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September 26, 2023

Apple Crisp Recipe (VIDEO)

Our easy Apple Crisp Recipe is a classic dessert loaded with freshly sliced apples and topped with a crunchy, crispy, buttery cinnamon oat topping.

It’s just as irresistible as our Apple Pie, but it’s so simple and quick to make. Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to see why it’s the best apple crisp recipe.

Plated apple crisp with apples, topping and vanilla ice cream

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Easy Apple Crisp Recipe

We love all things Autumn, which also means we love apple recipes. From Apple Fritter Rings, to Apple Turnovers, and Apple Cake, sweetened with crisp apple slices, we can’t get enough! If you love apple season as much as we do, this recipe is a must-try.

Every year we go apple picking in my parent’s yard. They have 4 apple trees that really produce so we like to get creative with those apples to capture the season. This recipe is on our regular rotation in Fall because it calls for a generous amount of apples. Here’s why it’s our go-to dessert:

Quick and easy to make, especially if you use an apple peeler
Family-approved – watch their eyes light up when you add vanilla ice cream.
Make-ahead – keeps well and reheats beautifully
Scales up or down to fit your gathering and perfect for the holidays

Apple Crisp Video Tutorial

Watch Natasha make this easy apple crisp recipe, and see her secret for peeling and slicing apples. It’s the perfect recipe for apple season, which is any time of the year in our home!

Apple Crisp Ingredients

Apple Crisp is all about the experience—the smell of Fall spices, the crunchy topping, and the warm, gooey filling. Here are the simple ingredients that make this incredible dessert:

Apples – we used golden delicious apples, but any crisp apple would work well (see list of options below)
Lemon juice – keeps the apples from browning and adds flavor and acid to balance out the sweetness
Sugar – adjust to taste depending on how tart your apples are
Flour – helps to thicken the filling. You can substitute with cornstarch for a gluten-free apple crisp.
Cinnamon – our favorite complimentary spice for apple recipes

Ingredients for pie filling including lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and flour

Apple Crisp Topping Ingredients

Flour – bonds the crumb together, feel free to use your favorite gluten-free flour
Oats – use old-fashioned oats to make the crisp topping, make sure to buy gluten-free, if needed
Sugar – we combine brown sugar and granulated sugar for a sweet caramel-like filling
Cinnamon – compliments the apple filling
Salt – balances the sweetness
Butter – use unsalted, softened butter.

Ingredients for streusel topping with oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon butter

Substitutions

This will become your go-to recipe, so try these variations.

Nuts – add chopped nuts to your streusel topping
Caramel Sauce drizzled over the top just before serving
Cranberries – substitute 1 1/2 cups of apples for fresh or dried cranberries and add more sugar if using fresh cranberries
Spices – add a pinch of cloves, nutmeg, or even candied ginger

Which Apples are Best for Apple Crisp?

Select firm and crisp apples so they won’t get mushy in the oven. Apples vary a ton in sweetness so adjust sugar accordingly. We used Golden Delicious here with 3/4 cup of sugar, but if you use Granny Smith Apples, increase the sugar to 1 cup or add it to taste.

You can use an assortment of apples. For instance, combine sweet and tart apples for a different flavor. Here are our favorite apples for baking:

Golden Delicious
Granny Smith
Fuji
Honeycrisp
Jonagold
Braeburn
Pink Lady

Red, green, and yellow apple varieties for apple crisp

How to Make Apple Crisp

Slice, mix, dump, bake—see how easy it is to make this classic recipe:

Prep – Butter a 9×13 casserole dish, preheat oven to 375˚F.
Cut Apples – peel, core, and slice apples into 1/4″- thick pieces (an apple peeler makes it easy), then transfer to a bowl, and toss with 2 Tbsp lemon juice.
Coat Apples – in a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon then sprinkle over apples and stir to coat. Transfer to buttered casserole dish.
Topping – In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Add diced softened butter and use your hands to stir in the butter until pea-sized crumbs form throughout. Then, spread the topping evenly over your apples.
Bake – place on the center rack in the oven and bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes until bubbling at the edges. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil until the apples are bubbling.

Step by step how to make and assemble an apple crisp

Pro Tip

If you want to keep your hands clean, you can mix the topping in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until pea-sized crumbs form. Be sure not to overmix, because you want the topping to be crumbly, not dough-like.

Easy Apple crisp in casserole dish with crisp topping

Common Questions

What is the difference between apple crisp, crumble, and cobbler?

We often use the terms interchangeably, and the ingredients are very similar, but technically speaking, an apple crisp has a crunchy oat-based topping, while an apple crumble has a sandier texture since it is flour-based. Apple Cobbler has a biscuit or cake-like topping.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yes, you can replace the flour in the apple filling with cornstarch and then replace the flour in the topping with 1 to 1 gluten-free flour or flour substitute.

What is the best way to peel apples for apple crisp?

Using an apple peeler is a major time saver. It will peel, core, and slice your apples in seconds.

Can I make apple crisp in the slow cooker?

Sure! Put the apple crisp filling in the slow cooker, and top with the streusel. Before closing the lid, place a paper towel on the slow cooker bowl first to catch any condensation. Cook until bubbly, on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-7 hours.

What kind of oats are best in apple crisp?

We use old-fashioned oats because they crisp up perfectly as the apples bake. Quick oats are cut into small pieces, so the topping will have a finer texture and not be as crunchy. Avoid steel-cut oats since they won’t cook in time.

How to Serve Apple Crisp

The best way to serve apple crisp is warm, topped with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. You can try topping it with caramel sauce, greek yogurt, or whipped cream as well.

Plate of apple crisp served with vanilla ice cream and spoon

There’s nothing like pulling an apple dessert out of the oven to draw everyone into the kitchen. Who can resist the sweet aroma of a baked Apple Crisp?

Make-Ahead

Room Temperature – store apple crisp covered on the counter for a day but refrigerate leftovers beyond that.
To Refrigerate – once apple crisp is at room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-5 days.
To Reheat – apple crisp is best served warm. You can reheat the chilled crisp in the microwave just until heated through or reheat in the oven at 350˚F for about 15 minutes.

More Autumn Desserts

These autumn dessert recipes always hit the spot when we’re craving those sweet, spicy, and comforting flavors of fall.

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.