As excited as I am to be — slowly, tentatively — back in the kitchen, I seem to be stuck at the beginning, or at least the beginning of the day. I’m fixated on granola and eggy things, breakfast-y quick breads and this thing I made for the sole purpose of eating with my morning yogurt, and I suspect it has everything to do with us feeling almost constantly like we’ve just woken up. And too early, sigh.
Fortunately, the cause is really cute and so we’ve decided to keep him, even if he at the advanced age of three and a half weeks has decided he no longer wants to sleep in those four-hour stretches he had teased us with in his misspent youth. However, I am stubborn and refuse to complain about the sleeplessness because there is nothing more predictable than new parents complaining about sleeplessness, and I hate being predictable. Instead, I have decided to embrace it, thus if I constantly feel like it is breakfast and I need a cup of coffee, then well, breakfast and a cup of coffee we will have.
This crisp is supposed to be the fall answer to my beloved breakfast apricot crisp. I maintain that baked fruit crisps needn’t just be dessert food and if you’re only having them after dinner, you’re missing out. The trick is to dial back the sugar significantly, keep the topping as granola-like as possible and eat it cold, first thing in the morning, with a generous helping of your favorite yogurt on top.
This isn’t to say that all sorts of things didn’t go south when I made this — I’m not naming names or anything, but a certain someone required enough attention that I was more than a little scatterbrained in the kitchen: the apples took more than an hour to peel and chop, leading to all sorts of discoloration; the granola nearly burned when I wasn’t paying attention and I overbaked the crisp enough that it’s more applesauce than delicious baked chunks . But like we care. We were so happy to have something, anything besides cold cereal for breakfast yesterday afternoon, and something that still managed to be delicious, I’m going to go out on a limb and call this a raging success. Make this, eat it for breakfast this week, whenever your breakfast may be.
By the way, I know that someone will ask me what kind of apples I used, and the answer is that I do not remember. I got them in baskets at different Greenmarkets and they all had funny names and I grabbed whatever looked good, including one that was so big, even this other giant was impressed.
One year ago: Family Noodle Kugel and Meatballs and Spaghetti
Two years ago: Hello Dolly Bars and Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette
Three years ago: Lemon Cake
Breakfast Apple Granola Crisp
3 pounds* of whatever apples, or mix of apples, you like to bake with, peeled, cored and cut into medium chunks
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup flour
2 cups oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, as you wish; I used unsweetened)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix apple chunks with lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and pinch of salt in a 9×13-inch baking dish until apples are evenly coated. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the honey. Stir in the flour, oats, almonds, coconut and another pinch of salt until clumps form. Sprinkle evenly over the apple mixture and bake in the oven for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until the apples are softened and bubbly. Should the granola brown before you wish it to, cover the baking dish carefully with foil for all but the last few minutes of baking time, when removing the foil will help the granola recrisp. Cool to room temperature and then stash in the fridge to eat with your morning yogurt.
* To note: I originally made mine with four pounds of apples, which will explain why yours may not look as voluminous as mine. However, I felt that the apple to granola proportion was off, and the apples nearly overflowed in the baking dish, hence why I suggest you use less.
Oh he’s getting so big already! Sorry he’s keeping you up at nights, but you’re right – he’s so cute and worth it! and the dish looks scrumptious!
Oh my is he cute. The breakfast apple crisp sounds good too. I still maintain that the best topping for oatmeal is leftover apple pie filling that wouldn’t fit into the pie, so this sounds right up my alley, but perhaps slightly better for me.
I fully support the eating of crisps for breakfast. Yum.
Would you judge me for making the day before baking and serving it to my (punitively early) breakfast guests the next AM?
…he asks a full decade post the post
Congratulations on your new bundle of joy! I love your recipes and humor. I have all the ingredients to make this except the coconut which I’ll leave out. Also making your onion soup recipe later today. Love the chickpea one too. Thanks for being on the other side of my cyberspace. I appreciate you. Best of luck Getting into the groove of sleeplessness. 🤱
Our next unit in my class in Fruits. I am so glad you made this apple crisp and now I can share it with them. I like the idea of topping it with yogurt. Very healthy.
This is definitely a delicious dish to wake up to (not too mention that delicious little face your little guy has!) :) I love your “roll-with-it” attitude – so inspiring!
mmmm – this looks good – especially with the strauss maple yogurt I have in the fridge
Ooh! I just went apple picking yesterday and wanted to find something I could bring to work using a bunch of apples – this looks like it! Thanks, Deb!!!
p.s. where are those jalapeno cheddar scones? when you get the time, of course :-)
Looks awesome, I just made some gluten free granola and I bet this would work well with that!
That looks delicious! And the pear and apple crisp looks good too..
I read your blog regularly and have enjoyed your humor. This post brought tears to my eyes, and I appreciate your way of expressing your new life so much. Sadly, were I to make this granola, with no infant as excuse, the results might be just as unpredictable. But it’s lovely fun to read your successes, both human and culinary, on a regular basis. Congrats congrats congrats!
Looks delicious! The picture of Jacob made me laugh – I have pictures of all 4 of my kids with “their” first loaf of bread!
He is so amazing! This is a great recipe for Fall! thanks!
what kind of oats did you use? plan to tackle this this weekend, hopefully. thx!
john — I used old-fashioned oats. I like the bigger crunch from the classic oats, but a quick-cooking variety might clump better — any will work.
ah! he is so sweet!
Gorgeous baby, gorgeous crisp! One of my favorite things is a crisp.
What to do without lemons, Deb? Often I don’t have one as they’re not cheap here in FL believe it or not. When I have one it seems I don’t need it and it goes to waste. Choices: dried orange rind flakes, or orange juice or vanilla?
Barbara — You can skip the lemon or just use orange juice. It’s mostly to add a little acidity to brighten it up.
Favorite phrase – “breakfast yesterday afternoon”. Love it! And love the concept of a non-dessert crisp to eat any time of day!
I bet that big one is a Wolf River. They are all the range at the Chicago markets because they are almost so big that you only need one for a pie!
Great breakfast idea!
This looks lovely. As does the child. =)
He is gorgeous. And the crisp looks good too.
Sounds very yummy! I am going to have to try this soon!
Ohhh this recipe has honey! I especially have a soft spot for recipes that call for honey. This looks delicious. For quite a few days I’ve been thinking of making your granola mix. Yesterday I made brownies inspired by your cheesecake swirl brownies! Thanks :))
Sounds like a delightful fall breakfast. The pics of your little guy with the monster apple made me giggle!
funny as it is to admit, i don’t think i read your blog for the recipes anymore. i’m just scrolling down for a glimpse of little apple face…
He is just cute as can be. I know you’ve heard it thousands of times–literally– but I’m sure you don’t get sick of it.
I read your post right around lunch time and now I’m craving breakfast for lunch!
Hi there! So I think I’ll be making this often! It sounds super simple and super yummy! My daughter was born on Sept. 18, so I hear ya with those sleep-deprived nights and having breakfast at 4pm…or 4am…I’m always happy with simple and delicious recipes like this one! Also, the pressure cooker is my new best friend! Do you use one? And if so, do you have any favorite recipes in which you use your pressure cooker? I love new pressure cooker recipes :)
~Jentry
Jacob just keeps getting cuter and cuter! Forget the lovely pics of the food!!!
That is one gorgeous baby. And hold on – the sleep thing will get better. And other delights await you. I made granola for the first time this weekend, and then fed it to my son. He loves it. So you can look forward to that in a year and a half or so.
Holy canoli that’s a big apple!
Whoa! I had to look twice at that apple – I thought it might be an optical illusion or something! Your son is SERIOUSLY the cutest. By the way, I’ve made your mom’s apple cake twice, and it is delicious. We put some pics up on our site and linked back to Smitten Kitchen for the recipe; hope it’s alright. This granola looks yummy too – I love cooked apples in any form!
hey your baby is making me smile……after my own sleeplessness.
you are going to be nostalgic about this sleep deprivation later in life…:)
the granola crisp is so good with honey…..have to try this , but your baby is sweeter than this for sure.
Overall, you’re doing a hellova job! Not only did you manage to make somehting good so early BUT also take photos AND post! Oh, and to respond to comments too? Wow. Not too bad for a first time mom.
And little Jacob is becoming cuter by the minute.
Ahhhh! So many delicious things about this post! What a cutie.
I think the woozy, sleepless feeling you’re describing can also be called birth control. Here’s to hoping he’s an early all the way through the night sleeper!
And smart of you to make things like this crisp. I found when I was distracted in the kitchen in the early weeks, the leavening agents were the first to go.
He is the absolute cutest thing. I just need to say that. :)
Oh yeah, and the crisp looks delicious.
Early this week I posted a confession to my friends on Facebook: ‘I eat apple pie for breakfast’. Well Deb, it looks like you are giving me a healthier alternative. This looks great, and like you I am also a morning yogurt eater, (when no pie is available), and the combination of cooked apples, yogurt and granola sounds delightful. Unlike you, I am getting my fair share of shut-eye. I hope that beautiful boy’s slumber time increases soon… but from the looks of things, he sure doesn’t need it for his beauty. What gorgeous skin your baby has… and all that dark hair! He melts hearts…
-Michaela
Thank you! Yummy and what a cutie!
I have to say, your blog posts feel like gathering around the fire – more about sharing and less about just plain eating. I love that you share your food and family with us! Thank you!
This looks delicious. I am going apple picking next weekend so I am going to have to try this one out!
I love the baby with produce/food pictures! Yay! As if apple crisp didn’t give enough feelings of coziness and warmth – you spoil us with adorable baby pics too! Thanks!
Congrats – he is adorable! I will be sleepless and in a constant state of eating breakfast in January! I have been baking everything apples this past week and couldn’t get by without my apple peeler, corer, slicer contraption. You must get one! It save SO much time and energy! What a great pic with Jacob and the apple! Too cute!
Crisps are genius almost any time of day in my book. After dinner, early morning, and tea time are my personal faves. I’ve also found that throwing some fresh cranberries in to the mix of an apple crisp gives an amazing tartness on top of the soft sweetness of baked apples. Thanks for a new recipe to play with! I tried the raspberry breakfast bar last week and have deciced that if I make a new oatmealy breakfast thing every week forever I will have ensured happiness.
I wish you sweet dreams with the little one!
wow your baby is handsome! just had to say!
Oh…my son will LOVE this! Whenever I make crisps of any kind, he loves to re-heat them for breakfast!
Baby Jacob is such a beautiful baby… I wouldn’t complain about lack of sleep, either! :-)
Oh my goodness he’s cute! How do you get anything cooking with him to cuddle? I love this blog. I love your photographs, I love your recipes, but the baby has just moved to the top of the list for me. Have faith. You’ll sleep again one day!:)
V
Go ahead and complain about sleeplessness. It makes those of us who’ve been through it and come out the other side feel smug. :)
I love your perspective. And it helps change mine, potentially. I dig perspective tweaking! We’re toying with the idea of parenthood and I have no idea how I’ll possibly deal with all the hard stuff, as much as the good stuff will make it worthwhile (right? right?!) But choosing to -embrace- the lack of sleep – I like that viewpoint. Plus, I am a coffee fiend. So it’s perfect. :)
And that recipe looks fabulous.
Awww, that is so cute! A big ‘ol apple just about the size of a little ‘ol baby.
Seriously, I used to read your blog for the food and while I still enjoy looking at the recipes, I’m totally coming here now for the adorable baby pictures more than anything :)
What a sweetheart! I’d have problems deciding which to eat: apple or baby. I love breakfast, and it is definitely an all day food. Now I just need to make it to my farmer’s market this week to pick up worthy apples.
I LOVE the advice about not being predictable new parents, with all the usual complaints. I am going to remember that…
He is a beautiful baby.
Will have to give the breakfast crisp a try. I’ve been looking for something to bake this week.
Serioulsy – can this little guy get any cuter? So adorable.
What a cutie-patootie! I haven’t commented on your blog yet, so may I offer congratulations…both on your healthy baby, and on your great attitude (not complaining about sleeplessness??? You must be the first, and I’m sure there are times that it’s not easy!) and on the fact that you’ve managed to keep posting…thanks for sharing your yummy recipes!!
Awww that pic of him with the apple is the funniest thing! Almost like an Anne Geddes photograph!!
This looks delicious, I would love this for breakfast!
how you managed to make apples peels look completely beautiful, I don’t know. this crisp looks like a divine breakfast, I’ll give it a shot!
Oh boy….just as we have put 5 servings of lasagna, 1 manicotti, 1 pulled bbq pork, 2 roast beefs with gravy in the freezer with the next plans being for soups, stews, and chili…. NOW you say that breakfast is what you crave after bringing home a newborn. We thought we were being so thoughtful planning for our December baby. I guess it’s good there are banana breads, zucchini breads, and your whole wheat apple muffins in the freezer too. Thanks for posting this scrumptious looking recipe, and thanks for sharing your adorable little boy with us!
I adore your real life take on making this. So so true to life.
Your little one makes me want another little one, but I will settle on making this for breakfast instead.
I’m so totally enjoying the pics of your little guy. He is so beautiful!!. I’m anxiously awaiting those sleep deprived nights/days. My little guy is due today but I think he’s going to bake at least another week.
Oh and the granola looks yummo. I could eat the whole dish. I have all the ingredients except the apples so off to the fruit market after work tonight!
Mmm an apple crisp with yogurt for breakfast sounds amazing!!
That sounds delicious.. think I’ll make this tonight and nibble on it for breakfast for the rest of the week instead of going hungry and gorging on crap for lunch, as is my awful habit lately.
And sweet little Jacob turns me absolutely stupid with his adorability. Especially that of his sweet little nose.
Delicious recipe and gorgeous pictures as usual. I must admit it that crisps have been in my dessert only repetoire but you’re convincing me I should branch out. Baby pics are adorable, esp with the apple for size comparison.
Yummy, I’ll try it some time, thanks!
I’m due in a month and a half and am starting to think about what to make and freeze. Do you think this would freeze well? And would you bake it fully then freeze it or would you freeze it unbaked?
This is definitely the perfect breakfast! Great use for all the apples I keep buying!
Thanks for making a crisp into an acceptable meal! Love the giant apple vs baby pictures!
What a perfect way to embrace sleeplessness – it’s always breakfast-time, and breakfast is always delicious.
He is cuter every time we see him! What a sweetheart!
Now, what’s all this talk about apples and crisps? Was there a recipe?
Yummy looking apple granola crisp- even yummier looking little baby- he is just too cute! Look at that head of hair!
YAY! You know it’s fall when the apple crisps come out to play.
I totally know what you mean about always feeling like it’s breakfast. I’ve nearly gone through my entire hidden stash of coffee (I forgot how coffeemate makes a cup of cheap coffee sing). Having oatmeal at lunch time seems oddly right on these chilly mornings/afternoons. Once DS starts sleeping through the night, having breakfast at a normal time will feel weird.
I love the last picture – it looks like he wants to eat that giant apple, nom nom!
I was just searching for a recipe like this last week. Perfection.
Hi Deb,
I agree with Emily. Your blog posts do make you feel like you are sitting around the fire. This breakfast crisp looks very good and healthy too. I just made your cabbage/mushroom galate–which was sooooooo good. Your pastry makes it “over the top”. I don’t think I need to say enjoy your beautiful new sweetheart of a son. Thank you for the recipes, for posting, and for pictures of that darling child. Take good care.
Mary Ann
Wow, this sounds fantastic! I love apple crisp and have been known to eat the desserty versions for breakfast :)
Oh my gosh he is super cute. Love the positive attitude too.
Oh and the apple crisp looks divine. I made quick brown rice pudding for breakfast with almond milk, cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup. You’d think I’d be the one making the crisp and you’d be the one microwaving leftover rice… cheers for you!
He looks already DIFFERENT to me – that he does! And I love the fact that you are eating breakfast all during the day – because you are absolutely correct when you say you are always feeling tired like it’s the morning! Apple Crisps are just so darn good this time of year!
I think crisp and yogurt is an excellent idea! In fact, I’m heading to my kitchen right now to make myself a bowl with our leftover crisp from last night! thanks for another great idea!
raging successes or not, I’ll take whatever recipes you feel up to posting if they come with little shots of your adorable munchkin.
he is just so adorable!
I love the idea of serving this for breakfast with yogurt but knowing me it’ll only ever meet vanilla ice cream.
Deb, you are such a grown up; a good role model for new Motherhood! Good on you for saving us from the whining about sleepless nights. But, do tell it to your Mom..she’ll probably be happy to rescue you from the baby induced sleeplessness. More than happy, as long as you send the swing along too! Kidding..(not really)
The crisp sounds great with the yogurt. My and my grown son’s favorite yogurt is the spiced apple flavor yogurt. With this, I can get away from that less healthy stuff and eat a more natural, better quality, sweetish breakfast! Thanks for this.
Oh. . .I’ve been making crisps, and this one looks just like the one I made the other day and ate for breakfast the next morning! Yummy, and totally filling!
Having had 3 babies in the last 5 years, I would wholeheartedly recommend: Get thee a sling! You will be able to do so much prep work with that little baby and he will magically be attended to while you have 2 hands free. . .it’s the only way I survived ;)
Is it 1/2 cup of coconut? The measurement is missing. :)
Love love love the picture of the little guy, and I can’t wait to make this dish!
I was wondering the same thing. I’m assuming so?
ooooh, I will be stopping to buy apples on my way home tonight. I am craving comfort food and this looks perfect. But not NEARLY as perfect as that “certain someone” commanding your attention! He would no doubt get all of mine too. And like everyone else here, I’m grateful you are cookin & posting at all, especially when you accompany your posts with a shot of the wee bit! Thanks and take care…
Yummy yumm mum :) Been here a few times – And absolutely loved your baby n your blog
Keep blogging/baking n babying
Is this sacrilege? I’ve been making my granola in the slow cooker (with the top off) because when I notice that it smells delicious and think to stir it, it has not burst into flames.
I am not even kidding–yours is one of the cutest babies I have ever seen. Please, please keep sharing the pictures! (And recipes.)
Awww, I love that picture of your little guy with that huge apple – so adorable!
A fruit crisp with yogurt for breakfast is such a great idea, and would be such a nice change of pace from my usual boring cereal!
I just had the apple version of your apricot crisp for breakfast. It is my go-to breakfast and I always think of you when I make it. I was so happy to see a different version for apple but I’m sticking with my original. And just to let you know about the circle of life, my little daughter who is now 4.5 helped me make the crisp. Thanks for sharing!
Deb, you need to get a y-peeler!
Looks delicious! The crisp that is… though I could totally describe your baby boy in the same way.
Aww I love the series of pictures of Jacob. Please keep us posted on how he is doing. The crisp looks wonderful, it will have to be made very very soon.<3
Oh, he is so stinkin cute, it makes me hardly able to wait the 10 weeks or so until my baby arrives, but I will enjoy my sleep while I am getting it.
Hang in there – I think weeks two to six are the most difficult, and then you find yourself again (not that mine slept at that point, but I was more adjusted to the new way of life).
Anyway, I am going apple picking with my 5 and 2-year-old this week, so maybe we wil give this yummy crisp a try. Thanks!
Wow! I thought that big apple was fake at first. It’s huge!
Ah, yogurt and oats, the breakfast of champions! Champion nursers, that is! I totally had huge supply and I love starting my day with yogurt and granola. You’re looks positively divine. I’m impressed you managed to make it – I was starved and would pull corn tortillas from the fridge and eat them, door open, uncooked.
Crisp looks delicious and my kids will love having it for breakfast. Your little gut is so charming. Keep up your good attitude towards sleep, because you won’t be getting any sleep when he turns sixteen and drives a car. I keep telling myself there will be time to sleep when I’m in the nursing home!
Mimi
Ops, So sorry for the miss spelling. I was not commenting on your stomach(gut), but your beautiful baby (guy).
Mimi
Deb!
He looks just like you!!!!!!!!!
I can’t even stand how cute your little guy is… you did good!
The whole time I was reading about the apple crisp I just kept thinking “where is the cute baby photo?” glad I got to see it at the end!
I’m going to come out from lurking for a while…to just say how insanely adorable your son is.
Hmm…a Columbus Day Delight! Delicious recipe, beautiful baby, and may I congratulate you? I know you hate to be stereotyped and predictable, but you are cooking like a real mom (burning things in the oven, etc. :-)). Love it! Thanks for the honest realism, beautiful pictures, and real-life humor!
Oh, he is just too cute! That apple crisp sounds (and looks!!) delicious, and that is such a good idea to use less sugar and have it me more of a breakfast item! I will definitely be trying it out.
You crack me up! Your son is the cutest, your recipes (including this winner) are the best and you’re a smart mom.
He’s a cutie! I love your recipes. I have many favourites from you! Apple crisp is one of the best desserts ever. This summer I made a peach crisp and my husband and I fought over the last piece.
I’ve been obsessed with tea breads lately, cut up and with coffee in the morning. Lemon bread is easy, and I just got a recipe for Pumpkin tea bread from a coworker that looks like it would rock for fall.
is it weird that when i see a new post i am most excited for more ADORABLE JACOBNESS? you’d better keep it up!
[this looks absolutely fabulous, by the way. i’ll throw one together tonight and try it for breakfast tomorrow!]
Mmmm apple crisp! I love that you include pictures of your sweet baby boy in the posts! :)
Sounds delicious. Apples are perfect for the fall…makes me wish I still lived on the East Coast. It is so crazy how tiny your little one is!!! The apple looks just about the same size as his head! I would make this recipe without the coconut, I think (I never really took to the taste, even in small doses), but everything else I would leave just as is! Yum!!!
Ohhh, he is changing already! You know I scroll down to find the picture of Jacob before I even take in the recipe. ; )
Do I have an excuse to eat apple crisp for breakfast now? I never thought to add coconut apple crisp. I’ll have to try that.
This is the perfect thing to make for my mama friends tomorrow morning! The kids will play, we’ll watch the snow melt and eat some delicious crisp. Sounds about perfect to me! :)
And your little man is SO adorable!
Apple crisp for breakfast is probably THE ideal autumn breakfast food. Definitely best with a heathful dollop of plain yogurt. Thanks for sharing your recipe for this delectable breakfast treat.
Your little one is precious….
I’ve never even thought of eating crisp for breakfast! Maybe because I usually love to load the top with brown sugar and butter…. hmmm. I’ll try to make it more breakfast-friendly. Warmed up with cold yogurt sounds delicious, I love the hot-cold combo.
The little guy gets cuter with every post :)
Looks similar to a recipe I made a week or so ago, only I used brown sugar rather than honey. My granola recipe’s also posted on the blog. I’d forgotten how much I like apple crisp this time of year, so I guess it’s time for more apples.
BTW – granola with warm poached pears is pretty great, too. Add your dab (or more) of yogurt, or dice the pears and do up as parfaits in a pretty glass for a tasty special breakfast. Maybe for the first night little one sleeps through . . .
Forget the recipes…that little one steals the show everytime – he is a gorgeous baby (although the apple crisp did look really good, too).
Your food looks more delicious than ever! I find myself heading to your site more frequently and trying out more of your recipes. But let’s face it-any excuse to look at that gorgeous baby Jacob! He is really quite edible, so how about posting his recipe, ha ha.
Mmm I made a half batch of this and snuck one apple out to try tonight. So tasty! The rest I will save till tomorrow to have with Greek yogurt and some tea.
If anyone else decides to do a half recipe in a 9×9 pan, I’d suggest using 1.5 lbs of apples but still making the full amount of topping–my topping didn’t make enough for a solid layer. It’s more of a sprinkling of tastiness here and there.
Yes, another of us that just keeps checking in hopes of a photo of that sweet baby – the recipes are a just a bonus! Good luck with the sleeping. Mine’s a bit older than yours but that sleep thing’s still hit or miss. But, I figure sleep’s overrated, right? Right??? ;-)
I LOVE apple crisp! The addition of almonds and coconut is so nice!
I hope you realize that 99.99% of your readers will expect a picture of your Little Prince with each new post until he goes to college! :-)
Adorable, love those big eyes and of course… his hair is simply amazing!
sally… you are 100% correct!!!
deb…jacob looks really adorable…what a great “timeline” for him/us…we are all having fun watching him develop!
btw: think you should update your “about” page (teehee)
I like the way you think, lady! This recipe looks like a good one for my kitchen, too, provided I halve the recipe so as not to be eating apple crisp until Valentine’s Day. Ah, the pleasures of cooking for one…
Oh my, look at that precious boy!
I’m for breakfast all day long–love it.
Yay for you Deb for (a) cooking ANYthing with a three-week-old (b) meeting his needs before ours and (c) not caring at all that your apples got a little discolored while you did that. Speaking of color, check out HIS colour! He looks fantastic. The crisp looks good too, can’t wait to try it.
Often-times lurker, first-time poster. Love your blog, and your baby is the cutest thing ever. :)
oh my, lady. you just made mine and my daughter’s morning. you see, her fav foods are apples and…granola!!! however, we’re not a dessert-every-night-kind-of-family so i don’t believe she’s ever eaten them combined in one dish. we are quite, quite grateful that you are making apple breakfast crisp AND sharing.
p.s. he is flawless. but, i bet you knew that!
Yum! And Sooo Cute! Yay to you for being able to make something you and hubby can enjoy all while taking care of that cutie pie. I like breakfast anytime. And if I need a cup of coffee I usually need breakfast type food.
Perfect. I just made this for breakfast in the morning. Next time perhaps I will put in some cranberries too. yum.
This looks tasty, but I probably should stick to eating leftover wedding cake for breakfast tomorrow. Maybe the day after, this will come out of the oven.
How wonderful! Apples are such a beautiful fall food and I can’t wait to give this a try!
I will definitely try this with some apples my Mom gave me from a neighbor’s tree. You are so wise to embrace the sleeplessness. I was so stressed about not getting any sleep, that I made the whole thing worse. Other Moms told me it would pass, but I secretly didn’t believe them. I survived, and it passed. :)
Awwww the baby! Man, that apple is huge. Before reading the context, I actually first thought that you’d photoshopped it in, haha! The crisp looks yummy! I don’t mind partially burned granola, myself, but I’m strange like that. :P
You inspired me to make my own apple crisp today. I used my grandmother’s recipe (don’t hate me! I promise to use your recipes in the future!) and I also let it cook too long and it got apple-saucy. I wish I had a lovely baby to blame it on, but I only have myself to blame. : )
Oh my goodness, that apple is as big as his head- that’s hilarious!
He is so adorable!
I just bought a couple of pounds apples yesterday, can’t wait for to try this out for breakfast tomorrow.
What a perfectly cute baby. Makes me yearn for another… I love the dessert made breakfast items, so this is surely on my baking list this week. I am a huge fan of breakfast custard with homemade granola and fresh fruit so I think this may be right up my alley as well. Thanks.
Such a perfect fall dish! Yum.
the apple! the baby! both look deeeee-lish!
Oh my gah he is cute! You must be so proud. This crisp looks like the perfect fall breakfast.
these are perfect breakfasts…
My son and daughter-in-law just had a baby as well — he’s a little younger than yours — and they, too, are sleep deprived. I’m visiting them next week to help out after my son goes back to work, and I’ll be making the breakfast apple crisp. Looks yummy, and your baby is pretty yummy, tpp.
Sorry you aren’t getting much sleep – sleep deprivation really is a cruel kind of torture, it totally stinks. I hope it gets better for you soon, my daughter is turning one this week and still waking up 2-3 times a night – so I totally feel your pain.
I think I just come here for my baby fix lately! He is too precious. Doesn’t the crisp part go soggy on top of apples and left in the fridge though? Might try this in a very much smaller size to see how it goes down as the various components are well liked around here, but having found a museli my husband likes finally I probably shoundn’t be trying my luck.
This is my first comment, and I usually do not, but now I just have to: your son is adorable! Usually I think that babies look like rats and don’t become cute until a bit later, but I guess yours is an exception! :-)
And the apple crips does sound wonderful aswell, I think I will give it a try this weekend when a friend is visiting and I need to impress her with breakfast!
Sounds really good…I will be making it too!
And your little one really is too cute!
This looks like what my grandmal use to make. Very nice!
Not to mention, your lil one is so adorable. I love the idea of comparing him to an apple. He is so tiny.
I have two little girls (2 and 4) I am ready for baby number three and seeing adorable pictures like this makes me more excited.
We have Farmhand’s Choice Granola with yogurt and blueberries EVERY morning for breakfast. My husband has lost 25 lbs and swears it’s the breakfast he eats. It’s helped him to really cut back over all. Sometimes he’ll have it in the evening for a snack instead of the huge bowl of popcorn he’s accustomed to.
That there apple is definitely a honeycrisp. They are easy to spot for their huge size.
GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS. Oh, yeah. I noticed a recipe for something super yummy that I will make for breakfast was in there too. :)
I’ve been mixing apple crisp into my morning oatmeal. So yummy. And as new parent as well, I can totally relate to nearly-burnt baked goods – multi-tasking sometimes gets a little too multi, knowwhatimean?
Yum! This looks delish…and what a cutie!! As a mom of a 2 yr old I’ll just say that it still takes forever to get anything baked (the breaks for nursing and cooing just turn into breaks for hide-n-seek and impromtu dance sessions) but everything has more love!
I agree, you totally should keep him, sleeplessness or no. This does look delicious.
I make a varietal of this at least once a week. Usually it has apples, blueberries, peaches, raspberries or whatever else I find in the fridge with some from the freezer if necessary. My now 7 year old has been eating this since he could handle solid food. I don’t put an sugar in with the fruit but some brown sugar in the topping – I am totally going to try the honey and adding coconut too. He calls it apple pie. I say just don’t tell anyone at school we have apple pie for breakfast please.
Wow, this looks awesome! And the food looks delicious, too. I’m making that this weekend, no question. (No baby making this year, tho!)
Perhaps if you had less coffee to wake up, you’d pass on less caffeine in your milk and he’d sleep better?
And, no, I haven’t had kids, so that’s a total guess!!!
Glad to see you awake and cooking, no matter what color the apples. Be blessed :)
omg, Deb, looks delicious.
I too am constantly on a quest to discover yogurt toppers… My latest fave is your salted butter caramel (which is awesome, and easy) with roasted mixed nuts on top of thick Greek yogurt. To die for. And yes salted butter caramel is ok for breakfast!!! It’s pretty much the same as honey. Except for the salted butter. And the cream. And gaaahhh must have more…..
as if the recipes weren’t enough to keep me coming back… you’ve added sweet snapshots of him with fruit. so precious.
That is great that you are eating a granola breakfast like thing in these early weeks. We used to survive on take-out leftovers when our kids were first born. It was too hard to get to the store to buy groceries, but much easier to make dinner last into breakfast and lunch the next day. Enjoy and take lots of pictures!
You know what? I LOVE that it took you an hour to peel the apples. That’s real world cooking for a mom :)
Grats and good luck with your little one!
How funny! Our second just turned one month old on Oct. 14 — and I have been wanting “wholesome” type foods as well (I say this as I munch on some homemade cinnamon raisin bread). Even funnier? Despite a lack of sleep, I can’t seem to keep from fiddling around with my blog, either. :)
Love this site!!!!!!!! The little fellow is getting cuter by the day!!!!! Touch wood!!!!! Best Wishes Always from Seattle!
His Royal Cuteness makes my ovaries hurt. I mean, seriously – that is one gorgeous bebe you’ve got!!
The only thing missing from your apple granols crisp is berries – my MIL had blackberries out the wazzoo this year, so I’ve been adding them to all sorts of baked goods, but they are especially fab-oo in an apple crisp!
I have always loved visiting your blog for great recipes and beautiful pictures but I must confess that now I come for my Jacob fix. He is so beautiful! I just love seeing his beautiful dark hair!!! I don’t think I would be able to put him down!! But I do still love your recipes!
I have been going through SUCH an apple phase lately! Like you, I have so many scraps, peels, and cores and I just hate to throw them away. I use some of them to make apple simple syrup. Take 1 part tightly packed apple scraps (by volume), 1 part sugar (I prefer 1/2 light brown and 1/2 granulated white), and 1 part water. Bring it all to a boil for about a minute and let steep for a few minutes before straining it through a colander. It’s AMAZING in iced tea!
it’s such a little thrill to see that you posted today — i wasn’t expecting it! you are being so positive right now… despite the lack of sleep and all the stress that comes with it. this looks like a lovely recipe– thank you! i will try it soon.
As embarassing as I find this to admit, I’m generally not a fan of other people’s children: I used to be downright afraid of other people’s babies (RUN (don’t walk)-in-the opposite direction afraid). Yet your son is so amazingly adorable, even I couldn’t resist him if I were given the opportunity to coo and play with him. And your attitude toward the sleep deprivation thing is 180 degrees from my own; I was convinced I was simply going to expire. I am in awe of your determination *and* ability! to balance new motherhood with day-to-day living. Sincere congratulations on your little bundle of sweetness, your happy family and on being a ridiculously good mother already.
P.S. That granola crisp doesn’t look the slightest bit burned. Call it deeply caramelized! : )
I love crisps (and tend to eat them at breakfast even if they were for dessert the night before!) It’s gotten unseasonably cold here in Denver so this will be the perfect thing to have Saturday morning, and clearly much healthier. Now I can’t wait to get to the farmers market! Thanks so much :)
I have so many apples and I was looking for a way to use a bunch at one time. I can’t wait to have this for dessert tonight. :)
awesome baby!
great recipes!
my husband is allergic to honey… what can I substitute? thanks
I have tons of apples to use up and I love yogurt.
You’re baby is too cute! Just soooo adorable, I’m more into the baby than the food, he is so cute, just wanna eat him up! LOL! Not literally, hah!
I’m not a big breakfast person, but I could probably handle on the weekends. Looks yummy!
So often I see tons of comments on your blog and don’t add one. But I wanted to let you know I do read you- follow you and love your recipes. Your latest (your son) is the best of all your recipes! He is darling and I love watching him grow. Mine are grown now but I well remember every tiny thing that happened with each of them!
I am due in December and am so inspired by your attitude and your cooking. I love breakfast for dinner so why not the other way around! Reminds me of a healthier version of stewed apples and custard that I used to eat as a kid in Ireland – yum!
Good lord! You have the smallest baby I have ever seen! : )
That’s some crazy-ass apple, all right.
First, I love the baby with the apple pics! Too cute!
Second, the granola sounds like a good breakfast, or an even better dessert. Warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream … drool!
You know, I am a few years out of the baby making days and I never (and I do mean NEVER) get the urge to do it again but looking at your little guy is giving me a twinge. He is so darn cute. I might have to make the apple crisp since I won’t be making any babies…but I can still practice.
Your baby pictures have all been completely adorable and have me overflowing with nostalgia for those new-baby days of sleeplessness and cranking up the infant swing for the 100th time. My babies are now 12 and 7, so those days are long gone, sigh. I’ll console myself by making this crisp. I have almonds lying around so it is obviously Meant to Be.
I love your blog and I’m sorry I haven’t commented before. Better late than never, though!
I might make a crisp for dessert, but it always about breakfast for me.
Glad to hear that you are embracing motherhood, the kitchen again, and the gorgeous boy. Thanks for cooking for us.
Janet — Not the smallest baby, the biggest apple. ;) That apple clocked in at 1.5 pounds!
He is adorable!
Just curious…what yogurt to you buy? Also, your little one is just darling!!
Kay — I like plain, unsweetened full fat yogurt. Favorites are Stoneyfield and Liberte. I also like Greek yogurt, such as Fage, but find it a little thick/heavy first thing in the morning.
Deb — Was it 11th Street? Say hi next time! Only Jacob bites. :)
These look delish and like something I might actually like (I have a deep aversion towards baked fruit – it always tastes off to me)
On an unrelated note, I saw you in the E.Ville a couple of weeks ago walking with your baby. I was going to say Hi, but didn’t want to seem like a stalker fan (I promise I wasn’t stalking – just walking through an interesting/random street/antique fair). Jacob is SO cute in real life and thanks again for posting awesome recipes!!
Oh my! this was delicious! A new fall staple for sure. It is hearty and tangy with just a touch of sweet. And the smoothness of the yogurt is perfect (like whipped cream on apple pie, only breakfast approved!) Thanks for a great recipe!
This looks fabulous. I’m looking for things for apples since I have a whole box I need to do something with. This will be fabulous with the honey flavored greek yogurt we love.
I still cannot believe you are cooking and in the kitchen. Unbelievable. At this point, I was still trying to control my raging hormones and figure out how to take a shower at least every other day Hats off to you!
This looks so yum!
BOOP! *presses darling little button nose*
MMMMMMmmmm. Apples. When I’m lazy, I just slice an apple fairly thin, sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on it, and pop it in the microwave. I usually just hit the “potato” timer button. Works about right. Serve over ice cream, oatmeal, breakfast cereal, granola, heck, I’d probably eat it on cat food.
**Drool**
A little French cafe here in DC serves fruit crisps for breakfast – an idea that never occurred to me! I mean, yes – I will sneak cold pie or cold fruit crisp when I should be eating REAL breakfast, but this recipe means I don’t have to be sneaky any more! I really can have fruit crisp for breakfast! Cold cereal only hits the spot for me late at night:)
The baby is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing him with us. Just think if you sleep you will miss the fast changes which are occurring…easy for me to say, huh?
From a “Nana” who is watching her 10 month old grandson change by the split seconds everyday. Such joy!
For anyone reading from Northern California, I recommend Straus plain whole milk yogurt. It is amazing! Hard to find sometimes, but worth going out of your way for.
My goodness he is so cute!!! And he still has his hair! My son (who is way older… 11 weeks ; ) has lost all the hair he had at birth! Good for you for being up and about after your c-section – it took me way longer! I am past the breakfast in the afternoon stage – but my evenings are crazy so dinner gets made during his morning nap! The house smells lovely all day and we just have to heat it up once he is down for the night! Take care and I will try to have your attitude concerning sleeplessness!
You know, now after the baby, I immediately scroll to the bottom of the page to look at the baby pic first, then and only then will I go back up and actually read your post. Umm, I still have not read the post but he’s soooo cute!! Okay, off to actually read the post.
Congrats again!
Isn’t he the cutest little thing. Just scrumptious!
Love dessert for breakfast! And my my my – look who is way too cute for words!
This looks delicious! And I love how you incoroporate the most adorable baby in your pictures as well. Perfect!
Sarah P #188..You are so right, the Strauss yogurt is outstanding. I immediately thought of it when I read this entry. The store that rhymes with Toll Doods carries it in Nor Cal
Your baby is so cute! Even if his head is smaller than an apple. (Just kidding, I can tell that’s a mighty big apple).
Fruit and granola all in one dish? Now that’s what I call an efficient parent!
oh sweet jesus, that is the cutest baby ever!
I’m going to try this with some granola I have that no one is eating. I’m sure it won’t be quite as tasty, but definitely worth a shot!
and I thought baking was completely therapeutic when my 2nd baby was born. My husband would say “Go to bed!” and I’d say “Right after I bake these whatevers.” Everyone thought I was insane, but I felt productive and happy, though not as rested as I probably could have been.
Apples plus babies plus almonds plus honey equals lots of sweet goodness!
I have been looking for over a week for an apple crisp recipe to make for my father! Thankfully I follow you!! Congrats on the baby! Can’t wait to make this!!
I just made apple crisp too! I like your idea of turning it into more of a granola dish! Congrats on your sweet little boy!
He is so stinkin’ adorable–I can’t take it :)
This looks scrumptious. I am sure it’s worth all the breakfast efforts! Especially with the newborn cutie :D
This looks great! I make a similar version with pears, but I tend to toast the granola along with some extra nuts separately. This seems much more logical and convenient though!My favorite thing is to eat it with greek yogurt and some pear chips on top. The thickness of the greek yogurt makes it that much more luscious, and the pear chips add a bit of a crunch.
Will definitely try your version for breakfast tomorrow though :) I have a few apples lying around, waiting to be eaten…
In response to the time it took you to peel and core your apples, (it used to take me that long too!) I bought this wonderful little doo-hickey contraption that peels the apples for me! It doesn’t plug in but it works with a whole bunch of gears. I’m trying to remember who makes it….you put the apple on the spinning spike in the middle and there’s a rotating blade that actually takes the peels off in just a few seconds! I think the little machine came with a core-slicer thing-a-ma-jig too. Anyway, It’s so useful when you’re making apple desserts – and especially in the fall when there’s an abundance of them! Oh oh! I think it’s Starfrit! It saves me a lot of time with pies, crumbels and turnovers!
PS – your son is absolutely beautiful! (and I love your site)
What a delicious looking granola recipe – will be sure to try this out. So exciting with the new bubba! He doesn’t know what a great-food-making family he’s coming into!
I made this last night (I also added dried cherries and added in a pear jsut becuase I had one to use) and we had it with ice cream and caramel sauce. then I had it again this morning with yogurt. excellent both ways. thanks! Also – OMG the baby! he is heart-crushingly cute!
Anything that looks like dessert for breakfast wins in my book!
That baby of yours is growing so fast! What a cutie :)
We made this yesterday and it is awesome! Best breakfast ever. I think I want to try it with pears. And maybe an apple/bananas combo? I wonder if I could work in pumpkin and add more spice to get a more fall flavor. Anyway, I love the recipe as it is and as a jumping off point for more crisp!! Breakfast Crisps For All!!!
This is so perfectly timely, as I am going fall apple picking on Saturday! I don’t think I’ll have to twist the husband’s arm to accept the idea of fruit-crisp-for-breakfast. :)
Your little guy looks so cute, wayyy cuter than the apple, lol.
I love that you eat this with yogurt, which is one of my most favourite foods in the world. I’m sure this is so tasty – a friend sent me the link to your Mom’s apple cake and I made it this week and wow…truly a treat. Thanks for sharing all your yummy foods and I do hope those stretches of sleep return soon.
A head the size of a giant apple! Cuteness.
I think it was 11th street. I was between the Strand and checking out my new neighborhood (moving to the LES). Next time I’ll say hi! =)
He’s even more adorable which seems impossible! As the laziest baker/cook/should be banned from reading food blogs, would it be possible to open a box of Cascadian Farms granola and use that instead? Haven’t a clue how to substitute things. You fearless substituter cooks amaze me. Apple crisp for breakfast sounds fantastic.
that is seriously the cutest baby boy i’ve ever seen (except my own two boys, of course). how can i focus on yummy food when it is continually overshadowed by such a yummy baby?
Thanks for the recipe! I made it this morning, but scaled it way down. I had two apples in my crisper and longed to use the teensy Le Creuset gratin dishes I bought on sale last month. :-) It turned out fabulously! I used agave honey, whole almonds (too lazy to try and cut them), lime juice instead of lemon juice (lemons are super hard to find in Mexico), and I added raisins on top when it was done. Planned to add diced acitrón (a candied cactus sold here), but the whole thing looked so darn good when it came out of the oven, I said eff it and spooned on some yogurt and dug right in. Thanks again Deb!
He is a cutie! Sorry he’s keeping you up at night but this will end soon. I tried a version of your Breakfast Apple Granola Crisp for breakfast this morning and oh my it was AWESOME! Thanks for sharing.
Loved this. It was fantastic and we ate as breakfast and as dessert! However, I was a little disappointed at how the granola didn’t crisp up for me. Wondering if it may be my oven as it started to burn before it got nice and crispy.
Oh Deb,
Your humour is so refreshing and charming. It’s nice to see that your spirits don’t correlate with your lack of sleep.
But truth be told, with that little guy winking at you, it’s probably easy.
Oh yeah, and nice recipe too.
I made an experimental apple crumble for Thanksgiving (in Canada) a couple of days ago that didn’t turn out so hot…Luckily, I had also made your non-experimental apple pie, which was lovely :)
Hahaha! I just accidentally posted a comment under your name!
I think that’s taking my admiration a little too far…
Wow! That’s some apple! I had to pull my friend over to see the glory of the apple and the cutey of the Jacob.
I have no apples right now, but there is a farmer’s market tomorrow. Maybe I’ll pick up some and have a healthy dessert for once.
MissJubilee has it right, I think: if you can lay off the coffee a bit–or at least switch to decaf, it might make your nights a little easier. Good luck!
Hi Deb, just made this and it came out fantastic, I’m eating it warm with cold yogurt… at 10 pm, but hey, it’s good. I’d like to try it with a little more spices, definitely a bit more cinammon and maybe a tiny pinch of cloves?
Oh, I’m torturing myself with your web site–this looks delicious! I’m on bed rest and can’t do much more than pour myself and bowl of cereal. The good news is that when I get back on my feet it will be ages before I need to hunt down an inspiring recipe; I have stacks at the ready! (Your quiche photo and recipe almost sent me over the edge–yum!) ~K
That is one cute baby boy – and one gigantic apple! We have been eating your granola bars fairly steadily since you posted the recipe. They are awesomely delicious but the apple crisp will make a nice change. One of the commenters above said she had maple yogurt which sounds perfect. Must look for it. I guess you could just mix some syrup in with yogurt too. Or would that be guilding the lily?
I just discovered your site at 27 weeks pregnant and very much feeling the food blahs. Food is supposed to fun and tasty (ok, and nutritious) but all these dietary concerns and requirements have taken the fun out of it. Until your apple crisp. Your delicious, makes-me-want-to-own-an-orchard-and-eat-this-every-day apple crisp. The only reason I waited a whole day was for lack of ingredients but it’s done now and I’m just finishing my first bowl (but not before doing the happy mouth dance).
Thank you so much for your thoughts on life, food, and parenthood – I’m looking forward to many more culinary delights in the months to come.
Oh, what beautiful pictures of your little one, Deb. So, so sweet! And I’d love to recommend a book to you that was a great help to me with my infant granddaughter. It’s called The Happiest Baby on the Block but could easily be called The Happiest Parents on the Block since it holds a key to soothing little ones that I found invaluable. Caring for an infant became so easy and just pure joy once I’d learned its secret. How I wish I’d known it when I was a mommy! Hope you find it as helpful as I did.
And thank you again for all the great recipes and pictures. Always uplifting to visit your site, and never more than so than recently. Beautiful pics, beautiful baby!
Made this without the nuts and coconut. Still delish. Can’t stop eating it! Looking forward to the leftovers for breakfast!
You might not read down this far but I made apple/pear crisp for breakfasts last week and I didn’t have time to peel the fruit and it was great.
I can justify having a crisp for breakfast?!
Wow, either your little boy is reallyyy tiny or that is one huge apple!! He’s seriously so adorable, though. Enjoy! :)
If I wanted to adjust this to serve it as a dessert, how much sugar would you suggest I use?
I will be expecting baby pictures with every single post. I think he may be cuter than my baby cousin. That’s saying alot, my baby cousin is frickin’ ADORABLE. (Notice I used “frickin'” so as not to disturb baby ears.)
Okay, so the crisp looks all kinds of satisfying, but the baby is totally stealing the apple crisp’s thunder!
This looks delicious and your breakfast comments cracked me up :)
Yummy! I have found myself eating more yogurt lately, which is weird bc generally when it’s wet and cold outside I don’t want more wet, cold food. Who knows? But I love the look of your apple crisp and wish you many happy breakfasts, all day :-)
Hello! I found your site through Caviar and Codfish. I just had to comment because I am also a new mom and totally feel for you both in sleeplessness and scatterbrained-ness! Luckily my lil girl is now 10 weeks old and just slept through the night (well 11pm – 6am) for the first time! So here is hoping that your precious little boy (he is so adorable!) finds his nighttime routine as well! For now I’ll have to try out this recipe to supply some food for my new 6am coffee-baby-feeding routine :)
I am so excited for this recipe – I have been wishing for a fall appropriate, but light crumble like dish. I am thinking of trying it with a mix of apples and pear or raspberries – or maybe both! Thanks again!
So while I suppose we’re supposed to be asking food related questions here, my only question is this: How on Earth is his onesie still white?
I’m all over the apple recipes and grateful for another. Especially for breakfast!
As soon as I saw this, I was inspired to go buy apples! Made it last night and had for breakfast with vanilla yogurt this morning. SO YUMMY! Thanks again for another great recipe :)
Looks like a fantastic dish. Lurve me some yogurt and fruit.
And Jacob keeps getting more adorable, if that’s even possible. :)
He is just so darn cute! that is a gigantic apple…
he is just beautiful & the crisp looks good too….
This is perfect for apple season, I have 20 pounds of apples to bake with so this is perfect!
He is darling. Don’t worry, this time will pass so quickly and he will be sleeping though the night soon. Just sleep when he does during the day!! The apple crisp looks good, too!
this was delicious! my husband doesn’t usually like apple crisp (the topping is too sugary for him). but not only was the sweetness perfect, it was just the right amount for two breakfasts for our little family! thank you!!
Oh my goodnessssss…
I made this last night for this morning’s breakfast and when the bubbling behemoth of deliciousness came out of my oven, it was truly a magical moment.
Absolutely delicious…I might have to make another batch! ;)
Just made it for after dinner dessert and my kids loved it, and so did I!!! We’ll be having leftovers for breakfast! Tanks.
Jacob where is your apron? LOL Your mom is going to get you busy peeling apples soon you might want to hide someplace! What a sweet baby he is growing so fast. He looks as if he is directing you in your prep of the recipe with those little fingers. What a joy to read the recipes and see them with Jacob included. You always write such interesting pages and I read all of them from A to Z. Apples are great anytime of day or night. Especially now that fall is here what a nice selection at the market. Enough from here. Have a great weekend.
I’m a newly diagnosed coeliac but have been told I can eat oats….can I replace the flour with something or leave it out completely, as I’m getting really fed up of plain porridge for breakfast!
Enjoy these first moments with your son – they’re precious, and they really do grow up to quickly!
As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I HAD to make it. I was able to complete the entire prep and baking while my 16 month old daughter was asleep yesterday. It is delicious! I thought that 3 lb. of apples was more than enough. Although beware, when you peel and core the apple, some weight is lost so perhaps buy 3.5-4 lbs of apples to be sure there is enough. Yesterday I ate it plain–hot right after it came out of the oven and cooler later in the day for a snack. This morning I had it with vanilla yogurt. Both ways it is incredible. Thanks for such a good and easy recipe to have on hand!
Also, belated congratulations on your beautiful baby. I am amazed at how much hair he has! Very, very cute.
I made this on Tuesday afternoon for Wednesday morning’s breakfast. HA! I’ve got three kids and one husband who made quick work of it for Tuesday night’s dessert with a big spoon of whipped cream. I’m running out for a few big pears this afternoon so I can make it again. Except I’ll keep it hush-hush so it will still be around for Saturday morning breakfast. I’ll write in to let everyone know how it goes with the change of fruit!
This was wonderful warm or at room temperature! I added more cinnamon and some raisins and topped with the suggested Stoneyfield yogurt. Oh, and I replaced the almonds with walnuts. Highly recommend!
Yes yes yes! I love that someone else eats apple crisp for breakfast! I do this all the time, I learned it from my mom (who always justified it by saying that it included fruit & oatmeal!), and always enjoy mine with some homemade plain yogurt. It’s just essentially Fall food for me. Yum.
I just made this and it looks delicious. Two notes: I toasted the almonds while the oven was warming up and I think it that will add a nice flavor. Also, at 400 the granola was *almost* burned after 45 min; next time I’ll either turn it back to 375 or be sure to cover it after 35 minutes or so.
I just pulled this crisp out of the oven and it looks great! I agree that maybe dropping the oven temperature down to 375 would prevent burning of the coconut in the toping which happened a bit to my crisp. The entire house smells great.
I have to say what a pretty baby you have!
Thanks for the great recipes.
Congratulations on your beautiful son! I just took the apple crisp out of the oven, it smells delicious, can’t wait to cut into it!! It started to brown about 10 min. in, so I covered it with foil. Thanks!
I made the crisp for breakfast this morning. After 40 minutes of baking at 400 degrees, the apples were so overcooked that they were applesauce. :( I blame that on the apples, which have been off my friend’s tree for several weeks and might have been a touch too old to stand up to the baking. The topping was also sparser than I was expecting, and didn’t crisp up at all, staying chewy instead. Sadness.
the baby is adorable!:-) and this was awesome, I checked it after a few minutes and saw that it was getting dark quick and covered it with foil and it came out perfect. I served it with sausage and of course coffee and my family devoured it.
I made this last night and am eating this right now – delish! Will be making it again many times over the Australian summer, perfect for warm mornings…
Also congrats on your beautiful boy!
Can I use flour instead of cornstarch with the apple part?
I made this yesterday and while it is yummy, it didn’t become bubbly there was no liquid.
I made this for some friends this weekend. Despite getting a late start, it was a huge hit. The vanilla yogurt really completed the flavor. Thanks for the great recipe!
Very very good!
Made it last night and more than half of it is gone already (and it’s just me and my husband).
Used:
buckwheat honey, which lent the dish deep golden color and rich flavor;
Brown sugar for the apples;
a pinch of freshly ground cloves in the topping.
This is a fantastic twist on the apple crumb. The ratio of apples and topping is perfect (I did not measure in pounds, but filled the baking dish to about 2/3). The amount of sugar and honey is perfect: enough flavor without the cloying sweetness. I’ve tried both with and without yogurt, and find perfect either way.
Will make the recipe again and again. Cannot wait for my parents to stay overnight so I could treat them in the morning to this delicacy.
Thank you, Deb!
Oh, and thank you for posting Jacob’s photos. I look forward to them as much as to the recipes.
I highly recommend one of those apple slicer/corer devices. The slices are large, but can be cut in half/thirds and still saves you loads of time spent cutting every apple.
This is so yummy! I love the use of honey in the topping. We picked up 10 lbs of local honey at the end of the summer and this recipe is a perfect way to get through some. I love anytime of day recipes. This is dessert tonight and breakfast tomorrow…I can’t wait to wake up and eat it again!
Wow, the dish looks so delicious and healthy. Full of energy to start a day. I love to try a simple recipe like this.thank you.
this was really really good – thank you! I have been looking for sometime for a sweet breakfast make ahead dish and this is such a keeper. It was of course very sweet since my assistant chef (my 4 year old son) put in twice the honey. He has an eye for such things – I bet you can’t wait til little Jacob (who’s quite a cutie!) can do the same!
I ran accross you when I was looking for a kugel recipe – but since I am only half jewish I was wholly daunted by your recipe – I think the ones we had were all savory (like lipton onion soup and spinach savory) – sounds groce but they were good or at least they were when I was 10 – have you ever done a salty kugel like that?
I am so glad I started making your recipes – can hardly wait to make more
my assistant chef has been added by a new little chef – I am sure his brother will be a whiz in the kitchen as well – til then I am VERY VERY much looking forward to some make ahead dishes you hinted to in one of your very funny posts – since my time in the kitchen is way more limited with a newborn and toddler (but the combo I assure you is very very fun!!!)
I made this the other day and have been excited to eat breakfast for once! The yogurt is a must…I eat it with 3% plain and it’s perfect. Will make again for sure!
The pictures look great and the recipe sounds good. I think I’ll try this dish with fuji apples and actual granola cereal. I like the extra crunchiness.
I used my standard salt water bath for the peeled apples, as I never move fast enough to avoid browning. Few spoonfuls of salt in the salad spinner, filled with icy cold water, then throw the cut up apple pieces into the bath. If distracted, throw partially peeled apple halves in, too, and answer phones or whatever without browning worries. I spin out the apples after draining, and maybe a light rinse, and omit salt in the rest of the recipe.
delicious, although my topping burned despite its being covered. i love the level of sweetness, definitely a keeper. thanks as always :)
Really enjoyed this with yogurt! Did not find it too sweet for breakfast. Reduced heat to 375 but in my oven the coconut did get too dark and tasted a bit burnt in places. Next time will try 350.
I love this! I am such a fan of apple dishes that aren’t too sweet, I love just the apple flavor! My daughter and I made this early this morning and just ate some with vanilla yogurt. Yum! Thanks for keeping your website going right now, I don’t know how you are doing it but I am really enjoying it. We plan menus and shop according to some of the things you are posting since you are usually right on schedule with what is in season! You make my life easier!
Thank you!! I am a new reader and this is the first SK recipe I’ve made– success! I ate some with my yogurt on the way to work, and it was the perfect, delicious breakfast.
Tried this. Loved this. Thanks for sharing.
I am also a new reader and wanted to thank you for this delicious recipe! Loved it! Your new baby boy is absolutely beautiful… Thank you for all that you share.
Thank you! love this recipe. My daughter and I made it this morning. Delish!
Crisp for breakfast? Genius!!
I made this crisp last night and had it this morning with yogurt! I love it with the almonds and coconut. For breakfast this morning was great…maybe tonight with ice cream will be better! This is a keeper recipe :)
Made this tonight. I love that it’s not too sweet. Followed the recipe except I didn’t have any almonds, so I left them out. I wish I’d had them, because I’m sure they would have been delicious. I also had a problem with the topping burning at 40 minutes and it’s clearly the coconut that burned.
Thanks for the lovely recipe. Next time I”ll probably sprinkle the coconut on top of the apples and then put the rest of the topping on top.
ok – so i’m posting again a few hours later. But – I brought the rest (90%) of this in for work this morning. Devoured with yummmms echoing in the halls. Saved a bit for myself and stirred it into my morning oatmeal. Sounds a bit recursive, but it’s wonderful. You rock.
Tonight’s my second time making the crisp. My two daughters love it and didn’t even notice it’s not nearly as sweet as my old dessert crisp recipe. It’s been a great addition to my weekday breakfasts to speed up the get-to-school process while still ensuring a good meal. Thanks! Your website is great!
Made this delicious apple crisp yesterday and it’s fantastic! I skipped the corn starch and added an extra 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (I love cinnamon), and it turned out wonderfully. I did end up covering the dish with foil for about 10 minutes because the crisp was browning too much, and ended up cooking for about 45 minutes. Wish there was a way to reduce the amount of butter, but regardless, it’s very yummy. The minimal sugar and usage of honey worked out perfectly. Once again, another delicious recipe. Thanks!
I’ve made this twice now and it is a delicious breakfast treat!
Thank you for the lovely idea! I keep homemade granola in my pantry so I was inspired by your recipe. I often eat berries/yogurt/granola in the summer and miss that combination in the winter. This is great seasonal variation that will be part of my regular fall/winter breakfast rotation.
I threw this together while the coffee was brewing. I made a small portion for two from one apple. I did not add any sugar. I microwaved the apple and lemon juice until softened. Mixed in the cornstarch and cinnamon, topped with granola and popped it into the toaster oven. I sweetened some greek yogurt with agave while it was baking and everything was ready at the same time. Easy enough to do on a busy morning. Thank you!
This was delicious! I am definitely adding this to one of my favorites–for me. My kids and husband, however, felt that it wasn’t sweet enough. I think I’d add a bit more honey or maybe some brown sugar? (only in their portion)
I, however, will be making this for me to eat while my kids eat their Quaker oatmeal packets, which are terribly sweet in my opinion! Hopefully, they’ll come over to my side eventually!
I also ‘healthed’ it up by using whole wheat flour, cut the butter in half and substituted canola oil and sprinkled some flaxseed meal in with the oats. . .Yum!
Deb, this has become a staple in my kitchen – thank you for it!
I made this yesterday for a pre-Memorial Day BBQ. It was a hit! I used 4 Granny Smith apples, and baked it in a round casserole dish. We served it with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Delish!
I made this several times over the winter. I once made the mistake of making it the same week as your carmel sauce, very naughty. This past weekend I made it with a few granny smith, rhubarb and rasperries and macadamian nuts instead of almonds. Abolutly amazing
I’m baking this recipe on the weekend. I’m not a breakfast eater. Don’t like cereal, porridge, toast etc. So I’m excited about this!! I’m just wondering how long this will keep in the fridge & if you can freeze it?
This was really fantastic! I made it once a few weeks ago when my husband came home from the farmer’s market and said, and I quote “All they had was apples so I got you twelve of them” and again, with a bit of a variation, this week when my mother went on vacation and asked me to take all the fruit from her fridge and eat it so it wouldn’t go bad. I ended up with three large bags of peaches so this recipe got peach adapted and it came out great then too. Thanks so much!
Hi there! i’m really looking forward to making this recipe, but have a question. Does it actually call for a 1/2 a coconut or is that supposed to be 1/2 cup shredded coconut? I’m sure your other readers are better versed in the measurements you tend to use–but if you (or anyone else) can please clarify this, I’d appreciate it!
Thanks!
Steph — Shredded.
I made this last night in order to give breakfast a test-drive throughout the week (my colleagues have convinced me that my habit of declining breakfast in favor of coffee in the mornings is completely bizarre), and wow, I love it. Thank you!
Also, to Steph @ comment 295? I used a half-cup of shredded coconut, not half of a whole coconut, and it turned out A-okay. : )
I’d love to make this as written, but my husband isn’t a big fan of coconut and I don’t want to eat the whole dish myself. Actually, I do, but I want to fit in my pants more. Is there a decent substitute for the coconut? More oats? More nuts? Or should I just give in and use the coconut anyway?
So, I did this tonight. Followed the instructions for the most part (only had to leave out the coconut (none in the house), but I should have paid more attention to the comments about the browning/burning. I definitely should have covered mine. After about 25 minutes, mine was a very dark brown/burned on top, so I covered it at that point. I’m thinking it was the almonds and honey that caused the topping to burn. Also, I’m pretty sure that 350-375 degrees would have been plenty hot, and probably would have prevented such a dark topping. Nevertheless, I’m still eating this with my yogurt in the morning.
Wondering if i wanted to make this as a dessert how much sugar you would add to the recipe? thanks!
The baby and the crisp both look scrumptious. :o)
Jendorf: I agree with you about the Quaker oatmeal packets.
I’ve been following your website for a while and occasionally daring to try some of your recipes (the simplest ones), and now that I’m living in China where no one really believes in baking (they don’t even know what tin foil or peanut butter are in my town), I was wondering if there are any dessert recipes you can think of that don’t require an oven. At some point I’ll try microwaveable cookies, but I want to see if I can make something on a hot plate. We have lots of apples here, brown sugar and butter (and oatmeal) are accessible. Anything you can think of that can be made with a hot plate? I also have a mini food processor from the U.S. that sometimes works. Thanks! (Also: being in rural China has made your photos of delicious/unobtainable foods almost unbearable.)
This was delicious. I made it a couple of nights ago when I needed to use up some apples in our fridge. It wasn’t too sweet and the almonds were a delicious addition. I had it both for dessert and for breakfast (with yogurt). Thanks for a great recipe!
Oh, how lovely. I kept the topping as written, except that I used one cup each rolled oats and barley flakes — and my honey was an Australian lavendar honey. I really mixed things up when it came to the fruit, though: I kept two pounds of apples, using a mix of four different apples, but for the remaining pound of fruit, I plumped in hot water a mix of dried apricots, dried Angelina plums, and raisins. (Also tossed in some leftover, fresh cranberries — about a cup.)
I did season the fruit with the juice of one lime, a pinch of nutmeg, and a couple tablespoons of cinnamon sugar, which gave a well-balanced mix of sweet and tart.
And, I had a big bowl of it for breakfast with a big dollop of plain, full-fat yogurt. Just lovely. Thanks, Deb.
Your Blog has become my life raft!! As strangers in a strange land (we’ve recently moved to Italy from the US) and a dislocation-caused stay-at-home mom previously a full-time professional, I find myself feeling very personnally unproductive running after our beloved 23 month-old daughter. I have greatly appreciated your humorous mom-oriented comments and get a great laugh out of them and the ability to totally understand. Anyway, thanks for being a fabulous kitchen-artist and providing me with new and different ideas to create and feel productive!!!
I was wondering if you can make this up the night before and refridgerate and bake in the morning? I would love to try this. I love your blog!! Thanks for posting and letting us enjoy your recipes!
I just made it, again….. my kids and us, adults LOVE it for breakfast, after school snack, desert (with ice cream)…. Love, love, love your recipes and pictures!
Never thought of a crisp for breakfast. I’ve been making muffins for my husband to take to work and have with his morning coffee. He’s not much for eating before he leaves the house. I’ll have to surprise him with this! It’s fall and I love the smell of apples and cinnamon baking in the oven. Thanks for this great idea!
has anyone tried their hand at freezing this – I have made it many times and love it – but have an apple tree ready for harvesting and was wondering if this is as good thawed as it is fresh!
thanks for the help!!
Is it possible to make this without the coconut? ;)
I made this first without coconut or almonds (didn’t have them and had apples to use up) and it was quite yummy. I ate some at each meal for a week! I had it sometimes warmed, sometimes cold, always with vanilla yogurt. Very good. I have a batch in the oven right now with coconut and almonds, so I’m excited to see how this turns out.
Oh, and my first batch, I used only a half-stick of butter (reading is hard, duh) and it turned out ok, but the granola was a bit chewy. This time I used a whole stick.
I had six granny smith apples lying around so decided to make this! Should have read the comments– checked it at 35 minutes and it had started to burn. I put foil on it and reduced to 350, hopefully it’s still good! Substituted coconut oil for the butter, arrowroot for the cornstarch, agave nectar for the honey, and used coconut flour for added fiber and protein. Can’t wait for breakfast all week!
Looks wonderful I am making it tonight for Easter Brunch with the kids. We are eating organic and natural foods. So I have changed a few ingredience. Out with the butter and using Cocnut oil instead. It is in the oven and smells heavenly. Thanks for the recipe.
At last – the perfect crisp. I’ve tried many recipes over the years searching for the best mix of ingredients for the topping, including one or two of your other crisp recipes. This is the ONE. I love the granola-like topping, which was what I longed for. I used peaches and golden raspberries that were on their last legs along with some blueberries and cranberries I had kicking around the freezer. Delish, although I could have upped the sugar a little bit to compensate for the cranberries. Thanks Deb – I’ll probably never use another crisp recipe as long as I live.
I make this all the time now, and I give out the recipe a lot. I ALWAYS forget to tell people to cover it while baking, and although it mentions it in the recipe, they ALWAYS end up with a slightly burned apple crisp the first go round. The way it’s mentioned makes covering during baking seem optional, but it’s really not!
I suggest changing the recipe to say cover with foil and bake, then remove foil for the last 5 minutes. Then the text below can say if you would like it more browned leave the foil off for the last 10 minutes or more.
Just an idea!!
I love this recipe – I’m not particularly fond of apples unless they’re baked, and this is so good! It’s become one of my go-to breakfasts that I bring to work, and goes so well with a big dollop of Greek honey-flavored yogurt. I would agree that it really does need to be covered until the last few minutes, though.
This is a great recipe! I make this weekly in the Fall, it is simple and delicious. I have 4 young kids who LOVE it for breakfast or snack. We always top with a little vanilla yogurt…I love that it seems like a treat but is not a dessert. I add a little nutmeg and allspice to the granola mixture. Yum!
I made this today. I think its a good recipe, but I think I am used to apple crisp being a little sweeter. I would probably add brown sugar to the topping mixture next time, maybe double it, and drop the honey all together.
I should probably just add some ice cream and forget all the things I just said. haha.
Delicious! The same warning as the others. The Coconut burns so cook at 375 and watch closely. i would add some cranberries for a little zing and replace the white sugar with brown. used maple syrup rather than butter.
Oh my this was amazing! I left out the coconut (picky hubby) and did 1/4 c honey, 1/4 c maple syrup and it turned out great. I loved the maple-y ness of it. I also did about 3.5 lbs of apples and think the ratio was pretty good, but our apples were small local ones, so there may have been more ‘waste’ with cores and whatnot.
One think i really like is that it’s not hit-you-over-the-head sweet, like some cobbler/crisps can be…nor is it overly bread/cake-y. Will DEFINITELY be making this again!
Just made this yesterday, so so good! I topped it with Greek yogurt and honey, wonderful. Also left out the coconut and it still worked great.
Deb (or anyone else) — I want to make this as a thanksgiving breakfast for the family, but that would require makin itvegan. Any specific suggestions for what instead of butter may work well here?
Kate — Use coconut oil. The virgin stuff comes in a jar, just warm it until it liquefies.
Delicious! Just made this and will be using it as my go-to dessert apple crisp recipe…once you add ice cream it will be sweet enough for dessert. Served it with greek yogurt that I mixed with maple syrup and cinnamon, for breakfast.
Totally wonderful, simple, and wholesome! Thanks!!
Very healthy breakfast. Just wondering if there is a substitue for the cornstarch?
molla — You could use a little bit of flour.
Can you use pin-head/steel cut oatmeal in this?
I went apple and pear picking a couple weeks ago and tried this recipe with both! With the pears I added fresh cranberries to the filling, nutmeg instead of cinnamon, then swapped in buckwheat flour for regular, maple syrup for honey, and brown butter for regular melted…I am addicted….!!! It was even more delicious the next day!!
Made this over the weekend and it was delicious! The only change I made was to add alittle extra oats and about a 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Thanks!!
What an utterly gorgeous child!! Bet he’ll be a heart-breaker when he grows up. ;-) …& the breakfast apple crisp sounds so yummy!!!!
Mine also burned. It’s very appropriate to show a burned apple crisp when trying to cook with a new baby. But it’s still very edible despite being black.
Substitute for the flour in the topping??
Hi Jackie — I haven’t tried it but people in the comments mention auditioning it with everything from coconut flour to oat flour. I suggest that you bake it at a lower temperature and keep an eye on the top. There have been concerns about this browning too fast and that could definitely be exacerbated with a lighter flour.
This is SO.DARN.GOOD. Make this now. Breakfast is my favorite meal…and I wanted a new recipe to mix it up. I’m not a cereal girl. I like a breakfast that makes me feel loved and comforted after waking up (even if I made it myself). THIS is so heartwarming. Most importantly – it’s not too sweet. It’s just sweet enough that the apples taste apple-y. I followed the recipe almost exactly: I left out the coconut (because people keep saying it burns easily), added a dash of cloves (because I love the spice) and I covered the whole dish for the first 25 minutes to prevent overbrowning. It’s perfect!! The apples retain their shape but become soft and saucy. The topping is hearty, like oatmeal without the “glop”. I prefer it warm, but it’s great by itself or with some greek yogurt. Love it love it. Thank you!!
If leaving out the almonds due to food allergies, should I increase amounts of any other ingredients (maybe oats?)? Thanks … Many of your recipes have become staples in our house, btw!
We made this last night as part of a marathon weekend of apple eating, peeling and processing after ordering 40 lbs of cooking apples from a neighbor and ate it for breakfast with yogurt. Amazing – it’s the vision of apple crisp I always have in my mind, but the first time reality has actually lived up to my imagination. Glad to have 10 plus pounds of pealed and frozen apples at the ready to make this again at least once this week.
Made this today for a healthy take-to-work breakfast. I did make some alterations; I omitted the coconut, because I didn’t have any, and subbed some of the apple with pears and cranberries, because my fruit basket literally runneth over. I think the cranberry makes a wonderful addition. The nice balance of tart to just brighten everything up. Yummy!
I tried this recipe this week and we loooove it!
Is one of the most delicious breakfast I’ve ever tasted.
Thank you!!!
Amazing recipe. I subbed butter with liquid coconut oil and honey with maple syrup to make it vegan. I also used vanilla sugar for the filling but left out cinnamon simply because I’m not a fan. GF flour worked perfectly with this recipe BTW. Thanks so much for posting, will be making it again for sure!
My 5 year old son will LOVE this for breakfast!!!! He always asks me to make apple crisp and what a treat to have it for breakfast.
Its like you read my mind with recipes:) So good. I think I will try swapping in walnuts next time, since I love them with apples.
I just made this tonight…Delicious!!! I had to bake it at 375 because the granola started burning 10 minutes in but 50 minutes later I took it out of the oven and it was perfect! I love your blog! I’ve been cooking out of it for the past week or so and I’ve never been disappointed :)
Made this tonight. For the ingredients, I used whole wheat flour but everything else as-is. I used Fuji apples because they were on sale, but later learned they are not the best for baking. Rookie mistake. Either way, it is super delicious. Per the other comments, I baked for 45 minutes at 375. It is still a bit darker than I would like, so maybe next time I will try 350, but there will definitely be a next time. Thanks for posting this to Facebook and getting it on my radar! (I have a one-month-old and a 4-year-old so having breakfast on hand is a must!)
I went apple picking three weekends in a row and didn’t know what to do with the dozens of apples I have. Luckily I found this recipe, THE best thing I’ve had all fall!
Thank you thank you for such a delicious recipe!!!
xoxo Hannah
I just tried this recipe. I used all granny smith, which was a mistake because it was way too sour. Next time I’d follow Deb’s suggestion of mixing it up. I baked mine on the middle rack for 45 min at the suggested temp. but it came out like applesauce! Next time I won’t bake it for so long or maybe I’ll put it on the top rack. Overall it was still tasty enough.
my 4 year old (who pretty much doesnt like anything except cottage cheese) woke me up this morning and wanted to know if I was going to make some ” mazin’ apple crisp”. We all love this recipe- I do leave a bald spot of no topping for picky eaters. (I cave and cater…I know- I know…).
deb, i made this yesterday and it is just SO. GOOD! how long does it stay good in the fridge?
can’t stop making and eating this recipe :)
We really love the peach crisp recipe you did and have done that with apples too. I was wondering how this one compares to that? Thanks.
Just following up on questions re: freezing. Would you bake completely, cool and then freeze, or freeze unbaked and then thaw and bake? Thanks!
I’ve been on a major Apple kick lately and slid this in the oven around midnight the other night after I convinced my 7 month old with fomo to go to sleep. Loving how it’s not too sweet, though I wish the topping had crisped up a bit more.
I subbed coconut oil for butter and ground-up cashews for the almonds, and it worked well. I sweetened the apples a little more. I ate some when it was warm and found that I wanted maple syrup in my yogurt, but once it cooled off it was sweet enough. Nice way to use up those apples.
That is definitely a Keeper Baby! Adorbs! And I agree wholeheartedly – crisps are for breakfast.
Pretty much followed the recipe and it was delicious! I eyeballed the amount of apples – basically I kept peeling and chopping them til they filled the dish. Used Ontario McIntosh apples and they were amazing. Depending on how sweet your apples are I think you could even cut some more of the sugar. Thanks for a great recipe!
I can’t wait to try this! I love the fact that you eat it cold…wouldn’t want to get up 1 1/2 hrs early to make this for breakfast:)
I am hosting a brunch this weekend and I am curious if the crisp will be better if I bake it in the morning and serve it slightly warm. Thank you.
I’ve made this twice now – such a great winter weekend breakfast. My kids love it! I put chia seeds instead of coconut in the granola and used maple syrup instead of honey. I love how it tastes like such a treat without having a lot of sugar.
Just made this– I increased the sugar a tad for my sweets-loving crew, and used maple syrup instead of honey (what I had on hand), and though I baked for the minimum time, my granola still burned…not sure if its my oven, or the maple syrup factor, but I was able to pick off the worst offending bits, and I have to say, its still delicious. But next time I might peek in around 35/40 minutes, just in case. Will also probably toss in a few grates of fresh nutmeg. And, um, is it still breakfast if you add ice cream?
Third time making this today. Huge success with my kids for breakfast (3.5 and almost 2), but also served for dessert to company with ice cream. Great recipe. I cover it for most of cooking time as my oven does brown it pretty quickly. Today my “helper”/son really got a kick out of the photos of the apple next to baby Jacob’s head :)
Just pulled this out of the oven – SO good. You definitely need to cover the top with foil though or it’ll get too brown. I’m hosting a birthday brunch for 20 and doing all SK recipes including the spinach-cheese strata which I’ve made numerous times and love ;)
trying this tomorrow morning,
the thing about not sleeping will pass, like all the different stages babies go through enjoy each one, some are harder than others, but they grow so fast
I have made numerous crisp and crumble recipes (including your apricot crisp, which I make whenever I can find good apricots), but a whole stick of butter sound like a lot compared to other recipes. Do you think I good reduce it or use something else as in the apricot recipe? It might alleviate the problem of the granola burning.
This uses more butter because the crisp and crisp volume are larger. You might try baking it at 350/375 to alleviate some browning. You can also use the apricot crisp topping here, but I’d probably double it.
Serendipity! I just recently made my first cobbler and crisp when a neighbor brought us some peaches. I was just looking at a breakfast apple crisp for the crockpot the other day when I came across this. I’m going to make it this weekend :)
Made this for brunch last night. I balked at the 400 degree baking temperature, especially based on all of the comments about over browning the granola. But I went ahead. I baked the crisp covered for 30 minutes and then uncovered and checked it every 5 minutes in hopes that it wouldn’t get too brown. It was very lightly golden at 40 minutes, but by 45 minutes it was too brown. Waah! Nothing was burnt, but one of my 10 year old granddaughters took one look at the finished product and declared that it was “too brown”. It did taste very good and everyone finished their portion. But I will watch it even more closely the next time I make it. Since the grands aren’t fond of nuts, I reduced the almonds to 1/4 cup and added 1/4 cup of dried cranberries. The cranberries did contribute to the “brown” but they weren’t by any means the only culprit. My homemade yogurt on top was very good. Even enjoyed by the family member who does not like yogurt.
I just made this for the second time. The first time I made it, I was at my daughter’s house and the topping burned, but I chalked it up to her oven. This time, I set a timer for 20 minutes and then covered it with foil and the topping was done just right. I eyeballed the apples and I think I should have used one more, but not a big deal. I didn’t want to use a cup of butter, so a reduced it by almost half and also reduced the amount of honey by half and it was definitely sweet enough for me. I also reduced the amount of sugar in the apples because apples are so sweet anyway. I like this with ice cream for dessert, but I actually like it better for breakfast with plain yogurt because it is less sweet. I think that as a breakfast food, it really needs less butter and sugar.
This is my second go round with this recipe. The first time I burnt the topping terribly :-( This time I covered it after 20 minutes (I probably could have covered a little earlier even). So yummy!
I have made this several times. I don’t add sugar to the apples, and it still tastes sweet for me for breakfast. I also use 1 cup chopped walnuts instead of the almonds and coconut, and sugar for the honey. I bake at 350 for 50 minutes to solve the burning top issue – comes out perfect every time.
Hi, I’m due with my first baby in two minutes this and am looking for good freezer meals. I’m assuming this will freeze well but I just wanted to ask if you think it’s best to cook it, freeze it and then reheat it? Or should I freeze it uncooked? Any tips would be appreciated. Or suggestions for other good recipes to freeze. Thanks!
Two months! Not two minutes. Sorry!
Made this and loved it! It wasn’t too sweet, it was great for breakfast with yogurt or for dessert with ice cream. But my favorite way was with yogurt. Will make again!
This looks fantastic! But I don’t like coconut; anything I should sub in for it or can I just leave it out?
You could add more oats instead.
I was wondering if these were quick oats? Or regular oats?
I used regular here.
I’ve made this a zillion times, with apricots/apples/pears/black & blue berries, whatever’s available, and every time I’ve added about a cup of diced crystallized ginger to the topping and mace or pumpkin pie spice to the fruit. Also substitute coconut for the flour/cornstarch in the fruit. Amazing! Thank you.
This is the perfect start to fall breakfast recipe! Tweaked it a touch by adding some fresh grated nutmeg to the apples, subbed a 1/4 cup of buckwheat flour for the regular flour, and used chopped peacans instead of almonds. Baked in a cast iron skillet uncovered for about 35 minutes. It was perfect!
I assume I could leave the nuts out entirely? Would you make any adjustments?
Is the weight of apples before, or after, peeling and coring?
Just made this for my daughters for breakfast on a cold and rainy morning! I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8×8 baking dish. I subbed coconut oil for butter, reduced the sugar by a teeeeny bit, subbed apple pie spice for the cinnamon and did not add shredded coconut. So delicious with plain Greek yogurt! 3 and 5 year old daughters enthusiastically approved! This came together really quickly and I will definitely make it again on another lazy morning :)
Now necessary is the coconut? I really want to make this, but I’m allergic to coconut. Is there a substitute for it I could use? I don’t want to lose out!
didnt use sugar, used whole wheat flour & dr bronner’s coconut oil, added a little nutmeg, and didnt peel the apples (all honeycrisp). still amazing!!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times as written and it always turns out wonderful (though I always need to cover it with foil to avoid over-browning). Last night I made it with 2lbs of apples, the as written amount of granola topping (plus a few tablespoons of flax meal), and baked it in in an 8×8″ pan. The granola topping was very thick, but amazing as always.
This sounds delicious! I’m filing away this recipe for the fall when we go apple picking and have fresh apples!
I made this with lots of substitutions (to clear out some pantry items) that worked out really well – maple syrup instead of honey, almond flour instead of AP flour, sunflower seeds instead of almonds, but the real game-changer was prepping the apples a la Deb’s most recent “best ever apple pie” recipe, which was macerating the apples with warm spices, including ginger, nutmeg and cloves, for an hour. I also did not peel the apples, which were a mix of Fuji and a neighbor’s unknown variety of backyard fruit (not sweet, not crisp). Wow – best ever apple crisp! Macerating made all the difference (though keep an eagle eye on the topping getting too brown). I will use this technique for all baked apple desserts (galettes, tarts, crumbles, turnovers, pies).
So many apples – so desperate for make-ahead options for the holidays. What do you think about making this now and freezing it? And if you give a thumbs-up to freezing, before or after baking? Thanks!
What a treat!! Made it this morning and couldn’t wait for it to cool down. Piled yogurt on top and really enjoyed it. Many thanks for sharing this recipe, Deb!
Thank you for introducing me to the concept of a breakfast crisp! My favorite variaiton is with pears and ginger.
Can I use preface granola, when should I put it on and how long to bake with?
It’s hard to say because all will be different. But all are already fully baked. So, you could sprinkle it on pan of baked apples, but you can’t really add baking time to it.
I assume you intended to write 1/2 cup of coconut rather than 1/2 coconut.
Yes, and wow, I cannot believe you’re the first person to mention this. Now fixed.
Delicious! I couldn’t be bothered to peel the apples and I only had cashews on hand but I kept everything else the same and it was a huge hit for the whole family.
This was worth making just for the smell that filled my house as it baked. When it turned out to be a delicious after school snack, I almost saw that as a bonus! I followed the recipe pretty closely, but omitted the almonds because I didn’t have any. I used a mix of slightly bruised and softening apples noone wanted to eat fresh anymore and it was the perfect use for them. I’ve already dished the rest of the pan in to small bowls and stacked them in the fridge. Breakfast for the week sorted.
Made this on Monday and finished it today (Saturday). Wonderfully rich and luxurious-feeling during these weird indoor days. Added some golden raisins from my farmers market and substituted some chopped walnuts for the almonds. Thank you! My 11-year-old said the taste reminded her of how wine smells, I thought that was pretty right-on.
This week has been so reminiscent of the early days after she was first born: eat sleep work work eat sleep work work eat eat sleep work work. So I appreciated reading about your days with this recipe during your early days with your son, I could really relate. 😀. Good health to all!
HI! So, i just made the breakfast apple crumble and I was so excited. But, the apples didn’t really “juice” as hoped and sort of dried but not mushy. Make sense? My topping also browned really early on so I covered it but got a bit burned still.
Mine came out rather dry also. I don’t know whether it depends on the variety of apples used. Maybe more lemon juice would help?
It might just be the apples, such as if they were older, or the variety.
I love this post SO much (!!!) because you are saying (and I needed to hear this today) – it’s going to be ok, don’t sweat the small stuff, cook and enjoy it, it’s going to be Delicious! Whether it is new born or Covid, it’s a lovely lesson to remember. Thanks for the repost!
Deb – did you mean to have the same intro (today’s email) for the crisp and the scones? It seems identical ;-)
Ugh, no, that was a typo/mistake.
We’re out of honey but have plenty of apples and oats. Might maple syrup or date molasses be reasonable alternatives to the honey? Thanks for this delicious inspiration!
This is delicious! (I’m literally eating it out of the baking dish as it’s cooling.) I made it as directed, using Ginger Gold and Honeycrisp apples. Agree with others about needing to cover with foil. Our granola turned a bit dark but still so, so good. Smells divine as it’s baking.
I made this yesterday and WOW!! It is so incredibly delicious that it makes my heart happy and lifts my spirits with every bite. I made as is with no modifications – it is perfection. Thank you, Deb!!!
Very tasty but I definitely should’ve used your suggestion and covered it til the end. I pulled it at 40 minutes and it had started to burn on top. I picked off the scorched bits and it’s still delicious. Will definitely try it again but will cover and maybe cook for less time. Thanks for another delicious recipe!
I found myself with some rather mealy apples and decided to try this. I ended cutting the recipe by 1/3, so using 2 lbs pf apples etc. As I had no honey in the house, I substituted maple syrup (I *am* in Canada, after all). And, finding myself without almonds, I swapped them for chopped walnuts. Hello maple-walnut apple crisp. There is no looking back! A pan of awesome.
More than a decade after you posted this, I find myself with a pile of apples, a three week old and a desire to be perpetually eating both breakfast and dessert. Couldn’t have come across a better recipe for this moment. Thanks!
I have made this twice. The first time I left it in for 40 minutes and it was so burned we couldn’t it. The second time I checked it at 12 minutes and the same result — the top was almost black.
Have you checked to see if your oven bakes hot?
This gave me such a good giggle this morning as I cruised your recipes while rocking my 5-month old to sleep for his first of 4-5 45minute naps today 🤣
I made this with a mix of McIntosh and Jonagold apples and it was delicious. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly except I didn’t peel the apples. The kids (8 and 5) ate it as an after school snack with plain yogurt, and loved it. We might be planning to have some later with ice cream….
Please tell people to check this early and often! My top burned after only 20 minutes.
i am late to this particular party, deb, and so grateful for your archived recipes. grateful for all of your recipes! i rarely alter them, they are perfect as they stand. however i have been eliminating sugar from my diet. so i tweaked your recipe, with excellent results. i didn’t use ANY sugar in the apple mix. and instead of using your granola mix, i already had some of Julia Turshen’s coconut & almond granola (from her book: “feed the resistance”) so used that. i baked the apples for 18 minutes on their own and then added the granola for another 10-15. yes, it has be watched so that it doesn’t burn but otherwise this recipe is brilliant! thanks. always.
I made this for breakfast today and it was delicious! Three pounds seemed like too much apple but it turned out perfect. I am not sure how large a “medium” chunk is but mine was done baking in 30 minutes and the top got a bit burnt. Next time I might start out with a foil cover for 10 minutes and then take the cover off for the rest of the time to get a crunchy top without burning. I will definitely make this again.
This was a huge hit with the kids. We don’t each much sugar so I’d cut the amount of sugar next time but it was still delicious. Topping excellent, including coconut is inspired. 7yo declared I should double the topping. I put foil over it after 20 minutes, this is non-negotiable, otherwise it will burn and taste bitter. Thank you yet again, Deb.
Could you substitute in a fruit that doesn’t need to be peeled? Blueberries ? Raspberries ?
This is still in the oven (smelling delicious) but I wanted to make sure to note that for me, the topping was brown at about 20 minutes, and when I checked it again at 30 minutes the apples were still fairly firm but the topping had black bits. I’ve now covered it, and hopefully 45 minutes will get me squishy apple bits. Would it be better to lower to temperature to help prevent burning (say 170C?), or should I cover it from the beginning?
I am a 72 year retired, divorced bachelor, who waits weeks for my Edmonton Library to free up your books from the long hold list. I have just signed up for your blog.
May I have the “go to” recipe for apple crisp. It is not easily evident to me from blog. Perhaps my mistake. Looking forward to exploring your blog.
Can this be made ahead & frozen?
I don’t think it will defrost with a crisp top, no.
I know this recipe is *gasp* almost 15 years old, but WOW, how fun to see baby Jacob!
I have a question. I thought this was perfect for my family because I was looking for a gluten-free apple crisp for my mother-in-law who has celiac. But I told my daughter about it and she said, “Mom, I don’t like granola. Can we make regular apple crisp?” She has some sensory issues and doesn’t like anything overly crunchy.
So which would best thread the needle? This recipe or the multigrain apple crisps from March 2012 (with gluten-free flour).
I know someone else probably publishes recipes on the internet, but…..we seem to have become a SK household!
Ack – just read this recipe more closely and it also has flour. Ok, will probably doctor the other one with gluten free flour and hope for the best.