Apple Crisp with Oat Topping
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 8 medium apples, about 2½ pounds, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, pure
Oat Topping
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, 1 stick; 113 grams, cut into cubes, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
For Serving, Optional
- vanilla or dulce de leche ice cream
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make the apple filling: In a large bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla extract. Toss until the apples are evenly coated.
- Transfer to the pan: Spread the apple mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish.
- Make the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the cold cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or fork, work the butter into the flour mixture with a gentle downward twisting motion until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the oats: Stir in the rolled oats until evenly combined. I like to use my fingertips at this point to make sure the oats and buttery crumbs are well distributed.
- Assemble: Scatter the oat topping evenly over the apple filling.
- Bake: Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown, the fruit juices are bubbling and the apples are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. For a thicker, more settled filling, allow it to rest for about 15 minutes.
- Serve: Serve warm, at room temperature or cold, plain or with vanilla or dulce de leche ice cream.
Notes
Apples: Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Braeburn and Jazz are all good choices. I especially like combining a tart apple with a sweeter variety.
Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats give the topping the best texture. Quick oats can be used if necessary, but the topping will be finer and softer. Do not substitute steel-cut oats.
Butter: Although I prefer unsalted butter so I can control the seasoning, salted butter will work if that's what you have.
Make a Smaller Batch: Halve all of the ingredients and bake in an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch baking dish for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until the apples are tender and bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
Make Ahead: The filling and topping can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated separately. Assemble before baking. You can also refrigerate the assembled crisp overnight. Allow a few additional minutes of baking time when baking directly from the refrigerator.
Freezing Unbaked Apple Crisp: Assemble, cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed, allowing some additional baking time because the crisp will be cold.
Freezing Baked Apple Crisp: Cool completely and freeze tightly covered for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a 350ºF oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Tent loosely with aluminum foil if the topping begins to brown too much.
Nutrition
Calories: 382 kcal, Carbohydrates: 68 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 13 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Trans Fat: 0.5 g, Cholesterol: 31 mg, Sodium: 174 mg, Potassium: 287 mg, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 44 g, Vitamin A: 454 IU, Vitamin C: 9 mg, Calcium: 48 mg, Iron: 2 mg
