Apple crisp is probably my favorite fall dessert because it’s just so ridiculously easy and I love the way the uncomplicated recipe keeps fresh fall apples at the forefront of the dessert. Its warm apple cinnamon layer and crispy oat topping is utterly divine with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream on top. So if you’re looking for a warm and cozy fall dessert for these cool evenings, you’re going to love this Easy Apple Crisp.
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What is Apple Crisp?
Apple crisp is the easiest fall dessert ever. It’s simply baked apples that are seasoned with a little sugar and warm spices, topped with a sweet and buttery crispy oat topping. It’s kind of like apple pie for people who don’t feel like fiddling with pie crust. And it’s absolutely perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, or homemade whipped cream!
Ingredients for Apple Crisp
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this incredibly easy apple crisp:
- Fresh Apples: Apples are the star of the show, so make sure to get the freshest apples you can get and, if possible, local!
- Spices: A mix of warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and vanilla extract give this apple crisp a super cozy flavor and aroma.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar is used to sweeten the baked apple mixture, while brown sugar is added to the oat topping to create a deep, rich flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour helps bind the butter, oats, and sugar in the crispy crumbly topping.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Oats give the crispy topping tons of texture and a slightly earthy flavor.
- Butter: Butter helps the oat topping crisp up and gives everything a super rich dessert-like flavor.
What Kind of Apples are Best for Apple Crisp
I prefer a sweet and juicy apple for apple crisp, like Gala or Fuji, but you can make almost any type of apple work. If you have an apple that is more tart, like a Granny Smith or Braeburn, you may want to add more sugar to the apple seasoning mixture. But the most important thing to look for when you’re choosing apples is to make sure your apples are juicy. Apples that are not fresh and juicy will make an apple crisp that is a little more on the dry side rather than deliciously saucy. Here’s a really cool chart showing apples according to their level of sweetness!
Can I Reduce the Sugar?
Sugar plays a very important role in both the filling and the topping of this apple crisp. In the filling the sugar helps draw out the juices from the apples, creating that nice saucy consistency. In the crumble topping, sugar helps crystalize the crumble and make everything crunchy. So, if you do choose to reduce the sugar, keep in mind that it will not only affect the sweetness of the dish, but also the texture.
How to Store Leftover Apple Crisp
Wait until your apple crisp cools to reduce condensation, then cover with plastic and refrigerate. Apple crisp will stay good in the refrigerator for about four days. The crumble topping will continue to absorb moisture from the apples as it refrigerates, so it won’t stay crispy, but it is still amazingly delicious all the same!
Easy Apple Crisp
Servings 6Ingredients
Baked Apples
- 2 lbs. apples ($1.33)
- 3 Tbsp sugar ($0.04)
- 1 tsp cinnamon ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.01)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves ($0.01)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract ($0.14)
Oat Topping
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour ($0.03)
- 1/3 cup rolled oats ($0.06)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar ($0.32)
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature ($0.44)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon ($0.02)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Core and slice the apples into ¼-½ inch wide slices (peel, if desired). Place the sliced apples in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to season the apples. Sprinkle the mixture over the sliced apples and drizzle the vanilla extract over top. Stir the apples until they're evenly coated in spices.
- Next, make the oat topping. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cut the butter into chunks and then use your hands to work it into the oat mixture until it is crumbly and appears sort of damp.
- Sprinkle the crumbly oat mixture over the seasoned apples. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot with ice cream or whipped cream on top!
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Equipment
- Chef’s Knife
- White Cutting Boards
- Measuring Cups Spoons
Nutrition
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How to Make Apple Crisp – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Clean and slice 2 lbs. of apples (about six medium apples) into ¼-½ inch wide slices. You can peel them if you prefer, but I like the color and texture that the peels bring to the dessert. Place the sliced apples in a large bowl
Prepare the seasoning for the apples by combining 3 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, and ⅛ tsp ground cloves. The sugar helps draw the juices out of the apples and then the flour thickens it into a nice saucy consistency.
Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the sliced apples along with 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Stir until the apples are evenly coated in flour, sugar, and spices.
Place the seasoned apples in a 2-quart baking dish.
Next, create the crumbly oat topping. Stir together ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup rolled oats, ½ cup brown sugar, ⅛ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp cinnamon in a bowl.
Cut ¼ cup (4 Tbsp) butter into chunks and add it to the oat mixture. Use your hands to work the butter into the other ingredients.
When the butter is fully mixed in, it should look kind of chunky and damp, like the photo above.
Sprinkle the oat topping over the seasoned apples.
Bake the crisp for 45 minutes, or until the topping is deep golden brown.
Enjoy hot, topped with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream!
This is a really good recipe! Next time I make it, I’ll probably double the topping, because that’s my favorite part of a crisp :)
Thanks again for the excellent recipes.
May be quibbling, but is the 2 lb before or after coring? Do I need to get a little extra to compensate?
What size dish do you cook this in?
Anything that’s pie-dish-sized should do the trick. XOXO -Monti
I’ve been making apple crisp for years but wanted to refresh my memory so after reading all the comments I made this recipe, and it was great. I didn’t quite have 2 lbs. of apples, but I used all the other ingredients as listed, and it worked very well–I had never added ginger, vanilla, or pinch of salt before, so thank you for the inspiration!
Great recipe! But this recipe needs more crumble I feel. I’ve made it twice, once with a large baking pan which fit all 5 apples, and the second time used a 9 inch cake tray which didn’t hold all the apples (I cubed them) and still didn’t have enough crumble.
I love Liz’s recipes. And I probably use Budget bytes more than any other cooking website. The chicken and lime skillet is a regular in my diet.
But I think I personally like a lot more crumble. (I’m American and have a big sweet tooth)
oh wow, this is actually what I’m going to make with the abundance of apples I have staring at me in my garage right now. Applesauce is cool, but apple crisp is oh so delicious!
What kind of oats do you use? Instant or regular rolled oats?
Regular rolled oats. Instant oats do not have as much texture. :)
I am in love with this apple crisp! I am generous with the spices. The warmth from the ginger and the buttery crisp topping is so so good! Seriously the best apple crisp I have ever had, We usually pour some half and half over it. Thank you for this recipe, it’s a family favorite!
My 11 yr old daughter made this (with help) for Thanksgiving and it turned out great. We used a non-dairy butter substitute (Miyoko’s brand) and the crumble part came out a lot wetter than in the photo, it was almost a liquid consistency. The next time around, I might try use a baking dish rather than a dutch oven, and increase the amount of crumble to account for the higher surface area.
I made bratwurst and sauerkraut last night and since I was cutting up an apple for that, I cut up another to make this recipe. Simple and Delicious! Too bad I didn’t have any ice cream…
This was AMAZING, especially with vanilla ice cream. The oat topping really makes this a gourmet dessert. Thank you Beth for another winning recipe!
Hi! Does it matter if the butter is salted vs. unsalted?
I used salted. You can use unsalted, but you’ll want to add a little salt to the topping to make up for it. :)
Lovely! I made extra crumble for the top because it’s my favorite part, and I added cardamom to the spiced apple mixture. 10/10 will be making again. Cheap, easy, delicious!
Absolutely EASY AND DELICIOUS super recommended, what a great recipe!
I’m gluten-free. Do you think I could sub oat flour for the all-purpose flour? Oat Topping:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour ($0.03)
1/3 cup rolled oats ($0.06)
1/2 cup brown sugar ($0.32)
1/4 cup butter, room temperature ($0.44)
1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
1/4 tsp cinnamon ($0.02)
Not having the flour will change the texture of the topping, but I’m sure there’s a way to do it. I’d need to test it before offering a suggestion, but you could try Googling “apple crisp no flour” to see what others have come up with. :)
I use gluten free all-purpose flour and it works just fine. I’ve used many different brands to make apple crisp, but most often either Trader Joe’s or Pamela’s.
Amazing!
Very easy to bake.
Thank you very much for sharing.
With all of the ingredient readily available, I made this immediately. Another winner of course. It’s comforting, crunchy, and delicious. Just had some for breakfast with my coffee.
We picked up Northern Spy apples from an orchard north of Toronto, Canada and they made the best apple pie! I don’t know how common they are in other regions, but if you get a chance to try them, I highly recommend them. They were crisp and tart and juicy.
This recipe came up on my Instagram today. I was carving a nice fall dessert and thought I would make this recipe! It was sooo delicious!! It was a hit in my house. Perfect with vanilla bean ice cream. Will definitely be making it again