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This recipe proves that leftovers can be the highlight of your kitchen creativity. So don’t let that cranberry sauce go to waste. Bake it into a dessert that’s rustic, elegant, and delish!
Why we love this easy dessert!
The topping is the star here, bringing a perfect balance of textures and flavors. It’s not overly sweet, allowing the natural tartness of the cranberry sauce to shine. The butter adds richness, while the buckwheat flour contributes a subtle, nutty earthiness that sets this crisp apart from the ordinary. Now, I do look forward to leftover cranberry sauce!!! (or I purposely make more!)
Leftover Cranberry Sauce Crisp
Ingredients
- 2 cups cranberry sauce
Crisp topping: (makes about 1 cup)
- 32 g all-purpose flour
- 11 g buckwheat flour
- 30 g rolled oats
- 22 g light brown sugar
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 47 g cold unsalted butter
Instructions
Prepare the crisp:
- Combine the flour, buckwheat flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, salt, ground cinnamon in a bowl. Add the diced cold unsalted butter pieces.
- Rub the flour mixture against the butter pieces until you no longer see the butter. You will have moist uneven sizes of clumps.
- When you squeeze the mixture, it should hold together without falling apart
- Transfer the crisp and store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months. I recommend chilling thecrisp for at least 15 minutes in the freezer while waiting for the oven to preheat. It helps to maintain the shape better. It hardened after you chilled it.
Assembling:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180C) for conventional oven, 330 F (165 C) for convection oven.
- I use a 6-inch round pyrex glass container. You can also use 4-6 individual ramekins. Divide the cranberry sauce into individual ramekins. Sprinkle with the crisp topping
Baking:
- Bake in a preheat oven, on the middle rack, for 25-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly on the edges
To serve:
- Let it cool down for about 15 minutes before serving. Serve with some whipped cream, greek yogurt, or for a more decadent treat, some ice cream
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Ingredients and substitutions for the crisp
1. All-purpose flour
I use all-purpose flour with 10% protein content
2. Buckwheat flour
You can also use medium/dark rye flour, spelt flour
3. Rolled oats
You can also use quick-cooking oats. I don’t recommend steel-cut oats as it’s harder to get it to crisp up
4. Light brown sugar
Dark brown sugar or coconut sugar can be used as well.
5. Ground cinnamon
You can omit this or use any spice of your choice
6. Unsalted butter
I haven’t tried this myself, but it should work with vegan butter too
7. Kosher salt
You can also use fine sea salt. You just need a small pinch
Serving suggestions
Serve your cranberry sauce crisp warm, perhaps with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The creamy addition complements the tart-sweet fruit and crunchy crumble, making it an indulgent end to any meal.
How to store leftovers
1. Room temperature: The crisp doesn’t contain dairy (like cream or custard), it can be left at room temperature for up to 2 days. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap, foil, or a lid to protect it from drying out or absorbing odors.
2. Refrigerator: Let the crisp cool down completely. Cover it tightly with a plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to one week. Reheat in a 350°F oven for about 10–15 minutes to restore crispness to the topping
3. In the freezer: Let the crisp cool down completely. Transfer the crisp to a freezer-friendly container with tight-fitting lid. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat directly from frozen in a 350°F oven until heated through and bubbly (20–30 minutes).
