Easy Cranberry Crisp Recipe

A delicious, sweet treat, cranberry crisp is one of the easiest dessert recipes to make with fresh cranberries and a few more pantry staples. This sweet and tart cranberry filling covered with crispy oats and flour-based crisp topping is a perfect holiday dessert. The best part is these are individual servings.

Cranberry crisp is a great dessert to enjoy any time of year with a scoop of ice cream, either hot or at room temperature. This mini casserole dessert is an amazing summer dessert just like strawberry yogurt bark, mini apple turnovers, coconut custard, coconut milk pudding, mango pudding to have after a meal. It is a great mini dessert to serve at family gatherings or to enjoy during the holiday season. 

Ingredients

• Top Layer: All purpose flour (plain flour), rolled oats, brown sugar, walnuts, butter and a pinch of salt.
• Fruit Base: Fresh and tart cranberries, brown sugar and nutmeg.

Find the quantities and a short video in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

How to make cranberry crisp?

Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F).

Stir together fresh cranberries, ground nutmeg and brown sugar in a large bowl. 

In a separate large mixing bowl, add the oats, flour, melted butter, walnuts, brown sugar and salt. 

Now stir until the mixture is moistened. 

Spoon out the prepared cranberry mixture and spread them on the base of the mini casseroles.

Now spread the oats crumble topping on top of the cranberry layer. Break the mixture with your fingers and spread evenly. 

Put the mini casseroles in the oven and bake for 25-30 mins or until warm fruit starts bubbling and the top layer turns golden brown. 

Take the mini casseroles out of the oven and put them on a cooling rack. 

Allow them to cool down for 20 minutes. 

Enjoy the cozy dessert cranberry crisp as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of it.

Check out apple strawberry crisp, cherry crisp recipes on the blog.

Substitutions

Vegan: replace the butter with either vegan butter or coconut oil. 

Nut-free: Just leave out the walnuts.

Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats and replace the all-purpose flour with almond flour or oat flour. 

Variations

Use any sweetener of your choice such as coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey instead of brown sugar. You can use regular white sugar if that’s what you have on hand.

Add sweet apples, pears or other berries for a flavour variation. 

Swap the cinnamon for nutmeg. A big pinch of these warm spices is enough to impart the flavour. 

Pecans, almonds, hazelnuts could be used instead of walnuts. Or you could use a combination of nuts.

A dash of vanilla extract adds a lovely flavour.

Tips and Tricks

Ensure to bake just until the top layer starts turning golden brown.

While baking, the cranberries bubble up and might drip, so place the ramekins/casseroles in a tray to catch the drip or place aluminium foil under them.

Adjust sugar in the fruit filling based on the tartness of the cranberries. 

Bake time varies depending on the type of oven you use and its settings.

Storage

Store the leftover fruit crisp in the refrigerator and use it up in 5 days. Let the crisp cool down to room temperature, cover the ramekins with cling wrap (mini casseroles with lid) and then store them in the refrigerator.

This fruit crisp stays good for up to 2 days at room temperature.

You could make it ahead of time for a party and store it in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge and reheat in the oven until piping hot and crisp. This saves your time on a party day. 

Prep a big batch of oats mixture, divide it into portions, pack each portion in a zip lock bag or a freezer-friendly airtight container and store them in the freezer. Thaw a pack in the fridge overnight and then use it to make a fresh cranberry crisp. 

Serving Suggestions

Classic combination for cranberry crisp is a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

It is a simple dessert after a meal.

Best individual dessert to have at a family gathering and on special occasions.

It is a delicious dessert for kids to enjoy as after school snack. 

FAQ

Sharing is caring!