Apple Cranberry Crisp with Buttery Oat Topping

By Elizabeth Waterson // Oct 5, 2023 (Updated Nov 5, 2026) // Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

This Apple Cranberry Crisp combines tender cinnamon-spiced apples, tart cranberries, and a hint of fresh orange under a buttery brown sugar oat topping. The fruit bakes into a thick, jammy filling while the crumble turns golden and crisp. I love how you get cozy, sweet apple flavor with little bursts of tart cranberry in every bite. It's the perfect dessert for fall gatherings, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, especially served warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Because a warm fruit crisp without ice cream? Not in my house!

apple cranberry crisp served with vanilla ice cream on a light surface. — Warm cinnamon apples, tart cranberries, and a buttery oat crumble. Just add vanilla ice cream, and we're in business!

When the weather starts to turn cooler I can't get enough of baked apple desserts. When developing this Apple Cranberry Crisp, I wanted the apples to be the star, but with enough cranberries that you get a little tartness in every bite. Since cranberries can be quite tart, I use a little extra sugar to balance the flavors, along with fresh orange zest and juice to brighten everything up. I also use cornstarch to create a thick, jammy filling because there's nothing worse than a watery fruit crisp! Don't miss my apple and blackberry crumble.

up close of cranberry apple crisp in a pan.

A Little Sweet, a Little Tart, a Lot of Deliciousness

Apples: I use a higher ratio of apples to cranberries because I want the warm, cozy apple flavor to shine, with little bursts of tart cranberry throughout.
Fresh or Frozen Cranberries: Cranberries add a delicious tart contrast to the sweet apples. I use enough that you get some in every bite without overpowering the filling.
Brown Sugar & Orange: I use a little extra sugar to balance the tart cranberries, while fresh orange zest and juice brighten the flavors. I love pairing orange and cranberry!
Cornstarch: I've had my fair share of watery fruit fillings, so I use cornstarch to thicken the juices into a jammy filling that holds together better when served.
Cold Butter & Rolled Oats: The cold butter helps create a chunky, crispy topping. I like to pop the crumble into the freezer while preparing the fruit to keep the butter nice and cold before baking.

If you like to have an extra crunch adding some chopped pecans or walnuts to the crumble would be great. I would use only 1 cup of oats and do ½-1 cup of chopped nuts.

Baking is a science and to really achieve the best results I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. This OXO Kitchen Scale is the one I use and is also the number one recommended kitchen scale by Cook's Illustrated. Think about it -what one person scoops into a "cup" is completely different from what someone else scoops!

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

Let's Get That Crumble Nice and Crispy!

crisp topping in a glass bowl mixed together on a light surface with a stripped linen. — Make the crisp topping and store in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

apple cranberry filling tossed together in a glass bowl on a light surface with a stripped linen. — Peel and cut apples then mix with cranberries, light brown sugar, cornstarch, orange zest and juice, and cinnamon.

cranberry apple filling added to pan and crisp topping added on top on a light surface with a stripped linen. — Pour fruit filling into pan then add crisp topping and bake.

apple cranberry crisp after baking on a light surface with a stripped linen.

Check out my apple cider cake next!

wooden spoon holding a spoonful of apple cranberry crisp.

A Few Tricks for Cranberry Crisp Perfection

Keep the butter cold. I like to make my crumble topping first and pop it into the freezer while preparing the fruit. I use this trick in most of my crisps and crumbles because the cold butter helps create those chunky, crispy pieces of topping I love.
Don't skip the cornstarch. I've had fruit crisps and tarts turn out too watery, and the cornstarch helps thicken the juices into a beautiful, jammy filling. Make sure it's evenly mixed with the fruit.
Balance the tart cranberries. Cranberries are naturally tart, which is why I use a higher ratio of apples and a little extra sugar. I want a sweet apple filling with bursts of tart cranberry, not an overwhelmingly sour dessert.
Check the filling, not just the topping. The crumble can turn golden brown before the fruit is fully cooked. I like to check that the center reaches at least 175°F so I know the filling has had enough time to cook and thicken.
Let the crisp cool before serving. I know it's tempting to dig in straight from the oven, but allowing the crisp to rest for about 20 minutes helps the filling settle and thicken. Plus, it'll still be plenty warm for that scoop of vanilla ice cream!

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

Make sure to join our Newsletter and follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.