Alyssa Ponticello // In Good Taste

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Homemade Apple Crisp

Alyssa Ponticello

HOMEMADE APPLE CRISP RECIPE

Is it a crumble? Is it a crisp? Is it a cobbler? How about a betty or a buckle?I’ve been making this apple dessert for as long as I can remember and I even I still get confused. Ha!

Here’s the deal, though. All three are desserts made with fruit and then topped with some sort of buttery carb deliciousness. For a cobbler, that topping is biscuit-like. With a crisp, it’s a streusel topping that’s made “crispy” with the addition of oats and sometimes nuts. And a crumble keeps it simple with a classic flour, sugar, butter streusel topping. A betty is similar to a crumble (no oats mixed in) and instead of the streusel being just on top, it’s mixed in and layered with the fruit. Last but not least, the buckle is fruit and streusel topping, but the fruit is mixed with a cake batter, so the result is very similar to a coffee cake.

So many names, so many yummy desserts, so little time, right? But for the sake of today’s post and recipe, let’s focus on the apple crumble, shall we?

Of course, I say crumble, but according to the official definition it would seem my recipe is more along the lines of crisp. But the crisp and crumble lines are a bit blurred these days, and, well, I just like how apple crumble sounds better, so we’re going with it. Besides, in my humble opinion, I like my crumbles to be substantial and crispy so I say yes to all the oats and nuts. Hopefully the crumble/crisp/cobbler/betty/buckle police won’t come after me.

Anyways, let’s talk about this name-in-question recipe, shall we? Here’s the deal, even though I’ve been making this in some form or another for years, I really always just wing the recipe. Like I always use about the same ingredients, same measurements and make it the same way, and it always comes out (more or less) the same way. But it wasn’t until recently that I realized I’ve never officially written out a proper recipe with proper measurements. So here I am making it officially official.

This recipe is super easy to make and only takes a few minutes to throw together. It’s a great way to use up apples (when you pick too many at the orchard) and also makes a wonderful Thanksgiving dessert, especially since it’s an easy recipe to double or triple, ya know, if you’re hosting a big crowd. I don’t peel the apples, because, tbh, I find it’s a waste of time. The skins add extra flavor and color variation so I say leave them in, but, you can totally peel them if you prefer. Another preference I have? Using only brown sugar. While you’re more than welcome to use granulated sugar, I prefer brown sugar as it adds a rich, warm caramel flavor to the dish that you just don’t get from granulated sugar. I’m also a firm believer in an equal crumb-to-apple-to-bite ratio so there’s no shortage of crumb topping to be found here. And, as I mentioned before, I like my topping extra crispy so I’m all about the oats and nuts (pecans and hazelnuts, or a combination, especially for a special occasion, is the the way to go). And for an extra decadent way to really round out the rich, warm and nutty flavor of the crumble I like to brown my butter before adding it into the topping. While it’s definitely not necessary, it’s 1000000% worth it!

In other good news about this homemade apple crumble recipe, it can easily be made gluten free as well as vegan. Just swap the butter for vegan butter and flour for a gluten-free option. I do this quite a bit, in fact. The butter, of course, doesn’t brown quite the same way, but still tastes 1000% delicious and you’d honestly never know it’s even vegan or gluten-free. Vegan or otherwise, this recipe can also be made with different fruit fillings and it can also be made ahead of time. And last but not least, it is most definitely acceptable to reheat leftovers to enjoy for breakfast the next morning. But if anyone questions why you’re having dessert for breakfast, well, you didn’t hear that suggestion from me ;)

How to Make Homemade Apple Crumble

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE APPLES

  • 5-6 medium-sized apples (about 3 pounds)

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornstarch

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • Juice of 1 large lemon

FOR THE TOPPING

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

  • 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts (or a mix of the different nuts)

  • 1 cup oats

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • Dash of nutmeg (optional)

  • Generous pinch of sea salt

TO SERVE

Vanilla or caramel ice-cream or fresh whipped cream

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter for the topping, carefully stirring occasionally, allowing it to cook until it’s bubbling and golden brown, speckled with brown flakes. This will take about 5-8 minutes. Once the butter has browned, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

  3. Core and thinly slice the apples. You can peel them, as well, if you prefer, but I actually enjoy the taste and additional texture in my crumble so I leave mine on. Plus, it’s much less extra work, which I’m all about!

  4. Add the apple slices to a large bowl. Sprinkle on the 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and lemon juice. Stir until the mixture is combined and the apple slices are pretty evenly coated. Set aside.

  5. In another large bowl, combine the nuts, oats, 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg (if using) and salt. Pour in the cooled brown butter and stir until well-combined and some small clumps begin to form.

  6. Pour the apple slices into a 9x13 baking dish. Distribute the crumb topping evenly over the top. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the apples are soft and cooked through to your desire. Serve warm, topped with a scoop (or two!) of ice-cream or whipped cream.

NOTES

TO MAKE VEGAN- Replace the butter with vegan butter and serve with a non-dairy vegan ice-cream or whipped topping option.

TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE- Swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten free flour of your choice. I prefer one that is specifically formulated for baking. You can also just use the cornstarch for the apples as that is gluten-free.

FILLING VARIATIONS- Instead of using just apples, try mixing in some pear, cranberries or do a combination of all three.

INGREDIENT SWAPS- Use granulated sugar instead of brown sugar. Omit the nuts and add an additional cup of oats.

MAKE AHEAD- If you make this ahead, there are two options. Either make ahead, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Then bake when you’re ready to serve it. Or bake it (no more than a day ahead), let cool, then cover it to store it and then reheat it for a few minutes before serving.

LEFTOVERS- Cover with loosely and store on the counter for up to 24 hours. Any additional time, leftovers should be store in the refrigerator. Leftovers will be good for 2-3 days and taste bests when reheated for a few minutes.