If you love a baked apple dessert, then this baked apple crisp with easy crumble topping, will really blow you away! It’s a fall-spiced homemade apple crisp with a cheddar oatmeal streusel, blending sweet with savory. In a word… heavenly.

 

Originally published in 2013, this post has updated for photography.  You’re welcome.

Despite the fact that South Florida seldom drops into temperatures that require so much as a long sleeve shirt, if you’re a resident, there is still an intrinsic yearning to experience a change of seasons. In fact, on those rare occasions when we do shake off the humidity and “dip” into blue-jean weather, we (the hot, sweaty natives) milk it for all its worth! It hasn’t happened yet this season, so my reliable back up — is seasonal cooking.  Dishes that make me feel like I should be wearing a sweater,  like this baked apple dessert. It’s essentially a homemade apple crisp, on steroids. And this baked apple crisp with easy crumble topping is ready in about an hour.

 

Ingredients For Easy Crumble Topping:

• Cold Unsalted Butter
• All Purpose Flour
• Brown Sugar
• Rolled Oats
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Chopped Pecans

 

Making Easy Crumble Topping for Baked Apple Crisp

Your hands are the most effective tool for making this homemade apple crisp.

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients through the oatmeal in a bowl.
2. Toss the ingredients together to combine with your clean hands, then use your fingers to press the butter into the ingredients — mashing a bit.  It doesn’t have to be perfect.
3. Add the cheddar cheese and chopped pecans to the flour mixture and continue to work the ingredients with your hands.
4. The streusel should look sandy and crumbly. Set aside.

 

 

Assembling Homemade Apple Crisp

1. In a large bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, lemon zest, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss until fruit is evenly coated.
2. Add the dried cranberries and toss to combine. Set aside.
3. Transfer the apple mixture to a shallow baking dish.
4. Sprinkle the streusel mixture generously over the apples.
5. Bake the homemade apple crisp until apples are bubbly and oatmeal streusel is golden.

 

The cheddar oatmeal streusel has such a great yin/yan of salty and sweet.  The cheddar isn’t overpowering, but it does temper the sweet cinnamon apple filling, in a good way.   Even if fall hasn’t gotten into its full groove where you are this baked apple dessert with oatmeal streusel will remind you of the season.

 

Honestly, I like this baked apple crisp and the easy crumble topping all by itself, however, my family isn’t satisfied until it gets some type of embellishment. My daughter is partial to a scoop of vanilla ice cream — and I won’t lie — that’s good. But a drizzle of cold cream over the homemade apple crisp is also delicious — and kind of reminds me of a bowl of baked oatmeal — with a helluva lot of fruit! If you’re serving for company — you can really dress it up with a rum-spiked whipped cream by using  a hand mixer to whipping heavy whipping cream to just before soft peaks, adding a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar and whipping to soft peaks, then adding a tablespoon of dark rum and continuing to whip until soft and pillowy. That’s a baked apple dessert that will make your eyes roll back in your head in sweet satisfaction!

 

 

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