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Spelt and Oat Apple Crisp
Here is a recipe for apple crisp that has a streusel topping of spelt and oat flours and spelt and oat flakes. The flaked grains add more texture and contrast with the cooked apples, and using whole grain flours instead of all purpose flour means there’s more nutty flavor as well as fiber and nutrients in this dessert.
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The way I made this recipe, half the oat groats and spelt berries were milled into flour and half were flaked with our countertop Flake Lovers Flaker, but you can use any form of oats and spelt you want, and even play with other grain varieties. If you decide not to use rolled or flaked oats in your streusel topping, then you might rename your dessert a “crumble.” I learned that crisps have oats and crumbles don’t from this article in the Farmer’s Almanac that explains the difference between a cobbler, buckle, betty, crisp, and crumble.
Spelt on left; oats on right
According to Wikipedia, the apple crisp first appeared in American cookbooks in 1924, and it gained popularity during World War II when food rationing limited access to some apple pie ingredients. Other fruits and combinations of fruits also can be used in crisps; a rhubarb-apple version of this recipe with ground ginger and nutmeg instead of cinnamon is on my to-try list.
The only time-consuming part of this recipe is peeling and chopping the apples. I like to use tart apples but you can use a sweet variety if you prefer. For apples as sweet as fuji, I recommend you reduce the brown sugar in the fruit base from 1/4 cup to 2 tablespoons or less.
I used an 8 x 8 x 2 1/4 inch ceramic baking dish for this crisp. Before baking, the ingredients filled the baking dish up to the rim, so if your dish is shallower than mine, you should use a 9 x 9 inch dish instead or scale down the recipe a bit. A shallower dish will have a shorter baking time, probably 35-40 minutes instead of 50 minutes.
Spelt and Oat Apple Crisp
Here's a recipe for apple crisp that takes advantage of flavorful spelt and oat grains. The apple base is tart and delicious, and the streusel topping has a lovely contrasting texture, plus extra fiber, nutrients, and nutty flavor.
Ingredients
Apple Base
Streusel Topping
Instructions
Photo Gallery
Shopping List
Mockmill 100 Grain Mill
Flake Lovers Flaker by Wolfgang Mock
Whole Oat Groats
Spelt Berries
Spelt Whole Grain Flour
Dough Blending Tool
$9.50Flaker Attachment for KitchenAid by Wolfgang Mock
$228.00Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls — Set of 3
$39.99Spelt and Oat Apple Crisp