Winter Fruit Crisp with Oat Topping (Print Page)
Seasonal fruits baked under a golden oat and walnut crumble. Warm, comforting, and perfect for cool weather gatherings.
# 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 - 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
05 - 1/4 cup 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 brown sugar
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
15 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round baking dish and set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine sliced apples, pears, cranberries, dried apricots, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and flour. Toss gently until all fruit is evenly coated. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold butter cubes and use fingertips or pastry cutter to work butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
04 - Evenly distribute oat topping over fruit mixture, breaking apart any large clumps.
05 - Bake for 40 minutes until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling at edges.
06 - Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast between the warm spiced fruits and the crunchy oat topping creates this perfect textural balance that feels like a cozy sweater for your taste buds.
- You can prep it ahead and pop it in the oven just before dinner, making the whole house smell like a holiday even on an ordinary Tuesday.
02 -
- If your topping starts browning too quickly but the fruit isnt bubbling yet, loosely cover with foil for the remaining bake time.
- Letting the crisp rest for those full 10 minutes after baking isnt just about avoiding a burnt tongue the juices actually thicken slightly, creating the perfect spoonable consistency.
03 -
- Assemble the crisp up to a day ahead and refrigerate unbaked for an effortless dessert when company arrives just add 5-7 minutes to the baking time.
- For extra crunch that doesnt get soggy even after storage, fold a handful of uncooked rolled oats into the topping mixture right before sprinkling it over the fruit.