Healthier Apple Cranberry Crumble is just sweet enough, filled with cranberries and thinly sliced apples & topped with an almond, oat crumble.
Here we are…late Autumn…counting down to Thanksgiving everywhere I turn, I read about pies. I see reels about pies. There is a pie frenzy going on, especially apple. The hunt for the perfect apple pie for Thanksgiving often seems essential for feasting success.
But what if I told you I hate making pies. They are fussy to make and you need to actually pre-plan them…preparing and chilling the dough, rolling out the dough…etc.
I am a fly by the seat of my pants kind of cook and baker and I want an unfussy, fast, delicious dessert that I can just whip up quickly ANDDDDD isn’t laden in sugar.
For me, the answer will always be apple crumble. More specifically, the answer for me will always be my Healthier Apple Cranberry Crumble.
Healthier Apple Cranberry Crumble is the perfect Thanksgiving Dessert.
Let’s begin with the word healthier. This recipe has very little sugar and depends on the sweetness and quality of the apples. For this recipe, I strongly recommend Courtland apples because they are the perfect baking apple for sweetness and texture.
This recipe also calls for a blend of almond flour and all-purpose flour for the crumble topping, adding protein and a little more nutrition than a conventional topping. I also love the toasty notes the almond flour adds to the crumble. If you have nut allergies, you can simply swap out the almond flour for all-purpose flour.
I love a high ratio of crumble topping, which gets all buttery and crunchy, giving lovely balance to the saucy filling. If you’re looking to make this dessert in parts, you can make the crumble topping, raw, then cover it tightly and store it in the fridge until you are ready to top your apples.
The key to this, and any crumble, is to slice the apples as thinly as possible. Doing so allows the apples to cook through, become tender, and create a lovely sauce. The apples are mixed with cranberries, which are my absolute favorite because they add a citrusy, bright bite to this dessert.
You anytime snack, dessert, or breakfast!
I love serving this crumble with a generous dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for dessert or tea-time treat. Bake this up for your holiday dessert or just when you need a little something tucked away in the fridge for the weekend.
If there are any leftovers….(since this recipe is lower sugar than the leading apple crumble) I serve this crumble cold over yogurt for breakfast, cold.
Looking for more apple desserts? Try my European Spiced Apple Pie, or Apple Pie Slab Scones!
I hope you love my Healthier Apple Cranberry Crumble!
Healthier Apple Cranberry Crumble
Ingredients
For the fruit filling:
- 2¼ lbs Cortland apples peeled and sliced as thinly as possible, see notes
- ¾-1 cup cranberries
- 2 teaspoons clementine or orange zest
- 1 tablespoon clementine or orange juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons raw sugar see notes
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch ground cloves
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
For the crumble topping:
- ¾ cup almond flour see notes
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons raw sugar see notes
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup oats
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- pinch ground cloves
- 2 sticks cold butter, 226 grams cut into small pieces (you can use a butter alt., see notes.)
- ¼ cup sliced almond see notes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
For the filling:
- In an 9.5 round OR a 10.5"x7.5" rectangle baking dish, add the thinly sliced apples and cranberries.
- Add the vanilla, zest and juice, vanilla, sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Lightly toss the ingredients together until the apples are coated in the spices. If your apples are particularly tart, you can add a tablespoon more of sugar. Taste the apple mixture to determine.
- Add the flour to the fruit and stir gently to combine. Set aside.
For the crumble topping:
- In a medium sized bowl, add almond flour, all purpose flour, raw sugar, dark brown sugar, kosher salt, oats, and cinnamon. Stir well to combine.
- Add the butter. Using your fingertips in a snapping motion, flake the butter into mixture until the butter is the size of small peas/crumbs. You can also use a pastry cutter.
- Add the sliced almonds and mix to combine.
- Place the bowl with the crumble topping in the fridge and let the butter re-set. About five minutes.
To assemble and bake:
- Loosely sprinkle the crumble topping over the fruit. Make sure all of the fruit is evenly covered.
- Place the baking dish on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 50-55 minutes until the crumble is browned and the fruit filling can be seen bubbling up slightly around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for five minutes. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or simply as is.
- Store leftovers (if any) in the fridge tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
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