The Davinator tried pumpkin pie once and pronounced it ‘weird’. And pie is not my strong suit so I’ve gone with alternative desserts to the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies. Apple cranberry crisp, served with ice cream and topped with salted caramel is the perfect ending to a Thanksgiving meal

Recipe

Serves 10–12 • Fully assemble 1–2 days ahead, bake just before serving so it’s warm and bubbling

Ingredients 

Filling

• 1.3 kg mixed apples (Granny Smith + Honeycrisp/Gala is perfect), peeled, cored, and sliced 5–7 mm thick (about 8–9 medium apples) 
• 200 g fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw if frozen) 
• 100 g light brown sugar 
• 30 g plain flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free) 
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon 
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible) 
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt 
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 80–100 ml good-quality salted caramel sauce

Oat Streusel Topping

• 150 g rolled oats (old-fashioned, not quick) 
• 120 g plain flour
• 150 g light brown sugar 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt 
• 170 g cold unsalted butter, cubed 
• 100 g pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped (optional but highly recommended)

Instructions

1. Butter a 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13 inch) baking dish or equivalent deep ceramic dish. 
2. In a very large bowl, toss the sliced apples and cranberries with the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla until evenly coated. 
3. Pour into the prepared dish in an even layer. Drizzle the 80–100 ml salted caramel sauce over the fruit (don’t stir — it will sink in beautifully while baking). 
4. Make the topping: combine oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and rub in with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until you have a mixture of pea-sized clumps and some sandy bits. Stir in the nuts. 
5. Scatter the topping evenly over the fruit — pile it high, it will settle. 
6. Cover tightly with cling film and refrigerate up to 48 hours (flavours get even better).

Thanksgiving Day Baking 

1. Remove from fridge 30–60 minutes before baking. 
2. Preheat oven to 190°C (fan 170°C). 
3. Bake uncovered 45–55 minutes until the topping is deep golden, the edges are bubbling furiously, and the cranberries have burst. 
4. If the top browns too quickly, loosely lay a piece of foil over it for the last 10–15 minutes. 
5. Rest 10–15 minutes before serving (this lets the juices thicken slightly).

Serve warm with big scoops of vanilla ice cream — the contrast of hot, tart fruit, salty-sweet caramel, and cold ice cream is pure Thanksgiving magic.