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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Diana Newman says
This recipe turned out delicious!
Barbra says
I made this for my dad. He’s 90 and apple crisp is his favorite dessert. Holy deliciousness perfection! Not only that, but it stored amazingly well. I put it in single serving size containers and froze them for him so he could just microwave it. I expected the topping to end up mushy, but it stayed completely perfect and crunchy, even the bits that were mixed in with the apples. Every time I talk to my dad he says, “Boy, is that apple crisp delicious!” Thank you Chef, for perfecting and sharing this recipe!
Kinsey says
So delicious. Everyone loved it!
Joselyn says
It’s frustrating when the ingredients for the apples aren’t separate from the topping. It takes twice as long and I keep having to think and re-think what I’ve added, how much and what for. This should be a very simple recipe. It isn’t. There are also no tips for the variety of apple, the adding of sugar and cinnamon to taste based on these apples.
Jess says
No the recipe is extremely easy to follow you just don’t have much sense that’s all.
Laura says
Can I make this in advance to a dinner ? 😊
Amanda says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Mariana says
Is there any substitute for lemon? Is it a must?
Amanda says
It’s not a must, but it does add a beautiful back note of flavor that cuts through all the sweetness overload.
Patricia Fitzgeral says
Amanda, delicious, thank you!!
I used Granny Smith apples and a tiny bit more lemon juice, served it slightly warm with slices of cheddar cheese on the side — like my grandma did with her tart apple pies back in the 70’s. Soooooooooo good!!! 😊.
HappyinEdmonton
Elle J. Stanley says
Hi Amanda lovely to meet you 🙂. I’ve been enjoying your recipes and adding a boost to my favorite recipes. Looking forward to trying as many as possible. Take care and stay safe 🥀
Amy R. says
Made this a few times already from apple tree in back yard green apples possibly Granny Smith but been using this for years this is very good recipe i tweeked it a bit and added mores sugar and a tad more lemon and teaspoon vanilla to apple mix and a smidge more dry stuff for topping since its so good little bit xtra butter too! I am a very seasoned cook /restaurant biz person so I really don’t measure this was great guideline and delish left in few more min to make crispier top!! Will keep this one in my secret stash of recipes for sure!! Super yummy!!!
Lori says
Can I make this ahead of time? And if so do you suggest baking part way and finishing or leaving raw and baking later?
Amanda says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain how the recipe would need to be adapted to make ahead of time. I know several readers have commented with how they’ve done it, so I know it’s possible 🙂
Betty says
Loved this recipe! So good and easy to make!
Tia says
I have been trying to find an apple crisp recipe that does not turn out runny and this is it! I love your Mac and cheese recipe and I’m so glad I found this one. Thank you!
Carol S Thomas says
Delicious! !
Wern says
I tried this recipe—it was really easy to follow and the apple crisp tasted delicious. Thanks so much!
Kat says
I found your recipe last week and have made it twice! Completely gone…sooo delicious and easy to make.
Linda says
I’ve tried lots of different apple crisp recipes and my family found yours to be the most delicious. I agree with the delicious part and I find it so easy . It’s always nice to throw a desert together with basic ingredients that is an assured crowd pleaser.
Enidza Segarra says
Amazing!!!
DESD says
This is hands down the best dessert I’ve ever made. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
Tessa says
This recipe is delicious! I’ve made it several times, and prefer to use granny smith apples (they keep their flavor better after cooking). I also highly recommend her browned salted butter caramel recipe to go with this. DELICIOUS!! Make sure you have some good vanilla ice cream to go with everything…
Patricia A Feno says
Made for some friends. Exact response to this crisp was “that crisp is a little taste of heaven. Could have eaten the whole pan in one sitting!”