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.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
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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Connie Merb says
The very best!! 🍎🍏
Lori C. says
Amanda — you are WONDERFUL! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe. It is just like I remember my mom’s apple crisp recipe; Every fall, after apple picking with my kids, we’d all baked this together! Just remembering brings on the waterworks!! Kids grew up, moved out, we moved to a condo and I lost that old dog-eared recipe that was taped to the inside of the cabinet. Well, my mom passed on back in April and I can’t call her up to say “hey mom, I need that recipe!” So I am grateful for YOU.. and wishing you much happiness and many blessings to you and yours! …PS: Web Marketing 101 in the Year 2020 — and the GO TO RECIPE BUTTON IS RIGHT THERE DUDE.. yeah, some peeps gotta getta clue LOL 🙂 Thank you again!!
Jennifer S says
This was so amazing I have made it 3 times already this week!
Sarah says
This is delicious! I made it with gluten-free flour and oats. Served it with the browned butter caramel sauce – a must! This will be our go-to recipe from now on. Thank you!
Judy Ko says
Made it today….it’s yum and so easy!!! Thanks for a great recipe.
David J McIntosh says
I don’t even see a recipe, I just see a long essay and a few pictures of apples designed to trick the Google algorithm.
The Chunky Chef says
Funny that you mention Google’s algorithm… I’m sure you’re aware that they place a high value on user experience, which is why that “essay” includes helpful information about the recipe, and why I’ve conveniently placed a “go to recipe” button at the top of the page so you don’t have to read said “essay” if you don’t feel like it. Recipes are on EVERY recipe post I write, at the bottom in a recipe card 🙂
Shannon L Stutzman says
Hello Amanda,
Just wanted to put my two cents in and let you know that I found your recipe right away.
I’m not sure why he had a hard time finding it.
I made this tonight to go along with applewood smoked ribs and it was so delicious I didn’t even have any leftovers!
JIll says
Well said. This recipe looks awesome and with all the positive reviews I’ll be making this tomorrow, thanks.
JEN says
Boy did you miss out David. It is outstanding! Even without the recipe button placed at the top of the page for our convenience, I assure you it is worth scrolling for.
Jody says
I absolutely love this recipe! Made it twice this week! Thank you
Bethany Fitzgerald says
I have made this recipe several times and it has always been a big hit with the fam! Once again, the Chunky Chef has delivered an amazing recipe. Oh, and try it with her salted caramel sauce. That recipe is brilliant!!!!
Jody Vitas says
The absolute BEST apple crisp I have ever made! I’m making it for the 2nd time this week 🙂 and that never happens lol! Thank you
Ann Marie says
I made this recipe over the weekend and it was easy and delicious. I would recommend. My family enjoyed the crisp with ice cream.
Hailey says
This is an amazing recipe, and since I bought 20 pounds of apples I’ll be using it a ton! Everyone who has tried it loves it!
cathy says
Very good flavor. I didn’t use golden delicious apples because I sent my husband to get them and I don’t know what kind they were. lol. I think next time I might put more butter in it tho.
Mary Ann says
Since apples are different sizes and your recipe calls for 6 apples, how many cups would that be?
The Chunky Chef says
Approximately 6 1/2 – 7 1/2 cups 🙂
RIAZ says
Good recipe overall but one thing i want to ask can I use some mango juice instead of lemon juice. Will it have any bad effect on recipe taste or not ?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never tested using mango juice, but I think it would work well.
Rob says
The topping is phenomenal. I made with Honeycrisp apples.
Joan says
This is delicious! I made it with less sugar than called for it and it was great. Thank you for the awesome recipe!!
Renea says
Loved it! We used cortland mad jonagold apples. Absolutely delicious 😋
Amie Johnson says
Made this now a couple times and its amazing!I forgot to put the lemon juice in one time and no one noticed. I use tart apples so now I leave it out. Also i found if you melt the butter first instead its easier.
Kristina Akins says
Absolutely amazing and simple!!!!
Cathy says
Can I make this ahead of time and refrigerate it ? If so, would I need to adjust the temperature or cooking time?
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.
JoanZ. says
I did assemble the night before and store in the fridge unbaked. It may have taken a little longer in the oven, but it came out great.