This old fashioned Easy Apple Crisp Recipe is packed with delicious apples and amazing spices. The aroma of baking apple crisp on a cool autumn day is heavenly. We enjoy ours served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you want to take this dessert to the next level add a drizzle of our easy salted caramel sauce.
What are the best apples for baking and making this Easy Apple Crisp recipe?
With all the varieties this beautiful fruit has to offer, certain varieties stand up to baking better than others. For our Apple Crisp we used Honeycrisp apples. Other great choices are Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, or Jonagold.
- Honeycrisp – With a crisp texture these apples are guaranteed to hold up firmly during baking. Whether you are looking for a delicious apple to eat or for baking for an apple crisp, cobbler, or tart, this apple is the one!
- Golden Delicious – This beautiful apple has a sweet flavor and lovely yellow skin, it holds up well in the oven making it one of the great baking apples.
- Granny Smith – These apples keep their structure for baking and do not get mushy. They are a great “go-to” baking apple.
- Jonagold – This apple is both tart and sweet at the same time. They hold up well in the heat for baking. You should definitely give them a look for your next bake.
Granny Smith Apples Jonagold Apples
How to make an Apple Crisp from scratch:
Apple Crisp has two distinct steps prior to baking: the filling and the topping. Make the filling first and then make the topping.
Ingredients for filling:
- 8 Honeycrisp Apples, peeled, cored, and cubed
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Crisp Filling Ingredients Cubed Honeycrisp Apples Finished Filling
Ingredients for topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup old fashioned whole oats, lightly toasted
- 3/4 cups chopped pecans or walnuts, lightly toasted
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, grated or shaved
Toasting Oats Topping ready to bake Grated butter on topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Lightly butter a 10″ cast iron skillet or a 9″ x 13″ baking dish
- Peel and core apples and then cut into ¼” cubes. Set aside.
- Lightly toast oats and pecans in a dry pan and set aside to cool
- Make the filling:
- In a large bowl add the filling ingredients: Brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Blend well.
- Add cubed apples to the filling mix and blend gently until the mixture is coated.
- Spread apples and filling evenly into the prepared cast iron or baking dish, set aside.
- Make the topping:
- Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in ½ cup cold unsalted butter (retain ¼ cup for later) using a fork or pastry cutter.
- Blend until the mixture becomes super crumbly.
- Fold toasted oats and pecans into the topping mixture and mix lightly. Sprinkle evenly over apple mixture.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until topping is bubbling around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
- Using a cheese grater, shred the remaining ¼ cup cold unsalted butter evenly over the topping. Return to oven.
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes at 425°F. Remove from the oven.
- Let cool for about 15-20 minutes and serve warm.
Easy Apple Crisp Finished Crisp with ice cream
What is the difference between a Crisp, a Crumble, and a Cobbler?
There are a million versions of these delicious and amazing easy desserts. They all feature fresh fruit and have easy no fuss ingredients. They are perfect for any season.
- Crisp – A crisp is a baked fruit dessert topped with a crisp and crunchy layer. Ingredients normally include oats, nuts, butter, flour, and spices.
- Cobbler – A cobbler is a deep-dish baked fruit dessert with a light fluffy dropped biscuit or pie dough topping. Our Mixed Berry Cobbler is easy and delicious
- Crumbles – A crumble is very similar to a crisp. They both contain fresh fruit with a streusel like topping. The main difference is a crisp contains oats and a crumble does not.
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe Cobbler with Three Mixed Berries
Does Apple Crisp need to be refrigerated?
Apple Crisp is always best eaten the day it is freshly baked! Baked Apple Crisp will stay good for 2 days at room temperature. However, it’s best to refrigerate because cooked apples and oats can turn bad after sitting at room temperature for 2 days.
Cover your Apple Crisp with wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days after cooking. The topping can get soggy after refrigeration, however, when you warm it in the oven it will become crisp again.
Enjoy these additional easy desserts on our site:
- Mixed Berry Cobbler using 3 fruits
- Pear and Walnut Cake is a Fall favorite
- Cinnamon Baked Pears are an easy 5-ingredient dessert
- Love apples? Try our easy Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to this Apple Crisp and drizzle with our Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
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Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
FILLING
- 8 whole Honey Crisp Apples
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
TOPPING
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter
- 1 cup lightly toasted old fashioned whole oats
- ½ cup toasted chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Lightly butter a 10" cast iron skillet or a 9" x 13" baking dish
- Peel and core apples and then cut into ¼" cubes. Set aside.
- Lightly toast oats and pecans in a dry pan and set aside to cool
FILLING:
- Make the filling: In a large bowl add the filling ingredients: Brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Blend well.
- Add cubed apples to the filling mix and blend gently until mixture is coated.
- Spread apples and filling evenly into the prepared cast iron or baking dish, set aside.
TOPPING:
- Make the topping: Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in ½ cup cold unsalted butter (retain ¼ cup for later) using a fork or pastry cutter. Blend until the mixture becomes super crumbly.
- Fold toasted oats and pecans into the topping mixture and mix lightly. Sprinkle evenly over apple mixture.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until topping is bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
- Using a cheese grater, shred the remaining ¼ cup cold unsalted butter evenly over the topping. Return to oven.
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes at 425°F. Remove from the oven. Let cool for about 15-20 minutes and serve warm.
Jacqueline Meldrum
That looks just delicious! Pass me a spoon and I could tuck in right now.
Lili Bo
Oh my goodness, this looks phenomenal! I like that it can be made in my cast iron pan.
Andrea Metlika
I can just imagine how delicious this tastes and smells. Especially grateful for the simplicity of it.
Sara Welch
Gave this a try for dessert tonight and it did not disappoint! Such a great recipe and perfect for fall! Delicious!
Beth
This looks so delicious and yummy! I can’t wait to make this! My family and I love apple anything!