With a mix of sweet apples and tangy cranberries, this Apple Cranberry Crisp is the perfect dessert for the holidays. Ready with just 15 minutes of prep!

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You guys know that I am a lover of holidays, and this gets this crisp gets me in the holiday mood every time I make it! It works so perfectly for every single holiday – Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any and every time you need a perfect dessert for a crowd. I love that you can customise it to your liking!

Why You’ll Love This Apple Cranberry Crisp Recipe

Quick and easy. It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare this cranberry apple crisp. No special tools required!
Perfect for the holidays. This cranberry apple crisp is always a hit at the holiday dessert table. The colors and flavors are festive and you can even make it in advance.
Can be gluten-free. You can easily make this apple cranberry crisp recipe gluten-free with a few simple swaps.

Looking for more apple desserts? Try my apple pie , apple pie bars , and baked apples too.

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Notes on Ingredients

Here’s an overview of what you’ll need for this cranberry apple crisp. Scroll down to the recipe card below for measurements.

Old fashioned oats – These give the topping a nice texture while also keeping it affordable. See expert tips on possible swaps.
Flour – You can use pretty much any flour – a gluten free flour mix, regular all purpose flour, or even spelt flour
Sugar – Any granulated sugar works great here. I love using cane sugar!
Vegan butter – Any brand of vegan butter could work. You can use salted or unsalted. If using unsalted, be sure to sprinkle some sea salt into the crisp topping too. You can also use margarine or shortening. You can also use coconut oil since it solidifies. Just ensure it’s cold! This helps it to create the right texture for the crisp topping.
Apples – Red Delicious, Gala and Cameo are my favourite kinds to use here. You can also use any kind of green apple, but if you do, you may want to increase the sugar a little bit since the cranberries are also tart. I do recommend peeling these because the skins will affect the texture of the filling otherwise.
Cranberries – Don’t use dried cranberries! Use fresh, or frozen then thawed cranberries
Lime or lemon juice – You can also use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Maple syrup – You can also use any liquid sweetener (such as Lakanto), or agave here

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How to Make Apple Cranberry Crisp

Here’s an overview of how to make this cranberry apple crisp. For more detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.

Prepare the filling. Combine the apples, cranberries, and lime juice. Sprinkle with flour, cinnamon, coconut sugar , and maple syrup. Pour into a greased casserole dish.
Add the crumb topping. Combine all the crisp topping ingredients except for the butter. Add the butter and use your fingers to crumble it into the oat mixture. Sprinkle evenly over the fruits.
Bake. Bake for 45 minutes, until the crisp topping is golden brown. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes then enjoy!

Top down view of cranberry apple crisp in a baking dish. - 4

Can I Make This In Advance?

You can use make crisp ahead of time! Make the filling and you can cover it and let it sit for up to 2 days. Before baking, mix together the crisp topping, sprinkle over, then bake and enjoy!

I don’t recommend swapping the oats. It thickens the topping and gives it that traditional texture. If you have an allergy however, you can for finely crushed nuts (such as walnuts or pecans) which will give it a similar crunch and hold.
What apples are best for this recipe? For the best results, use fresh apples that are juicy, crunchy and bright in colour and flavour. You don’t want to use apples that are going bad. I love using Red Delicious, Gala and Cameo apples here. You can also use any green apple variety, but taste the filling slightly before baking to see if you might want to add a little bit more sugar since it will be two tart fruits.
Can I get the filling even thicker? While the filing is nice and thick and saucy, you can even stir in some cornstarch slurry to get it even thicker. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water vigorously until thin and there are no clumps, then stir into the filling before baking.

Proper Storage

Fridge. Store leftover apple cranberry crisp covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer. You can also freeze your cranberry apple crisp for up to a month. Wrap it tightly in plastic and foil once it has cooled completely. Then reheat in the oven at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

More Apple Recipes

Baked Apples
Apple Pie Bars
Apple Overnight Oats
Vegan Apple Pie

Ingredients

Apple Cranberry Filling

6 apples , peeled, cored and chopped
2 cups cranberries
2 tablespoons lime juice , or lemon juice
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour , or gluten-free flour mix
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar , coconut, cane or brown sugar works
3 tablespoons maple syrup

Crisp Topping

¾ cup old fashioned oats
¾ cup all purpose flour , or gluten free flour mix
½ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons sugar , coconut, cane or brown sugar works
6 tablespoons salted vegan butter , cold, cut into chunks

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
In a bowl, mix the apples and cranberries and lime juice in a bowl to combine. Sprinkle the flour, cinnamon, coconut sugar and the maple syrup over them and mix to combine. Pour into a greased casserole dish (I use a 2 QT. dish) and spread or shake to lay evenly.
In another bowl, mix all the crisp topping ingredients except the vegan butter. Add the vegan butter chunks in and use your fingers (or fork, or masher) to crumble it into the flour oats mixture until everything is moist and the butter is evenly distributed. It should look crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the fruits.
Bake for 45 minutes on the middle rack until the crisp is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling and smells delicious.
Allow to cool slightly, then scoop out and serve immediately with some ice cream and sauce from the crisp. Enjoy!!

Notes

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Ingredients

Apple Cranberry Filling

6 apples peeled, cored and chopped
2 cups cranberries
2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour mix
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar coconut, cane or brown sugar works
3 tablespoons maple syrup

Crisp Topping

¾ cup old fashioned oats
¾ cup all purpose flour or gluten free flour mix
½ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons sugar coconut, cane or brown sugar works
6 tablespoons salted vegan butter cold, cut into chunks

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
In a bowl, mix the apples and cranberries and lime juice in a bowl to combine. Sprinkle the flour, cinnamon, coconut sugar and the maple syrup over them and mix to combine. Pour into a greased casserole dish (I use a 2 QT. dish) and spread or shake to lay evenly.
In another bowl, mix all the crisp topping ingredients except the vegan butter. Add the vegan butter chunks in and use your fingers (or fork, or masher) to crumble it into the flour oats mixture until everything is moist and the butter is evenly distributed. It should look crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the fruits.
Bake for 45 minutes on the middle rack until the crisp is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling and smells delicious.
Allow to cool slightly, then scoop out and serve immediately with some ice cream and sauce from the crisp. Enjoy!!

Notes

Nutrition

Apple Cranberry Crisp https://jessicainthekitchen.com/cranberry-apple-crisp-vegan-gluten-free/ November 30, 2020

Here are my current favourite cozy recipes for December – What to Cook in December! Everything from breakfasts to salads to dinners to best of all, desserts and cozy drinks!

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Happy December! Also, how is it December…already?! Not that I’m complaining; it’s my favourite season with my favourite holiday – Christmas! The month for all things candy, chocolate, peppermint, cozy and hearty! I wanted to share my favourite in-season veggies, must-have meals and heart-warming desserts for the best December ever!

I included everything from breakfasts to salads to dinners to the best of all – desserts! This isn’t my comprehensive list, just my current favourites, and I’ll include some similar ones down below!