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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Kellie says
This was my first time making this…..and I’m SO glad I did. Delicious! My family loved it. I used my favorite apples….honey crisp. This is a new staple in our home. Thank you!!
Vanessa says
Excellent apple crisp! Thanks for sharing.
Karen says
I love this recipe and use it often. I do zest the lemon and add it to the apple mixture and since I am a type 1 diabetic I reduce the brown sugar to 3/4c and it tastes great!
Geof says
What if i don’t like oats. Do i replace with flour?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never made this crisp without oats, but I think it would be okay to substitute with flour. Keep in mind this is untested, so I can’t speak for how well it’ll turn out.
Yvonne L says
Delicious yet simple
Karrie says
Love this recipe!! My whole family loves it too!!
Rosemary Kelly says
Can I make this wonderful recipe, freeze it and bake at time another time?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never frozen it myself, but I know many other readers have done so successfully 🙂
betty says
bake covered or uncovered
The Chunky Chef says
Uncovered 🙂
Lindsey says
That was so good. I switched out the flour for gluten free flour.
Kylie Solis says
So yummy!!!
I used gala apples.
Birgit Weisshuhn says
Delicious!! Simply perfect.
Lexi says
Thank you .. Thank you
My family and I are in love with this recipe
It’s the lightest one I’ve had so far
I ordered one during the summer at restaurant it was good but very filling
But yours I can eat The whole dish by myself .
Lauren says
This came out amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Suzanne says
Delicious!! Easy and oh so good!! My husband loved it!!
Connie says
Perfect!!!
Make it!
Mary says
I love this recipe! I’ve made it about 20 times and every time it comes out perfect! I have found that I have to cook it a little bit longer to get that crispy layer on top but as she said every oven is different
Tracey Capadouca says
So delicious and easy to make everyone loved it.
Peggy says
Great recipe! It was easy to make! I ran out of cinnamon, so I used pumpkin pie spice!
Magy Dimitry says
The family devoured the same night! Especially with vanilla ice cream!!
Mike says
Outstanding . Have tried mucho apple crisps, this one is my fav !!!!