Apple Crisp
Table of Contents
An easy Apple Crisp recipe with cinnamon apple filling and a crispy old-fashioned oats topping that actually stays crisp! It’s one of the best apple desserts!
Easy Apple Crisp with Oats
Classic Apple Crisp has always had my number. I think it’s one of the very best apple desserts, especially with a winning recipe like this where the topping actually stays crispy!
My husband’s a different story, however. We were married in September (we just celebrated our 20th anniversary this week!), so apple season was in high gear during our first month together. And I was excited to make him my favorite apple crisp, of course!
As I was peeling apples, I asked Blake if he liked apple crisp. It was small talk, really. Because who doesn’t like warm homemade apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, getting all melty and delicious?!
But his exact words were, “I’ve never been a fan.” Hmmmm…I wondered, who is this man I just married?!
The Best Apple Crisp Recipe
But there was no turning back, both in marriage and that particular pan of apple crisp. So I just kept peeling apples. I knew deep down that I could eat the whole thing by myself if that’s what it came down to.
Lucky for my waistline, that time never came. Because I had company at the apple crisp pan. He liked it! And it wasn’t just a polite newlywed reaction. If you know Blake at all, he says what he means, and means what he says. I knew his approval of my favorite apple crisp was for real.
What Kinds of Apples are Best for Apple Crisp?
I insist on toothsome bites of apple in this easy dessert.
For me, the best apples to use in this recipe are Haralsons, no contest. They’re firm and tart, and hold their shape when baked. I grew up with this late-fall variety on the farm; they’ve been a longtime favorite.
And when I can’t find Haralson apples, I turn to Granny Smith and Honeycrisp, which are normally available year-round. They both work great. To add a little more flavor and texture interest, I often use more than one apple variety when making this recipe.
Besides using the right apple, it’s also important to incorporate larger pieces of apple. Take a look at the photo above. Those slices are about 1/2″ thick. If you slice the apples super thin, you’ll end up with an “apple mush” under your topping once it’s baked. That’s a no-no in my book!
Do You Need to Peel the Apples?
I recommend peeling the apples. The skin doesn’t break down during baking, so peeling your apples is the best way to get that classic apple crisp texture. (But if you’re a super fan of leaving the skin on the apple, go ahead!)
The Oatmeal Topping Takes this Apple Crisp Over the Top!
Are you wondering what is so persuasive about this particular apple crisp? Blake will quickly tell you that it’s all about the super crispy topping.
This flavorful topping has an old fashioned kind of vibe, with oats and brown sugar and plenty of butter. And it’s heftier and crunchier than most, with a bit of baking powder to add a little bulk and lightened texture.
No flimsy topping here, I promise. It’s actually a crispy oats topping!
If you’ve been searching for the best apple crisp recipe, I challenge you to try this one. Use one of my preferred apple varieties, and cut them big and chunky. Then make and bake the topping, just as described in the recipe card.
And once the pan is out of the oven, let it sit for about 45 minutes or so on a cooling rack. While the crisp is still nicely warm, transfer a big spoonful of it to a bowl and top it with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. Then grab a spoon and see if you don’t enjoy it just as much as we do. I’m betting that you will!
Tips for Success
- When making the topping, be sure to cut the butter in evenly.
- Use apple varieties that hold their shape when baked. I list a few of my preferences in the recipe card.
- Incorporate more than one variety of apple for more flavor interest.
- Cut the apples into thick slices (about 1/2″ thick) for a more toothsome texture.
- Bake until the apple filling is bubbling and the topping is nicely browned.
- Serve warm and freshly baked for optimum flavor and texture. Ice cream is always a wonderful bonus too!
Can Apple Crisp Be Made Ahead?
While this old fashioned crisp is at its peak fresh from the oven, you can also make it ahead if you’re really in a pinch. I would caution against making it any more than 24 hours in advance, though.
After baking the crisp, store it on the countertop, uncovered. If you cover it, the crispy topping will get softer much faster.
When serving this to company, I always turn the oven on low – about 300° F – and heat the crisp back up again. If the topping has softened too much, I’ll also place the pan under the broiler just a bit to crisp it up. And then I serve it warm (with ice cream!).
After a day, keep the crisp in the fridge. To heat it up, just scoop out the amount of crisp you want to eat and pop it in the microwave to warm it up. For a crispier topping, place the apple crisp under the broiler in the oven for a bit. Then top it with ice cream and enjoy!
Like this apple dessert recipe? Save it to Pinterest!
And a few more apple desserts from my friends that I’d love to try!
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts from The Faux Martha
- Mini Apple Crumble Pies from Noble Pig
- Apple Coffee Cake from TidyMom
Apple Crisp
An easy apple crisp recipe with toothsome apple bites and a crispy old-fashioned buttery oats topping. My favorite apple crisp!
Ingredients
for the apple filling:
- 2 T. all-purpose flour
- 3 T. sugar
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 8 c. peeled apples, sliced 1/2" thick – I like Haralson apples, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp also work well
for the topping:
- 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 3/4 c. rolled oats (not quick cooking oats)
- 3/4 c. brown sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (do not melt)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- for the apple crisp filling: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg with the sliced apples. Place in a 9'' x 13'' pan.
- for the apple crisp topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the first five topping ingredients. Add butter and cut in with a fork or pastry cutter until you have large pea-size crumbs. Sprinkle over the apples.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the topping is nicely browned and some of the apple juices are bubbling through the topping.
This is best on the day it is made, especially when it is still a bit warm. The topping will be at its crispiest within the first four hours after being baked. Serve with scoops of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.
Notes
Adapted slightly from one of our family cookbooks, “Cooking Cousins, A Treasury of Recipes from Braun-German Tradition”, recipe from Marlene Le Clair Brandenburger.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 237Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 397mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 4gSugar: 26gProtein: 2g
Where this Recipe Came From
This recipe has been tweaked from one found in this giant family cookbook. This is where I’m from.
My dad was born of a long line of Braun-German descendants. And a good many of them live in close proximity, near my own family’s farm in South Dakota. To give you a little perspective of my own generation of this line, when our family celebrated my Great Grandpa Braun’s 90th birthday in 1985, he had 97 great-grandchildren. Isn’t that fantastic?! And mind boggling?!
One of my favorite photos, this is my dad with his mom and grandparents on the farm I grew up on.
This post was originally published in 2010. I updated photographs and text in September 2019. Below is the original text:
I just made this for Thanksgiving. I did not have unsalted butter, so i just cut back on the Kosher salt that I used. My stepson is has celiac disease, so i used gluten free flour and gluten free oats. I only had Paula Reds on hand, so I used those. Just fantastic!! We all loved it! Thank you for the recipe!
I thought this was really yummy and the apples tasted great! However the topping was wayyy to salty for my liking. It kinda threw off the taste of the apples but otherwise it was good.
Hi Brynne – I’m wondering if you used salted butter?? I specify unsalted butter in the recipe, and that does make a difference. Also – I specify kosher salt – if you used regular table salt, that would also make it more salty. I hope you give it another try and get the salt figured out! Thank you so much – enjoy!
This sounds like an amazing recipe!! My 14 and 16 year old sons like the topping best!! I prefer my apples slightly tender. Not crunchy!! But this recipe is definitely a must try!! Just got a bag of apples yesterday, I cheated and bought one of the white bags from the grocery store (I work too much to go to an orchard) but still can’t wait to make this all the same!! Thank you for sharing!
There’s nothing like a good apple crisp topping – I hope you like this!
That is one important information for me.
The filling was good, but the topping was salty. Is it really 1 1/2 tsp of salt?
Hi there! Do you use unsalted butter in this recipe?
Hi Natalie – I always use unsalted butter when baking. Thanks for the heads-up, I’ve updated the recipe. :)
This recipe looks so delicious! All your choices are wonderful. The only thing we like to do which is a little different is that we don’t peel one of the apples. This makes the pieces with peel on them stand up to the cooking process, keeping them a bit on the crunchy side. Very delicious!! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful family recipe!!
Hi Laura – thanks for the tip, I’ll give that a try! :)
This was so GOOD! Made a few substitutions though and worked with what I had in the house. Used almond flour and coconut sugar for both regular and the brown sugar ingredients and also added a little more cinnamon and it was DEEEEEEELICIOUS! Thank you!! There’s so much you can do to alter this recipe as well to accommodate tasty add-ins like nuts or cacao nibs…endless yumminess options! This is my new favorite apple crumble recipe for sure !
So glad to hear this! :)
okay so first time as single guy (63) cooking apple crisp. Really like this recipe. easy to read and follow, good hints. thanks for the measurements, even tho had to have explained T (big T) vs little t for measurement. Plus, after first batch no salted butter. There are 23 apple trees in my downtown anchorage alaska …. so went to neighbors and got permission to pick apples. There was mix of varieties. Some sweet, some tart, so each time is slighty different.. Apples small here, so lots of peeling listening to music. The crisp were a great and hit with folks at work and grandkids!
Thanks and Blessings for nice new experience and tasty treat.
Hi Tom – so glad to hear this recipe was a hit! I love how you mixed up the apple varieties. And my bad, I should have noted UNsalted butter. I’ve updated the recipe.
What Other apples could be used in this crisp? Thanks
Just use an apple that stays crisper when baked. Granny Smith would also be a good choice that’s always readily available.
I tried this tonight. It tasted delicious but was not at all crispy….more like a french apple pie. I followed the directions exactly….any suggestions?
I really don’t know what to tell you, Gabriela. I’ve made this recipe too many times to count and always have a crispy topping. Was your butter at room temperature (not melted), so you got pieces of crumble for the topping, at least the size of peas?
Ohh my this looks amazing!
This is now officially my “go-to” apple crisp recipe!
Yay! :)
Jonah hadn’t been to Hoversten’s Apple Orchard yet this year, so we decided to go last Friday when he arrived home from school…one last time before the end of the season… We played with the puppies and picked apples…Haralsons!!! We left with 20+ pounds. I made two batches of this apple crisp this week…one for home and one for work… Everyone loved it!
Yeah, and I love the picture too! I can remember it being taken!!!
Your little apple orchard is so dang quaint – wish we had one like that, without all the commercialization. Yay for Haralsons!! Glad your family enjoyed the apple crisp and that you shared with all your work friends!
That is THE best cookbook! I am jealous I was born a year too late! haha :)
This is my grandma’s recipe! I think it’s about time she made it again… Yum!
Hi Renae – well, having just met you this week, and now knowing it’s your grandma’s recipe…all I can say is, wow, this is fun!!
Adoring your blog… everything is wonderful!!
Thank you so much, Amanda!
Hi Paula! Please let me know how this compares to your MIL’s recipe. I would love to try the recipe you use, too! Yep, my Great Grandpa was something else. I am so blessed to have memories of him and my Great Grandma. His signature was Juicy Fruit gum. He was NEVER without a pack in his pocket, to share with everyone.
I love apple crisp and have only baked my MIL’s recipe. This is one I will definitely try. It looks wonderful and the crunchy topping is what is enticing me!
Your Great-Grampa certainly looks fit & healthy at 90 in the picture. WOW!
LOVE this post! Will be trying the apple crisp this week. Love the family photo too.
Oh yay!! Makes me wonder what apple varieties you have over there? And, yes, that last photo is a very special one. :-)
I can’t wait to try this. My favorite part of apple crisp is a crunchy topping–I just throw in apples for the fun of it. Thanks for sharing your story!
Hi Staci, I’m so glad us two SD girls got introduced today – thanks for stopping by!
Your Dad and I love this apple crisp too! When we left the farm four years ago we thought we were done with apple trees, but not so. We missed going out to pick a crisp, sweet apple right off the tree, so this spring we planted one in the back yard. Now for the waiting—!
Can’t wait to pick from your new tree, Mom & Dad!