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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Paige N. says
I made this tonight and it was a hit!! My husband said to be sure and save this recipe!! It came together so easily and I served it with vanilla ice cream. Definitely a winner!
NAN says
Just made this for my family and we love it! Was curious though on how you would store it? (with the applies I had we had to use a 9×13)!
The Chunky Chef says
I’m so happy you loved it! I would refrigerate it, covered.
Jacqueline Sallade says
A great recipe, but I do the apples the night before mix with cinnamon and sugar. They are like a syrup and moist. Then I just layer them in the baking dish!
Debbie says
Absolutely delicious! I used cameo apples and half the sugar. Awesome.
Joan says
The best apple crisp I’ve ever made or eaten. Not too sweet and very crisp topping! I used Granny Smith apples. After mixing the topping, I spread on a sheet pan and put in the freezer, while I made the apple filling.
Sellyna says
Love this recipe. So easy and delish!
Janine says
My 2 daughters, grandkids and I have made this our go to recipe. Always good, and a little ice cream on top never hurts.
Barbara says
Sounds easy enough for me to try.
Do you have your caramel recipe on your site?
I am headed to kitchen now to try this Apple Crisp. It sounds really good and easy too.
The Chunky Chef says
I have two caramel recipes, a browned butter caramel (https://www.thechunkychef.com/browned-butter-salted-caramel-sauce/), and a regular salted caramel (https://www.thechunkychef.com/salted-caramel-sauce-wet-method/). Hope you enjoy!
Mandy says
I only have self-rising flour on hand. Can I use it for this?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe using self rising flour, so I can’t say for certain how well that would work. I feel like the topping would have a “fluffier” texture. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Tina says
Amazing and super simple to make with my kids!
Kay says
Can you prepare this the morning of and then refrigerate until the evening?
The Chunky Chef says
While I haven’t tested that specifically, and the apples may turn a bit brown, it should work and taste just fine.
LindaS says
Just like my great aunt Sera would make. Brings back wonderful memories. Food has a way of doing that.
Kate Manos says
Very nice flavor in the filling and topping. I noticed there isn’t any flour or cornstarch added to the filling. My filling came out very watery. Should I add flour next time?
Also, I baked it for the full amount of time called for in the recipe. I think next time I’ll shorten baking time by 5-7 minutes.
I love the recipe and will definitely make it again. Since I’m new at baking, I want to make sure I do it right. 😋
The Chunky Chef says
Unfortunately, all apples (even those of the same variety) will have different amounts of moisture inside, which comes out during the baking process. You can certainly stir a little flour into the apple mixture if you’d like 🙂
Jeannie says
Fantastic dessert! Thank you!
Can you freeze the dessert before baking? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you enjoyed it! I’ve not frozen this recipe myself, but I know many other readers have done so successfully.
Leah Cheverie says
Wonderful recipe worked out great for me made it for a family gathering and not a drop was left – even the kids loved it – I used 10 apples and adjusted the other ingredients- thank you so much!
Becka says
This is the best apple crisp recipe. I doubled it. I used Granny Smith apples. That with all the perfect ingredients yum
pawsabl says
So good, I’m headed into the kitchen to get some more.
Bonnie says
This was so delicious. I used sliced Granny Smith apples. Not too sweet as some other recipes I have tried. This is my new favorite!
Nina says
Hi, I made this before and loved it. I want to make it in an 13×9 pan as I am having more guests than before. Do I double the recipe? Also, will the cooking time stay the same? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, you would double the recipe. The cooking time may be a little longer, but I would check the apples for doneness around the cooking time listed and see.
Andrea Wellman says
It was great! I used a 9×13 pan and 1.5 the recipe and it was great… even a little too much crumble at that ratio, because it was falling over my pan, but with less thick apples (the pan isn’t as deep as my 8×8) the ratio was perfect!
Not a baker, so wondering if I can use 8×8 Aluminum cake pans or does it have to be glass?
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! I haven’t specifically tested this recipe in foil baking pans, but it should work out just fine 🙂
marsha says
Easy and delicious. Thank you!