This easy apple crisp is made the old fashioned way like Grandma used to make, and is perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce!
A true classic Fall dessert, this easy apple crisp recipe is reminiscent of generations past. Pop this apple crisp in the oven and wait for the delicious smell to waft through your house!
Do you have a classic Fall dessert that you just LOVE? I have several, but one of them is definitely this apple crisp recipe! Growing up, my Mom had two classic desserts that she made… one was her famous Carrot Cake, and the other was a mouthwatering apple crisp.
This isn’t her exact recipe, but it’s one that I’ve tweaked and been working on for a while, and I’ve finally gotten it just right! While I do love pumpkin, apple is actually my favorite Fall flavor. Mostly because of this crisp lol.
Some apple crisp recipes don’t use oats, which is totally fine if that’s your thing, but I LOVE the crispy oat topping, so I made sure to add a good amount of it.
What apples do I use for this easy apple crisp
Simply put, you can use any apples that you like! My personal favorite for this recipe is the golden delicious variety, but Granny Smith or Fuji are some other great varieties.
To peel, or not to peel
It’s 100% up to you! I’ve made this recipe both ways, and I like them both equally. Generally, when I make this easy apple crisp, I’m making it for my family, and my kids wouldn’t eat it with the skins on, so I peel them more often than not. I’m sure this goes without saying, but if you choose to leave the skins on, be sure to wash the apples thoroughly 🙂
That right there is my FAVORITE way to enjoy hot apple crisp… with a cold scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, and drizzled with my luscious browned butter salted caramel sauce! If you’ve never tried it that way… you totally need to!
Looking for other recipes that use that caramel sauce?
- Caramel Apple Pie Bars
- Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream
- Vanilla Chai Cheesecake Bars
- Butterfinger Toffee Cookies
I invite you all to join me in making my favorite Fall dessert… this easy apple crisp. Once you have it in the oven, you’ll LOVE the smell that fills your house!
Shop the recipe
- 8″ baking dish – I love the clean white look, plus it bakes beautifully!
- Vegetable peeler – You probably already have one, but in case you don’t, this one is my personal favorite!
- Pastry Cutter – I love that this is sturdy and the blades don’t bend nearly as easily as some other brands!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
Spiced apples
- 6 golden delicious apples peeled and chopped (other varieties can be used, can also be sliced)
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Crisp topping
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup old fashioned oats quick oats can be used, but it may have a slightly different texture
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter diced into small cubes
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter an 8×8 baking dish, or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Make spiced apples
- In a mixing bowl, add chopped apples, granulated sugar, 3/4 tsp of the cinnamon and lemon juice. Stir to combine, then transfer to prepared baking dish.
Make topping
- In a separate mixing bowl, add topping ingredients (brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, salt, and diced cold butter).
- Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the oat mixture, using a slight downward twisting motion, until mixture resembled pea-sized crumbs. Alternatively, you can use two forks or even your hands to cut butter into the mixture.
Bake
- Spread topping over apples in baking dish, and gently pat to even it out. Bake 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
Serve
- Serve warm and enjoy! We love to top ours with some vanilla bean ice cream, or whipped cream.
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Chef Tips
- The amount of chopped apples would be about 6-7 cups.
- Note that all ovens bake differently, so yours may take a little less or a little more time to bake.
- I don’t have an issue with my crisp being watery (due to the water content in the apples), but if a little juice at the bottom is something you want to avoid, you can try adding a little all purpose flour to the apple mixture.
Make-Ahead Directions:
- Bake as directed. After the crisp cools, cover and refrigerate until the next day. When you’re ready to reheat, set it out at room temp for 20 minutes or so, then bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until hot throughout.
- I haven’t tested assembling this ahead of time (although I’m pretty sure other readers have done this successfully – you’d have to check the other comments).
- I haven’t tested freezing this recipe, although many other readers have frozen it successfully.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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Cheyenne Aus says
Can this be frozen after it is cooked.
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested freezing this myself, but a few other readers have frozen the baked crisp and had good results.
Andrea says
I am a horrible baker but this is once of my favorite desserts. Other recipes often end up more of an apple mush but this recipe was so easy to follow and turned out perfectly!! Soooo good!!
Diane says
Andrea, the mush is because you’d used the wrong kind of apples. Google “baking apples” and see what names you recognize from seeing them in the grocery store. Normally I would just tell you which ones work but some apple varieties are only available regionally, so google is your best bet.
Lee says
I am going to use chopped rhubarb mixed in with the apples as I love rhubarb..I have done this for years and it is my family’s favorite..
jwt says
4/2/2020 – We used “Pink Lady” apples, available at Walmart!! THIS WAS THE VERY BEST APPLE CRISP I’VE EVER EATEN!! NO JOKE !! Followed the Recipe as written, except used “Pink Lady” apples. We have made it three times & it turns out the same every time!! FAMILY LOVES IT!!! jwt
Beth says
Tasted amazing. Husband loved it.
Sandra says
Made this tonight with some honeycrisp apples and it was easy and delicious. Thank you for this recipe.
Sanae says
Will quick oats work instead of old fashioned oats?
The Chunky Chef says
Sure will! The topping might have slightly less texture, but will still be yummy.
Tabatha says
Hi there! When you double it – do you just use a 9×13 and then what would the cooking time need to be extended to? Thanks so much, can’t wait to try it!!!
The Chunky Chef says
Yep, I use a 9×13 and would check it around the 50 minute mark… may need a few minutes more, depending on your altitude and oven 🙂
maggie says
can i use nutmeg in place of cinnamon?
The Chunky Chef says
I think that much nutmeg would be pretty overpowering.
Jeannette says
I’m really wanting to make this but I’m all out of flour & so are the stores in my area. Can I substitute All Purpose Baking Mix for the flour??
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested it, but I think that would work alright… it might puff up a bit due to the baking powder that’s probably in the mix, but should still taste good.
Georgia says
YUMMY Recipe!!! I made the OLD FASHIONED EASY APPLE CRISP last night and it was a hit! I’m happy I doubled the recipe because my family can’t keep their hands off it. I used Honey Crisp apples and followed the recipe and it was perfect. I only wish I had some ice cream on hand. 🙂
Becky says
Made this tonight for the first time. Only one word I can use to describe this dish. AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much for sharing.
Margy says
Delicious… we made with left over honey crisp apples.. the topping is ridiculously good – glad we made a little extra! mmmm
Lindsey says
Awesome, easy recipe! I’ve made it twice this month with apples that didn’t get eaten. First with Granny Smith, second time I used pink lady’s. I didn’t add salt and it still turned out great. Thanks for this recipe!
Ashley says
Y’all………. this was DELICIOUS! Honestly one of the best apple desserts I’ve ever had, and I made it myself! Not only is the final dish super tasty, but the recipe was simple and easy to “make your own”. I follow a vegan diet, so I just subbed my vegan butter for the dairy butter and I also subbed granny smith apples – because those were what I had at home (plus I thought the tartness would compliment the sweetness of the sugar well). I also only had 3 apples, so I just used half of everything and it worked out perfect!
Easily a 5/5 dish and I can’t wait to check out other recipes! : )
Lilli says
Made tonight with gala apples and it turned out amazing!
Monae says
Wonderful recipe! Cutting up the butter into cubes made a world of difference to me as cutting in a whole stick was painful for my hands. This made it much more manageable. Also, the first part of the mixture that coats the apple squares, made them much more flavorful. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
caryl says
I used to cut in the butter till I saw it done with melted butter. It still turns out great.
Becca says
Made this tonight because we had leftover granny smith apples…OMG so good..can’t wait to get some soy ice cream to go on top! Thank you for the recipe!
Laura says
This apple crisp was amazing!!! my friends went crazy over it! I used honeycrisp apples and added caramel on the top!! Delicious!!! five stars!!!
Gregory Grant says
I followed the recipe and when it was done the sun came out
chandigarh love says
It’s Really nice amazing.
Pamela Upham says
Love this recipe, my family loves it too. I make it year round.