Weekly Recipe #271: Multigrain Apple Crisp

By Jenna Schuder, Dietetic Intern [University of Minnesota – The Emily Program]

Growing up in Minnesota, my favorite time of year has always been those beautiful days of fall when the weather turns crisp and the trees don their vibrant hues of scarlet and gold.
A family tradition of ours is to gather together to spend a bright, autumn afternoon at an apple orchard. We walk through the tree-lined rows and pick only the best-looking apples. That evening, we’ll crowd into the kitchen to chop our prized pick and bake a beautifully rewarding apple crisp.

If fall has a flavor, for me it tastes like this warm apple crisp. This dessert puts a delicious multigrain twist on the traditional crumbly topping.

Multigrain Apple Crisp

Adapted from a recipe by the Smitten Kitchen

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 large apples (about 2 pounds)
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 3 tbsp. plus 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• Two pinches salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel, halve and core apples, then chop them into a small (about ½-inch) dice.
3. Toss apples with cornstarch and 3 tablespoons raw sugar until evenly coated, then pour into 9″ x 9″ pan.
4. Grind 1/4 cup of the oats oats with almonds in a food processor until powdery.
5. In a medium bowl, mix oat/almond mixture with remaining rolled oats, wheat flour, remaining 1/4 cup raw sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and baking powder.
6. Melt butter in a small saucepan (or in microwave), and then stir in olive oil. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir until crumbly.
7. Pour crumbly mixture over the apples.
8. Bake apple crisp for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until you can see the juices from the apples bubbling around the crumbs.

Tips:

• The smaller the pieces, the faster the crisp will bake and the less they’ll “deflate” as they cool. The apples will deflate a bit when they bake.
• If the top browns too quickly, put a sheet of foil over the pan for the remaining baking time.
• Store any leftover apple crisp in the fridge.
• This apple crisp is quite excellent with a dollop of plain yogurt on top!

Nutrition Information:

Per serving: 285 calories, 11.6 g total fat (3 g saturated fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 82 mg sodium, 45.5 g carbohydrate, 27 g sugar, 4.4 g fiber, and 3 g protein