Low Fat Apple Cranberry Crisp


2 ½ lbs. sweet tart apples about 8 medium apples, peeled cored and sliced thinly, Granny Smiths, Pippin, Braeburn, Gala, firm Golden Delicious, or a variety of apples. Firm sweet or tart apples make the best pies and crisps
1 ½ cups granulated sugar divided into 1 and 1/2 cup
3 cups fresh cranberries or 1 12-ounce package
1/2 cup cranberry or orange juice
1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
Crisp Topping:
3/4 cup whole oats or ¾ cup quick oats if you don’t have a food processor
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup light butter, Land O’Lakes or other brand, use the stick not the whipped


Combine 1 cup sugar with cranberries and 1/3 cup cranberry juice in a medium sized sauce pan and bring berries to boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until cranberries pop, about ten minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/4 slices. Place apples in a large bowl. Mix flour, cinnamon, cardamom and salt together with ½ cup sugar until blended. Add vanilla and sugar mixture to apples, tossing apples gently to blend all ingredients together well and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix flour together with baking powder and blend in brown sugar. Cut butter in to flour mixture with a pastry blender, fork or fingers until mixture resembles fine crumbs and stir in ground oats.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 7-11 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Gently mix apple mixture together with prepared cranberries and evenly spoon mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle crisp topping over fruit covering completely. Bake until crumbs are golden and apples are tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. Serve hot with non-fat vanilla yogurt or ice cream if desired. Crisp is best served warm out of the oven.

Yield: 12 servings without non fat yogurt or ice cream each at approximately 235 calories; 2.5 grams total fat; 7 milligrams cholesterol; 54 grams carbohydrate; 3.6 grams fiber; 1.9 grams protein; 85 milligrams sodium.

Compare with traditional recipe at 400 calories and 16 grams total fat vs. 235 calories and 2.5 grams total fat

Add comment