Vegetarian Recipe: Stovetop Apple-Cranberry Crumble

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Every week on the Good Food Blog we celebrate Meatless Monday by sharing a vegetarian recipe from our archives.

Abby Dodge is an editor-at-large at Fine Cooking magazine. She is also the author of The Weekend Baker: Irresistible Recipes, Simple Techniques, and Stress Free Strategies for Busy People, published by Norton & Company.  She first shared this recipe for Stovetop Apple-Cranberry Crumble on February 12, 2005.

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Keep reading for the full recipe…

Stovetop Apple-Cranberry Crumble
Makes 8 servings

For the filling:

  • 3 Tablespoons (1 1/2 ozs/43 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
  • 2 lbs (907 gs) apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (I like Golden Delicious, but any firm, medium-tart apple will do.)
  • 3/4 cup (2 1/2 ozs/71 gs) fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1/2 cup (4 ozs/113 gs) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of table salt

For the topping:

  • 3 Tablespoons (1 1/2 ozs/85 gs) unsalted butter, cut into three pieces
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, or more if needed
  • 2 cups crunchy, lightly sweetened granola
  • 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

Go-withs: vanilla or cinnamon ice cream, or sweetened whipped cream for garnish (optional)

  1. To Make The Filling: Put the butter in a 10 to 11 inch (25-28 cm) skillet with 2 inch (5 cm) high sides and set over medium high heat. When the butter is melted, add the apples, cranberries, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Toss until well blended. Continue cooking over medium-high heat, shaking the pan or gently stirring the contents with a wooden spoon, until the sugar is melted and the apples just begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid or a double layer of foil and reduce the heat to low. Continue to simmer, shaking the pan often, until the apples are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 12 minutes longer.
  2. To Make The Topping: Meanwhile, put the butter in a separate medium skillet and set over medium heat. When the butter is melted, stir in the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and add the granola. Cook, stirring constantly, until the granola is hot and evenly coated with the butter and cinnamon. Taste the granola and add more cinnamon if needed. Drizzle the maple syrup over the granola and cook, stirring, until hot and well blended, about 2 minutes. Set aside and keep warm until the filling is ready.
  3. When the apples are tender, uncover the pan. If the apples have released a ton of juice (more than about 1 cup/8 fl ozs/233 ml), increase the heat to high and boil briefly to reduce the liquid. Slide the skillet from the heat and scatter the topping over the filling. Serve the crisp straight from the skillet hot, warm, or at room temperature. Accompany with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.