Graham Cracker Apple Crisp | Graham Cracker Apple Brown Betty

A wonderful variation of a tried, true and favorite comfort food.  You’ll love the sweet crunch from the graham cracker crumbs in this Apple Crisp. 

I bought over 10 pounds of apples on sale for $.29 cents a pound.  Happy as happy could be with my apples, I also stumbled upon a 10 pound box of coarse graham cracker crumbs for just a few bucks.  It was time to bake….

I love crumbles and crisps.  They’re such simple, throw it all together desserts, but end up so delicious.  Any fruit works, but apples are my favorite.  I guess this version is technically considered a brown betty because there is an additional layer of crumbs.  Call it what you want, I call it delicious.

I have to mention that we’re not using fine crumbs like you would use for a pie crust.  You’re using a coarse crumble.  The box of graham cracker crumbs I found were labeled as a topping for sundaes and such.  That being said, you do not need to beat & roll the graham crackers to dusty oblivion.  You’ll achieve the desired texture by smashing the crackers by hand in a ziploc bag or however else you need to get this deed done.

I love when a recipe has a story.  Not all recipes do, nor should they.  How many tales can really be told about buttermilk biscuits, cream cheese frosting or meatloaf?  Many times, the recipe just is.  Who knows where it came from and who knows where it’s gonna go – other than in my belly 🙂

So onto the origins of this recipe.  I tasted a piece of this delicious apple crisp, baked from an old neighbor of mine.  I was very interested in her choice of topping – graham cracker crumbs browned in butter.  Simple enough, I know.  I was still curious, though.  My neighbor was an old order Mennonite (they’re much like the Amish) and as wonderful bakers as they are, they’re very frugal and super resourceful when it comes to cooking.  Bread crumbs or oats, yes – graham cracker crumbs, really?

Turns out, it’s an old recipe that “just is”.  It was simply a way of using up homemade graham crackers, gingerbread or sugar cookies that were on there way to being stale.  There’s that resourcefulness I was telling you about 🙂

Alright, so that’s it.  If you wanted to, you could certainly skip layering the fruit and just dump the graham cracker crumbs on top.  I would probably use less crumbs, but your crumbs are your business.  This is best eaten warm the day it’s made.  Top with whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, Mexican crema, vanilla yogurt, caramel sauce or whatever else your heart desires.  Leftovers will be mushy by the next day but can be reheated in the oven to restore some of the crisp.  You could also brown up and save some extra crumbs to sprinkle over and add some cruch to leftovers.  Crumbles, crisps & the such are all very not fussy, so go ahead and make it your way.  It will be delicious!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Happy baking 🙂

-Amanda-

Graham Cracker Apple Crisp | Graham Cracker Brown Betty

Amanda

A wonderful variation of a tried, true and favorite comfort food. You'll love the sweet crunch from the graham cracker crumbs in this Apple Crisp.

4.89 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Desserts

Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

  

• 3 1/2 cup coarse graham cracker crumbs *See Note*
• 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
• 6 cups peeled & sliced apples approx 7-9 apples
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup warm water
• for topping optional whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, vanilla yogurt, Mexican crema, caramel sauce - whatever you prefer

Instructions

 

• *Note*Graham cracker crumbs must be coarse and have texture to them. The crumbs you use for a pie crust are too fine.
• Preheat oven to 350° Spray/grease an 11" x 7" or 2 quart baking dish.
• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat and add graham cracker crumbs. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes, or until crumbs are crunchy and lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Peel, core and slice apples, toss with lemon juice. Set aside.
• In a bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.
• Layer half the apples in the bottom of the greased casserole dish. Pour water over apples.
• Cover apples with half the brown sugar mixture and half the graham cracker crumbs.
• Repeat layer - apples, sugar and top with graham cracker crumbs.
• Bake until apples are tender and top is lightly browned - about 40 - 45 minutes. If top is browning too quickly, but apples are not yet tender, cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until tender.
• Transfer to wire rack.
• Top with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, vanilla yogurt, Mexican Crema, caramel sauce or whatever else you'd prefer! Apple Crisp is best eaten warm and the same day. Day or two old leftovers can be reheated in the oven to restore some of the crisp.
• Enjoy 🙂