Nothing says comfort food like this easy Apple Crisp. Cinnamon apples are topped with a crispy oatmeal crumble topping and baked to golden perfection. This apple crisp recipe is one of the best, crowd pleasing fall desserts!
Besides this apple crisp crumble, during the fall we love making this Dutch Apple Pie, Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars and Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars!
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
This homemade apple crisp is a simple dessert that is quick and easy to throw together. The filling is as delicious as apple pie, yet there’s no need to make a pie crust. Instead, this baked apple dessert has a crispy topping that gives the warm cinnamon apples a lovely crunch and adds lots of flavor!
The Best of All Apple Desserts
Is it a crisp, a crumble, a brown Betty, a cobbler? There are many names given to these baked fruit desserts and their differences are quite subtle. A crisp is usually topped with a buttery, sweet oat topping that sometimes includes nuts like pecans or walnuts.
The most similar to a tasty crisp is a crumble, although sometimes the streusel topping in a crumble doesn’t have any oats or nuts.
Whether you call it a cobbler or crumble, this simple apple crisp recipe is absolutely delicious, especially topped with vanilla ice cream! Check out our easy Peach Crisp recipe.
Simple Apple Crisp Ingredients
For the Fruit Crisp
- Apples
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar
- All purpose flour
- Milk and buttermilk
- Baking Powder, salt
- Ground cinnamon, vanilla extract
For the Streusel Topping
- Regular oats
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar
- All purpose flour
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
How To Make This Easy Apple Dessert
- Make The Crumbly Oat Topping: Start by making the crumb topping. In a food processor, place the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Give it a few pulses to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter resembles small peas. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the oats.
- While preheating the oven, melt the butter in a 9×13 baking dish.
- Bake The Apples: Toss the apples with brown sugar until the apples are well coated. Place the apple mixture in the baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Make The Batter: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the milk, buttermilk, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. When the apples are ready, remove the baking dish from the oven and pour the batter over the apples.
- Add Oat Topping and Bake: Sprinkle the batter with the streusel oat topping and bake.
- Serve: Serve warm or at room temperature topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
What Kind of Apples Should You Use For Apple Crisp?
The best apples for apple crisp are sturdy and crisp apples that can hold their shape when baked. Granny Smith apples are slightly tart and firm so they don’t turn mushy in the oven. Honeycrisp, braeburn and galas are also good for baking.
Of course, any type of apple can be used and I usually use what I have available at home. Feel free to use a combination of apples also. This gives the baked dessert some different textures.
That is up to you! Peeled or unpeeled apples can be used. I don’t mind the skin when eating fresh apples, but I must admit that when baking, I usually prefer peeled apples.
Homemade apple crisp can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Individual servings of apple crumble can be reheated in the microwave until warm through.
What’s the Difference between Apple Crisp, Apple Crumble, and Apple Blossoms Dessert?
Both apple crisp and apple crumble are similar desserts. They both are made with apples topped with a streusel mixture. While these apple desserts bake, the sweet apple juices seep through the topping creating the most delicious combination of flavors. The crisp streusel mixture always contains oats while the crumble does not.
Why Is My Apple Crisp Watery?
To prevent a watery apple crisp, it is important to follow a two-step baking process. A crisp gets watery when raw fruit gets topped with a batter or streusel then baked. While the topping gets fully cooked and golden, the fruit doesn’t have enough time to soften. To prevent a watery crisp, the apples should be cooked first before adding the topping. In this recipe, the apples are tossed with sugar and are baked for 15 minutes, then the topping is added and the crisp bakes until golden brown. The extra step gives the apples enough time to caramelize and become tender guaranteeing a perfect crisp!
Should You Cover Apple Crisp When Baking?
No, you don’t need to cover a crisp while it bakes. The only time I cover my crisp is when the top is browning too quickly. Tenting a piece of foil on top will prevent the crumbly topping from burning.
Why Is My Apple Crisp Not Crispy?
There is nothing quite like a piping hot apple crisp right from the oven. The tender and juicy spiced apples are caramelized to perfection and the oat topping is crispy and golden brown. That’s the ultimate apple dessert (well, one that is easier than apple pie). But what if your apple crisp is not so crispy? If your apple crisp is not crispy, the problem is usually the topping ingredients’ ratio. For the perfect texture and crunch, you need to use enough butter when making the topping. Butter is a very important component when you are trying to get a crunchy, golden brown crisp topping.
How Do You Thicken Apple Crisp?
This apple crisp recipe uses flour to thicken the delicious spiced apple pie topping. It’s important that you allow the full baking time specified in the recipe so the apples have enough time to soften and release their juices which will thicken as they cook. Some crisp recipes call for a combination of two thickening ingredients, flour as well as cornstarch.
What To Serve With Or On Top of Apple Crisp?
Warm, sweet and crunchy apple crisp and vanilla ice cream are a match made in heaven! The mixture of the warm apple crisp and frozen cold ice cream is so delicious, especially when the ice cream starts melting a little bit and encounters the wonderful caramelized apple filling. The different textures from the crunchy topping, the soft baked apples and the smooth and creamy vanilla ice cream are what dessert dreams are made of! Serve this apple crisp a la mode by adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Dulce de Leche ice cream also works well. Drizzle some caramel sauce on top for extra decadence.
Apple Crisp with Oat Topping Recipe Tips
- Cut the apples into 3/4 inch cubes. Cutting the apples evenly ensures overall tender apples.
- If you want to make this easy crisp recipe ahead of time, bake it and store it in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend storing the apple crisp unbaked as it tends to get soggy and watery in the fridge.
- Baked apple crisp freezes well for up to 3 months.
- This recipe for apple crisp can easily be made gluten free. Use a 1-to-1 gluten free flour replacement and gluten free oats.
Take A Look A These Other Fall Recipes:
- Apple Pancakes
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
- Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Chile Colorado
- White Chicken Chili
- Osso Bucco
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Apple Crisp Recipe with Oats
Ingredients
CRUMB TOPPING
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup uncooked regular oats
APPLE COBBLER
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3 pound apples peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups milk
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Prepare Crumb Topping:
- Place the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and give it a few pulses to mix.
- Add the butter and pulse 5 to 7 times or until the mixture resembles small peas.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the oats with a spoon until mixture is crumbly. Chill until ready to use.
Prepare the Cobbler:
- Melt the butter in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish while the oven preheats.
- Combine the apples and brown sugar, tossing to coat. Spoon into the baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until the apples begin to soften and release juices.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the milk, buttermilk, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- When the apples are ready, remove the baking dish from the oven and pour the batter over the apples. Sprinkle with crumb topping.
- Bake at 375°F for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Chef’s Tips
- This recipe for apple crisp can easily be made gluten free. Use a 1-to-1 gluten free flour replacement and gluten free oats.
Amanda says
So delicious. Perfect for the season.