Apple Gingersnap Crumble
- Total Time
- About 1 hour, plus cooling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:12 servings
- ½cup/100 grams dark brown sugar, plus more to taste
- ⅓cup/75 grams granulated sugar, plus more to taste
- 3tablespoons/20 grams cornstarch
- 2teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon ground ginger
- ½teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 6pounds/2¾ kilograms apples, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices (about 11 large)
- 1cup/80 grams fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2tablespoons/30 milliliters lemon juice
- 2tablespoons/29 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2cups/250 grams all-purpose flour
- 1¼cups/250 grams dark brown sugar
- 2½teaspoons ground ginger
- 1teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼teaspoon ground cloves
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 10tablespoons/142 grams unsalted butter, melted
- 2tablespoon/20 milliliters molasses
- 2cups/473 milliliters cold heavy cream
- 1 to 2tablespoons/7 to 15 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 1tablespoon/15 milliliters bourbon
For the Filling
For the Topping
For the Bourbon Cream
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
594 calories; 27 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 89 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 62 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 122 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Make the filling: Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together brown and granulated sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Stir in apples and cranberries, sprinkle with lemon juice, and toss until combined. Taste mixture: An apple slice should be slightly sweeter than you’d like; the cranberries will seem like they need a little extra sugar. Add more sugar or lemon juice if needed.
- Step 2
Scrape apple mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or a shallow gratin dish, mounding them slightly in the center. (This will even out as it bakes.) Dot top with cold butter cubes. Place baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any bubbling juices that may spill over.
- Step 3
Bake for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, while you make the topping.
- Step 4
Make the topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, salt and lemon zest. Add butter and molasses, and use your fingers to crumble the mixture together to form ½-inch crumbles.
- Step 5
After 25 minutes of baking, stir the apples and mound slightly again. Gently press down on them with a spoon or spatula. Scatter crumbles evenly on top of apples.
- Step 6
Bake until topping is crisp and filling bubbles up around the sides of the dish, an additional 30 to 35 minutes. If the top starts to look too dark before the juices are bubbling, loosely cover top of crumble with foil. Transfer to a rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. If you made it ahead of time, you can also reheat the crumble at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Step 7
Within an hour of serving, make the bourbon cream. Using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat together cream, confectioners’ sugar and bourbon until soft peaks form. Chill if not serving immediately. Serve with apple crumble.
Tip
- If you want to make this dish ahead of time, prepare the apple-cranberry mixture without cornstarch, and store it in a covered container in the fridge overnight. You can make the topping, and store it in a separate container (or resealable plastic bag) in the fridge. When you're ready to bake, remove the apples and crumble from fridge. Transfer the apple mixture to the baking dish, toss in the cornstarch and dot it with butter. Bake as directed, recrumbling the topping with your fingers, if it has solidified into one clump, before placing on the apples.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Remy
How about using oatmeal instead of flour for the gluten free set?
Molly
Silly question: All I'm seeing in the ingredients is just spices, flour, and melty stuff. No oats, crumbs or cookies? What will make it crumbly, and not just a paste? Will that topping just firm up into some kind of crumbly texture on its own?
Heather
Tart, crisp apples are best for baking. A mixture will make for a more dynamic flavor overall. Granny Smith, Crispin, Cortland, Jonagold, and 20 oz apples are all known for good bakeability.
Loeilalice
The flour, butter and spices will create a crumble/crust on its own. I add oatmeal to crumbles for the extra taste, nutrients and extra crisp,, but you don't have to. Cheers!
Ross
Am I missing something? I don't see gingersnaps among the ingredients
Heather
This is my new go-to apple crumble/crisp recipe. Halved recipe for an 8x8" baker, using 1/2c cranberries, 3 med various apples and 1 pear, what I had on hand. The jamminess you get from cooking the fruit before adding the topping is a fantastic idea. I replaced 1/4c flour with oats to the topping, a nice addition. I guess some bakers don't realize that the molasses with the spices is what makes a 'gingersnap' - you then don't need the cookies. And making small crumbles is key to a great topping.
Jon
This looks pretty good and I think that I'll try it this year. For the bourbon cream, I'm going to use Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream. It is unbelievable and should go great with this recipe.
Jaan
I carefully weighed the apples. Once cut up, there were way too many of them to fit in a 9 x 13 in. pan. Had to make a second, smaller crisp.
Demetroula
Made this yesterday for my film club committee. Used a combination of Bramley and Granny Smith apples. Delicious, everyone particularly loved the heat of the ginger (don't stint on it), served it up with creme fraiche. Had several requests for the recipe. Although I love making pies and tarts, this is a terrific and quick alternative to making an apple pie -- with a great depth of flavour, and the crumble creates a crunchy texture.
Diana
This is and exotically flavored dessert. Here’s a low sugar gluten-free version. The only added sugar I used was the molasses. The topping was made of 3/4 cup of coconut flour, 3/4 cup ground oat bran and 3/4 cup of Besan Flour (or chickpea flour). The volume of the flour has to increase to make up for the lack of sugar so that the apples are all covered. The butter may not need to be increase because of the fat content of the coconut flour. Start with 10 tablespoons and add more if needed.
MMSF
Not having bourbon one day at a time! What’s a tasty no alcohol sub?
Eric
This was so good and so easy with just the right amount of spice! I used 10 Honey Crisp apples; they held their shape and were perfectly cooked. Everyone loved the gingersnap "twist"! If you are concerned, the full flavor molasses is not too strong.
Not loving the topping
I made this for thanksgiving yesterday. The recipe, as is, did not look like the picture, specifically as the topping did not get as juicy and was more of a dry crumble with the flour. I'd suggest trying oats for a more traditional "crisp" topping.
ajea
If they are Trader Joe's magnificent Triple Ginger Snaps, I would bet they'd be delicioso!
Notes
just top with vanilla ice cream
Beverly
Since we have 2 tubs of triple-ginger cookies, I crushed up a pile and added them to the topping and used less flour. Was good! You could probably also just use the cookie crumbs, maybe with some butter. I used dried cranberries, and I would leave out some or all of the corn starch next time if I do that, so the fruit will be juicier, or soak them first.
Kate H
I subbed 1/2 c rolled oats for part of the flour and I would do that again, the topping was delicious and crunchy! I also used 1.5 T honey for molasses since we were out. Also used frozen raspberries instead of cranberries since I didn’t find any at the store and everyone agreed it was a great combo. Overall, super delicious especially with the bourbon cream. Thanks for another delicious recipe!
KBS
This crumble was close to great, but ultimately something tasted off with the spice mixture. My guess is too much cardamom, or possibly ginger. Everyone loved the first couple bites, then found the flavor overpowering.
Dan
Popular with everyone at Thanksgiving dinner. Tasty and not too sweet.
Aila
Has anyone tried doing the first half of the baking a day ahead, then adding the topping and finish baking the day of?
Mary
Absolutely delicious!
Molly
Used almond flour, less sugars,homegrown apples. Ground spices all together in coffee grinder.
Annie
I forgot the corn starch, and added some oats into the topping. Despite my deviations from the recipe, it was really delicious. The crumble top did have a bit of a paste texture but I think the addition of some oats helped with that
Tina
This is my favorite apple crisp recipe. I love the sweet tart flavors with the cranberry and spices. I’ve made it many times and it always comes out delicious.
Jane S
For the filling I used six large apples, four granny smith and two honeycrisp, using half the quantities of the other filling ingredients listed. This filled a 9 x 12 oval baking dish. I made and used the full recipe of topping. This is a very nice variation on your standard apple crumble recipe. The only change I would make is to add a few more cranberries next time. Keep a careful eye on the crumble as it cooks and remove from the oven once it is brown and the filling is bubbling.
crashkoff
3/12/23 Decrease all sugar a bit if you don't want super sweet: ⅓ C brown sugar, ¼ C white sugar in fruit. 1 C brown sugar in topping. Added ½ C rolled oats and ½ C pecans to topping, decreased flour by ⅓ (used 1+⅓ C only). Don't skimp on spices, and increase lemon zest. Substitute nonfat Greek yogurt for bourbon whipped cream makes it breakfast - I may have to finish leftovers now :)
Mike S
It will seem like there are far too many apples. But after you cook them down, that huge pile actually fits in the dish.
Tricia
This dish is delish! Swap out 1/4 of flour for oats and use less sugar in crumble. I used the prescribed one cup of frozen cranberries but next time would add more. The prep takes time - put on an old movie, pour a glass of wine and just enjoy the process! So worth it.
driscoll24fps
Tossing in 2/3 cup of rolled oats gave the crumbles more substance and some more yum.
Amanda
The spiced crumble is a fun alternative to typical apple crisp and was super yummy. Yes, the topping does firm up to a crispy topping that taste and texture wise are similar to a gingersnap cookie. Subbed frozen cherries since cranberries aren’t in our stores till November. I think the addition of a secondary fruit is a nice complement to the apple. Used spiced pear liquor instead of bourbon because it was on hand.
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