Granola Apple Crisp Recipe (2024)

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This recipe for granola apple crisp was originally a sponsored post. It’s simple and delicious, and I love the crunch of the crispy topping.

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Little Miss is not easy in the morning. Like me, she may be a little cranky before she gets going, and that’s been making feeding her breakfast not so fun for anyone.

She’s bored with oatmeal in all its incarnations. She is off eggs of any kind.

And I’d like her to eat something other than straight granola bars. We’ve been at an impasse lately, with neither of us happy. As we had breakfast for dinner the other night, it dawned on me that I could recreate something we typically eat at another time of day and make it “breakfast” for her.

And thus this granola apple crisp recipe was born.

I have a history of taking foods and simply putting them in a different form and suddenly they’re magical and special to the wee ones. I can take Mister Man’s Greek yogurt breakfast and put it into a popsicle mold and freeze it – suddenly it’s a special treat even though it’s exactly what he’s been eating day after day.

In this case, I cut up apples with a little lemon, cinnamon, and nutmeg and placed them into ramekins. I created a topping with granola, a cereal they love to eat, and a little brown sugar, flour, spices, and butter.

Baking that in the oven made my whole house smell amazing, and this recipe creates six servings, which means that I can store the extras in the fridge so that Little Miss can pull out her own breakfast and eat another day.

These granola apple crisps are just as tasty the second day, whether you eat them cold from the fridge (like she does) or reheat them.

While this sounds like a dessert, there’s only 1/4 cup of sugar added for 6 servings, which is about 2 teaspoons per serving, and the same holds true for the butter added.

It adds a little sweetness and richness, but it’s something I’m still comfortable serving for breakfast, especially when I start looking at the sugar content of so many other breakfast options.

My brainstorm for this dessert-cum-breakfast appeared last week when I was at my wits’ end after yet another go-round with Little Miss over what she was going to eat for breakfast. She settled on an orange and nothing more, and I wanted her to have something more substantial.

Dessert for breakfast that onlyfeels like a treat? It’s been done before, like with my baked cherry oatmeal.

Needless to say, when I decided to make this granola apple crisp recipe, I quickly had two helpers in the kitchen with me who ensured we got the crisp in the oven that much faster as Mister Man took over the job of chopping the apples while Little Miss worked on the topping.

And once we finished and got these beauties out of the oven? There were happy smiles all around.

What are the best apples to use in an apple crisp?

The key for a crisp is to have a apple that won’t break down. You can choose to use multiple varieties to give different flavors or focus on just one.

My personal favorite for just about all baking uses is a Granny Smith apple. Although they aren’t the sweetest apple, they have great flavor that pairs well with the granola topping.

If I plan to use a variety of apples, I will add Jonagold, Braeburn, and Fuji. While Golden Delicious are not my favorite apples, many will use them or Crispin if you can find them.

What kind of granola should I use?

When I make this, I usually use my homemade granola and simply leave out the dried cherries – or pick them out from what I measure to use for the topping I mix up.

Alternatively, you can use your favorite granola cereal you purchase. I look for one that isn’t overly sweetened to start with, and I remove any fruit. Nuts I leave in, however.

This is a perfect use for muesli, as well.

What size ramekins should I use?

I use my larger ramekins for this, as it’s primarily apples with a bit of the granola topping. As this is my entire breakfast I want it to be filling.

My ramekins are the eight ounce size, which is perfect for this.

You can use smaller ramekins, which will make for more than six granola apple crisps. You also will need to cook them for five or so minutes less.

Can I make this apple crisp if I don’t have ramekins?

Yes, you absolutely can still make this. I love creating this with individual portions, which lets me serve my family easily and pull out leftovers for a quick breakfast the next day.

If you don’t have ramekins, you can use mini loaf pans if you have those.

Otherwise, you can use an 8×8 baking dish. If you use the larger pan, increase the baking time to 45-55 minutes.

Watch for bubbling around the edges, and you can gently insert a knife to be sure that the apples have softened.

How should I store leftovers?

If you have leftover granola apple crisp, let the servings cool fully to room temperature. Once cooled, wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge.

These will last for up to three days in the fridge. You can enjoy them cold, or gently reheat them in a 200 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.

Besides a granola apple crisp, what creative breakfast ideas do you have?

Granola Apple Crisp Recipe (6)

Granola Apple Crisp

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

A dessert for breakfast idea that includes granola and fruit with minimal added sugar per serving. A quick and tasty treat that will have you smiling to start your day.

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 4 apples, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping

  • 2 cups granola
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare topping: In a bowl, place your granola, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until well combined. Pour in melted butter and stir again until thoroughly mixed.
  3. Chop apples and cut into quarter inch pieces, or slice thinly, if you prefer. Add apples to a bowl and mix with the lemon juice.
  4. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and stir again. Divide apples evenly into six ramekins.
  5. Distribute topping over each apple filled ramekin so topping covers apples in each one. Gently press down on topping.
  6. Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes, until softened.
  7. Serve while still warm.

Notes

You may store, covered, in the fridge for up to three days. They can be eaten cold from the fridge or reheated.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 286Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 78mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 5gSugar: 21gProtein: 5g

This site uses an outside service to calculate nutrition information. If you need exact details, please calculate yourself.

Did you make this recipe?

Please rate the recipe above and save it on Pinterest so you can find it to make again and again. Leave me a comment to let me know what you think about it, too!

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Granola Apple Crisp Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble? ›

Like an apple crisp, an apple crumble is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping. But unlike the crisp, the crumble topping rarely includes oats or nuts. Instead, a crumble's topping is more like streusel, made with flour, sugar and butter.

Why is my apple crisp not crunchy? ›

The main reason your crumble topping isn't crunchy is probably because you haven't used Demerara sugar. Although, it could also be that you've got your topping ingredient quantities wrong: either too much or not enough flour and butter alongside the sugar.

What kind of apples are best for apple crisp? ›

What Makes A Good Apple For Apple Crisp? The best apples for baking keep their structure under heat, which prevents the chunks of fruit from turning into mush after baking. The firm and crisp Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties are popular apples to use in apple pies and apple crisps.

How do you keep apple crisp from getting soggy? ›

Add cornstarch to the fruit to prevent sogginess

One of the easiest ways to avoid wet apple crisp is to use a thickener to bind the apple juices together. The most common thickener is a cornstarch slurry, mixed with the apples before being added to a baking dish.

Why is it called Brown Betty? ›

This has led some historians to believe that Betty was the name of the cook and creator of the recipe and that brown was in reference to her skin color.

Is apple brown betty the same as apple crisp? ›

Both are very similar apple desserts, but the difference mainly comes down to the crumble topping: Instead of the flour and oat mixture used in an apple crisp, an apple brown betty uses breadcrumbs for its crumbly, delicious topping.

What is the secret to crunchy crumble? ›

A pastry chef friend shared the technique. Instead of sprinkling the raw crumbs on top of the fruit, where they absorb the juices and turn a little mushy on their undersides, he spread them out in a pan and baked them separately, until crisp and cookielike.

What is the crispiest crunchiest apple? ›

SweeTango: SweeTango apples naturally have larger cells giving them an extraordinary crunch and perfect fracture, in fact, it won the Guinness World Record for the World's loudest crunch ever!

Why do you put lemon juice over the apples when making an apple crisp? ›

Many recipes for apple pie and apple cobbler will call for tossing your sliced apples in a little bit of lemon juice before putting them into your dish. Lemon juice prevents oxidation of the apples, which means that it stops the slices from turning brown by providing a barrier between the apple's flesh and the air.

How do you make Martha Stewart apple crumble? ›

In a large bowl, toss together apples, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; transfer to prepared dish. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in 1 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt until large pieces form. Scatter over filling.

Which apples are not crisp? ›

Golden Delicious – The Golden Delicious sits at the bottom of the crunch list with soft skin and mellow, yellow apple flavors.

Are Gala apples good for baking apple crisp? ›

Under the simple butter-sugar-flour-and-oat topping is the apple filling scented with cinnamon. Our test kitchen says baking apples, like Rome or Cortland, are the best varieties to use for apple crisp, but Empire, Gala, or Braeburn apples are also good in this recipe.

Why add flour to apple crisp? ›

Flour- Flour helps to create the perfect topping and bind it all together. I used all-purpose. You can definitely substitute with gluten-free flour but I'm not sure how oat flour, coconut flour or almond flour would work. Butter- The butter gives the best flavor and texture and holds together the dry ingredients.

Should you refrigerate apple crisp before baking? ›

You can prepare the crisp through step 3, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day before baking. You can also freeze the unbaked crisp for up to 3 months.

Can I cut apples the night before for apple crisp? ›

I prefer slicing the apples the day I plan to bake the crisp as they start to oxidize once they're sliced and turn brown in color. Add a little extra fresh lemon juice to help prevent the apples from turning super brown. Prepare the entire apple crisp, cover well, and refrigerate the night before baking.

What is the difference between crumble and crisp? ›

So what's a crumble vs. a crisp? A crumble is just a crisp without oats in the streusel. It may feature nuts, but the streusel topping is usually a simple combination of butter, flour, and sugar that is more clumpy than that of a crisp.

What is the difference between apple crisp cobbler and crumble? ›

Whereas crisps and crumbles are topped with a streusel-like mixture, cobblers are topped with a cake-like batter or a biscuit-like dough.

What is apple crumble called in America? ›

Apple crisp is a dessert made with a streusel topping. In the US, it is also called apple crumble, a word which refers to a different dessert in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Ingredients usually include cooked apples, butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and often oats and brown sugar, ginger, and/or nutmeg.

What is the American version of crumble? ›

A crisp is “a type of dessert consisting of fruit baked with a crumble topping,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary's definition, citing an early use in a 1916 recipe for an apple crisp with a topping of butter, sugar, and flour that's mixed together by rubbing your fingertips “*ntil crumbly.” Often, at least ...

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