Fall baking is one of my favorite activities, especially since it’s apple season, so I can whip up any number of apple recipes to share with family and friends. This homemade crisp is a crowd-pleaser every time, because who doesn’t enjoy spiced apples coated lovingly with a delightfully crisp, crunchy streusel oat topping?
If you’ve never tried apple crisp before, it’s very similar to apple crumble. But the topping for apple crumble is more of a classic streusel made of flour, butter, and sugar, while the topping for this recipe includes oats. This is a simple recipe that doesn’t require any special skills, just a little bit of time to peel the apples. The end result is a classic apple crisp that the whole family will love. And if you’re in the mood for even more apple desserts, try my apple cobbler, apple galette, and apple pie.
What You Need To Make This Recipe
Apples — tart apples like Granny Smith or Pink Lady are the most popular for apple filling since they help offset the sweetness of the filling and the topping, but any type of apple can be used. Peel, core, and slice them into pieces of equal size.
Spices — I went with the classic combination of cinnamon and nutmeg to add warmth to the apple mixture.
Butter — the butter needs to be cold and cut into small cubes.
Oats — you’ll need old-fashioned oats (not quick oats) for the oat streusel topping. The rolled oats help create a crunchy topping that pairs perfectly with the tender apples.
How to Make Apple Crisp
1. Add the sliced apples to a large mixing bowl and pour the lemon juice over. Toss to coat the fruit in lemon juice.
2. To the same bowl, add sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and toss well.
3. Spread the apples into an even layer in a greased 8×8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the cold cubed butter over the top of the apples so it is dotted throughout.
4. In another bowl, prepare the crumb topping by mixing together oats, all-purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Add the cold cubed butter to the oat mixture. Work the butter into the oat mixture with a fork or clean hands until the mixture is crumbly and has pea-sized clumps.
6. Generously sprinkle the crumble topping over the top of the apples. If it forms a mound, that’s okay. As the apples bake and soften, the whole thing will come down a bit. Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and you can see the juices bubbling. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
What Are The Best Apples To Use For Baking?
I like using a crisper apple variety like Granny Smith apples, Pink Lady apples, or Honeycrisp apples because they hold up well in the oven. For a softer filling, choose from different types of apples like Golden Delicious, McIntosh, and Gala apples. You can certainly use your favorite kind of apples in this recipe!
How to Serve Apple Crisp
My favorite way to enjoy this dessert is with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. I also quite enjoy this dessert with whipped cream. For a sweet touch, add a little drizzle of caramel sauce on top.
How to Store and Reheat Apple Crisp
Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container. It will keep for about 3 days. Note that while the topping will still taste delicious, it will become soggy as it sits.
To reheat the apple crisp, place it in the oven at 350°F until heated through, about 15 minutes, or in the air fryer at 300°F for 5 to 8 minutes.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Idle hands in your household? Get them to help peel the apples!
- Cut the apples into roughly equal-sized pieces. Don’t stress about getting them exactly the same size, but try to cut them somewhat the same size so they bake evenly.
- For extra zing, add lemon zest. If you’re a fan of citrus flavors, add lemon zest to the filling! Or use orange zest. Citrus immediately adds brightness to the warm, earthy flavors in the apple filling.
- The butter should be cold. If you want to prepare ahead of time, make the topping and then refrigerate it. The butter in the topping should be cold so that it holds its shape in big, crunchy pieces during baking.
- Don’t be shy with the crisp topping. The crisp-chewy streusel topping with oats is a favorite, so don’t skimp! I call it a “too much is never enough” situation and tend to mound it pretty high. As the apples soften and release their juices, the whole thing will drop a bit and won’t be piled so high.
- Switch up the spices. While I love the timeless combination of cinnamon and nutmeg, feel free to add ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, cloves, allspice, or any other spice you enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend baking it in advance. The apple crisp is best warm, and streusel oat topping is best enjoyed fresh, as it gets soggy the longer it sits. However, you can assemble the apple crisp a few hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours before baking. Let the pan sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before placing it in the oven. I also like to toss the apple slices in the juice of 1 lemon before assembling to keep them fresh.
Absolutely! Since you are baking a larger pan of apple crisp, you may need to increase the baking time by 5 to 10 minutes.
Yes, it is easy to make gluten-free apple crisp with just a couple of easy substitutions. Swap out the flour in the crumble topping for gluten-free all-purpose flour, and ensure you’re using certified gluten-free oats to avoid cross-contamination. The other ingredients are naturally gluten-free, but please double-check ingredient labels to make sure!
You can freeze baked apple crisp. Once it has cooled, wrap it well with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for a maximum of 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it in the oven.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this apple crisp recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Apple Crisp Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 8×8 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 pounds apples peeled, cored, and sliced (2½ pounds, 1.1kg)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (can also use brown sugar) (66g)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cut into small cubes (56g)
For the Topping:
- 1¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (90g)
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar (110g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes (170g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, toss the apple with the lemon juice. Add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and toss until well combined. Spread into the baking dish. Sprinkle with butter.
For the Topping:
- In a small bowl, stir together the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter to the mixture and work together with your hands or a fork until the mixture is crumbly and has clumps about the size of peas. Sprinkle the topping all over the top of the apples.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. Cool for a few minutes and serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Notes
- Idle hands in your household? Get them to help peel the apples!
- Cut the apples into roughly equal-sized pieces. Don’t stress about getting them exactly the same size, but try to cut them somewhat the same size so they bake evenly.
- For extra zing, add lemon zest. If you’re a fan of citrus flavors, add lemon zest to the filling! Or use orange zest. Citrus immediately adds brightness to the warm, earthy flavors in the apple filling.
- The butter should be cold. If you want to prepare ahead of time, make the topping and then refrigerate it. The butter in the topping should be cold so that it holds its shape in big, crunchy pieces during baking.
- Don’t be shy with the crisp topping. The crisp-chewy streusel topping with oats is a favorite, so don’t skimp! I call it a “too much is never enough” situation and tend to mound it pretty high. As the apples soften and release their juices, the whole thing will drop a bit and won’t be piled so high.
- Switch up the spices. While I love the timeless combination of cinnamon and nutmeg, feel free to add ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, cloves, allspice, or any other spice you enjoy.
