Falling in Love with Honey Pecan Apple Crisp

For many people, Fall means it's time for sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes and crisp colorful leaves but for me it means apple pie! This year, since I have moved to the West Coast it also meant a quick flight down to San Diego to enjoy some apple picking and baking with my nieces. Okay the truth is it was still summer when I visited them ha! But the weather has already started to cool down and we were able to make a trip up to Julian, California which is quaint mountain town less than an hour from downtown San Diego that is known for its apple picking and of course apple pie. 

We picked three bags full of apples then headed downtown to check out the local shops and stop to get some pie at the Julian Pie Company. I actually didn't even get apple pie, I was talked into eating the mixed mountain berry pie which was simply wonderful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I did however manage to get a bite my sister's apple pie and it didn't disappoint. I knew with all those apples we were taking home that apple dessert would be in my very near future.

Now I love baking with my nieces but the honest truth is, whatever we bake together needs to be easy and foolproof because sugar and flour tend to make it everywhere and not always in the bowl. Also no one has time to wait on a fussy dessert so our choices were limited. Baking with kids is about making it fun not making it perfect so with that in mind, I narrowed down our options on what to make with all those apples. 

Apple pie is delicious but the crust does make it time-consuming. So what do you do when you want an apple pie and have a ridiculous amount of freshly picked apples but don’t want to spend the morning making and chilling pie crust? You make apple crisp! Truly easier then pies and so yummy and cozy to eat. It is a classic dessert and easy enough to add to your dessert repertoire...maybe even your new secret weapon?! 

We had family friends come and visit for dinner before our weekend trip was over and we decided to try out our apple crisp on them. They are very kind friends so I think they would say they like just about anything we feed them but they really seemed to enjoy it, so I think it's safe to say that if you want to officially welcome Fall or impress your sweet friends or even if you just need to use up some apples because you brought along too many able body apple pickers, this recipe is for you!

Apple Crisp

Apple Filling
2 lb apples, about 6 medium-sized
1/2 c honey
2 Tbs cornstarch

Crisp Topping
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c oats
1/2 c chopped nuts
1/2 cup sugar, white or brown
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter

Oven 350 degrees.
Peel, core, and slice the apples. Combine the apples with the honey and cornstarch. Place in a pie plate.
Combine the flour, oats, nuts, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and butter. Mix until sandy in texture. Cover the apples with the crumble topping- don’t pack it down.
Bake until topping is browned and juices bubble, about 45 min.
Serve warm with vanilla or caramel ice cream.

Notes:
Can easily use 2lb of any type of fruit- just taste your fruit so you can adjust the honey as needed depending on how sweet the fruit is.
You don’t have to peel the apples if you don’t mind the peel.
Feel free to substitute the honey with brown sugar or maple syrup
Serve with freshly whipped cream instead of the ice cream
You can leave out the oats, just add 1/2c more flour
Pecans are my favorite nuts to use here with apples
Have a ton of apples after going apple picking? Just double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 dish.

Enjoy my friends and Happy Fall!

Spreading Beauty Through Baking Series is brought to you by Lyndsay Weyers who works as a Medical Director in the Division of Public Health. She has a passion for good food and delicious baked goods and spends her free time with her husband (Dr. Weyers) traveling, exploring and eating exotic food. When at home, she enjoys organizing her ever expanding cookbook library and trying new things in the kitchen. She shares tried and true recipes that she hopes will encourage others to explore the wonderful world of baking.