It’s officially fall, which means it’s officially apple season! It doesn’t look like fall in MA quite yet, as the leaves have yet to take on their fiery vibrant autumnal hues, but the past few days have certainly felt like fall what with the cool temps and brisk breeze.
There’s not much else I’d rather have on a chilly autumn evening (or, let’s be honest, morning), than warm apple crisp; and it’s hands-down the dish I’d pick if I could only have one dessert for the rest of my life. There are so many recipes for and variations on the classic apple crisp, and I have yet to taste one that I didn’t like… so here’s yet another version.
This crisp features cinnamon-kissed apples (sweetened only with reduced apple juice) crowned with a topping that tastes just like chewy-in-the-middle, crispy-around-the-edges oatmeal cookies. I’ve been loving it just as is, but it would of course be even more delicious topped with vanilla ice cream.
Pretty tempting, no?!
Oatmeal Cookie Apple Crisp
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Keywords: bake dessert apples oatmeal crisp fall
Ingredients (8 servings)
Ingredients for the apple filling:
- 5 medium-large (or 4 large) apples, preferably organic, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 3/4 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice (not from concentrate), preferably organic, divided use
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder/flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Ingredients for the oatmeal cookie crisp topping:
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of ground nutmeg, optional
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted (melted coconut oil can be substituted)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss the sliced apples and lemon juice together and spread in an even layer in a 9 inch baking dish.
For the filling: Heat 1 1/2 cups apple juice in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat until simmering. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup apple juice and arrowroot until no lumps remain. Whisk the “slurry” into the simmering apple juice. Bring mixture to a low boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer until mixture is has thickened and reduced by half – whisking every now and then – about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in cinnamon and salt, and pour over the apples in the baking dish.
For the oatmeal cookie crisp topping: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, coconut (or brown) sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; whisk to combine. Stir in melted butter and maple syrup; stir to combine. Evenly scatter the crisp topping over the fruit.
Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, until the crisp topping is golden brown and the fruit filling is hot and bubbling.
Let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before serving. Best when served warm.
