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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Jennifer Thomson says
So easy!
Ron says
Good
Marvette Perry says
I would like to make this ahead of Thanksgiving. Do you recommend baking the cobbler allowing it to cool and then freezing?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not frozen this recipe myself, but I know many other readers have done what you’re describing successfully.
ElizabZikmaniseth says
How many servings will I get from the apple crisp recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve estimated 6-8, but it will all depend on how big you want to make the servings 🙂
Laurie says
Simple to make and delicious! I made with fresh apples from my mom’s tree and googled how to freeze it as I dis not want to eat it that day. It froze well and tasted so good my mom asked me for the recipe when I made it tonight. Just the right amount of oat topping that doesn’t taste too floury and just cinnamon as spice is nice because nutmeg and other spices can over power. I had this froZen for about a month, baked it at 350 covered with foil then removes the foil and baked another 40 mins or so until bubbly. Served with vanilla ice cream. Excellent!! Will be my go to recipe.
Gail R Connolly says
Can you make this ahead of time and heat it up? Or at least have it all assembled in the morning and pop it in the oven while we are eating our main course?
The Chunky Chef says
You can do either one 🙂 To bake completely ahead of time, I would cover it after it cools and refrigerate until tomorrow. 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. To assemble ahead, assemble, cover, refrigerate, then bake as directed, adding a little time since the baking dish will be cold.
Karen Brooking says
Excellent recipe for apple crisp and I have made lots ! Got this one from my cousin and love it
Heather says
It didn’t taste bad but also didn’t taste very much like apple crisp. Would probably make a good oatmeal breakfast.
Dree says
This wasn’t the delicious recipe where the topping is buttery and crumbly. I think there was too much cinnamon as well in this one. I’ll have to keep searching 😭
Lorilee says
Did add two Tbsp butter in pan and sides so sauce carmelized around apples. Also pinch number and clove w apples too. The topping I used almond flour so gluten free and added pecans and very few micro small peanuts in topping too! Best dessert! Doubles well in 9×13 – used 5 honeycrisp chunky size and small cut granny’s 3
Jeanette says
OMG! This was excellent! The first time I make a recipeI always follow the recipe exactly and then decide what changes to make – I won’t be making any changes. Thank you for a great dessert!
Daniel Verner says
Perfect recipe. Simple and delicious crumble topping
Brenda says
I made this was very good. I like it uses less sugar in the apple mixture compared to other recipes. I did use some pumpkin spice additionally!
Question… what is the reasoning of dicing the butter vs melting it and costing the topping that way? I was concerned the butter would not distribute it as well this way… seems to be fine but was curious the reasoning behind it this way? Thank you!
Brenda says
Oops coating not costing
The Chunky Chef says
Cutting in the butter is very common in baking recipes where you want something to be crisp. The butter releases steam as it cooks, which puffs up the crisp topping and gives it that classic texture. Using melted butter will technically work, but will likely have a softer and denser topping.
Brenda says
Thank you! I did a test on that before I got this reply! Sooo true it is much softer. I like cutting it in better!! Thanks for the reply!!
Erin says
Very good and easy!!
Nancy says
We’ll done Chunky Chef!
Nancy says
OMG! I’m over 60yrs old and this is the best apple crisp I’ve ever had. I did however add 1/2 tsp allspice and almost a tbsp of flour to the apples. I used 6 Fuji apples and they were so juicy that it needed some flour to thicken up the apples= PERFECT
Cat Smth says
The best my friend and I made this we couldn’t even let it cool down nummmmmmy
Grace says
The Apple crisp recipe is great. Only I wish we do not need so much butter.
Dani says
This recipe is a hit! The only thing I’ve done differently is use two packets of maple and brown sugar oatmeal (ran out of regular oatmeal). It was sooooo tasty.
Cat Smth says
That’s what I usually used was maple and brown sugar instant oat’s a 5 star as well as well. I would layer it using these oats
Penny says
Just tried this recipe and it is absolutely delicious! I will use this one again!