"Apple grunt" is one of the worst names for a recipe that I've heard. But with Apples, cinnamon, and butter it makes for a mouth-melting autumn confection!
Why Is It Called "Apple Grunt"?
The answer that seems to be most common online is that the name probably came from the sound the pudding made as it bubbled and grunted beneath the biscuitlike topping. But one of our Mennonite readers told me this: I think that "grunt" in that recipe name is actually a PA Dutch word meaning something like earth or soil. The topping in the recipe resembles earth covering the apples.
In Dutch I would say, "I wash the "grunt" off the freshly dug potatoes, before bringing them in." So that, to this ear, seems like a much more plausible answer than bubbling pudding!
About This Traditional Amish Apple Grunt Recipe
Amish apple grunt is amazing. While I'm not sure why the recipe is called "apple grunt", it is a classic Pennsylvania Dutch confection commonly served during autumn. Anyone have any theories as to why it might be called that? It is a very good dessert, so someone might "grunt" their approval. Or perhaps as you carry in bushels of fresh apples from the orchard you'll be grunting. But beyond that I am drawing blanks.
My mother had our family's monthly "Sunday gathering", where remembers of the extended Italian-American clan drop by for a noon meal, get up on family gossip, and visit. It is a delicious apple cake with a "built-in" cinnamony topping and she made the Apple Grunt for it once and it was well-received.
It is not uncommon for Amish homesteads to have a few apple trees, just enough to provide enough fruit for homemade applesauces, canned pie filling, and some breads. Homemade, hand-pressed apple ciders are also popular on Amish farms. Imagine the amazing taste of homemade apple cider. And enjoy a cold glass with homemade apple grunt and you'll have enough apple flavor in your system to keep you happy for a long time. The Amish tend towards the red apple vareities, but green apples are popular in pies.
Best Apples for Apple Grunt
Lots of very basic ingredients in this recipe. You can pretty much any type of apple, but I am partial to Fuji or honeycrisp. Other excellent choices include:
- Granny Smith (for tartness)
- Gala (mild and sweet)
- Braeburn (balanced sweet-tart)
- Jonathan (traditional baking apple)
How to Make Amish Apple Grunt
Butter, sugar, and eggs need to be creamed. "Apple season" in most USA Amish settlements begins in earnest in August and continues through to the first cold days of October or even early November.
You'll get something like this going into the oven (above).
And something like this coming out. We made it more recently and, yeah, got something similar, so the recipe works!
🙋 FAQ
Use a 9x13 inch baking dish for this recipe. A smaller 8x8 pan will work too, but increase baking time by 5-10 minutes.
Absolutely! While Fuji and Honeycrisp work wonderfully, you can use any baking apple. Granny Smith adds tartness, while Gala provides sweetness.
The top should be golden brown and the center should be set when gently shaken. A toothpick inserted in the cake portion should come out mostly clean.
Apple grunt has a cake-like batter poured over the apples with a crumb topping, while apple crisp is just fruit with a crumb topping and no cake layer.
Yes! You can assemble it up to 4 hours before baking. Cover and refrigerate, then bake as directed (may need an extra 5 minutes from the fridge).
Step-by-Step Apple Grunt
Lots of very basic ingredients in this recipe. You can pretty much any type of apple, but I am partial to Fuji or honeycrisp.
Butter, sugar, and eggs need to be creamed. "Apple season" in most USA Amish settlements begins in earnest in August and continues through to the first cold days of October or even early November.
You'll get something like this going into the oven (above).
And something like this coming out. We made it more recently and, yeah, got something similar, so the recipe works!
Tips for Perfect Apple Grunt
- Use room temperature ingredients for better mixing
- Don't overmix the batter - this can make it tough
- Cut apples uniformly for even cooking
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days
🍎 Classic Amish Apple Grun
For the Cake:
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2 cups sliced apples
- ½ cup sour milk or buttermilk
- ½ tsp. vanilla
For the topping:
- 6 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1½ tbsp. flour
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1½ tbsp. butter
📋 Instructions
- Cream sugar and butter together; add eggs and mix.
- Blend flour, salt and baking powder together and add to mixture
- Mix soda with milk and vanilla; mix all together.
- Add apple slices and pour batter into a buttered baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter, mixing until crumb texture; sprinkle over apple batter.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
🍎 Amish Apple Recipes
Lizzie Miller's Apple Coffeecake
Fannie Petersheim's Apple Walnut Cake
Classic Amish Apple Grunt
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking dish
- large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2 cups sliced apples
- ½ cup sour milk or buttermilk
- ½ tsp. vanilla
- 6 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp. flour
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 ½ tbsp. butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Cream sugar and butter together; add egg and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, blend flour, salt and baking powder together. Add to creamed mixture.
- Mix baking powder with milk and vanilla; combine all ingredients together.
- Fold in apple slices and pour batter into prepared baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter, mixing until crumb texture forms. Sprinkle over apple batter.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and set.
Linda Soop
How much soda do you use in Apple Grunt❓
Christine
In this recipe, step #3 says to add soda to milk and mix. What soda? This Grunt cake sounds great. That soda step has me confused.
Kevin
Christine, I think that is just a typo and should have said baking powder, I have changed the instructions accordingly. Thanks!
Marla Racer
What size pan for the Apple Grunt Cake? I would like to try it. Sounds good.
Jim
Grunts are so named because of the faint grunting noises that come from the filling under the pastry whilst it is baking. It is probably the steam that is escaping from under the topping..
Kevin
Thanks, Jim...I learn something new everyday!
Susan
Kevin, as a PA Dutch speaker I never questioned what “grunt” might mean in a PA Dutch recipe. It is merely a coincidence that g-r-u-n-t is also an English word with an entirely different meaning. Putting the topping on resembles earth or soil - and thus it was called “grunt” by our people.
Here is another example of a word like that: we all know what “gift” is in English, but the very same word when talking PA Dutch means poison.
Thanks for the Grunt Recipe!
Kevin Williams
Thanks, Susan, I thought of you when you wrote the post, I remember we had talked about "grunt", so I put that in the FAQ section of the post! Hope you and Delbert are well!