I love apple crisp. The reason? I’m not a big fan of pie crust, but I love a crumb topping. I found a recipe for Slow Cooker Apple Crisp on the Kraft website and thought it was worth a try. Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical about cooking the apples and I didn’t trust that they wouldn’t end up as a ball of mushed apples. To my delight, I did not end up with a ball of mushed apples, and this actually turned out to be a good way to make apple crisp; especially if you’re stretched for time and need to cook dessert while doing other things.
I did make a few changes to the original recipe. Initially, the recipe called for fresh cranberries with the apples. I had done this before with apple pie, but when it comes to an apple crisp in the fall, I really just want the apple flavor. I also made a change for the crumb topping, as the original recipe called for almonds in the topping. In my house, that’s pretty much deadly, so I made a regular streusel topping, and used whole wheat flour to obtain some of the nutty flavor without the nuts.
Crock It! Apple Crisp
Ingredients:
10-12 granny smith apples (peeled and sliced)
1 box instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounce size)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar
What’s Next:
Combine dry pudding mix, granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Combine apples 1/4 cup butter in large bowl.
Add the pudding mixture to the apple mixture and stir together.
Transfer to slow cooker and cover. Cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours (or HIGH 2 to 3 hours).
Streusel Topping:
Combine flour and light brown sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in melted butter until large to medium size balls form.
Place on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.
Sprinkle warm apple crisp with streusel topping before serving.
Notes from my experience:
This is one of those desserts that will help make any holiday hostess’s life a little easier. It is perfect for a time when the oven is occupied with some large, like a turkey, and one may not have time to watch while cooking. The slow cooker makes it possible to cook dessert (and serve it warm) while enjoying a very filling holiday meal.
The streusel can be made ahead of time and stored in an air tight container if that makes life a little easier.
You can replace the wheat flour with Arrowhead Mills All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Mix for a delicious gluten free dessert. I am not sure about the instant pudding, but you could leave that out.