Cardamom Spiced Apple Crisp (Printable)

Tender apples layered with cardamom and a buttery oat almond crumble for a fragrant, crunchy finish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Apple Filling

01 - 6 medium apples (about 2 lbs), peeled, cored, and sliced
02 - 2 tablespoons 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

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch baking dish and set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, toss sliced apples with lemon juice, granulated sugar, ground cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, all-purpose flour, and salt until evenly coated. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine oats, all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, sliced almonds, ground cardamom, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and use fingers or pastry blender to work together until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - Sprinkle crumble mixture evenly over apple filling, covering surface completely.
05 - Bake for 40 minutes until topping is golden brown and apples are bubbling at edges.
06 - Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cardamom transforms ordinary apples into something that tastes almost exotic without requiring any fancy techniques.
  • You get that satisfying crunch from the oat topping paired with soft, spiced fruit, which somehow makes it feel both comforting and a little fancy.
  • It comes together in under an hour and actually improves your whole house's smell situation.
02 -
  • Cold butter is non-negotiable for the crumble; room-temperature butter will melt into the oats and you'll end up with a dense cake instead of a crispy topping.
  • Don't overbake or underbake; watch for golden brown topping and bubbling edges, and pull it out right at that moment because five extra minutes changes everything.
03 -
  • If your cardamom is older than six months, buy fresh pods and grind them yourself because pre-ground loses its punch quickly, and this recipe lives or dies on cardamom quality.
  • Keep your butter in the freezer until the last second and even consider chilling your crumble mixture in the fridge for ten minutes before topping the apples; this ensures maximum crunch in the final bake.
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