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.

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: 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

• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Hand Mixer
• Silicone Spatula

SHOP NOW

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?!

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Yield: serves 6

Grape Apple Crisp

Print

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.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

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
• ⅛ 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

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Peel and core apples, then cut into thin slices and place in a large bowl.
3. Stir in 3 TBS granulated sugar, 2 TBS flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon and cardamom with the apples.
4. Clean grapes and remove from stems. Cut the larger grapes in half and add all the grapes in with the apples.
5. Transfer fruit mixture into a 9-inch baking dish.
6. In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup flour, oatmeal, almond slices, ¼ cup sugar, brown sugar and salt.
7. Using your fingers, squeeze butter into the flour mixture until it resembles pebbles.
8. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit and bake until browned and bubbly, about 1 hour.
9. 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:

6

Serving Size:

1 bowl
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 324Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 210mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 6gSugar: 31gProtein: 3g

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This post was originally published November 17, 2014. It has been updated with new content, photos and video.