I had 3 apples that were on the verge. You know the kind. They don’t feel crisp to the touch anymore, they aren’t rotten, but you wouldn’t be stoked about cutting one to eat straight up. So I thought for a second on how I could use these up. I’ll just make an apple crisp for two after the kids go to bed. I mentioned something to my husband and then one of my children heard the word apple crisp. Then I realized my husband had misinterpreted the slight whisper of me saying I was going to make apple crisp into thinking I was going to make it for everyone which turned into him shouting… “mommy is making dessert so if you’d like some you need to help clean up before dinner!”
Awe dip.
(And that’s a reference to The Good Place)
Right. I’ll admit, fruit crisps are one of my favorite desserts of all time so I wasn’t really sad to have to make a bigger one, I just didn’t know what I was going to do about “apple crisp” since I only had 3 apples for 4 people. So I did what any good human would do and I didn’t give up on the idea. This is dessert after all! I pulled out the last two cups of triple berry blend from the freezer I usually use for my morning smoothies, threw it in the microwave to thaw and tossed it in with the apples. That was a really good decision because as you can see from the result it definitely has the yum factor. I threw a couple tablespoons of stevia on the fruit right in the 8×8 pan and mixed it up. Now for the topping. I always have and probably always will use the fruit crisp topping recipe from the OG Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that I received as a wedding gift with the exception that I double it because, why wouldn’t you?
Because of COVID-19 we are still in quarantine mode (although things are slowly opening back up) and this is by far the most unplanned dessert (and there have been A LOT of desserts). Berries are finally coming into season and as far as fruit desserts are concerned, a fruit crisp is my absolute favorite! So even though I used frozen berries this time, there is just something about using the fresh, in season berries of summer and I will definitely be doing this very soon. 
I have so many memories of eating fruit crisps as a kid and this takes me right back to summer nights spent on front porches at friends’ houses, potlucks and summer cookouts. All things I hope we all get to do very soon! I love how versatile this recipe is. Whatever fresh and/or frozen fruit you have on hand, a little brown sugar, flour, oats, and butter (dairy free butter works too!). It amazes me what deliciousness those few ingredients turn into! This is easily made gluten free like we did tonight using gluten free oats (love Thrive Market and their large bag of gluten free rolled oats for a great price!) and Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour works perfectly in this recipe as well. Add a little vanilla ice cream on top (the contrast of the heat and cold gets me). It’s summer comfort in a bowl. I’m sending love to you and your loved ones at this time. Please enjoy this recipe and please hit the comments section or tag me (@lizlaughlovefood) in your instagram posts if you try it out or have questions! I love hearing from you all!
Any Fruit Crisp
recipe inspired by and adapted from BHG New Cookbook 75th Anniversary Edition
Ingredients
- 4 Cups fresh or frozen berries/apples/pears/peaches (any combo, just make sure to thaw any frozen fruit first without draining) See Notes on apples*
- 2 Tbsp stevia (you could also regular sugar or honey or real maple syrup)
- 1 Cup rolled oats (I used gluten free)
- 3/4 Cup brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup all purpose gluten free flour (or regular)
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (not a fan or don’t have any? Skip it)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 Cup cold butter (or vegan butter) cut into several pieces
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (optional)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thaw any fruit that is frozen. Place fruit in an 8×8 baking dish and mix with stevia (or sugar if using).
For the topping, in a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together oats, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two knives (or I actually find pinching it between your fingers works really well. Cut the butter in until the mixture is course and the most of the butter is down to about large pea sized clumps.
Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden and fruit is bubbly.
Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream
Notes:
*If using apples, make sure you cut them all to the same size so that all of the pieces cook equally. I prefer to cube my apples into smaller cubes (about the same size as a raspberry or blackberry) and find this works well for the overall texture of the dessert. If you prefer slices, make sure they are not too thick or the topping will cook before the filling is tender.
*For more tart fruit such as blueberries or cherries, increase the amount of sugar and mix in an additional 3 tablespoons of gluten free (or regular) flour to increase the thickness of the “sauce” as the berries cook.
*Title note, May 28, 2020: As I was browsing my instagram today, I came across the NYT story feed where the iconic cookbook writer and food stylist Susan Spungen announced she was going to be making her “Any Fruit Crisp” from her cookbook Open Table. I had no prior knowledge to this recipe title and our recipes are different despite them having the same name.
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