Rustic Cast Iron Apple Crisp Recipe- Ready in 1 Hour!

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Cast Iron Apple Crisp

When I was growing up, Apple Crisp was a rare treat. It always felt like an occasion when my mom would pull out her apple peeler-corer-slicer. As my siblings and I grew older, and learned how truly simple baking is, Apple Crisp made regular appearances at the kitchen table. Now that I’m a mom myself, I wonder if my kids will have the same fondness for this dessert that I do.

My Apple Crisp has a little bit of a homestead twist. Lard and molasses in the crumble topping are my secret to an even richer flavor and a better contrast to the tart Granny Smith apples. Cooking it up in the cast iron pan adds a bit of country charm, and speeds the cooking up. If you’re looking for a simple dessert (that also functions for the next morning’s breakfast) give this Cast Iron Apple Crisp a try.

(Save those apple peels and cores, you can make your own homemade apple cider vinegar. I’ve got the recipe here)

Cast Iron Apple Crisp

A delicious, warming treat that's an excellent breakfast or dessert.

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Equipment

• Large cast iron pan (or cake pan)
• Potato peeler, knife, cutting board
• Measuring cup or mixing bowl

Ingredients

  

• 6-10 Apples Granny Smith are my favorite, but any variety will work (you may need more or less depending on the size of your cast iron pan)
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Flour
• 1 cup Oats
• 2/3 cup lard (butter tallow, or coconut oil can substitute
• 1 T molasses
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1 1/2 t ginger
• 1 Dash of salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375*
• Start by peeling and quartering apples. Then cut out the cores and slice thinly. An apple peeler-corer-slicer speeds this step up significantly.
• Fill the cast iron pan with the apple slices.
• In a bowl, warm the lard gently. It doesn’t need to be melted completely, just mixable.
• Add the dry ingredients to the lard, stirring to combine. The mixture will be dry and crumbly.
• Spread the crumble mixture over the apple slices. The pan will probably be overfull.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes. The crumble topping should be browned slightly and the apples tender. Less cook time will result in crisper apples, too long of a cook time can yield thick applesauce with a crumble topping. (Both are still delicious)

Notes

To serve, top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream… or my preferred method: right out of the pan, still hot enough to burn your tongue!)