Cardamom Spiced Apple Crisp (Print)

Tender apples with cardamom and cinnamon, topped by a crunchy almond oat crumble.

# Components:

→ Apple Filling

01 - 6 medium apples (approximately 2 pounds), peeled, cored, and sliced
02 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
03 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
08 - Pinch of salt

→ Crumble Topping

09 - 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
10 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
11 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
12 - 1/3 cup sliced almonds
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
14 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch baking dish.
02 - In a large bowl, toss sliced apples with lemon juice, sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and salt until evenly coated. Spread mixture evenly in prepared baking dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, almonds, cardamom, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and use fingers or pastry blender to mix until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - Sprinkle crumble mixture evenly over apples.
05 - Bake for 40 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and apples are bubbling at edges.
06 - Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, optionally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cardamom gives you that surprising warmth that makes people ask what you did differently.
  • It comes together in barely an hour, so you can pull off homemade dessert on a weeknight without stress.
  • The crumble topping is forgiving—your fingers and a cold stick of butter are all you really need.
02 -
  • Don't skip chilling your butter or rush the mixing—this is the one moment where patience creates that shattered, crispy topping everyone wants.
  • The cardamom is the star, so taste your apple filling as you assemble it and adjust the spice to your preference before everything goes in the oven.
03 -
  • Keep your butter in the freezer until the last possible second, and work quickly so those cold pieces stay intact and create that coveted flaky texture.
  • If your apples are particularly large, slice them a bit thinner so they soften completely in the 40-minute window—nobody wants a crunchy apple hiding under a perfect crumble.
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