Name: Cranberry Crisp Dessert
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 24 oz fresh cranberries (about 6 cups); 2/3 cup packed brown sugar (+ 1 tbsp); 1/2 cup orange juice; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup old fashioned oats (NOT the quick cooking variety); 1/2 cup chopped walnuts; 1/2 cup packed brown sugar; 1/3 cup melted butter; 1/3 cup flour; 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon (or to taste); pinch salt

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Cranberry crisp dessert is a festive, tart recipe full of sweet holiday flavor! This lovely crisp caps off any holiday meal but is easy enough to make and serve all fall and winter long.

Cranberries are one of those foods that just scream holiday time to me.

But they get sadly underused outside of cranberry sauce.

These little gems belong in other recipes like this deliciously tart, lightly sweet dessert recipe.

And I mean if I am being honest, this is one of those desserts that could absolutely pass as a side dish on Thanksgiving or Christmas or even make an appearance on my breakfast table.

It does have oats in it after all.

Ingredients

To make this you’ll need a set of ingredients for the filling and another for the topping.

For the cranberry filling you’ll need:

Fresh cranberries– Do not use frozen cranberries in place of fresh. The filling will be soupy.
Sugar– Packed brown sugar
Orange juice– For extra flavor
Vanilla extract– Real vanilla has the best flavor.

For the topping you’ll need:

Old fashioned oats– Not the quick cooking variety or the topping will get too mushy.
Walnuts– Chopped. Allergic to nuts? Omit them. Don’t have walnuts, use chopped pecans or slivered almonds.
Brown sugar– Packed
Flour– All purpose
Spices– Cinnamon and salt

How to Make

Start by making the cranberry filling by tossing the cranberries, sugar, juice, and vanilla together in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Set it aside.

In another medium sized mixing bowl, stir together the oats, nuts, sugar, melted butter, flour, cinnamon, and salt until everything is evenly incorporated.

Set it aside.

Then, lightly spray an 11×8″ baking dish with non stick spray.

Spread the cranberry mixture out into an even layer in the dish.

Then, sprinkle the oat topping into an even layer out overtop of the dish until it’s all been used.

Bake the cranberry crisp at 350° for 30 minutes, or until the cranberry mixture’s hot and bubbly and the oat topping is a beautiful golden brown.

Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven, and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Serve in plates or bowls with scoops of vanilla ice cream if desired.

Enjoy!

Can I substitute frozen cranberries for fresh cranberries?

While you can substitute frozen for fresh in some recipes, this is NOT one.

Frozen cranberries will release a ton of extra moisture when you bake them so you will wind up with a very liquidy filling that doesn’t set properly.

Do you have to cook cranberries before baking this dessert?

Nope! No need to cook them first.

Storing Leftovers

Store any leftovers of this cranberry dessert in an air tight container or tightly covered baking dish in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheat in the microwave or a warm oven.

Tips and Tricks

You can add fresh diced apples for some extra flavor and texture. I recommend using a firm, tart apple like Granny Smiths if you do this.
Make sure you let the crisp cool for the full 5 minutes so the cranberry filling has a chance to set a bit.
Don’t have an 11×8″ baking dish? You can use a 9×9″ instead.

Other Cranberry Recipes

This cranberry crisp is a must for the holiday season. Make it and enjoy!

Looking for other cranberry recipes? Try these:

If you’ve tried this CRANBERRY CRISP DESSERT, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!