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Apple Betty

Apple betty is a warm American dessert with spiced apple layers tucked under a deeply golden, crispy buttered breadcrumb topping. Bake until the apples turn tender and the top turns caramelized and crunchy for a comforting, spoonable texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Breadcrumb topping
  • 4 cup fresh breadcrumbs from day-old bread
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted
Spiced apple filling
  • 6 apples large, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 0.25 cup apple cider or water
Serving
  • 1 vanilla ice cream or heavy cream

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and layer
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Set the dish aside so it’s ready to fill.
  2. Toss the fresh breadcrumbs with the melted unsalted butter until evenly coated. The crumbs should look sandy and buttery with no dry spots.
  3. Mix the apple slices with the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, lemon juice, lemon zest, and apple cider or water. Stir until the apples look glossy and the spice mixture clings to them.
  4. Spread 1/3 of the buttered breadcrumbs in the bottom of the greased dish. Press lightly so it forms an even base layer.
  5. Layer half of the apple mixture over the breadcrumbs, then drizzle with half of the apple cider. Add a gentle, even layer so the topping bakes uniformly.
  6. Repeat by adding another layer of breadcrumbs, the remaining apples, and the remaining cider. Finish with the final layer of breadcrumbs on top.
Bake and serve
  1. Bake at 375F for 40-45 minutes until the top is deeply golden and crispy and the apples are tender. Look for bubbling around the edges and a crunchy breadcrumb surface.
  2. Serve the apple betty warm with vanilla ice cream or heavy cream. Spoon portions while the topping is crisp.

Notes

Pro tip: thin, even apple slices help the bake finish at the same time so the center is tender without drying out the topping. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in the oven at 325F for 10-15 minutes to re-crisp the top. Freezer: not recommended for best breadcrumb texture. For a lighter option, use 1/3 less butter in the breadcrumb layer (or swap in a light butter substitute) while keeping the same bake time.