Winter Fruit Crisp Cinnamon (Printable View)

Baked winter fruits with a crunchy cinnamon oat topping.

# Ingredient List:

→ Fruit Filling

01 - 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
02 - 2 large pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
03 - 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
04 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
05 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
07 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch

→ Cinnamon Oat Crumble

08 - 3/4 cup rolled oats
09 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
10 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
13 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
15 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9-inch square or oval baking dish.
02 - In a large bowl, toss apples, pears, cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and cornstarch until fully coated. Spread evenly in the prepared dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Rub in cold butter using fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts if using.
04 - Sprinkle the oat crumble evenly over the fruit mixture. Bake for 40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
05 - Allow to cool slightly before serving warm, optionally accompanied by vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The contrast between the juicy, tart fruit and that buttery-crunchy topping is genuinely addictive.
  • It comes together in about 20 minutes of actual work, then the oven does the heavy lifting.
  • It tastes impressive enough to serve at dinner parties but forgiving enough for a quiet night in.
02 -
  • Don't skip letting the fruit sit in the sugar and lemon juice for even a few minutes—it draws out juice and prevents the filling from being dry.
  • The real difference between a mediocre crisp and a great one is keeping that butter truly cold and not overworking the crumble; you want texture, not paste.
03 -
  • Brown your butter before mixing it into the crumble topping for an almost nutty depth—it sounds fancy but takes 3 minutes and changes everything.
  • If your kitchen is warm, chill both the crumble mixture and the baking dish before assembling; cold components stay crunchier longer.

Go Back