If you are looking for a delicious grape dessert, then this grape apple crisp is calling your name. It makes a beautiful Thanksgiving dessert or whenever you crave something sweet and wholesome.
Fall is here and even in San Diego there is a slight nip in the air. While everyone is going nuts over pumpkin recipes, I prefer other fall fruits like apples, pears, pomegranates and grapes.
You might not think grapes are a fall fruit, but they are. Visit wine country and you will find that the vineyards harvest their grapes for wine this time of the year. We are so spoiled to get grapes 365 days of the year, but grapes really are a fall fruit.
So if you are looking for grape dessert ideas or maybe you just want to serve up a new Thanksgiving dessert, this apple crisp with grapes will really knock your socks off!
Why you must try this recipe
My favorite desserts really are fruit desserts. It’s probably the Persian side in me as middle easterners serve fresh fruit as a dessert all the time, something lost on my Western counterparts.
Fruit desserts are not only delicious, but they are rather beautiful with their bright colors. A fruit crisp is one of the easiest desserts to throw together. And if you don’t want the fuss and hassle with baking a pie, then you really must make a fruit crisp.
The beauty of crisps is that you can make them all year long, using any fruit that is in season. For the spring and early summer, you can bake a strawberry rhubarb crisp. For summer, try a peach crisp. For fall, try a quince apple crisp or this beautiful apple grape crisp.
Grapes not only make excellent snacks just as they are, but did you know you can also bake with them? They taste even sweeter when baked and are perfect in so many different ways.
I love cooking and baking with grapes. You can make a beautiful grape upside down cake or black grape galettes, or bake up some incredible savory grape bread.
Crisps are perfect for the holiday months because they are super easy to assemble and they are hard to ruin, even for the absent-minded baker. And that would be me!
By adding the grapes, a simple apple crisp was transformed into a a dramatic, deep purple crisp. It really is a beautiful and unique dessert. And it is so freaking delicious!
Ingredients you need
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- Apples:Â You can use sweet or sour apples, depending on your personal preference. You do want to use firm baking apples like Granny Smith or Pink Lady.
- Seedless grapes: For the best grape crisp, choose a sweet grape. This means forgoing the more tart green grapes. I used black grapes, but you can also use Muscato, Concord, Moon Drop or Jupiter grapes.
- Lemon: You will use the juice and grated zest from a lemon. You can skip the zest, but the lemon juice not only offers some contrasting flavors, but it also helps keep the apples from browning.
- Spices: I used ground cinnamon and cardamom in my crisp. You can skip the cardamom, especially if you don’t like it, but cinnamon is a must when baking apple desserts. You can also add a little ground cloves, if you like.
- Old fashion oatmeal: A crisp isn’t a crisp without oatmeal in the topping. This is not the quick oats, but whole oats.
- Brown sugar: You can use either light or dark brown sugar.
- Butter: This is the magic for the crispy topping. You can use either salted or unsalted butter. Cut it into chunks and keep it cold in the refrigerator until you are ready to mix it and add to the crisp.
- Nuts: For more crunch in the crisp, I love adding chopped nuts. I like using almonds or walnuts, but you can also use pecans, pistachios or a mix of nuts you have on hand.
- Pantry staples: Granulated sugar, all purpose flour and salt.
Tools to Use
Step-by-step directions
1. Chop the fruit. Peel and core the apples, then cut into thin slices or chunks, depending on your preference. Clean the grapes and remove the stems. Cut the larger grapes in half and add all the grapes in with the apples.
2. Mix the filling. Stir in some granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon and cardamom with the apples.
3. Mix the crumb topping. In a small bowl, mix together flour, oatmeal, chopped nuts, sugars and salt. Using your fingers, squeeze butter into the flour mixture until it resembles pebbles.
My family and I are all about the delicious topping on crisps so I give you plenty in this recipe. If you prefer less, then cut the amount by half.
4. Assemble and bake. Scatter the topping evenly over the fruit and bake at 350ºF until browned and bubbly, about 1 hour. Serve warm or cool to room temperature.
Expert tips and recipe FAQs
I love serving fruit crisps on the warm side, but feel free to serve it cold or room temperature. You can serve alone or top it with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Oh yes, it’s swoon worthy!
I really love leftover fruit crisps for breakfast with my morning tea. It’s basically fruit and oatmeal, right?!
You typically add lemon juice to cut apples to keep them from oxidizing or browning. But, the lemon juice also adds a touch of sour to balance your sweet fruit. You could also use orange or lime juice, if you don’t have lemon juice.
Because this is a fruit dessert and it tends to be moist, I prefer storing leftovers covered in the refrigerator. It will keep like this for up to 5 days. You can enjoy leftovers cold or heat them up in the microwave. The topping will be slightly softer. You can also reheat in the oven if you want to keep the topping crunchy.
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Grape Apple Crisp
If you are looking for a delicious grape dessert, then this grape apple crisp is calling your name. It makes a beautiful Thanksgiving dessert or whenever you crave something sweet and wholesome.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb apples, like Granny Smith or Pink Lady
- ¼ cup plus 3 TBS granulated sugar
- ½ cup plus 2 TBS all-purpose flour
- 1 TBS lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- â…› teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ lb red or black grapes
- ½ cup old-fashion oatmeal
- ¼ cup chopped nuts like almonds or walnuts
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 TBS cold butter, salted or unsalted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Peel and core apples, then cut into thin slices and place in a large bowl.
- Stir in 3 TBS granulated sugar, 2 TBS flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon and cardamom with the apples.
- Clean grapes and remove from stems. Cut the larger grapes in half and add all the grapes in with the apples.
- Transfer fruit mixture into a 9-inch baking dish.
- In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup flour, oatmeal, almond slices, ¼ cup sugar, brown sugar and salt.
- Using your fingers, squeeze butter into the flour mixture until it resembles pebbles.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit and bake until browned and bubbly, about 1 hour.
- Serve warm or cool to room temperature.
Notes
Serving Suggestions: Serve alone, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
You can also use chopped pistachios or pecans.
Cooking Tips: Green and red grapes can also be used, but will not give you the deep purple hue like black grapes do. Do choose sweet grapes and not sour ones.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1 bowlAmount Per Serving: Calories: 324Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 210mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 6gSugar: 31gProtein: 3g
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
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This post was originally published November 17, 2014. It has been updated with new content, photos and video.
Sorry about writing about where the butter is listed in directions. Makes sense now.
I’ve frozen pear crisps after they’re baked. After defrosting, there’s lots of juice. Also, butter is left out of line #6 in the directions. Not a big deal. I’ll be making this crisp today. Thank you.
Where are the ingredients listed? I didn’t find them and had to use other recipes for the topping and guessed on the filling. NOT very detailed.
Hi Don-
There was a glitch with my recipe plugin and it wasn’t showing the whole recipe. I fixed it. Thank you for your patience.
Laura
Yes. I’ve assembled pies, frozen them and then cooked them as I needed them for dessert. So, I might try it for a crisp!
Thank you!
Yumm!! I had a bit less apple and a little more grapes. I have an abundance of delicious thompson style grapes, and a few dark purple grapes. It only takes a small porportion of purple grapes to color the dish which is predominantly green grapes and apples. Since the apples were tossed in flour, I added an additional tablespoon of flour to firm up the juice from the grapes. I loved the subtle lemon flavor, cinnamon and cardamom, and the crunchy texture and flavor of almonds. Delicious recipe!! My question: do you think this could be assembled and then frozen… Read more »
I’m so glad you liked the recipe and modified it with more grapes. I have not frozen a crisp before baking it, but from what I’ve quickly researched online, it can be done. It will require a little extra baking time.
I need fast recipe treats such as your crisp during this time of the year. I can’t believe that it’s already December!! O.O I am just shocked how time flies. Looking forward to your grape apple crisp, thanks for sharing and I wish a great weekend ahead. =)
That looks SO yummy. I never think to include grapes into desserts.
I’ll have to make this for dessert tonight!
You are being very creative with grapes this fall – may I join the crisps-are-best club? Happy Thanksgiving – I miss you!
I love apple crisp! And I love grape desserts. Never thought to put the two together, though — wonderful idea! Thanks.
I love it! “All hail the Crisp!” : )
I could (but I don’t) eat apple crisp every day of the year. I love the crunch and then the soft sweet apples. Add grapes and I’d be swooning. 🙂
Laura – I am with you!!! Crisps are one of my all time favorite desserts – have to try my next one though with grapes!!!
Yes! We crisp lovers must stick together!