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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Linda says
I made this for a dinner party, needless to say there wasn’t any left. I will be making it again since my oldest son said he loves apple crisp with a healthy dip of ice cream.
Michelle Liotsakis says
This was excellent!I used our apples off of our tree that are not quite ready and instead of oats I used a packet of maple and brown sugar oatmeal and the combination was delicious! Easy recipe-Thank you 🙂
Andrea says
Easy and delicious, I always make a little extra topping
Susie Dill says
I had Fuji apples sitting in the back of fridge doing nothing for 2 weeks. I went through the lot and surprised that they were still crisp. Perfect for your recipe! This was one of the easiest ones I’ve followed. Great tips along the way. Taste is heavenly. Thanks for saving my apples and tantalizing our taste buds!!
Layne says
Thanks, Chunky Chef! You made me a baking hero to my husband (and I’m not known for my baking ability)! He loves the apple cobbler and it was so easy to make. Shhh! 🤫 Don’t let him know that. This will be a staple in our house from now on. 💕
Jennifer says
Thank you for such a delicious apple crisp recipe! We have made it several times and it always turns out great. I usually add an extra apple or two. 😉
elan holdorf says
perfect recipe. it was delicious and easy to make. used blue bell vanilla bean ice cream on top. made it with scraps from the kitchen. old applies that were going. in my toaster oven no less.
Lori Linville says
Awesome
Donna j says
This came out awesome. My husband loved it
Donna Lord says
This is my favorite recipe from my grandmother also. I put mine in the 8×10 glad dish, fills it perfectly. And for all recipes needing cold butter… Use your cheese grater to grate cold or frozen butter into your dry mix. It is SO EASY TO DO!!! You will wonder why no one ever mentioned it before. If you need an apple crisp recipe, I guarantee you will love this one 💕 💜❤️
Zahida says
What is the measurements if I want to make only 3 apples (small)
The Chunky Chef says
You can halve the recipe, which would be 3 apples.
Robbie R Warinner says
I have prepped but not yet tried this. It looks so close to what our lunch ladies made in the late 1960’s I’m very excited for it to bake. I didn’t think it would fit into an 8X8, but after a little shuffling it did. Yay!
Giselle says
Simply Delicious! My husband, who is not a fan of apples, loved this so much! Also, our 5-year-old and my mom! So easy and yummy, and with ingredients that I already had in the kitchen. I have already been asked to make it again!
Mart and Antrew says
I left out the lemon juice because I do not have any. Is there enough acid in the apples? Would LSD work as a sub? . .My kitchen is smelling so good I might pass out, and there’s the timer.
🙂
Donna Lord says
Lemon just keeps apples from turning brown, not a real big deal if you don’t have it.
Sherry Janes says
Excellent
Jeannie says
It was so delicious,everyone wants me to make it again today😋
Kathy says
Awesome recipe! The topping is the best I’ve ever had!
Gary says
Fantastic recipe! The best one of 6+ recipes I have tried! It’s a keeper!
ang says
Hi! How would you make this ahead? Sounds delicious warm with ice cream…
The Chunky Chef says
Warm with cold ice cream is the best way to enjoy it 🙂 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), but I’ve baked it ahead of time. After it cools, cover and refrigerate. 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.
Kathy says
I can my apple pie filling. The topping’s dry ingredients could easily be put together and kept in baggie or canning jars. Then you will only need to add butter when you are ready to make.
Mack says
Can I substitute peaches for the apples?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it, but in theory it should work well 🙂
greta says
I just tried peaches today and it worked great! Tasted totally amazing, just add a little flour.