Cranberry Apple Crumble fills one greased 9-inch dish with cinnamon-nutmeg apples, bright cranberries, and a buttery oat topping. Cornstarch controls the fruit juices while cold butter creates irregular crisp crumbs. The verified dessert records 15 minutes preparation, 40 minutes cooking, and a 10-minute cooling rest before serving.
Cranberry Apple Crumble Ingredients
Filling: 4 cups diced apples (about 3 medium); 1 cup fresh cranberries; ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp cinnamon; ¼ tsp nutmeg; 1 tbsp cornstarch.
Topping: 1 cup old-fashioned oats; ½ cup all-purpose flour; ½ cup brown sugar; ½ tsp cinnamon; ¼ tsp salt; ½ cup cold butter, cubed.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Strawberry Truffles.
How to Make Cranberry Apple Crumble
- Prep: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9-inch baking dish.
- Filling: Toss apples, cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, spices, and cornstarch. Spread in dish.
- Topping: Mix oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit.
- Bake: 35-40 mins until golden and bubbly. Cool 10 mins before serving.
For storage details after serving, the USDA leftovers and food safety guidance.
Why the Order Matters
Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9-inch baking dish. Toss 4 cups diced apples, about three medium, with 1 cup fresh cranberries, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Spread the mixture evenly in the dish. For the topping, combine 1 cup old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, a separate 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in 1/2 cup cold cubed butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle it across all the fruit without compressing it. Bake 35–40 minutes until the topping is golden and red fruit juices bubble around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool for exactly 10 minutes before serving.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Strawberry Cheesecake Dip.
Critical Visual and Timing Cues
Dice apples to a reasonably even size so they soften together. Toss cornstarch until no white pockets remain; it must contact released juices to thicken them. Cranberries may remain whole at assembly and will soften or burst in the oven. Spread fruit level so topping depth stays consistent. Cold butter is central to the crumb texture. Cut it into the oat-flour mixture until pieces range from sandy crumbs to small clusters, stopping before a paste forms. Scatter rather than press those clusters. Begin checking at 35 minutes and use both signals: a deeply golden top and active bubbling at the dish edges. Bubbling proves the fruit mixture became hot enough for cornstarch to work. The 10-minute rest lets the filling settle while preserving a warm service.
Serving and Storage
Spoon the crumble after its 10-minute rest, reaching through topping to collect apples, cranberries, and thickened juice in every portion. The recipe yields one 9-inch crumble rather than a fixed slice count, so portion according to the occasion without changing the pan or formula. Flour contains gluten and butter contains dairy. Serve warm on its own or with a chosen accompaniment only if desired; additions are not part of the verified base. Cool leftovers completely before covering and refrigerating. Reheat portions in an oven or toaster oven to restore some topping crispness, since microwaving softens oats. Keep the baking dish on a heat-safe surface because fruit remains very hot beneath the crust. Avoid covering while warm, which traps condensation and quickly reduces the contrast between crisp topping and juicy filling.
Practical Kitchen Notes
Keep filling and topping cinnamon quantities separate: one teaspoon seasons fruit, while one-half teaspoon flavors crumbs. Granulated sugar at one-half cup goes into fruit; brown sugar at one-half cup belongs to topping. Do not substitute quick oats for the recorded old-fashioned oats if preserving the intended texture. Apples total four diced cups, approximately three medium fruit, and cranberries remain one cup. Lemon juice is exactly one tablespoon, nutmeg one-quarter teaspoon, and cornstarch one tablespoon. Grease the dish before mixing filling so juicy fruit can move directly into it. A pastry cutter, fork, or fingertips can cut in butter, but work quickly to keep it cold. If using fingers, stop as soon as coarse clusters form and avoid warming the mixture with prolonged rubbing.
Details Worth Preserving
Choose a 9-inch dish with enough depth to contain bubbling juice. Place it on a sheet pan if the sides are shallow, without altering baking time unless necessary. Distribute cranberries throughout the apples rather than leaving them in a central pile. When sprinkling topping, begin at the outer edge and finish in the center so no fruit patch remains exposed. Do not pack the surface, because loose peaks brown more effectively. Rotate only if the oven colors one side strongly. At the end of 35–40 minutes, pale crumbs indicate more time is needed even if some fruit bubbles; conversely, a golden top without bubbling may mean the center has not fully heated. Let the complete 10-minute rest pass before scooping. These simple controls create a thick, bright filling and crisp oat cover while preserving every recorded quantity and timing cue.
Recorded Recipe Tips
- Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for an extra special treat.
- This dessert can be made ahead and reheated before serving.
Conclusion
Cranberry Apple Crumble makes 1 9-inch crumble in 55 recorded minutes. Preserve every listed quantity, temperature, timing cue, and ordered instruction for the intended result.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How many servings does Cranberry Apple Crumble make?
It makes 1 9-inch crumble and serves 8.
- → How long does Cranberry Apple Crumble take?
The recipe records 15 minutes of preparation, 40 minutes of cooking, and 55 minutes total.
- → How do I know cranberry apple crumble is baked?
After 35–40 minutes at 375°F, the oat topping should be golden and fruit juices should visibly bubble around the edges of the 9-inch dish.
- → Why does the crumble rest for 10 minutes?
The brief rest lets cornstarch-thickened apple-cranberry juices settle so portions hold together better while the dessert remains warm.