Desserts take on new meaning when made with the right beer. And when you’re thinking fall desserts, apples, cinnamon and a rich amber ale make a pretty convincing combination.

Although this recipe will work with any malt-forward amber ale, we went with Alaskan Brewing’s flagship Alaskan Amber, a smooth 5.3% ABV Amber Ale with rich caramel malt character and just enough hop presence to keep things interesting.

Those toasted malt and caramel notes are already a natural fit with baked apples and brown sugar, and the beer adds another layer of flavor without overwhelming the dessert.

The result is a warm, buttery apple crisp with a crunchy oat topping, tender cinnamon-spiced apples and a subtle Alaskan Amber backbone.

So, let’s do this!

Alaskan Amber Ale Apple Crisp

Makes: One 9-inch apple crisp
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 40–50 minutes
Rest: 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the apples

6 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup Alaskan Amber
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the crisp topping

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch baking dish.

Combine the apples, Alaskan Amber, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, lemon juice and salt in a large bowl. Toss until the apples are evenly coated, then transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.

In a separate bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.

Add the cold butter and work it into the mixture with your fingers or a pastry cutter until coarse crumbs form.

Spread the topping evenly over the apples.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the apple mixture is bubbling around the edges.

Remove from the oven and let the crisp rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

And if there happens to be some Alaskan Amber left in the bottle, you know what to do.

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