Spiced Apple Crisp with Brown Butter Topping

5 from 2 votes

Spiced Apple Crisp with Brown Butter Topping

This Spiced Apple Crisp has tender apples, bold fall spices, and a nutty brown butter topping. A comforting, cozy dessert everyone loves.

Prep Time25

Cook Time45

Total Time1 5

Servings: servings

Author: Sam Maccini

Equipment

1 9 x 13 Baking Dish

Ingredients

Filling

8 apples peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks that are about ½-inch thick about 10 cups. I prefer half honey crisp half granny-smith
¼ cup maple syrup
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 & ½ tablespoon cornstarch

Topping

9 tablespoon unsalted butter browned*
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup all purpose flour
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup chopped toasted pecans*

Instructions

Preheat oven & Toast Nuts: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside. Toast your pecans now if they aren't already! 7-8 minutes at 350° usually does it or you can throw them in the oven while it preheats and take it out when it smells nutty & they are golden (but not burnt).
Next, brown 9 tablespoon unsalted butter: In a small sauce pan or skillet, melt the butter & cook it gently, stirring often to keep it moving. Once melted, the butter will foam or bubbles. As you continue to stir it will start to turn golden brown. The foam will settle and the butter solids will be a gorgeous toasty color! It should smell butterscotchy or nutty. Pour into a small bowl & set aside to cool down.
Make filling: In a large bowl, mix apples, ¼ cup maple syrup & spices (2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper) together until evenly coated. In a small dish or bowl add the 2 & ½ tablespoon cornstarch and mix with a small bit of water until dissolved. Dump over apple filling ingredients & toss to coat. Pour apples & whatever is left over in the bowl into your prepared baking pan.
Make the topping: Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl (¾ cup brown sugar, 1 cup rolled oats, ¾ cup all purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ cup chopped pecans) until combined. Pour in the browned butter and mix until completely combined and no dry bits remain. It’s a little bit more dry than wet sand. Sprinkle over the top of the apple filling.
Bake for 45 minutes OR until the topping is golden brown and the apple juice is bubbling around the edges. If the topping is getting too dark, before apples are ready, gently place tinfoil on top to finish baking.
Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with salted caramel ice cream - my FAVORITE way to eat it. You can also serve cold, room temperature or with any ice cream of choice.
Tightly cover leftovers & store in the fridge up to 5 days. If you want to reheat, I like to do it in small bursts in the microwave or place into the oven until warmed through.

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