If you ask me, there are few aromas as welcoming as a baked dessert – and I think this one might take the cake (no pun intended). The warm scent of cinnamon and oats paired with that of bubbling fruit makes for the warmest welcome as my family and/or guests enter our home.
As I worked on developing this recipe, I tried it a few different ways and with a few different ingredients, but I quickly realized that this was one where I needed to just keep it simple. And I’m glad I did, because it ended up as a recipe that I can whip up with ingredients that I usually already have in my cupboard. It’s a dessert-night favorite in our house and one you can make quick work of.
Ingredients:
What I love about this particular recipe, is that it can be adjusted to incorporate whatever fruit you have in the cupboard, or to make the most of seasonal fruit in their prime. Although I would normally keep the apples as a base, switching out the blueberries with anything from peaches to cranberries or a mixture of your favorites makes this recipe perfect for quick dessert in any season. I’ve found that gala apples usually work really well for this recipe. They’re smaller in size, which makes for perfect wedges if you use an apple slicer. I do still cut some of the wedges in half if they come out thicker, but mostly I can leave them be.
For the topping, I recommend using old fashioned rolled oats, and not instant (however, it can be used in a pinch) and light brown sugar, as the topping browns pretty quickly.
Additionally, you’ll also need flour, cinnamon and butter.
Method
First, I prepare my fruit by peeling, coring and slicing the apples into wedges and placing them in a baking dish. The dish in my photos is one from Le creuset that I got as a wedding gift, but a plain 9 x 13 will do beautifully for this dessert. If you’re feeling like you want to add a personal, fancy touch to your dessert, you can also make it in individual ramekins for each guest. Just proceed with the recipe as normal, but divide the fruit and topping evenly between your ramekins.
Next, I place the oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl and stir it together well. Then I add the softened butter in chunks and use my fingertips to rub it into the oat mixture. You can also use a pastry cutter to cut it in (pictured here), but I usually find the fingertip method to be quicker and easier with one less thing to clean up.
Once it’s nice and crumbly and all the dry flour and sugar has been well-incorporated, I crumble it evenly over the fruit before I bake it (covered loosely with foil) for 20 minutes at 375℉.
After 20 minutes, I remove the foil and bake it uncovered for an additional 25-30 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the juices from the fruit is bubbling. At this point, I remove it from the oven, let it sit for about 5 minutes and serve it up with a scoop of delicious vanilla bean ice cream to add some more decadence.
Blueberry Apple Crisp
Equipment
- 1 oven safe baking dish 9 x 13 works well
Ingredients
- 8 medium Apples I use gala apples
- 8 oz Blueberries
- 2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Flour
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter softened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉
- Peel, core and slice apples into thin wedges. Spread apples and blueberries in baking dish.
- Stir oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together in mixing bowl. Add softened butter in chunks and rub into oat mixture with fingertips (or cut in with pastry cutter) until the butter is well incorporated and the mixture is crumbly.
- Crumble evenly over the blueberry-apple mixture and loosely cover with foil.
- Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake open for an additional 25-30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the juices from the filling is bubbling. Serve immediately (see notes for serving suggestions).
Notes
- The blueberries in this recipe can be switched with your favorite seasonal fruit. I recommend trying it with peaches, mixed berries, cranberries, plums, or apricots for a variation on this delicious dessert.
- I highly recommend adding a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream for extra decadence.
- This recipe can be divided and baked in individual ramekins for a personal, fancy touch.
