Winter Fruit Crisp with Oat Topping (Print View)
A warm, comforting dessert featuring seasonal fruits baked beneath a golden oat and nut crumble topping.
# What You'll Need:
→ 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 - 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
05 - 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
09 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
→ Oat Topping
10 - 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
11 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
13 - 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
15 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
# How to Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine sliced apples, pears, cranberries, dried apricots, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and flour. Toss thoroughly until all fruit is evenly coated. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, mix oats, flour, nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold butter cubes and work mixture with fingertips or pastry cutter until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
04 - Evenly distribute oat topping over fruit mixture, spreading gently without pressing down.
05 - Bake for 40 minutes until topping is golden brown and fruit mixture bubbles at edges.
06 - Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The contrast between the bubbling sweet-tart fruit and crunchy oat topping creates texture magic that store-bought desserts simply cannot match.
- Its incredibly forgiving nature means you can swap fruits based on what you have without fussing over perfect measurements.
02 -
- If your topping starts browning too quickly but the fruit isn't bubbling yet, loosely tent with foil for the remaining bake time.
- The flour in the fruit filling isn't optional, it helps thicken the juices into that perfect saucy consistency rather than a soupy mess.
03 -
- For an incredible aroma boost, add a tiny pinch of cardamom to the fruit mixture, it partners beautifully with the apples and pears without overwhelming.
- If you prefer a less sweet dessert, reduce the sugar in the fruit filling by half and add a tablespoon of maple syrup instead, which adds complexity rather than just sweetness.