Apple Brown Betty is a traditional American dessert made with crisp apples, butter, brown sugar & toasted bread crumbs! It’s a classic dish similar to apple cobbler that everyone loves!
Making this apple brown betty recipe is great during the Fall season, the flavors are warm and the apples are at peak deliciousness. This brown betty is a wonderful combination of sweet and tart, it is a dessert that everyone is sure to devour!
WHEN TO SERVE AN APPLE BROWN BETTY
The flavors in an Apple Brown Betty scream Fall to me, the crisp, tart apples, combined with the warm spice of cinnamon and apple pie spice is incredible. This dessert would be a fantastic addition to any holiday treat table, starting with Labor Day in September! If you want an extra special dish to serve at a Fall party, this is the recipe for you. You can add this recipe to your Thanksgiving roster too, shake up the traditional treats for this recipe and watch your guests fall in love with it!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS EASY APPLE DESSERT RECIPE
- A perfect fall treat. Apples and the Autumn season go together perfectly, thanks to the apple picking season. The combination of flavors in this dessert recipe are everything! The soft cinnamon apples combined with the sweet savory flavor, it is simply heavenly.
- It is easy to make. This apple brown betty comes together quickly and with very little prep thanks to the food processor. The minimal prep work that is needed is completely worth it once you take your first bite of this amazing treat.
- Simple ingredients. What is great about this recipe is that most of the ingredients you will most likely find in your kitchen. You can make this dish without having to buy a bunch of extra ingredients.
Apple Brown Betty Ingredients
Bread: You will need 4 slices of bread to create the 2 ¼ cups of bread crumbs needed for this recipe.
Brown sugar: Adding in ½ cup of brown sugar, divided, gives this dessert a wonderful depth of flavor.
Butter: Use 4 tablespoons of butter, divided, to create an amazing rich treat.
Walnuts: For a great crunchy addition, add in 3 tablespoons of chopped walnuts.
Apples: You need 2 pounds of Honey Crisp or Golden Delicious apples, peeled and thinly sliced, for the base of this tasty treat.
Apple cider: To make the filling the perfect consistency, add in ¼ cup of apple cider.
Vanilla extract: Adding in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract helps enhance all the amazing flavors in this delicious dish.
Cinnamon: Use 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, divided, for a nice warm spiced flavor.
Apple pie spice: For even more great taste, add ½ teaspoon of apple pie spice.
How to make Easy Apple Brown Betty
Prep
Get started by preheating the oven to 375° and spray a 2 quart pan with cooking spray.
Also, peel and thinly slice the apples, set them aside for future use.
Filling
Next, tear the slices of bread into small pieces and place on a separate baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly toasted and browned. Then remove the bread and cool, proceed to place it in a food processor and pulse a few times until the bread is a small crumb size.
After that, combine the breadcrumbs with ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and the walnut pieces. Stir to combine and then set aside.
Cook
Then, in a small saucepan, over medium heat, cook the apple slices, apple cider, ¼ cup brown sugar, vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, apple pie spice and 2 tablespoons of butter, until the apples are tender but not too soft.
Proceed to lay half the cooked apples in the bottom of the prepared greased pan, then sprinkle with half the bread crumb mixture. Lastly, add the remaining apples and top with the rest of the crumbs.
Bake
Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, let cool for a few minutes in the pan.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon or cool whip, slice and enjoy!
Best Apples for Cooking
Often times cooking with apples requires firm, crisp apples like Fuji, Pink Lady, Honey Crisp or Granny Smith. Remember that each apple varies in tartness! Granny Smith apples are most tart, whereas Fuji apples are very sweet. You can use softer apples such as Red Delicious or Golden Delicious, but you’ll drastically reduce the cooking time, or else your apples might turn to mush!
Apple Brown Betty
Ingredients
- 4 slices bread 2 ¼ cups crumbs
- ½ cup brown sugar divided
- 4 TBSP butter divided
- 3 TBSP chopped walnuts
- 2 pounds apples peeled and thinly sliced, Honey Crisp or Golden Delicious
- ¼ cup apple cider
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon divided
- ½ tsp apple pie spice
Instructions
- Prep: Get started by preheating the oven to 375° and spray a 2 quart pan with cooking spray. Also, peel and thinly slice the apples, set them aside for future use.
- Filling: Next, tear the slices of bread into small pieces and place on a separate baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly toasted and browned.
- Then remove the bread and cool, proceed to place it in a food processor and pulse a few times until the bread is a small crumb size.
- After that, combine the breadcrumbs with ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and the walnut pieces. Stir to combine and then set aside.
- Cook: Then, in a small saucepan, over medium heat, cook the apple slices, apple cider, ¼ cup brown sugar, vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, apple pie spice and 2 tablespoons of butter, until the apples are tender but not too soft.
- Proceed to lay half the cooked apples in the bottom of the prepared greased pan, then sprinkle with half the bread crumb mixture. Lastly, add the remaining apples and top with the rest of the crumbs.
- Bake: Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, let cool for a few minutes in the pan. Serve with a squeeze of lemon or cool whip, slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Do I need to toast the bread for this recipe?
YES, it is a step that is totally worth it and makes the dish so much better. The texture would be completely different if the bread wasn’t toasted to make breadcrumbs. This is not a step you want to skip.
What to serve with this Apple Brown Betty?
I have found that the best topping for this dessert is a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and whipped cream. It might sound strange for the lemon juice, but I promise, it is delicious! You can also serve this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, that would also be amazing.
How to you store this Brown Betty dessert?
This treat needs to be stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator. If stored properly, it will last up to 5 days and still be delicious. You can reheat it for a few seconds in the microwave if you like it warm. Or you can eat it cold and it will be just as tasty too.
Can I freeze Apple Brown Betty?
This dessert can be frozen and will hold up pretty well. Just make sure to let it cool completely, then cover it with an airtight lid or use plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. When it is stored correctly, this will last up to 3 months in the freezer. When you are ready to enjoy, let it come defrost in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
Love apples? Try more amazing recipes here that you will love:
- Skillet Cinnamon Apples
- Snickerdoodle Apple Cobbler
- Caramel Apple Bread
- Country Apple Dumplings
- Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
- Air Fryer Apple Fritters
- Cake Mix Apple Pie Bars
- Apple Cinnamon Scones
- Apple Bundt Cake
- Apple Hand Pies
- Caramel Apple Snickerdoodles
- Apple Peanut Butter Cookies
Apple Brown Betty is a classic American dessert made with butter, fresh apples, & sweet brown sugar! It is a wonderful dish very similar to apple cobbler, everyone is sure to love it!
Gina says
I’ll never pass up making an apple dessert and this recipe was delicious! The whole family really enjoyed it!
Jenn says
Helloooooo delicious! Such a fun and comforting Fall dessert! Delish!