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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Kathy Burns says
Good recipe. Second time I made it I changed up the measurements: 1 c oats, 6 Tbsp butter, added nutmeg, no lemon juice. As for me and my house, we like crisp not crust.
Angie says
Made a few adjustments due to what I had on hand – used dark brown sugar instead of light, added nutmeg to the filling and the topping, used apple cider instead of lemon juice (no lemons) and used thinly sliced honeycrisp apples instead of golden delicious. My apples were pretty good sized as they came from a local orchard. I ended up using 6 like the recipe called for but needed to put them into a 9×13 (could have even gone larger too). Not sure how you’d fit that much topping into an 8×8 though lol!! It was more than enough to cover the larger dish I used. As for cooking time goes- at 350 I put it in for 46 mins and the apples still had a massive crunch to them. Another 8 mins lessened the crunch a little bit but not enough. Ended up needing to cover the pan with foil so the crisp topping didn’t burn and put it back in for another 11 minutes and FINALLY had cooked apples (total bake time 62 min). Not sure what I did wrong but in the end it came out great. So for anyone having issues with the apples, keep adding a few minutes and testing an apple until you’re happy with it!
Stephanie Moffat says
Made this recipe this evening. Simple recipe and easily the best apple crisp I’ve made.
Colette Kraeuter says
This was delish! We cut down on the sugar and but if the flour and added chopped pecans to the topping.
Laura Ayers says
Can i please use canned apples
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not made this using canned apples, so I can’t say for certain, but I think you could. The apple part will be a lot mushier though.
Jennie says
So easy to make and so delicious. Made the night before to take to my grandparents. When we were ready to eat, i reheat at 350°F for 15 minutes. Served it with ice cream and caramel… So yummy.
Kim says
Can I put this in store bought pie crust?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never tried it, but I know a couple other readers who turned this into a Dutch apple pie and had good results!
Kimi Evans says
I like mine a little more saucy more sugar mixed in with the apples might have worked on all the good start just adjust to the taste and preference
Anj says
Hi – once made, how long will this stay good in the fridge? I want to make this today, but I’m going out of town for a few days.
The Chunky Chef says
It should last a good 3-4 days, but the topping won’t be crisp when made that far in advance. For the best results, I’d wait to make it when you get back in town 🙂
Taylor says
I sometimes will freeze and rebake.
Veronica W says
Could I substitute quick oats for old fashioned?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, the topping may have a slightly different texture though.
GT says
Can you use quick oats?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, the topping may have a slightly different texture though.
Kelcey says
This was a HUGE hit with my family tonight!! Thank you! I served it with a few scoops of vanilla bean ice cream for an extra special treat 😊
Tina says
Tried this last night. We loved it! Thank you!
Sharon Macwhirter cooper says
Made it yesterday, my family LOVE it
Kimberly says
I made this tonight for dessert. I had granny Smith apples I needed to use. It was delicious!
Kimberly says
Hello,
I’ve seen where you melt the butter for the topping, can I do that or will it change the topping?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested it with this particular recipe, but I think that would work 🙂
Jennifer says
Could you use fresh peaches. I’ve made your apple crisp and it was the best ever. Now I’d like to try peaches. Thanks for sharing!
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested it, but I think it would work well! I also have a peach cobbler if you’re interested 🙂
Maureen says
Have tried many apple crisp recipes and loved this one! Will be my go-to going forward.
Mandy says
Can I make this ahead of time, and warm up to serve?
The Chunky Chef says
Absolutely! I would bake it the night before, cool completely, cover and refrigerate. Once you’re ready to bake, I’d reheat it at 350 F degrees for about 25-30 minutes, until warmed through.
Lois Meyers says
Love this recipe!! Substituted sugar for Swerve brown and white sugar and almond flour and gluten free oats!!!
Sooo delicious!!
sarah says
Did you do a one to one ratio for the substitutes?
Scott says
I spent some time trying to track down a recipe that was similar to my grandmother’s that was lost to mother nature. I remembered a few measurements and happened upon this recipe. The only differences is there was never any granulated sugar and she always grated a little nutmeg on it.
Doing those two changes and swapping the apples to Granny Smiths, if it isn’t the same recipe, it’s really close. Delicious, and not overly sweet. Perfect September dessert.
Veronica M. says
This recipe is delicious! I made it last year and loved it. Tried a different recipe; it just wasn’t the same. I found this recipe again a year after I first did it and fell in love all over again. The oats really do it. I pinned this recipe this time. One of my best desserts, thank you.