Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Delight Recipe

The Best Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Delight Recipe for Fall Comfort

Cinnamon-spiced apple delight whispers comfort and warmth from the first delightful bite.

Sweet aromas drift through kitchens, promising nostalgic memories and cozy moments.

Fragrant spices dance with tender fruit, creating a magical culinary experience that feels both familiar and exciting.

Baking enthusiasts and dessert lovers will adore this simple yet sophisticated treat that balances rustic charm with elegant flavors.

Subtle notes of warmth emerge from each carefully crafted layer, promising a sensory journey.

Rich textures and complex taste profiles make this dessert more than just a sweet indulgence.

The recipe invites you to embrace seasonal ingredients and revamp them into something extraordinary.

One taste will transport you to cherished moments of pure, delectable happiness.

FAQs About Apple Cinnamon Delight

  • What type of apples work best for this recipe?

The best apples are firm varieties like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn. These hold their shape well and provide a nice balance of tartness and sweetness during baking.

  • Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

Yes! Simply substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend or almond flour in the topping. The rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free.

  • How long will this apple dessert stay fresh?

When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Delight will stay delicious for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven for a few minutes to restore its crispy topping.

  • Can I prepare this dessert ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can assemble the entire dish and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. Just add a few extra minutes to the baking time if it’s coming straight from the refrigerator.

Why Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Delight Is a Fall Favorite

  • Experience a warm, cozy dessert that captures the essence of fall with its rich cinnamon-spiced apple flavors and inviting aroma.
  • Whip up this delightful treat in under an hour with simple ingredients and straightforward steps, perfect for both novice and experienced bakers.
  • Enjoy the perfect balance of soft, tender baked apples underneath a crispy, crumbly oat topping that provides a satisfying crunch in every single bite.
  • A versatile dessert that appeals to all ages, making it ideal for family gatherings, potlucks, or a comforting weekend dessert that everyone will adore.

Ingredients in Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Delight

Fruit Base:
  • Apples: Sweet and tart fruit that forms the core of the dessert, with crisp texture and natural sugars.

Notes: Choose firm, slightly tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for best baking results.

Sugars and Spices:
  • Brown Sugar, White Sugar: Provide sweetness and help create caramelization.
  • Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves: Warm spices that enhance apple flavor and add depth.
  • Salt: Balances sweetness and intensifies overall flavor.
  • Cornstarch: Helps thicken fruit juices and create smooth consistency.
Topping Ingredients:
  • Rolled Oats, All-Purpose Flour: Create a crumbly, textured topping with rustic appeal.
  • Butter: Adds richness and helps bind the topping together, creating golden-brown crispness.

How to Bake Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Dessert

Step 1: Prepare Baking Workspace

Grab a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and generously coat the bottom and sides with butter. Warm up your oven to a cozy 375°F, creating the perfect environment for baking magic.

Step 2: Create Spice Blend

In a spacious mixing bowl, combine these ingredients:
  • Brown sugar
  • White sugar
  • Cornstarch
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Ground cloves
  • Salt

Whisk everything together until perfectly blended and fragrant.

Step 3: Prep Apples

Carefully wash and dry your apples. Peel away the skin, remove the core, and slice into delicate, thin pieces. Toss the apple slices into the spice mixture, ensuring each slice gets a delicious coating. Spread the apples evenly across the buttered baking dish.

Step 4: Craft Crumbly Topping

In another bowl, mix these delightful ingredients:
  • Rolled oats
  • All-purpose flour
  • Brown sugar
  • White sugar
  • Salt
  • Ground cinnamon

Add cold butter and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to create a crumbly texture that looks like chunky sand. Sprinkle this golden topping generously over the seasoned apples.

Step 5: Bake to Perfection

Slide the baking dish into the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes at 375°F, then lower the temperature to 350°F. Continue baking for 35 more minutes. Watch for a golden-brown topping and bubbling apple filling – the ultimate sign of a delicious dessert.

Step 6: Cool and Serve

Remove from the oven and let the crumble rest for 15 minutes. This allows the filling to set and makes serving easier. Scoop onto plates and enjoy warm, perhaps with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Serving Tip: Best enjoyed fresh from the oven, this apple crumble brings comfort and joy to any gathering.

Tips for Perfectly Spiced Apple Bakes

  • Master Apple Selection: Choose firm, tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for the best balance of texture and flavor in your dessert.
  • Perfect Coating Technique: Gently toss apple slices in the sugar-spice mixture to ensure even distribution without breaking the delicate fruit.
  • Butter Blending Trick: Use cold butter and work quickly when creating the topping to achieve those delightful, crumbly texture clusters.
  • Strategic Oven Management: Watch the baking closely during temperature reduction to prevent burning and ensure a perfectly golden, crisp topping.
  • Cooling Wisdom: Allow the dessert to rest for 15-20 minutes after baking, which helps the filling set and intensifies the rich, warm spice flavors.

Reheating and Storing Apple Delight Leftovers

Refrigerate Leftovers: Transfer cooled apple crisp to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, preserving its delicious flavors and texture.

Reheat in Oven: Warm individual servings at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, restoring the crispy topping and bringing out the rich, warm spices of the dessert.

Freeze for Later: Wrap the entire dish tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, storing in the freezer for up to 3 months, perfect for enjoying a comforting treat anytime.

Best Pairings for Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Delight

  • Pair with Creamy Vanilla Scoop: Top the warm cinnamon-apple dessert with a cold, smooth vanilla ice cream that creates delightful temperature contrast and complements the spiced apple flavors.
  • Brew Warm Chai Tea: Serve alongside a fragrant chai tea, which echoes the recipe's warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, enhancing the overall aromatic experience of the dessert.
  • Match with Caramel Drizzle: Elevate the apple crisp by adding a light drizzle of rich caramel sauce, intensifying the dessert's sweetness and creating a decadent layer of complexity.
  • Select Crisp White Wine: Choose a light, slightly sweet Riesling or Gewürztraminer that balances the dessert's warmth and provides a refreshing palate-cleansing effect between bites.

Tasty Add-Ins for Apple Delight

  • Rustic Berry Crumble: Replace apples with a mix of seasonal berries like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Adjust sugar quantity to balance berry tartness and maintain the same spice blend for a fruity autumn-inspired dessert.
  • Pear and Almond Crisp: Swap apples for ripe pears and add sliced almonds to the topping. Incorporate ground cardamom for a warm, sophisticated flavor profile that complements the pears' soft texture.
  • Tropical Mango Cobbler: Use ripe mangoes instead of apples, and blend coconut sugar into the topping. Sprinkle shredded coconut over the crumble for a vibrant, island-inspired dessert with a sweet, exotic twist.
  • Savory Squash Crumble: Transform the recipe into a savory side dish by using roasted butternut squash. Replace sugar with parmesan cheese in the topping and add herbs like thyme and rosemary for a hearty, warming accompaniment.
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Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Delight Recipe

Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Delight Recipe


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4.7 from 29 reviews

  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x

Description

Warm kitchens come alive with classic Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Delight, blending comforting aromas and rich flavors. Delicate apples nestled in buttery pastry create a sweet escape that draws you close with each inviting bite.


Ingredients

Scale

Fruits:

  • 6 large apples (mix of 3 Granny Smith and 3 Honeycrisp)

Spices and Seasonings:

  • 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon (1.25 milliliters) ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon (0.625 milliliters) ground cloves
  • 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) ground cinnamon

Sugars and Dry Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (24 grams) cornstarch
  • ¾ teaspoon (4 grams) salt
  • ¾ cup (170 grams) butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 ⅓ cups (120 grams) old-fashioned oats
  • 1 ½ cups (180 grams) flour
  • ½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) salt

Instructions

  1. Grease a spacious rectangular baking vessel and warm the oven to a moderate temperature of 375°F, creating an ideal environment for the delectable dessert.
  2. Craft a fragrant mixture by blending granulated and brown sugars with cornstarch, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and a pinch of salt in a generously sized mixing bowl.
  3. Transform fresh apples into delicate, uniform slices after carefully removing their protective skin and core. Gently tumble the apple pieces through the aromatic sugar-spice blend, ensuring each slice is luxuriously coated.
  4. Artfully distribute the spiced apple slices across the prepared baking pan, creating an even, inviting layer that promises delightful texture and flavor.
  5. Construct a rustic topping by combining rolled oats, all-purpose flour, additional sugars, a whisper of salt, and ground cinnamon in a separate vessel. Incorporate cold butter into the dry ingredients, using fingertips to create a crumbly, sand-like consistency.
  6. Generously shower the apple foundation with the nubbly, butter-rich topping, covering the fruit completely with a promising golden-brown blanket.
  7. Slide the assembled creation into the preheated oven. Initiate baking at 375°F for a brief 10-minute interval, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking until the surface turns a rich golden hue and apple juices begin to bubble enthusiastically, approximately 35 minutes.

Notes

  • Choose firm, slightly tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for the best texture and balanced sweetness in this dessert.
  • Room temperature butter works best when creating the crumbly topping, ensuring even distribution and perfect sandy consistency.
  • Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream to enhance the dessert’s comforting flavors.
  • Let the crisp rest for 15-20 minutes after baking to allow the juices to set and make serving easier.
  • Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, gently reheating in the oven to maintain the crisp topping’s texture.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Desserts, Snacks
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 8
  • Calories: 300
  • Sugar: 18 g
  • Sodium: 180 mg
  • Fat: 12 g
  • Saturated Fat: 7 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 45 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 3 g
  • Cholesterol: 30 mg
Isabella Rossi

Isabella Rossi

Founder & Culinary Content Creator

Expertise

Recipe Development​, Traditional Irish and European Cuisines, Food Styling and Photography, Culinary Education​

Education

Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) – School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology

  • Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts
  • Focus: Comprehensive training in classical and modern cooking techniques, kitchen management, and menu development.​

Ballymaloe Cookery School

  • Program: 12-Week Certificate Course
  • Focus: Intensive, hands-on experience emphasizing farm-to-table cooking and sustainable practices.​

Liam is the voice behind many of Craft Meats’ most flavorful features. With roots in Dublin’s smoky barbecue scene and a culinary degree from the Dublin Institute of Technology, he brings time-tested cooking techniques to life. 

His training at Ballymaloe Cookery School sharpened his farm-to-table approach, giving him a deep respect for every ingredient he writes about.

He’s not about overcomplicating the process, just helping you cook meat that’s worth talking about. When he’s not writing or grilling, he’s out foraging or nerding out on regional spice blends to add to his next recipe.

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