This vegan apple cranberry crisp, with its sweet-tart fruit blend, warming cinnamon, and oatmeal cookie-like crisp is everything autumn should be. And extra on the oat crisp please, because we all know that’s the best part!
Why We Love Vegan Apple Cranberry Crisp
There is something so comforting and cozy about crisps and cobblers during the autumn months, don’t you agree? We think it’s the fact that they’re so easy to make, and a fuss-free way to warm the house with something delicious. With seasonal apples and cranberries, plus a fantastic crispy topping, your house will smell amazing in no time.
What Apples Are Best For Making Apple Crisp?
Not all apples are created the same and their variances in moisture and texture can make or break a recipe.
For baking, choose an apple that holds its shape yet will still soften when cooked. McIntosh, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn apples all make great baking apples.
Can Vegan Apple Cranberry Crisp Be Made Gluten-Free?
Yes it can! Most commercially available gluten-free flour blends can be exchanged with a 1:1 ratio for regular flour. You will also have to use certified gluten-free oats.
Gluten-free flour blends sometimes benefit from a short resting time before being baked. A rest can reduce grittiness by allowing the starches to absorb some liquid and soften. As such, try letting your apple crisp topping sit in the bowl, covered, for 20 -30 minutes before you spoon it on the apples to bake.
Also, if using gluten-free flour, you may need to adjust the baking time of your apple crisp slightly as gluten-free flours bake differently than wheat flours. And, if using a gluten-free flour blend, let your apple crisp cool completely before serving it – this will give your crisp better structure and texture.
Making Apple Crisp With Coconut Oil
Traditional crisp recipes use butter, however, coconut oil makes for an easy dairy-free substitute with equally tasty results. If you’re not interested in using coconut oil, or have an allergy to coconut products, you can substitute coconut oil for an equal measure of butter.
Substituting Butter In Vegan Apple Cranberry Crisp
If using butter, we recommend using unsalted butter in order to preserve the taste of the crisp, and to manage sodium amounts. If you decide to use salted butter, consider reducing the amount of salt in the recipe by half.
Substitutions For Cranberries
If you’re not a fan of uber-tart cranberries, you can swap in any other type of berry in their place. Alternatively, you can make this recipe using only apples, for a classic apple crisp.
Swapping In Frozen Berries
When fresh seasonal berries are hard to come by you can use frozen berries, however, this will affect the moisture content and overall baking time for this recipe. Frozen fruit takes longer to heat up in the oven and releases more juice when baked.
You’ll probably need to bake the crisp longer, and if need be, cover it with foil part way through baking so the topping doesn’t burn. Watch for juices bubbling at the surface to help indicate doneness.
Reduce The Sugar If Not Using Cranberries
Because cranberries are naturally non-sweet, our vegan apple cranberry crisp recipe uses 3/4 cup of sugar to balance the flavour. If you are eliminating or swapping the cranberries you should adjust the sugar measure. Two tablespoons of sugar will be plenty sweet if subbing for other berries or apples only.
Looking For More Autumn-Inspired Recipes? Try these:
Drunken Autumn Upside-Down Cake
Vegan Carrot Cake with Cardamom & Orange
Chestnut Cranberry Blondies (gluten-free)
Apple Ginger Spelt Cake with Pecan Crumble
Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Glaze
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This simple vegan-friendly apple cranberry crisp, with its sweet-tart fruit blend, warming cinnamon, and oatmeal cookie-like crisp is everything autumn should be (extra on the oat crisp please, because we all know that’s the best part!)
Tip: Use an apple that holds its shape while still getting soft when cooked, like McIntosh, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn. Eat Red Delicious out of hand or dipped into peanut butter, but skip putting these apples in the oven.
Ingredients
- 900g apples (about 5 med-large apples), peeled, halved, cored, and sliced into ½” pieces
- 1¾ cups (180 g) fresh cranberries
- ¾ cup (156 g) raw turbinado sugar, divided
- ¾ cup (~110 g) whole grain flour, divided
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon, divided
- 1½ cups (144 g) rolled oats
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup (120 g) firm coconut oil, plus more for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and very lightly grease a 9×9” baking pan.
- To the pan, add the sliced apple, cranberries, ¼ cup of the raw sugar (52 g), 1/4 cup of the whole grain flour (36 g), and ½ tsp cinnamon. Toss to combine, then spread out evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine the oats, remaining ½ cup raw sugar (104 g), remaining 1/2 cup whole grain flour (74 g), 1 tsp cinnamon, and sea salt. Add the coconut oil and, with a fork or pastry blender, work the ingredients together until a clumpy mixture forms. Spread evenly over top fruit.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes until the apples are soft when poked with a knife and the crisp is slightly golden.
Notes
If tart cranberries aren’t your thing, feel free to sub in any other type of berry in their place. Alternatively, you can use all apples. Whatever fruit route you take, be sure to adjust the sugar in the mix accordingly. Two tablespoons of sugar will likely be plenty sweet enough if subbing for other berries or all apples.
Keywords: vegan, apple, cranberry, crisp
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