Spice Kissed Breadcrumb Apple Crisp

By Amanda Paa – Updated September 15, 2021
5 from 2 votes
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I started cooking for Brian and I the first fall we spent together. Before that, I was a pretty typical 20-something who lived off sandwiches and microwave meals. Yes, true story. One of the first gluten-free desserts I attempted to make was an apple crisp, after I’d convinced him to go to the orchard and proceed to lug around ten pounds of apples we’d picked.

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It has become our tradition every September, but oddly enough, my apple crisp recipe never stays the same except for using a mix of tart and sweet apples, along with pumpkin pie spice (it doesn’t have to be used exclusively for pumpkin – the combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, is so lovely with apples too!).

heirloom apples in fall // minnesota apples

Crisps/crumbles/cobblers…. it’s one of the few baking categories that doesn’t require exact precision, which my pantry loves.

Using Breadcrumbs to Make Apple Crisp

This non-traditional apple crisp came to be when I realized I’d ran out of oats, and all I could think about was that bubbling pan of cozy coming out of the oven.

But I did have a few slices of gluten-free bread hiding out in the freezer, which I promptly turned into breadcrumbs. And pecans. Brown sugar. And butter.

It turned out cozy, and comforting, with a generous crisp topping that’s nutty and toasted just right. Even beyond the breadcrumbs, the pecans alone give you plenty of delicious crunch to sink your teeth into.

A little rustic, with a heavy dose of fall.

As you’ll see, I peeled the apples, but if you’re really in a hurry, you can totally skip that. Bonus points for extra fiber. ;)

And at any rate, it’ll save you a few extra minutes for scooping ice cream that melts gloriously into pockets of warm apples. Amen.

More Apple Recipes:

Spice Kissed Breadcrumb Apple Crisp

Spice Kissed Breadcrumb Apple Crisp

Use stale bread to make a breadcrumb topping for this delicious apple crisp! The toasted breadcrumbs are tossed with butter, pecans, and spices, and the apples soften as they bake.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time :20 minutes
Cook Time :45 minutes
Total Time :1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Author: Amanda Paa

SCALE:

Ingredients

  • 2 pink lady apples, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 granny smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice divided
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons tapioca starch or cornstarch
  • 4 slices stale bread, gluten-free or regular
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 5 tablespoons melted butter
  • pinch of salt
  • ice cream for topping

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
  • In a large bowl, mix together apples, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/3 cup brown sugar, salt and tapioca starch, so dry ingredients coat the apples. Set aside.
  • In a food processor, pulse the torn bread until about 10 times. Then add pecans and pulse until all are uniform sandy crumbs. Toast in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes, until just fragrant. Do not overbrown. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice, 1/3 cup brown sugar, melted butter and generous pinch of salt.
  • In the bottom of a greased casserole pan, sprinkle 3/4 cup of the crumble. Then add apples, patting down lightly. Top with remaining crumble.
  • Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, putting aluminum foil lightly over the top 20 minutes into baking to avoid top becoming too brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. 

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September 30, 2017

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11 comments

  1. Nancy Rogers

    5 stars
    Wonderful way to use homemade apple cinnamon bread that is dried out!
    I made bread crumbs -raisins and all – toasted them and will now use them in this tasty sounding recipe.

  2. Sabrina Stavenjord

    I am such a sucker for anything crisp or pie or apple.. any dessert really haha. Thanks for sharing, I can’t wait to try this recipe!

    x Sabrina
    http://mymiaou.com

    • amandapaa

      me too! i love the softness of the fruit with a little crunch. thanks for stopping by!

  3. Alison @foodbymars

    This is so clever, Amanda! And I’m a sucker for apple crisps, crumbles, and pies.. but who isn’t during fall? Love how easy this is… I must try it!!
    XO

  4. Kelsey @ Appeasing a Food Geek

    I have never thought of using breadcrumbs in a crisp, but now that you have written it here, it seems like a no-brainer! Will be packing that gem away in my food brain. Love the look of this, and I will definitely be trying it out during this time of supreme cozy :) xoxo

  5. Abby @ Heart of a Baker

    Ohh I’ve never tried using breadcrumbs in my crisp! I love that you are heavy on the spices, it makes for such a great apple crisp! xo

  6. Rachel @ Clean Eating for the Non-Hippie

    Apple season, hooray!! This is JUST what I need to get in the mood :)

    • amandapaa

      all the cozy!

  7. Cassie Autumn Tran

    This apple crisp looks WONDERFUL! Could I substitute the butter for vegan butter or melted coconut oil?

    • amandapaa

      Yes, vegan butter! No to the coconut oil.

  8. James | Thyme to Mango

    I only became a serious cook when I was trying to impress a new love interest (before then I was just a sandwich and microwave meal person too), and ten years later he’s still with me so I must have been doing something right , lol! And the crisp/ crumble/ cobbler is my go to dessert recipe because I am hopeless when it comes to following precise recipe instructions! And apple crips is by far my favourite!