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Apple Betty

Apple Betty is a classic American baked dessert with spiced apples layered between buttery breadcrumbs for a crispy, deeply golden topping. Bake until the crust is crunchy and the apples turn tender, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cream.
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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: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Breadcrumbs
  • 4 cup fresh breadcrumbs from day-old bread
Butter
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, melted
Apples
  • 6 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced
Brown sugar
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
Cinnamon
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
Nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
Allspice
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
Lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
Lemon zest
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
Apple cider or water
  • 0.25 cup apple cider or water
Serving
  • 1 vanilla ice cream or heavy cream for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the oven and baking dish
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, then grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Make the buttery breadcrumb topping
  1. Toss the fresh breadcrumbs with melted unsalted butter until evenly coated, then set aside.
Season the apples
  1. Mix the apple slices with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, lemon juice, lemon zest, and apple cider or water until the apples look well coated.
Layer the betty
  1. Spread 1/3 of the buttered breadcrumbs in the bottom of the dish.
Add the first apple layer
  1. Layer half the apple mixture over the breadcrumbs, then drizzle with half of the cider mixture.
Add the second apple layer
  1. Repeat with another layer of breadcrumbs, remaining apples, and the remaining cider mixture.
Finish with crumbs
  1. Finish with the final layer of breadcrumbs on top, spreading them evenly.
Bake until golden and crisp
  1. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 375°F until the top is deeply golden, crispy, and the apples are tender.
Serve
  1. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or heavy cream.

Notes

Pro tip: for the crispiest top, spread the final breadcrumb layer evenly right up to the edges so it browns across the whole dish. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat covered in a 325°F oven until hot. Freezing is not recommended because breadcrumbs can soften after thawing. For a lighter swap, use unsalted butter substitute (or use 1/2 the butter) and increase cider slightly to help keep the apples tender.