If October is the month for pumpkins, then November is the month for apples, or at least that seems to be the way it goes around here. A little over a week ago, in fact, I got a 1/2 bushel basket full of seconds apples, so for a week straight I was cooking nothing but apples. Or so it seemed anyway. In my apple-cooking/preserving spree, I made sure to save a few pounds of the crunchy little spheres to make some fruit crisp for dessert.

I have always thought that I am not at all a fan of cooked apples. And that’s still true. But I have discovered another layer of truth, and that is this: I like apples that are really really cooked. Cook them ju-u-ust until they’re about to turn into applesauce, and there you go: cooked apple perfection. None of that rubbery lumpy apple chunky stuff for me - I shudder at the thought! Give me a bowl full of mushy apple crisp, and I’m a happy girl. I’ll lick the bowl clean, in fact.

In the past, when I set out to make a fruit crisp, I always googled fruit crisp recipes, and sorted through them until I found one that I liked, or made a combination of all of them. With this last crisp, though, I read through The Cheapskate Cook’s apple crisp recipe and method, and decided I really liked her approach. She simplifies and demystifies the whole process, and furthermore, gives you permission to change it up just the way you like it.

Which is just the way I like it.

Who needs a recipe, really? It’s just a combination of 3 different elements: fruit, sugar and seasonings, and a streusel-like topping. No great mystery there.

So here you go. A fully customizable, perfectly simple formula for fruit crisp anyway you like it. (Except rubbery. Please don’t make rubbery fruit crisp.)

1. The Fruit

Go with any fruit you want, really, with the exception of citrus (Grapefruit crisp, anyone? No? Didn’t think so.), and perhaps other more exotic fruits, like starfruit. I have never made starfruit crisp, so I can’t vouch for its success. (But wait! A quick Swagbucks search reveals that someone else has indeed made starfruit crisp. See? Fully customizable!) Oh, and melon is probably not a great idea. Yuck.

Some more traditional fruit options include:

• Peaches/Nectarines
• Pears
• Plums
• Apples (Natch.)
• Berries (YUM! Nothing beats a berry crisp in the summer!)
• Cherries

Even better is a combination of fruits! Take any of the above and mix them together for a delicious flavor combination. Or, you can add in some fruits that may not stand very well on their own as a fruit crisp, but would work well together with others, like bananas, pineapple, or mango.

How much fruit do you need? Well, how much fruit crisp do you want? I’m being totally serious here. Start with the number of servings you want and work from there.

• For a single serving, use a ramekin.
• For dessert for a small family, use a square pan.
• To bring to a potluck or family Thanksgiving, use 1 (or 2 or 3…) 9×13 pan.

You will need to at the very least cover the bottom of your dish with your fruit, but it’s better to fill it at least halfway, or up to 3/4 full.

Once you’ve got your dish picked out and filled with fruit, move on to element #2.

2. Sugar and Spice

This is not a precise science, folks. If you want a super sweet fruit crisp (for shame!), then dump a 1 cup or so of sugar on there. But if you want a lightly sweetened dessert that lets the flavor of the fruit shine through (good for you!), then sprinkle approximately 1/2-3/4 cup of sugar over the top of the fruit. Even better? Drizzle the same amount of honey or maple syrup and you have a delicious dessert with no refined sweeteners!

To be honest, I didn’t even measure my honey when I made it. I just drizzled all over until it looked like enough, and I would estimate it was about 1/2 cup or maybe even less. And it was perfectly sweetened! Part of it depends on the sweetness of your fruit. If your fruit is really ripe and of a sweeter variety, you will need less additional sweetener. Taste a piece or two of your fruit before you decide how much sweetener to add.

Sweetener choices:

• Sugar (the less refined the better: raw or sucanat, for example)
• Stevia
• Honey
• Maple Syrup

I would not recommend molasses because the flavor would be over-powering, but if you wanted to have a ginger-bread-esque taste, you could use a few tablespoons of molasses together with your other sweeteners.

Once you’ve drizzled an adequate amount of sweetener over your fruit, then you can sprinkle in some spices. Spices make everything nice! Some spices that go particularly well with fruit are:

• Cinnamon (of course!)
• Nutmeg
• Ginger
• Cardamom
• Ground cloves
• Star anise
• Lemon, lime or orange zest
• Mint (goes well with some berries)

You don’t want to use too much of any of these spices in your crisp. One or two teaspoons total of spice is plenty, depending on how large your dish is. (For a single serving, just a sprinkle will suffice.)

3. The Crisp = 1 part Oats, 1 part Flour, 1 part Fat

And it’s as simple as that? For a single serving, a tablespoon or two of each element will suffice. For a large pan, you’ll need a cup of each. And of course, if the crisp is your favorite part of the dish, by all means use more than that! Just keep the ratio the same.

I’ve successfully used both brown rice flour and sorghum flour to make a gluten-free crisp - in fact, no one will notice it’s gluten-free. You can also use 100% whole wheat flour in your crisp and even the most die-hard pastry lover will enjoy it.

Cold butter is the best fat for the crisp, but I’ve also used palm shortening and/or coconut oil for my food-allergic Certain Little Someone. They’re a little more greasy, but still quite yummy.

You’ll also want to add a little bit more sweetener (a few tablespoons of sugar should do it), and another little sprinkle of whatever spices you used on the fruit to give the crisp some flavor.

Stir together the dry ingredients, then cut in the fat with a pastry blender, a fork, a couple knives, or a blender.

4. 1+2+3= Fruit Crisp!

Evenly spread your crisp topping over the fruit in your pan. Bake at 400F until it’s done. I know, so specific, right? The thing is, it depends on what fruit you’re cooking, so just pay attention. After about half an hour, check on your crisp. The fruit should be tender enough to pierce with a fork, the crisp topping should be lightly browned, and the juices should be developed into a bubbly syrup all around the edges. (Yum, I’m getting hungry just picturing it!)

When all that has come to pass, remove your crisp from the oven and cool slightly before serving. It’s great as is, but it’s even better when topped with ice cream or whipped cream.

Wasn’t that QUICK? Approximately an hour, start to finish, including baking time.

Using a formula like this just makes it so EASY, doesn’t it?

When using fruit in season, it’s a great CHEAP dessert. Except for berries, which are kind of expensive even in the summer. But apple crisp is definitely a frugal dessert choice!

And it’s so HEALTHY. I love Steph’s ideas for making it even healthier: leaving the skin on the fruit, using whole grains, using unrefined sweeteners, and limiting those. As they say in Russia, Na zdorovye! (To your health!)

For more in this series, check out:

1-2-3 Soup!

1-2-3 Granola!

What fruit do you like to use in your crisp?

Find more great recipe inspiration at $5 Dinner Challenge, Traditional Tuesdays, Real Food Wednesday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, and…