Savory Apple Crisp with Parmesan Crumble

Friends, this is the dessert, and I mean *the* dessert you'll want to serve at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even your next brunch gathering. It's the slightly savory, most-definitely sweet, Parmesan apple crisp. Baked Granny Smith apples tossed in spices, a crumbly crisp topping mixed with fluffy Parmesan shavings, and a vanilla bean whipped cream dollop on top? Yes, I think this could be heaven.

New take on classic apple crisp

Cheese and apples have long been a match made in heaven; think sweet Fuji apples and Brie, crisp Pink Lady apples and buttery manchego, or tart Granny Smith apples and sharp aged cheddar. 

Baked apple crisp is sweet by nature, with its sugar-tossed apples and brown sugar-infused crumble topping. Enter: hard, aged cheese. Adding cloudlike shavings of Parm cheese adds a much-needed nutty and savory element that immediately turns a cozy classic into a Thanksgiving discussion piece.

Ingredients for Parmesan apple crisp

If you’ve ever made a classic apple crisp, you’re more than halfway to this Parmesan-dusted version. To start making a savory apple crisp, you’ll start with all of the key ingredients—apples, spices, oats, and butter, to name a few—along with your choice of hard cheese.

For the apple filling

• Granny Smith apples
• Cane sugar
• Apple pie spice (or pumpkin spice)
• Lemon juice

For the crumble topping

• Old-fashioned oats
• All-purpose flour
• Brown sugar
• Butter (salted or unsalted)
• Apple pie spice (or cinnamon)
• Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

How to make Parmesan apple crisp

So, there are only a few desserts requiring a labor of love that I actually… love. But this savory apple crisp is definitely one of them. Actually, the two most labor-intensive tasks are peeling, coring, and dicing the apples, and cutting cold butter into the flour and oat mixture to make the crisp topping.

However, there are some ways to make these tasks a bit simpler. First, I like to keep my Granny Smith apple skins on; what’s the use in peeling them when they bake up so well, anyway? 

Next, the quickest way to make the crumble using cold, cubed butter is with a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, a pastry cutter is the second-best way to complete this task without sending your arm muscles into a full-blown spasm.

1. Prepare the apple filling

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Peel (optional), core, and dice 5 large Granny Smith apples. You can also use Cosmic Crisp apples, but tart Granny Smiths are my favorite choice. Toss apples in juice from half a lemon, 2-3 tablespoons of sugar (depending on your sweetness preference), and 1 teaspoon of either cinnamon or apple pie spice.

2. Mix the dry ingredients

The easiest way to make the topping is using a food processor. If you don’t have one, a pastry cutter tool is the second-best choice. You want your butter to be very cold, but that can make it difficult to break up without the right tools.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of old-fashioned oats (not quick oats), ¾ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, and 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons apple pie spice. Whisk everything together until well incorporated.

3. Make the crumble topping

If you’re using a food processor, add your combined dry ingredients and give it a quick pulse. Cut very cold butter into small cubes and add them into the food processor chute a few pieces at a time will continuing to pulse. Once the crumble mixture has turned into small pea-sized bits, transfer the crumble mixture back to the mixing bowl.

4. Add Parmesan cheese

Using a microplane or fine cheese shredder, grate about 1 cup of Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano over the bowl with crumble mixture. Gently toss everything together using a spoon or spatula.

5. Assemble the Parmesan apple crisp

Grease a square 8x8 baking dish with butter or baking spray. I like to use non-stick spray in a glass dish (I find it gives the most even cooking and baking). Add the apple mixture and gently press apples into place so that it’s mostly even on top. Add the topping mixture by the spoonful, ensure it’s evenly distributed and gets into some of the nooks and crannies. Using the back of your spoon, gently push the topping. Lightly spray the topping with a baking or cooking spray.

6. Time to bake

Bake your savory apple crisp uncovered for 45 minutes. To test if it’s ready, see if the brown sugar from the apple mixture is bubbling into the top of the crisp. Let it rest and cool slightly.

7. Make unsweetened vanilla bean whipped cream 

This is my favorite way to top this sweet-and-salty apple crisp! There’s already enough sweetness, so I make a (mostly) unsweetened vanilla bean whipped cream to dollop on each scoop of crisp. In a small mixing bowl, add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and 2-3 dashes of cream of tartar (this helps get that perfect whipped cream density).

Using a hand mixer, beat until it becomes frothy, but not yet forming peaks. Add 1-2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste or your favorite vanilla extract. Continue to whisk until peaks form and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve the crisp.

8. Serve apple crisp and top with extra Parmesan

The moment you’ve been waiting for—it’s time to serve the Parmesan apple crisp! Scoop a serving of crisp into a shallow bowl and grate an extra shaving of Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano over each serving. Dollop with a scoop of unsweetened vanilla bean whipped cream and enjoy!

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