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This cranberry apple pear crisp is a must make this holiday season! It’s made with sweet apples and pears, tart cranberries, warm spices and perfectly sweetened with maple syrup. Paired with the crisp, crunchy, buttery oat topping, it’s a holiday dessert your guests will be wanting the recipe for!
This post and recipe have been updated since it was originally published on 11/19/2018
Why You’ll Love Apple Pear Cranberry Crisp
Easy to Make – I love making crisps because you don’t have to mess with rolling out pie dough and wondering if it’s going to bake all the way through or be raw on the bottom. They’re perfect for beginner bakers and anyone who wants a quick and delicious dessert!
Not too sweet – Some fruit crisps can be overly sweet. This one takes advantage of the natural sweetness from the pears and apples. There’s just enough maple syrup in the filling to enhance the flavor of the fruit and brown sugar in the addicting oat crumble topping.
Holiday dessert – This apple cranberry crisp is perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It uses seasonal fruit, warm spices, and is the perfect cozy dessert to end your holiday dinner with.
Ingredients
- Apples, pears, cranberries – The seasonal fruit in this crisp. The sweet apples and pears balance out the tartness of the cranberries.
- Orange – Orange zest and juice bring out the flavors of the fruit and are a classic combination with cranberries.
- Maple syrup and dark brown sugar – Maple syrup sweetens the filling while brown sugar sweetens the crisp topping.
- Cornstarch – Thickens the fruit filling so it isn’t too runny.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice – Warm, sweet, fragrant spices that pair perfectly with the fruit.
- Rolled oats – Rolled old fashioned oats are a must for the crisp topping. They give it a nice texture with some of them getting chewy, while others get crisp during baking.
- White whole wheat flour – Feel free to use all-purpose flour as a substitute.
- Butter – Cold cubes of butter create those delicious crumbles on top of the crisp.
- Salt – Don’t forget the salt! It balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
How to Make Cranberry Apple Crisp
This is an overview of the recipe with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
In a mixing bowl whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the cubes of cold butter and use a pastry cutter or your hands to work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles pea sized crumbles.
Put the topping in the refrigerator so it stays cold while you nake the filling.
In a large mixing bowl combine the sliced apples, pears, and cranberries. Pour in the maple syrup, orange zest and juice, and sprinkle in the spices, salt, and cornstarch. Stir everything together until the fruit is coated.
Dump the fruit into a 19×13 baking dish, 10 inch deep dish pie plate, or something similar in size. Spread the crumble topping all over the fruit and then place it in the oven to bake for 45-50 minutes or until the fruit is tender and the topping is golden brown.
Let the crisp cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream for the best combination!
Recipe Tip
- Make sure your pears aren’t overly rip or a soft variety or they’ll turn to mush while baking. I recommend using Anjou or Comice pears.
- Slice the pears and apples as close to the same thickness as you can. This will allow them to cook evenly.
- Be sure your butter is extra cold before working it into the topping. Cold butter is what creates those crisp, crunchy, buttery crumbles.
- If your baking dish is extra full, line a baking sheet with foil and place the crisp baking dish on top of it in case it bubbles over.
Substitutions and Variations
- Fresh or frozen cranberries can be used. If using frozen, don’t defrost them.
- If you don’t want to use fresh or frozen cranberries, substitute with a 1/2 cup of dried cranberries.
- If you’re not a fan of pears, substitute with more apples.
- Add a 1/4 cup of chopped pecans to the topping for an extra nutty crunch.
- Make it gluten-free by swapping the flour in the topping with an all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Can Fruit Crisp Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes. You can make the filling and the topping a day ahead of time and store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Then all you have to do is top the filling with the crumble topping and bake it.
Storage and Reheating
Storage – Apple pear crisp will keep for 2 days on the countertop loosely covered with a piece of foil. You can also cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing – Once the crisp has been baked, cool completely, then cover it with a lid or tightly with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating – Apple crisp can be reheated in the microwave or if you want to retain some of that crisp topping, bake it in the oven at 350° F. for 10 minutes or until it’s warm.
More Holiday Desserts
Did you make this apple pear cranberry crisp? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Apple Pear Cranberry Crisp
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin (1/4-1/2 inch thick)
- 2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced thin (1/4-1/2 inch thick)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Crisp Topping
- 2/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/3 cup white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add in the cubes of cold butter and work them into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or your hands. They should resemble small pea sized crumbles. Put the topping in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
- Peel the apples and pears and slice them thin, about 1/4-1/2 inch in thickness. Add them along with the cranberries into a large mixing bowl. Pour in the maple syrup, orange zest and juice, spices, salt, and cornstarch. Stir together until they’re coated.
- Pou the mixture into a 19×13 baking dish, 10 inch deep dish pie plate, or something similar in size. Distribute the crisp topping evenly over the fruit. Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 350° F. for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the apples are tender. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- A firm, crisp variety of apple is best for this recipe. Try Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Opal, or Pink Lady.
- I recommend using Anjou or Comice pears for baking. They should be ripe, but still firm so they don’t turn to mush while baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
