This apple brown betty is an easy, old-fashioned dessert with gooey baked apples layered with a buttery, sweet cinnamon crumble. It’s great for holiday baking with fresh fall apples, but I love to make it year-round.
Serve this easy apple betty warm, topped with vanilla ice cream like apple pie à la mode. If you’re a fan of classic peach cobbler and apple crisp, this old-fashioned apple dessert is right up your alley!
Apple brown betty is one of those old-timey, nostalgic desserts that tastes like it’s freshly baked from Grandma’s kitchen. If you’ve never made one, a betty is a lot like an apple crisp or a cobbler, with gooey baked fruit and a crumbly topping. Traditionally, it’s made with sweetened breadcrumbs. For simplicity’s sake, I’ve layered my easy apple brown betty with a quick blender streusel made from flour, brown sugar, butter, and a hint of cinnamon spice.
This Old-Fashioned Apple Betty Recipe Is…
- A quick, no-fuss dessert. An apple brown betty is quick to make with budget-friendly pantry staples like fresh apples, flour, and brown sugar. The topping comes together in the food processor!
- Great for fall baking. With piles of apples and a touch of warm spice, this dessert is ideal for fall. Of course, that doesn’t stop me from baking it year-round.
- Occasion-ready. This apple betty is a true crowd-pleaser. I almost always return home with an empty baking dish whenever I take it along to a party or potluck. Topped with whipped cream or ice cream? It’s unbeatable.
You’ll Need These Ingredients
Supposedly named after its creator, the history of a brown Betty is still a little fuzzy. What we do know is that it’s an American dessert made from fruit, in this case apples, but you’ll also find versions with pears or berries. I’ve included notes on the ingredients I use below. Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable list with amounts.
- Apples – Peeled and sliced. I like to use firm, crisp-tart baking apples like Granny Smith apples or Honeycrisp. See below for details.
- Orange Juice – I love the combination of orange juice with the cinnamon in the topping. You could also use lemon juice. The acidity boosts the flavor and keeps the apples from browning.
- Flour – I recommend all-purpose flour here, as I haven’t tested the recipe with other types yet.
- Sugar – I make the streusel layer with a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar. You could use all of one kind of sugar if needed.
- Cinnamon – Other good options are nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, apple pie spice, or pumpkin pie spice. I include a little salt in the crumble, too.
- Butter – Cold, cubed butter. I always bake with salted butter, but unsalted works, too.
What Are the Best Apples to Use?
As mentioned, I bake my brown betty with Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples. Other good choices are Pink Lady, Braeburn, Cortland apples, or a mix of different varieties.
What’s the Difference Between Apple Crisp and Apple Betty?
The main difference between an apple betty, apple crisp, and apple cobbler is the topping. Apple crisp has a crunchy oat topping, and a cobbler is often topped with batter, while a brown betty has layers of buttery crumbs.
How to Make Apple Brown Betty
Here’s a short overview of the steps to make this apple betty. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the printable recipe instructions afterward.
- Prep. While the oven preheats to 375ºF, grease a 9×9-inch baking dish. A deep-dish pie plate also works well here. Next, add the sliced apples to a bowl with orange juice and toss to coat.
- Make the topping. Meanwhile, pulse the flour, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt in your blender or food processor. Pulse the cubed butter a little at a time until you have coarse crumbs.
- Assemble. Now, spread about ½ of the apples into the prepped baking pan. Top with ½ the crumble, then another layer of apples and a final layer of crumbs.
- Bake. Bake the apple betty at 375ºF for 40-45 minutes until the apples are bubbly and tender and the crumble top is golden brown. Cool for a few minutes, and then serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Avoid a Soggy Crumble
Make sure that the butter you use for the streusel is COLD when it’s mixed with the flour and sugar. If the butter is too warm before it gets into the oven, it can make the crumble soggy.
Recipe Notes and Variations
- More add-ins. Sprinkle chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts in between the layers, or add dried cranberries or raisins. You could also swap the crumble for graham cracker crumbs or rolled oats.
- Different fruit. Swap half the apples (or all of them) out for different fruits. Make an apple-pear brown betty with fresh sliced Bosc or Anjou pears. You could also try rhubarb, berries, or peaches.
- Double the recipe. Double your ingredients and make this apple betty in a 9×13-inch pan if you’re feeding a large crowd.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your apple brown betty warm, topped with ice cream or whipped cream, with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate to rinse it down. It’s also delicious drizzled with caramel sauce (try this apple cider caramel sauce in the fall!) or topped with lemon curd.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerate. Store this apple brown betty airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat. Warm up servings in the microwave, or you can reheat the apple betty in a 350ºF oven until it’s hot throughout.
More Apple Desserts
Apple Brown Betty
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This apple brown betty is an easy, old-fashioned dessert with gooey baked apples layered with a buttery, sweet cinnamon crumble.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of peeled and sliced apples (3 – 4 medium apples, I prefer Honey Crisp or Granny Smith)
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 9×9 baking dish (or a deep dish pie plate) with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the apple slices and orange juice, stirring to coat. Set aside.
- In your food processor (or blender), combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse in the butter a few cubes at a time to combine. Repeat with the remaining butter until the mixture is coarse crumbs and no large pieces of butter remain.
- Spread half of the apples evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top the apples with half of the crumb mixture. Repeat with the remaining apples and crumb.
- Bake for 40 – 45 minutes until the top is crisp and golden and the apples are tender.
- Allow this to cool for 10 minutes and then serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or a 350°F oven.
