheat at 180C / 350F for 15 minutes to bring the topping back; it also freezes baked for 3 months.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 412 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 64 g |
| Fat | 17 g |
| Fibre | 5 g |
| Sugar | 42 g |
| Sodium | 160 mg |
Nutrition is estimated from ingredient averages and will vary with brands and portioning.
