Looking for a great use of fresh apples that’s not as complicated as apple pie? Let me introduce you to Apple Brown Betty.
Made of sweet, tart, and juicy apples underneath a bed of buttery crumble, it’s the perfect autumn comfort food.
The next time you need a quick fall dessert after a family dinner, you have to try this simple recipe.
Just slice up some apples and whip up a crumble. The rest is up to the oven.
Boy, your kitchen is about to smell like heaven.
Drooling yet? Me, too, so let’s get started!
The Best Apple Brown Betty Recipe
An Apple Brown Betty is a baked apple dessert made with a crisp crumble on top.
The combination of sugar, butter, cinnamon, and apples gives it the ultimate fall flavor.
And because there’s no pie crust, it’s one of the easiest apple desserts to make.
Apart from peeling, coring, and slicing the apples, it’s just a matter of mixing ingredients to create a crumble. Minimal effort, maximum reward!
A Brief History
Apple Brown Betty has been around since colonial times. It dates as far back as 1864, first appearing in the Yale Literary Magazine.
It was described as a dish made with sweet apples, bread crumbs, and spices.
In 1890, the recipe appeared in a cookbook by Mrs. Mary Hinman Abel titled “Practical Sanitary and Economic Cooking Adapted to Persons of Moderate and Small Means.” What a mouthful!
Featuring recipes that could feed a family for as low as 13 cents a day, the book contained affordable recipes that sought to improve the dietary choices of the poor.
Here’s a fun fact: Apple Brown Betty was one of President Ronald Reagan’s favorite desserts!
He loved it so much, that it was one of the most frequent desserts made at the White House during his time.
It’s so good that it even has its own day! Yup, October 5th is the official National Apple Brown Betty Day.
Apple Brown Betty vs. Apple Crisp
They are closely related, but not quite the same.
Basically, they’re both apples underneath a crisp topping and baked to perfection. The difference is, apple crisp has oats in the topping.
So if you’re not a fan of oats, this recipe is for you!
Ingredients
- Apples. Either Crispin, Granny Smith, Empire, or McIntosh. Slice the apples thinly and evenly so they soften perfectly as they bake.
- Orange juice. To keep the apples from browning. You can use any acidic fruit juices, too, such as lemon, lime, or pineapple.
- All-purpose flour. The base of the crumble. While other recipes call for bread or granola for the topping, you’ll make your very own!
- Sugar. To sweeten the crumble.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg. To give the crumble that iconic fall flavor.
- Butter. Make sure it’s cold! Otherwise, you won’t be able to create those coarse crumbles.
Tips for Making Brown Betties
- Slice the apples thinly, about 1/4 inch. That way, they’ll be perfectly tender once cooked. You’ll also want to make uniform slices, so they cook evenly.
- Don’t forget about the orange juice! It will keep your apples from browning as you prepare the crumble.
- Don’t overbake your Brown Betty. Take it out of the oven as soon as the topping is lightly browned.
- Serve Brown Betty either warm or chilled. It’s gold, either way.
- Got leftovers? Highly unlikely, but if you do, place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge.
The Best Apples for Apple Brown Betty
Apples are obviously the star of this dessert, so if you want it to be sweet, use sweet apples.
But since you’ll be cooking them, you’ll also want to pick crisp and firm apples that won’t disintegrate in high heat.
That said, your best options are Crispin apples, which are available all year round, so yay! Empire apples from New York are also ideal because they’re crisp, sweet, and slightly tart.
And, of course, you can’t go wrong with the classic Granny Smith.
McIntosh apples, albeit a bit tangy, also work well. Just add more sugar to the recipe if you want to counterbalance the tartness.
What to Serve With Apple Brown Betty
Just like pies, tarts, or cobblers, Apple Brown Betty is best served with vanilla ice cream. The combination of hot and cold creates such a tastebud-tingling sensation!
You also can’t go wrong with sweetened whipped cream. Or drizzle it with caramel sauce. It’ll be so lip-smackingly delicious.
Then wash it down with a pumpkin spice latte for the ultimate fall treat.
More Apple Recipes You’ll Love
Apple Bread
Mock Apple Pie
Apple Dump Cake
Cinnamon Roll Dutch Apple Pie
Apple Brown Betty
8
servings30
minutes45
minutes278
kcalIngredients
4 cups 4 thinly sliced apples (about 2 apples)
1/4 cup of orange juice
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup 1 granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup cold butter, sliced into cubes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch pie plate.
- Pile apples in the pie plate and drizzle with orange juice to avoid browning.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in the butter until the mixture turns into coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle the crumbs all over the apples.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
