Ultimate Apple Crisp is a fall favorite full of sliced apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and crispy baked oats.
We have a passion for apple crisp in this house, and in our kitchen this week we’re cooking up Apple Crisp Crumb Cake, Apple Crisp Cookies, and my Legendary Apple Crisp Pie!
Ultimate Apple Crisp
Ultimate Apple Crisp is a MUST in our house when this time of the year rolls around. My favorite part is that it tastes a lot like apple pie, with less than half of the work!
Plus the topping. The topping is the best part of any dessert because it’s crispy, buttery, full of brown sugar and it has (in our house at least) a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over it making it this mix of hot and cold and buttery. Did I mention the apple and caramel-y goodness in the apple mixture? This dessert is heaven.
The apples cook down with the brown sugar and spices to make something really close to apple pie filling. And the soft texture of the apples are perfectly matched with the crispy crunch of the oat crumble topping. My kids LOVE having this dessert with vanilla ice cream on the holidays.
You can assemble this apple crisp recipe ahead of time or even freeze it so it’s ready when you are. You can also throw nuts into the crisp streusel topping, like pecan or almonds, to add even MORE crunchy texture.
HOW DO YOU MAKE APPLE CRISP TOPPING?
Apple crisp topping uses all-purpose flour, butter, and sugar as the base. From there, you can add ingredients like oats, nuts, seeds, or pieces of dried fruit for sweetness and crunch. Each apple crisp recipe does it a little bit differently. You want to cover the entire dessert, so make enough for the length of the baking dish.
Make sure you’re using rolled oats for this topping and not quick oats or oatmeal. You need the firmness of the rolled oats to stand up to the baking, the others will disappear into the topping when baked.
I also consider ice cream a topping, even if it’s not technically part of the apple crisp recipe, because it really completes the dessert.
WHAT KIND OF APPLES DO YOU USE FOR APPLE CRISP?
Fuji, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Braeburn or Granny Smith apples all great choices for this because they are all sweet / tart apples, and hold up really well in this crisp recipe. These are also great for baking other recipes, like Apple Slab Pie With Spiced Glaze.
Choose your favorite apple and it’ll likely work, just please don’t use apple filling from a can or store bought caramel sauce.
HOW TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED APPLE CRISP IN THE SLOW COOKER
Add apples to slow cooker and stir together with orange juice, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl mix together your all-purpose flour, sugar, and other topping ingredients, and add on top of apples.
Bake on high for a total time of 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. In the last half hour, open top slightly. This will help the top crisp up of the dessert.
Serve warm with ice cream.
CAN YOU MAKE APPLE CRISP IN ADVANCE?
Apple crisp is a great make ahead dessert because it can be assembled in a baking or casserole dish and stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before baking. You can also seal it tightly and freeze it, then defrost in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before baking.
HOW DO YOU STORE APPLE CRISP?
Cooked apple crisp should be cooled and tightly sealed either in a container or with plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator. It will keep about 2-3 days. You can also wrap the apple crisp tightly and freeze it. When you’re ready, defrost in the refrigerator.
TIPS FOR HOMEMADE APPLE CRISP
- Make sure you’re using rolled oats. They are less processed then quick cooking or instant oats, so you’ll get a crispier crust this way.
- Don’t skip the brown sugar. It adds some of those deep molasses notes to the apple crisp that make it really flavorful instead of just sweet.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can pulse the topping ingredients a few times in the food processor. Just make sure to not over-process, or the topping won’t turn out as crispy.
- Once you add your butter you want about pea-sized pieces.
- If you cut your apples ahead of time, add 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
- For the full dessert experience, top warm apple crisp with cold vanilla ice cream!
- If you want a fun topping that isn’t caramel sauce use apple cider that you cook down to a glaze. You’ll love it so much you’ll never use caramel sauce again.
Recipe
Ultimate Apple Crisp
- Yield: 9 servings
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Course: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
- Author: Sabrina
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Fuji or Granny Smith apples peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar , packed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
- 1/2 pound cold unsalted butter , diced
Instructions
Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-
In a large bowl add the apple slices, orange juice, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
-
To make the crisp topping, mash together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar, salt, oats and butter.
-
Add the apples to a 8x8 pan and add the crisp topping on top before baking for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 9 servings, Amount per serving: 396 calories, Calories: 396g, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 105mg, Potassium: 161mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 42g, Vitamin A: 10.5g, Vitamin C: 7.3g, Calcium: 3.7g, Iron: 7.2g
All images and text © for Dinner, then Dessert, Inc.
I always make apple crisp in the fall. It’s usually gone as soon as it comes out of the oven around here 😉
I don’t blame your boys, if someone made a crisp for me I would be waiting by the oven with a spoon!
One of my favorite desserts! And YES on doubling the crisp, it’s the best part!
Totally agree with you!
Looks so comforting, perfect for fall!
Thanks Florian!
The crisp is my favorite part of these types of recipes – so double the crisp is even better! Definitely making this recipe!
Hope you love it Brittany!
Wow! This looks amazing – I’d love to say you had me at the apple part – but double the crisp!! mMMM!
Yes! The double crisp is the best!
You had me at Double the Crisp! The crip is absolutely the best part and this recipe looks divine!
Thanks! It totally is!
Do you double entire crisp recipe including oats and butter etc??
I love that your recipe is much different than my oat free version. I love making apple crisp when I do not feel like making a pie!
Agreed! Although next week I am posting the ultimate apple crisp, haha. It is apple crisp PIE.
This is one of my favorite desserts and it looks SO good!
Thanks Marye!
More crisp, yes please! This would go great with my caramel apple granola recipe! I haven’t used my cast iron skillet in a while either….
That sounds amazing! I love granola!
I am totally with you on the double crisp! I love the idea of keeping the peels on the apples as well.
I’ve done it both ways and to be honest I like the taste better and I love the extra ten minutes of my life not spent peeling them where I get to watch more Bravo instead 😉
Anything with warm, cooked apples and a scoop of ice cream is a win in my book. It’s crazy how often I crave this combo, so this recipe would be perfect for me.
Yup, vanilla ice cream was made for apple crisp in my opinion!
WOW. This is my all time favorite dessert, and this looks amazing. Mine never looks like this though, I will be doing this over the weekend. YUM.
Awesome, I hope you love it!
OK double the crisp is right up my alley! You are totally speaking my language! I love anything crisp and so you know I am going to make this one!
Crisps are the best!
This looks delicious. I can almost smell it from here. I will definitely be trying this recipe.
Hope you love it Stacie!
This is exactly what I need to make with the apples in the fridge. It looks so yummy and is calling my name!
Thanks Lisa!
Ahhh this looks too good! I don’t think I could resist having some for breakfast either.
Hey apples are healthy right?
I love making apple desserts. I will have to try this apple crisp recipe. It looks so delicious and easy to make. I am sure my family will love it.
Hope they do!
I have a ton apples i need to do something with. This looks like a great recipe to try. I bet it smells amazing when it is baking.
It smelled so good I burnt my tongue because I didn’t wait for it to cool even ten seconds before taking a bite. Molten apples, lol.
once again! a super amazing dish. girl you should be on the food network.
Aww thanks Dawn 🙂
This is one of my favorite desserts. It’s delicious and so easy to do.
Mine too 🙂
I always fail at making apple crisp 🙁 I will have to see if this recipe works for me. I love eating it for breakfast!
I think the secret is always lots and lots of butter. I find with tons of butter the top always gets crispy!
Yum! This apple crisp looks amazing! Double the crisp, double the delish!
Thanks! The crisp really is delicious!
My topping didn’t get crispy…it stayed as a powder almost. Any idea why this happened? I’m pretty sure I followed the directions…is there a quick fix for this?
Did you mix it well with the butter? Look at the last picture before it goes in the oven, the topping should look sort of like clusters. I usually use a stand mixer or you can use your hands to sort of mash it together like you would a hamburger mix before forming patties. The topping shouldn’t be powdery even before going in the oven. We can definitely troubleshoot more if you would like, you can always email me at [email protected] 🙂
This apple crisp look mouthwatering. I love apple crisp they are one of my go-to desserts.
Thanks, Michelle!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’ll keep it and use it again with just a few minor changes. I made this today and as delishus as it is, it is a bit too sweet for even me. Next time I will cut back on the sugars. There is a lot of liquid in the dish so I will mix a quarter cup of flour with the apples and sugar and I’ll probably peel my apples next time too!
This is delicious. I add slightly more apples(peeled) and used gluten free flour blend but kept everything else the same. Made this for my family twice so far and it was gone within minutes both times. Now I’m making again for get together and I know it will be a hit! Thanks!
Yes it is a bit crisp heavy haha! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how it turned out!
What’s the best way to mix the crisp topping if I don’t have a stand mixer?
Hey sorry this got snagged in the spam filter Teresa! I’ve used my hands or hand mixers or in a pinch I have just pulsed it very quickly in a food processor for just a few seconds until the butter was combined but before the oats were pulverized.
This is the BEST Apple Crisp ever! I made this and it was gone so fast! My mom’s new favorite. Thank you for the amazing recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it!! This is one of my favorites too!
How many cups of apples would 2 pounds be?
Because apples vary is size so much, I would suggest about 6 cups of apples to equal 2 pounds. Hope this helps!
This is a family favorite!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
My family & I love desserts with apples this time of the year. Apple Crisp has always been my favorite Autumn dessert, and yours sounds super tasty & easy. I’m planning to make this with Fuji apples this coming weekend. I might cut down a tiny bit on the sugars, but I’m sure it will still be delicious!
I hope you enjoy it!
This was the best apple crisp I’ve ever made! Thanks for sharing! I did cut the recipe in half and it worked great!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
This is pretty awesome. It would have been better if I had old fashioned oats.
I looked under your nutrition information and the calories is left blank. How many calories in one serving would you say? TY!
About 221 calories 🙂
I’ve been making apple crisp for 30 years and this is simply a perfect recipe
Thanks Marsha!
The BEST apple crisp I have ever made ? Had guests over who weren’t fans of “cooked fruit” and they went back for seconds.
I love it!! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
Omg. This is the best apple crisp I have ever made/had! Love love love it’s so so good. My friends and family all love it Making for the second time in two weeks. Love serving it warm with a dallop of Vanilla ice cream and a bit of Carmel sauce. Decadent! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Nicole!
I don’t know if I missed it but what size pan do I use??
You’ll want to use an 8×8 pan for this recipe. I’ve edited the recipe card to add that. Thanks for letting me know it was missing. 🙂
We couldn’t have loved this more! Made it for a Friendsgiving and everyone was asking for the recipe. The double topping is key and it comes out super crispy and delicious. A must make, especially for the holidays.
Yay!! You know it’s a hit when everyone asks for the recipe.
Looks divine! Did I miss the size pan to bake this in?
You’ll want to use an 8×8 pan. Enjoy!!
Hi, is this recipe for a 8 or 9” pan or a 9×13”? I don’t seem to see where you say what size pan to use. Thanks!
Thanks for catching that. You should use an 8×8 pan for this recipe. 🙂
The best apple crisp I’ve had. So so good. Easy to make. Turns out perfect every time. Tonight I made it for our Thanksgiving feast tomorrow cause it’s so good! Thank you!
I’m so happy reading this! Happy Thanksgiving!
Help…I’m currently making this and have read through most of the “how to”, looking for the pan size. ? I used a 9×13 as it appeared to be a lot of everything, and buttered it.
I’ll let you know how it turns out. ?
So sorry about that. It should be in a 8×8 pan. I’ve edited the recipe card.
“Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.” Is that celsius or fahrenheit?
Fahrenheit 🙂
You mentioned cooking down some apple cider as a glaze, but don’t expand upon that… Is there any trick to it? Or other ingredients? Or do you just cook apple cider?
It’s pretty easy. Bring apple cider, sugar, butter and corn syrup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in a bit of vanilla. Enjoy!
I currently have this recipe baking in the oven. It looks and smells wonderful. I hope it tastes as good! I would just like to note one thing – there is absolutely, positively no possible way this recipe was going to fit in an 8×8 pan. No way. The apples alone filled 3/4 of the pan. I am using a 9×13 and that’s filled end to end and to the top.
Looks like a good recipe, but the popups and ads chased me away. I want recipes, not intrusions.
My apologies John, I actually run about half the ads of most food blogs which is the minimum I can run to actually pay my bills since I have done only one sponsored post this year. Since I don’t charge for any of my content it is the only way to keep this blog afloat. I apologize, I do actually try really hard to keep it to a minimum because I am really sensitive to ads too.
I absolutely Love your recipes and I thank you so much for Sharing! I am a 72yr. old Grandma that can still learn something new everyday.
That’s so sweet of you, Pat!
I’ve only ever made apple crisp with fresh apples, but I have a bunch that have started to go mealy. Would this be a good use for them since they get cooked anyway, or would the texture still be noticeable and ruin the dessert?
I think it might be noticeable. I’m not sure I would use them.
Did I miss something here? The recipe calls for 1-1/2 cup of flour, but only 3/4th cup of flour for the topping. Confused
The recipe states to make the crisp topping to mash together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar, salt, oats and butter. Maybe you saw the 3/4 for the sugar and brown sugar instead? Hope this helps clear up any confusion.