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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Zoe says
Best apple crisp I’ve ever had, hands down.
LB says
super easy, super crispy…would love to find a gluten free version but what the heck, this was just wonderful. also very pleasing for my skinny partner!
Wendy Campbell says
This was perfect! Our new go to winter dessert.
Michele says
This recipe turned out perfect. My family loved it and it was easy to make. I did add about 1 cup of frozen cranberries. 🎄
Cherie says
Our families Christmas dessert…. Coming out of the oven now 😊🎄⛄️🎄
Rachel says
Crisps of all kinds are always delicious! I would recommend that you skip the white sugar. There’s no need for it & just over sweetens. I love to add cherries or blueberries into the apples for a special fruity touch.
This recipe is great…. I just suggest less sugar.
Jen says
I don’t have a big sweet tooth, and I was eating this with my toddler, so I halved the sugar. It turned out great.
Janet says
Absolutely the best ever!!!
Amy says
Delicious recipe. I don’t process apples often so I had no sense of how long that would take me, and that time isn’t included in the recipe since it says to start with peeled, cored, chopped apples. So in case anyone else has a similar concern about time frame, washing, peeling, coring, and chopping 6 apples took me about 15 minutes. I’m sure it would take less time for someone who does this more often, obviously.
Noe says
I made this recipe for a family gathering and it was absolutely wonderful! Everyone loved it!
I want to make this again for a work event, but want to use my 9 x 13 crock pot the night before so it will be ready in the morning. Do you know how long I would need to bake/cook for?
The Chunky Chef says
So happy everyone loved it! I haven’t tested making this recipe in my crockpot, so I can’t say for certain how long that would take.
Helen Snair says
Such a hit with my family I made it 3 days in a row. The first day I used Macintosh apples and the second and third day I used Cortlands with no discern difference in taste👍
Allison Mandich says
Making this for a second time in a week. So easy and SOOOO GOOD. Everyone in the house loves it. Thank you!
Bethany says
Delicious, easy, and quick!
Steph says
This is so yummy! My hubby absolutely loves it!
Ciaran Winter says
Thank you this recipe,; it’s the most genuine and delicious apple crisp
Karen says
If I freeze this recipe uncooked does it loose any of its great taste or texture? If it’s not recommended to freeze uncooked does a cooked/frozen/thawed/reheated dessert still have that ‘just made’ quality about it? Planning to make this for Christmas and would like to make it ahead of time. 😊
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not frozen this recipe myself, but I know many other readers have done so successfully. You can also bake it ahead of time and reheat. 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 🙂
Francine Curtis says
If we are increasing to serve 10 people the recipe ingredients change but nothing else – what size of pan and how long should I bake it.
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, the recipe card automatically calculates the ingredients for you, but since the instructions are just text, they don’t change. I would use a 9×13 pan.
Diane Sudlow says
Made it with golden delicious apples and did not peel them. Did not use any special sauce on top. Absolutely amazing!!! So much better than any apple crisp I’ve ever had!
Carlos V says
I have to say… this recipe is just unique. I made it for the Christmas party at work. And everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing it. The flavor is wonderful
Bonnie says
Can I freeze this apple crisp
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not frozen this recipe myself, but I know many other readers have done so successfully.
Leanne says
Generally taste good but a lot of juices in bottom of pan…maybe add cornstarch or flour to the apples
The Chunky Chef says
You can certainly do that 🙂 The liquid amount will vary since all varieties of apples give off different amounts of liquid as they cook.
Sarah says
Can you prepare this ahead of time and refrigerate? Before or after baking?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, you can, and you can do either before or after 🙂