Apple Crisp

Name: Apple Crisp
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup old-fashioned oats; ¼ cup flour; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; ½ teaspoon nutmeg; ¼ cup sugar; ¼ cup light brown sugar, (packed); 4 tablespoons cold butter, (cubed); ice cream or whipped topping, (optional); 6 Granny Smith apples ((peeled, cored, and sliced thin but not slivered)); 2 teaspoons lemon juice; ¼ cup all-purpose flour; ¾ cup sugar; ½ cup light brown sugar, (packed); 1½ teaspoons cinnamon

Hot apple crisp is always a favorite way to enjoy juicy, spiced apples during the fall apple season.

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Table of Contents

Best Apple Crisp Recipe Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Apple Crisp Recipe
Best Apple Crisp Serving Suggestions
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe Storage
Why We Love This Recipe
The Best Apple Crisp Recipe
Old Fashioned Apple Crisp FAQ
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Even More Recipes You’ll Love

The tart flavor of juicy apples baked to bubbling and topped with a crunchy topping make this apple crisp a favorite fall dessert. Our easy recipe is just like Grandma used to make – sweet, warm, and delicious!

close up shot of a serving of apple crisp topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a plate

Best Apple Crisp Recipe Ingredients

apple crisp raw ingredients that are labeled

This apple crisp recipe is a blend of Granny Smith apples, sweet sugars, and comforting spices.

The crisp topping, featuring oats, cinnamon, and butter, adds a satisfying crunch with a hint of nutmeg.

When baked, it creates a dessert that balances tender, caramelized apples with a buttery, spiced oat topping, making it a perfect treat.

You’ll need:

For The Crisp Topping:

¾ cup of old-fashioned oats
¼ cup of flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ cup of sugar
¼ cup of light brown sugar
½ teaspoon of nutmeg
4 tablespoons of cold butter, cubed

For The Apple Filling:

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
¼ cup of all-purpose flour
¾ cup of granulated sugar
½ cup of light brown sugar
1½ teaspoons of cinnamon

Substitutions And Additions

GRANNY SMITH APPLES: Granny Smiths are the best variety of apples for apple crisp, but we also like Golden Delicious and Honeycrisp apples.

You could also use a mix of apples if you’d like.

LIGHT BROWN SUGAR: If you don’t have this, you could just use regular white sugar.

OLD-FASHIONED OATS: These are also known as rolled oats. It’s fine to use quick-cooking oats instead if that’s what you have in the cupboard.

BUTTER: To make this recipe suitable for vegans, you could switch the butter to dairy-free margarine.

CARAMEL SAUCE: Optional but so yummy, why not drizzle some caramel sauce over the top?

How To Make This Apple Crisp Recipe

All you need to do to make this favorite dessert is cut up your apples and add your crumble topping before baking.

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.

STEP TWO: First, make the topping. Take a medium-sized bowl and add the oats, flour, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Stir until combined.

oats, flour, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and brown sugar in a bowl

STEP THREE: Add the butter to the dry ingredients and work together with a fork or your fingers until it’s crumbly. Set aside.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Be sure to slice or dice your apples consistently so that they cook evenly.

ingredients being mixed together in a bowl with a fork

STEP FOUR: To make the filling, place the sliced apples into a large bowl and drizzle with lemon juice. Toss until well-coated.

PRO TIP:

Do not skip peeling the apples. Leaving the peels on will affect the consistency and texture of your crisp.

lemon juice drizzled over apples in a bowl

STEP FIVE: In a small bowl, add the flour, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir until combined.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the apples and toss until they are coated.

PRO TIP:

Adding flour to your apples will help ensure that your filling is not crumbly.

apples tossed with flour mixture in a bowl

STEP SIX: Layer the apples into the baking dish. Place the crumbly topping on top.

apples sprinkled with oat mixture in a baking dish

STEP SEVEN: Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your crisp at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

STEP EIGHT: Serve warm, topped with ice cream or whipped topping.

Best Apple Crisp Serving Suggestions

We suggest pairing this warm apple crisp à la mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream.

Elevate your brunch game by using the apple crisp as a pancake topping. Make a stack of fluffy pancakes and generously sprinkle warm apple crisp over them.

If you are serving up leftovers the next day, make sure to warm it up again before enjoying a dish of this yummy dessert.

More of our classic apple recipes include our apple pie and caramel apple crisp bites.

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Easy Apple Crisp Recipe Storage

We’ve got you covered on how to store this delightful dessert to ensure it stays fresh and tasty.

MAKE AHEAD: If you’re planning ahead for a special occasion or simply want to save some time, you can prepare your apple crisp ahead of time.

Assemble the crisp as per the recipe instructions but hold off on baking it.

Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

When you’re ready to enjoy, bake it according to the recipe, adding a few extra minutes to account for the chill.

IN THE FRIDGE: This classic apple crisp can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Allow it to cool completely before wrapping it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Warm in the microwave or in the oven on low heat.

IN THE FREEZER: Apple crisp will last for three months in the freezer in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

close up shot of apple crisp topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream in a baking dish

Why We Love This Recipe

CLASSIC COMFORT: It captures the timeless essence of a warm, homey dessert. The combination of tender, spiced apples, and a crispy oat topping evokes feelings of comfort.

DELICIOUS YEAR-ROUND: While it’s especially delightful in the fall, this apple crisp is a crowd-pleaser all year round. It’s equally enjoyable as a cozy winter dessert, a sweet summer treat, or a spring indulgence.

The Best Apple Crisp Recipe

The best apple crisp recipe is homemade from scratch, but that doesn’t mean that it’s difficult to do. This traditional apple crisp recipe can be prepared in under 20 minutes, using ingredients that you already have in your cupboard.

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp FAQ

What are the best apples for making apple crisp?

The best apples to use for apple crisp are tart apples or a mix of tart and sweet apples. Granny Smith is the top choice for baking, followed by Golden Delicious, Fuji, and Honeycrisp.

Do I need to peel the apples?

For an apple crisp, you should peel the apples before adding them to the recipe.

Can I make an apple crisp without oats?

You could make apples crisp without oats. Instead, top with a crumble topping of ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, and ½ cup of unsalted butter, melted. Combine and sprinkle on top of your apple mixture.

What is the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble?

While both apple crisp and apple crumble are baked fruit desserts with a layer of topping, apple crisp has a crumbly topping that usually includes oats, while a crumble topping has a streusel topping made with flour, sugar, and butter.

How can I make my apple crisp crispy?

A secret found in some apple crisp recipes to add extra crisp to the topping is to add ½ cup of graham cracker crumbs to the mixture.

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Apple Crisp

5 from 30 votes

Hot apple crisp is always a favorite way to enjoy juicy, spiced apples during the fall apple season.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings

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Ingredients

Topping

¾ cup old-fashioned oats
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
ice cream or whipped topping, optional

Apple Filling

6 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, and sliced thin but not slivered)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
1½ teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray an 8×8-inch baking dish.
In a medium-sized bowl add the oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and brown sugar.
Add the cold cubed butter. Using a fork or fingers, work the butter into the flour and oat mixture until crumbly. Set this aside.
In a large bowl, add the sliced apples.
Drizzle the lemon juice over the apples. Toss the apples to coat them well with the lemon juice.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, packed light brown sugar, and cinnamon. Quickly stir them together to combine.
Sprinkle the flour mixture over the apples and toss to coat them.
Evenly layer the apples into the lightly sprayed baking dish.
Evenly sprinkle the oat mixture topping over the apples.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve warm and top with ice cream or whipped topping.

Video

Notes

Be sure to slice or dice your apples consistently so that they cook evenly.
Do not skip peeling the apples. Leaving the peels on will affect the consistency and texture of your crisp.
Adding flour to your apples will help ensure that your filling is not crumbly.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your crisp at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!