We’re singing all the praises of apple crisp because it’s THE dessert of the season. Featuring warm gooey cinnamon apples and a brown sugar oat topping, this comfort food classic takes half the time and effort that traditional apple pie requires. You just need a handful of basic ingredients to get started including baking apples such as Granny Smith and Honeycrisp.
I originally published this recipe in 2020 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips.
How many ways can we bake with apples? Hopefully you’ve been enjoying sweet and simple baked apples or even dove headfirst into apple cinnamon bread, apple cake, and caramel apple upside down cake. There’s apple cinnamon babka and so many more apple recipes. But today, let’s get down to the basics.
This is pure and simple apple crisp, a timeless dessert highlighting the natural flavor of apples. This apple dessert is an end-of-the-meal treat that delivers BIG flavor for very little work.
Let’s be honestโif you can chop apples, you can make apple crisp.
One reader, Lori, commented: “I have made many apple crisps in my 66 years! There are many good recipes that are easy to follow, use ingredients I typically have in my fridge and pantry, and they have been enjoyed by my family. But THIS recipe? How do you outdo ‘outstanding,’ ‘incredible,’ and ‘fabulous’? Honestly, the best apple crisp that I’ve made and enjoyed yet! You’ve done it again, Sally and team! This will be my go-to apple crisp recipe! โ โ โ โ โ ”
Another reader, Cheryl, commented: “I have been making this apple crisp recipe for several years now. Great balance of flavors! It’s one of my go-to recipes! Just yummy! โ โ โ โ โ ”
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Apple Crisp Recipe
- Easier Than Pie: It’s easy to adore apple pie, but there’s no doubt that homemade pie is a labor of love. In this fruit crisp, we’re swapping pie crust for oat streusel topping. Skip all the pie dough chilling and leave your rolling pin in the cabinet.
- Basic Ingredients: Crisps are pretty unfussy and there’s no strange ingredients required. Most of the ingredients you need are repeated in both layers, too.
- No Eggs: Many bakers have been asking for egg-free baking recipes like this.
- Short Cooling Time: Sometimes we need a crowd-pleasing dessert that’s a little quicker, but just as seasonal and impressive as pie. Today’s crisp joins 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipesโready in 1 hour or less!
- And Itโs Delicious: Whatโs better than warm cinnamon apples and chewy-crisp oat topping? This is a cold weather must.
And above all elseโif you have little ones, this dessert is convenient and manageable. You don’t have to wait for anything to come to room temperature, chill, or cool down. Kids have a ball spreading the apples into the dish and sprinkling the oat crumble on top. (And in the summer, have the young bakers help make a peach crisp!)
Overview of Apple Crisp Recipe Ingredients
There are 2 components in apple crisp: the apple layer and the oat topping. The topping is the same recipe we use for blueberry crumble pie, cherry crisp, and apple cranberry crumble pie, only slightly increased for a larger 9×13-inch dish.
- Apples: See below for the best apples to use. You need about 8 medium apples, peeled and chopped into chunks.
- Brown Sugar: We use brown sugar to sweeten and bring flavor to the entire dish. You need it for both the apple layer and topping.
- Flour: All-purpose flour thickens the apple filling and is the base of the topping. Do you need a gluten-free version? Here’s my super flavorful gluten-free apple crisp.
- Vanilla & Salt: I’ve made a lot of apple crisp recipes and nothing compares to the way I make it now (recipe below). Vanilla complements these warm flavors and salt balances out all the sweetness. Trust me, you don’t want to skip eitherโthe dessert tastes flat otherwise.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Use cinnamon and nutmeg in the apple layer and cinnamon again in the topping.
- Butter: To prevent it from melting too soon and losing texture, use very cold butter. Take it right from the refrigerator and cut it into cubes. Then use a pastry cutter or fork to mix it into the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Don’t overcomplicate this step, let the mixture be messy, crumbly, and coarse. Less is more. (Music to our ears!)
- Oats: Some oats get a little crispy, some stay soft and chewy. Use whole oats for the best texture. Stir the oats into the topping mixture *after* you cut in the butter. We do this with strawberry crisp as wellโyou just don’t want the oats to break down too much.
What Are the Best Apples to Use for Baking?
Firmer apples are ideal for baking. Avoid soft, mealy, and mushy apples. For depth of flavor, it’s best to bake with a mix of tart and sweet apples. For apple crisp, I usually use 4 tart and 4 sweet.
- Tart apples I love to bake with: Granny Smith (in my opinion, this is the best overall apple for baking), Braeburn, Jonathan, and Pacific Rose
- Sweet apples I love to bake with: Jazz, Pazazz (sometimes harder to find but delicious!), Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Fuji
For a detailed list of my favorite apple varieties and when to use each, you can visit my post The Best Apples for Baking.
If you’re not into an oat topping, but still want an easy, quick, and gooey apple treat, try this apple cobbler instead.
Peel & Slice Apples into Chunks
You can skip peeling the apples if you’d like, but many prefer peeled apples in desserts. I use and love (affiliate link) this OXO peeler. A lot of apple crisp recipes use apple slices, but I prefer chunks because chunks easily fit onto a spoon or fork. It’s also difficult to get perfectly uniform slices, so some pieces can be much thinner than othersโand that means mushy apples. 1-inch chunks that are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick are ideal for this apple crisp. We do the same when making apple slab pie.
Toss them with the rest of the apple layer ingredients and then top with the oat topping.
Apple Crisp Toppings!
Of course you can serve apple crisp plain, but this warm dessert truly shines with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s just an apple crisp non-negotiable! Add a drizzle of salted caramel for good measure. Or even a dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream. This is the best fall dessert around.
Can I Make Apple Crisp Without Oats?
Yes, absolutely. To make apple crisp without oats, use the topping from apple crumble pie, only slightly increased. Use 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour, and 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Using a fork, stir in the cooled melted butter until the mixture is thick and crumbly. Don’t over-mixโit will become a paste if you over-mix. Use the same oven temperature and bake time as below. I prefer melted butter to keep the crumble topping on the softer side. If you want a crispy crumble topping, use cold butter and cut it into the mixture just as you do in the recipe below.
Or try apple cobbler instead.
However you choose to make your crisp, it will be a welcome (and easy!) addition to your lineup of Thanksgiving piesโor a “just because” dessert on a cool fall evening. Enjoy!
Print
Classic Apple Crisp Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Yield: serves 8-10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This classic apple crisp combines warm gooey cinnamon apples with a buttery brown sugar oat topping. See recipe notes for make ahead & freezing instructions.
Ingredients
Filling
- 8 medium peeled apples, cut into 1-inch chunks that are 1/4 โ 1/2 inch thick (about 10 cups, or 1200g, chunks)
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup (85g) old-fashioned whole rolledย oats
- optional: salted caramel and vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Any 3.5-4-quart baking dish works.
- Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl, then spread into the baking pan.
- Make the topping:ย Whisk the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut inย the butter usingย a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture becomes super crumbly. Stir in the oats. Sprinkle over filling.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold; plain or with salted caramel and/or vanilla ice cream.
- Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Baked and cooled crisp freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake (covered) in a 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. You can prepare the crisp through step 3, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day before baking. You can also freeze the unbaked crisp for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 4. Bake time will be a little longer since the crisp will be cold.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Vegetable Peeler | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Pastry Cutter | Cooling Rack
- Apples: Here are the best apples for baking. An equal mix of Granny Smith and Jazz or Pink Lady is my favorite for apple crisp.
- Oats: Whole oats are best, but you can use quick oats if needed. The crumble topping will just be a little more powdery. (Donโt be tempted to reduce the flour, thoughโ the topping may turn out greasy.) Use a 1:1 swap from whole oats to quick oats. For an oat-less topping, see blog post above.
- Nuts: Feel free to add 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the crisp topping. Stir into the mixture when you add the oats.
- Half Recipe: You can easily halve this recipe by halving all of the ingredients and baking in a 9-inch square or 9-inch round baking dish/pie dish. Reduce bake time to about 30-35 minutes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
What did I do wrong? I thought I followed this recipe to the โTโ, except I did 1/2 the recipe. After tasting the final product, my husband and I agreed it belonged down the disposal. Horrible!! I used Granny Smiths and pink ladies. So mushy! Did I cut the wedges too small? All of my ingredients were fresh off the supermarket shelves! Dare I try it again??My consolation: my caramel sauce turned out so yummy!!
We’re so sorry this turned out disappointing for you. Did your apples seem especially soft or mushy when cutting? Or were they cut into smaller chunks? That could also be why the apple layer seemed mushy. 1-inch chunks that are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick are ideal for this apple crisp. What size pan did you use for half the recipe? We recommend a 9-inch square or round baking pan/dish and a bake time of 30-35 minutes. We hope this helps if you wish to try it again!
If Iโm adding your salted caramel sauce to this would I do that right before serving or can I do it once it has come out of the oven and has coooled? Asking because Iโm making this in advance for my Thanksgiving and I may pop it into the oven to reheat right before serving. Iโd like the caramel to already be on it when I reheat but I wasnโt sure if it would get weird or not. Thanks!
Hi Sam B, for best taste and texture, we’d recommend keeping the salted caramel separate, then rewarming separately while your apple crisp is rewarming. Then pour the warm salted caramel on top of the crisp before serving. Hope it’s a hit!
Can I use steel cut oats?
Hi Mary, whole rolled oats or quick oats are best. Steel cut oats wonโt absorb liquid in the same way and will leave the topping quite coarse and less crispy.
I have made so many of Sallyโs recipes and have purchased her cookbooks and love them, but this recipe was a disappointment for me. The nutmeg overpowered everything else and it was a rather lackluster dessert.
Hi Delana, We’re so glad you’ve enjoyed many of our recipes, and we’re sorry this one wasn’t a favorite. Nutmeg has a strong, distinctive flavor, and a little can go a long way. You can certainly reduce it or leave it out entirely if you prefer a more cinnamon-forward apple crisp. We appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback!
I have made this earlier and it came out fantastic.. I now need to make a lactose free version but cannot find lactose free unsalted butter easily. How do I substitute the butter in the topping with some flavorless oil, for e.g., grapeseed oil?
You could try coconut oil here. Make sure itโs cold and solid before cutting into the dry ingredients. We haven’t tried this with other oils.
This apple crisp was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly as written. While it was baking, I suddenly thought Iโd forgotten to add lemon juice, but when I checked the recipe, I realized it didnโt call for any!
We happened to have whipped cream, caramel sauce, and caramel swirl ice cream on hand, so we had fun trying it with different toppings. Every combination was delicious! Definitely a recipe Iโll be making again!
Can I substitute 1:1 gluten free flour ?
Hi Susan, we haven’t tested that here. You can certainly try it, or here is our gluten free apple crisp recipe instead.
Oh this was so amazing!!! My first time making apple crumble, and was shocked at how easy it was to make something so delicious. I didn’t follow the recipe perfectly and it still came out incredible. Wanted to share my adjustments here in case anyone was wondering if it would work for them:
I didn’t have a 9×13 baking dish, so I used my 11×11 metal baking pan – worked perfect! It was quite a shallow pan (1 inch) so I adjusted baking time to 40mins and the toppings came out perfectly crisp. I also adjusted the apple amounts (9 small, around 1100 grams). Also lowered overall sugar amount by 10%.
At first, I hesitated to try the recipe as I saw some negative comments. But I had trust in Sally’s recipes and I’m so glad I gave this a go. My new favorite!
It’s good but not anything special as far as apple crisps go. Would sub some brown sugar with white sugar next time, and use less sugar in the recipe. It’s very sweet and lacks lemon or some other acid to cut the sweetness.
Hi Esme, we’re so sorry you were disappointed in this recipe. While we don’t use lemon here, you could absolutely add a teaspoon or so of lemon juice to your next batch. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
I had some apples to use up so thought I’d give this recipe a try. My hubby and I both loved it. Easy to prep and delicious.
Could I make this in a cast iron skillet instead of a glass baking dish? I believe your peach or the peach & blueberry crisp is made that way. Wondering if itโs possible here/what to change if soโฆ
Hi Anastasia, yes, absolutely!
If you increased the topping you could press half or 2/3 of it in bottom of dish and other half/1/3 on top and make an apple slice!
Hi Sue, we worry the crumble wouldn’t hold together for the bottom crust, but we’re not entirely sure. Here’s our Apple Pie Bars recipe!
This recipe was very easy and the result was delicious!
Balanced tartness and sweetness!
This recipe is perfect, the most delicious apple crisp Iโve ever had. I used a blend of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples, it was so good! The topping was perfectly crispy, I baked it for 50 minutes, apples were soft, but not mushy. I added 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the apples but other than that, followed the recipe exactly. This recipe is a keeper!
I made this last night to bring to a dinner party. I followed the recipe to a T, bought exactly 4 large Granny Smith and 4 large Honeycrisp apples. It smelled delicious.
Honestly, it just tasted like chopped up apples. The oats were a strange addition to the dish and made it taste so weird. I was so embarrassed, it was the only dessert and it was so obvious that people were only eating it to be polite. Honestly, I will never make this again.
Hi Embarrassed, so sorry to hear this apple crisp didn’t turn out for you. It sounds like the crisp simply was not baked long enough. Did you bake until the fruit juices were bubbling around the edges?