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
- 6 golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped (other varieties can be used, can also be sliced)
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter an 8×8 baking dish, or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- Spread topping over apples in baking dish, and gently pat to even it out. Bake 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
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.
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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Debi says
The Apple crisp recipe is easy and a huge family favorite. My husband and sons request it often.
Phyllis says
Big hit. Everyone wanted the recipe. I substituted almond flour for most of the flour for gluten allergy person. I used pink lady apples. Will be my go to for apple crisp. Easy and delicious
kim says
This apple crisp was simple and delicious. I used frozen apples from last year and only 3/4cup brown sugar and also i used almond flour instead of regular flour…turned out super yummy and maybe a little better for you. i didnt even top it with any ice cream or anything…. still delicious!! will for sure use this recipe again and again!
Christina says
I made this dessert and it was absolutely delicious and simple. It was a kid favorite in my household. Thank you
Tina brown says
Is it okay to use quick oats don’t have any old fashioned
The Chunky Chef says
The texture might change slightly, but yes, you can use quick oats if that’s what you have available.
Claudia says
I stumbled upon this recipe a couple years ago when I had apples nobody was eating. I’ve made it quite a few times, especially when attempting to get my family to eat apples they don’t like. I follow the recipe as is and it’s always delicious!!!!! I guess the only thing that varies is the type of apples I use. Just took it out of the oven tonight so my house smells divine as I’m typing this
Michelle says
Love this recipe and simple to navigate web page!!!
Thank you
Camilleknowsbest says
Absolutely delish!!!❤️❤️❤️It’s now my only crisp recipe
Denise Huber says
My boyfriend and his uncle loved this delicious dessert. I made it a few months ago and am making it, again, today!
Chris says
Can frozen apples be ok to use for this recipe
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe using frozen apples, so I can’t say for certain if it’ll work (although I suspect that it would, just thaw them first). If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂