Best Apple Crisp Recipe
Posted Sep 15, 2019, Updated Sep 18, 2023
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This is the best apple crisp recipe is easy to make with only 8 ingredients! A favorite fall dessert that everyone loves! Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Watch the video to learn how to make apple crisp step-by-step!
Apple crisp is a classic fall dessert that we make all the time, and is the best apple crisp recipe ever! It’s made from scratch with only a handful of simple ingredients including fresh apples, warm cinnamon and old-fashioned oats!
If you don’t have time for chilling pie crusts, like in these apple pie or apple crumble pie recipes, then this apple crisp recipe is exactly what you need, or, these apple pie bars! Even if you do have time, I would venture to say that I prefer apple crisp over pie (gasp), because it’s just that delicious!
The buttery apple crisp topping paired with the sweet and spicy apple filling is fall perfection in a baking dish! Serve it warm with a scoop (or two) of vanilla ice cream and you’ll be everyone’s favorite baker!
Apple Crisp Recipe: Ingredients and Substitutions
As always, I like to take a moment to chat about the ingredients in this apple crisp recipe and some possible substitutions!
- Apples. I recommend a sweet/tart apple like granny smith or pink lady, but any variety works.
- Brown sugar. Light or dark brown sugar can be used! Dark brown sugar will give it a more pronounced molasses taste.
- All-purpose flour. To make this apple crisp recipe gluten-free, substitute an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour for the all-purpose flour.
- Lemon juice. there really isn’t a great substitute for lemon juice. You could use lime juice or it can just be omitted. However I really love the little bit of brightness and tang it imparts in the dish.
- Old-fashioned oats. Quick-cooking oats can be used in place of old-fashioned.
How to make Apple Crisp
I love this apple crisp recipe because it’s so simple to make! There are a few steps but they’re all straightforward and easy, so let’s walk through them together (and don’t forget to watch the video)!
Make the Apple Crisp Topping
Start by using a fork, pastry cutter or your hands to cut the slightly-softened butter into the dry ingredients in the crisp topping. The mixture should look like the photo on the right, kind of like sand with a few chunks of butter!
Add the oatmeal to the butter/dry ingredient mixture and stir until it’s evenly distributed. Then set the crisp topping aside while you make the filling!
Make the Apple Crisp Filling
Here are a few notes on making the apple crisp filling.
The first step in this apple crisp recipe is to peel, core and slice t the apples. I have one of these apple peeler, corer, slicers and it’s a huge time saver! I prefer smaller apple chunks in my apple crisp, so that’s what I did as you can see in the photo below!
Pre-cook the apples
Once the apples are peeled, cored and sliced, it’s time to pre-cook them. Place them in a microwave-safe dish and cook on high for 6 minutes.
Then transfer the cooked apples in a colander to cool and drain for at least 10 minutes. Make sure you leave space at the bottom of the colander for the water to drain!
Mix the filling ingredients together until they’re evenly combined. I usually mix the filling ingredients with these same fork I used to make the crumb topping!
Next, add the mixed try ingredients to the cooked, cooled and drained apples until everything is evenly distributed.
Assemble the apple crisp
Choose a baking dish: Add the apple filling to a prepared baking dish. I usually use a 9×9″ baking dish, but you can use an 8×8″ dish, or as pictured here, a 10 x7″ dish. You can also use a round casserole dish. The important thing is that whatever dish you choose has a capacity of at least 2 to 2.5 quarts.
Next, use your hands to evenly sprinkle the crumble topping over the filling!
Bake
Now it’s time to bake! Bake the apple crisp until the filling is bubbly and the top is lightly browned. If you notice the top browning before the filling bubbles, simply tent the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking!
Cool
Set the apple crisp on a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes. This cooling time allows the filling to gel and everything to firm up a bit before serving!
Serve!
This apple crisp recipe is best served warm! Here are some more serving suggestions:
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top
- Top with a dollop of the best homemade whipped cream!
- drizzle this apple crisp with with some caramel sauce
- Add a sprinkle of nuts (like these cinnamon sugar pecans or candied almonds) for some crunch
Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Freeze
You can freeze this apple crisp in a few ways:
- Freeze the unbaked crisp: assemble the apple crisp, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and cover with foil and freeze on a flat surface for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and then bake according to recipe instructions.
- Freeze baked crisp. Bake the apple crisp, let it cool completely, wrap it in plastic wrap/foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Warm covered with foil in the oven until heated all the way through.
- Freeze individual portions in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat on warm in the oven or microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Everyone has their favorite apple variety to bake with, mine is a tossup between Pink Ladies and Granny Smith. However, I usually just choose a variety that’s on sale! I love the sweet/tart contrast! Here are some of my suggestions for apples to use in this apple crisp recipe!
Granny Smith (used in this recipe)
Pink Ladies (aka: Crisps Pink)
Fuji
Golden Delicious
Honeycrisp
Jonagold
Jazz
Braeburn
Gala
The first step in this apple crisp recipe is to peel, core and slice t the apples. I have one of these apple peeler, corer, slicers and it’s a HUGE time saver! However, mine is currently packed away, so I had to do it the old-fashioned way and just peel the apples then cut them! I prefer smaller apple chunks in my apple crisp, so that’s what I did as you can see in the photo below!
I prefer the texture of this recipe when the apples are peeled, however you can leave the skin on if you prefer.
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Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
Apple Crisp Filling:
- 4 lbs apples peeled, cored and sliced
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 3 TBS all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg optional
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Crisp topping:
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¾ cup old fashioned oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9×9” baking dish, set aside.
Make Crisp Topping:
- Place softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and sea salt in a medium sized bowl. Use your hands, a fork or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with buttery chunks.
- Add oats and stir until evenly combined, set aside.
Make the filling:
- Place the peeled and cored apples in a microwave safe dish and heat for 6 minutes, until apples are slightly soft.
- While apples are in the microwave, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- When apples are finished cooking in the microwave, put them in a colander to drain excess water. Let them cool and drain in the colander for at least 10 minutes.
- Transfer cooled & drained apples to a bowl, add lemon juice, then dry ingredient mixture and stir until mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout).
Putting it together.
- Place apple crisp filling into the prepared baking dish.
- Evenly sprinkle crisp topping over apple crisp filling.
- Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.
- Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Serve in small bowls topped with your favorite vanilla ice cream!
Video
Notes
Notes on how to make an apple crisp:
- Precook the apples: Don’t forget to precook the apples and drain them in a colander. This will prevent a wet and mush apple crisp.
- Choose a baking dish: Add the apple filling to a prepared baking dish. I usually use a 9×9″ baking dish, but you can use an 8×8″ dish, or as pictured here, a 10 x7″ dish. You can also use a round casserole dish. The important thing is that whatever dish you choose has a capacity of at least 2 to 2.5 quarts.
Ingredient substitutions
- Apples. I recommend a sweet/tart apple like granny smith or pink lady, but any variety works.
- Brown sugar. Light or dark brown sugar can be used! Dark brown sugar will give it a more pronounced molasses taste.
- All-purpose flour. To make this apple crisp recipe gluten-free, substitute an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour for the all-purpose flour.
- Lemon juice. there really isn’t a great substitute for lemon juice. You could use lime juice or it can just be omitted. However I really love the little bit of brightness and tang it imparts in the dish.
- Old-fashioned oats. Quick-cooking oats can be used in place of old-fashioned.
Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.Freeze
You can freeze this apple crisp in a few ways:- Freeze the unbaked crisp: assemble the apple crisp, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and cover with foil and freeze on a flat surface for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and then bake according to recipe instructions.
- Freeze baked crisp. Bake the apple crisp, let it cool completely, wrap it in plastic wrap/foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Warm covered with foil in the oven until heated all the way through.
- Freeze individual portions in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat on warm in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I reread the instructions and now see the apples are cooked on high. You can ignore previous post!
can i skip the sugars in the apple mixture itself and leave it in just for the apple topping?
I don’t recommend this.
Did you use salted or unsalted butter in the apple crisp?
Salted!
Thank you
This recipe was so fantastic. It’s a must make with all of the apples from fall apple picking. Will be making again and again.
You always make some of the BESTEST dessert recipes. Apple CRISP = DELISH. Always. 🙂 . And vanilla ice cream melting all over it is the best.