Winter Fruit Crisp (Printable)
A golden-topped dessert with seasonal winter fruits baked under a crunchy oat and nut streusel.
# What You 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 - 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
05 - 1/4 cup brown sugar
06 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
→ Crisp Topping
10 - 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
11 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 - 1/3 cup brown sugar
13 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
15 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
16 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
# Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch baking dish.
02 - In a large bowl, combine the apples, pears, cranberries, dried apricots, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Toss well to coat evenly.
03 - Transfer the fruit mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly.
04 - In another bowl, mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold butter and rub it into the dry ingredients using your fingertips or a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form.
05 - Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit.
06 - Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
07 - Let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, optionally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast between the warm, jammy fruit layer and the buttery, crunchy topping creates the most satisfying texture that will have everyone scraping their plates.
- You can assemble it hours before baking, making it perfect for those evenings when guests arrive and you want to focus on conversation rather than cooking.
02 -
- If your topping starts browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the remainder of the baking time to prevent burning while ensuring the fruit cooks through.
- The fruit filling will continue to thicken as it cools, so dont worry if it seems a bit loose when first removed from the oven.
03 -
- For an extra crunchy topping, sprinkle a tablespoon of coarse sugar like turbinado or demerara over the crumble just before baking.
- If using frozen cranberries, add them to the mixture while still frozen - no need to thaw first, as this helps maintain their shape during baking.