APPLE PEAR CRANBERRY GINGERBREAD CRISP

When Teri-Ann Carty (@terianncarty) and I cook together, magic always happens—and this Apple Pear Cranberry Gingerbread Crisp is no exception. Easy to make and full of seasonal flavor, it’s perfect for any fall dinner—whether you keep it gluten-free and vegan or make it with butter and regular flour. Just as welcome at Thanksgiving or Christmas as it is on a crisp autumn evening at home, it’s wholesome enough for dessert and even breakfast the next morning—so you may want to make a double batch! #doctorsorders

Ingredients for 6 servings:

Filling

• 6 cups diced apples and pears (2 to 3 of each, cored and chopped into small chunks)

• 1 cup frozen unsweetened cranberries

• 1/4 cup sugar or Lakanto Golden sugar-free monk fruit sweetener (optional, see note below*)

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or juice from 1/2 lemon)

Topping

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free if needed)

• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup grass-fed or vegan butter

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free if needed)

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar or Lakanto Golden sugar-free monk fruit sweetener*

• 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp gingerbread spice mix, adjusted to taste (recipe below)

• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

*Notes: When Teri-Ann and I first made this, we omitted the sugar in the filling and used only 1/4 cup in the topping. It was delicious, especially with the ice cream. However, for a sweeter crisp, or if your apples are tart, add some sugar or sweetener to the filling and/or increase to 1/2 cup in the topping. My taste-testers have LOVED this crisp with Ambrosia apples and 1/4 cup Lakanto Golden in both the filling and crumble.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8x8 inch baking dish or cast iron skillet with coconut or avocado oil. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, add chopped apples, pears, cranberries, sugar or sweetener (if using), and lemon juice. Stir to combine, then transfer to prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the oats, pecans, 1/2 cup butter, flour, sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp gingerbread spice, and salt. Mix with a fork or pastry cutter until a sticky and crumbly topping is formed, adding additional butter as needed and/or spice mix to taste. Spread evenly over fruit mixture.

4. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown and nicely crisped. If the topping starts to become too brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue baking until the apples are done.

Allow crisp to cool slightly before serving with vegan vanilla ice cream (optional but highly recommended!). Leftovers can be stored, once fully cooled, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold or reheat before serving.

Apple Pear Cranberry Gingerbread Crisp served with vegan vanilla ice cream. Photo credits @terianncarty.

Homemade Gingerbread Spice Mix

This recipe makes just under 1/2 cup (7 to 8 tbsp) of spice mixture. Up to 2 tablespoons are needed for the crisp and the rest can be reserved for use in baking (think cookies, banana bread, or my Gingerbread Granola), oats, pancakes, smoothies, or chia pudding. Alternatively, the recipe can easily be cut in half if a smaller amount is preferred.

Please note that you can adjust the spice mix to your liking by omitting/reducing or increasing certain spices.

Ingredients for approximately 1/2 cup spice mixture:

• 3 tbsp ground cinnamon

• 2 tbsp ground ginger

• 1 tbsp allspice

• 2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp ground cloves

• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

• pinch of black pepper

Directions: Mix all the ingredients together and transfer to an airtight container such as a mason jar. Store in a cool, dry place for 3 to 4 months.

This recipe was originally published Nov 25, 2019. It was updated Sept 22, 2025.