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
Spiced apples
- 6 golden delicious apples peeled and chopped (other varieties can be used, can also be sliced)
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Crisp topping
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup old fashioned oats quick oats can be used, but it may have a slightly different texture
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter diced into small cubes
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter an 8×8 baking dish, or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Make spiced apples
- 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.
Make topping
- 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.
Bake
- Spread topping over apples in baking dish, and gently pat to even it out. Bake 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
Serve
- Serve warm and enjoy! We love to top ours with some vanilla bean ice cream, or whipped cream.
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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.
- I don’t have an issue with my crisp being watery (due to the water content in the apples), but if a little juice at the bottom is something you want to avoid, you can try adding a little all purpose flour to the apple mixture.
Make-Ahead Directions:
- Bake as directed. After the crisp cools, cover and refrigerate until the next day. When you’re ready to reheat, set it out at room temp for 20 minutes or so, then bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until hot throughout.
- I haven’t tested assembling this ahead of time (although I’m pretty sure other readers have done this successfully – you’d have to check the other comments).
- I haven’t tested freezing this recipe, although many other readers have frozen it successfully.
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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Barbara says
I made this today, instead of using a pie plate, I used six deep dish ramekins. For single serves. That was because I had to take a couple to another home. Came out beautiful, delicious! Great job Amanda!
Cindy says
Delicious and super easy to make!
Susan Richards says
Delish recipe. Close to how I make mine, so yours is now mine too!
Linda Killian says
The Apple Crisp turned out wonderful.. now I’ve got to stay out of it before the baby shower 😀
Sandy says
My new favorite Apple Crisp recipe. I did use the quick oats and
backed the brown sugar down to 3/4 cup… more so because it’s easier to remember, but yeah, came out delicious and still very sweet and crunchy. 😋
Jennifer H says
My husband and I LOVED this recipe!! I added pecans to the topping before baking, and it turned out divine! Thank you for a gorgeously delicious recipe!
Janice Duncan says
Great recipe, but needs liquid. Too dry. I added apple juice to the apples after putting them in dish. Don’t cover apples, just halfway up. Makes it much more moist and bubbly. Tastes better too.
Susan Bouvette says
Very good needed a bit more butter a bit
Estella says
Thanks for recipe. I Made it and it turned out very good!
Cyndi Mathews says
Delicious and easy! I also added raisins and sooo good
MaryBob Straub says
LOVED this! I’d never chopped apples for a crisp before, and it made such a difference! I used Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples. Delish! Thanks.
Queen says
Thanks for the recipe. I had a can of cherry pie filling in hand so I used it instead. The ingredients for tossing with apples weren’t necessary. So, I doubled the topping recipe to give an extra crisp. I didn’t have ice cream so used whipped cream.
These were all ingredients I had on hand so, I was happy be able to make your recipe with a twist!!
Jamie says
Can I use quick oats for this recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
The texture might change slightly, but yes, you can use quick oats if that’s what you have available.
Wendy says
Was delicious but way too sweet! I would def make again and cut brown sugar to 1/3 cup. Apples provided sweetness!
Anna says
Totally agree, doesn’t need as much sugar as is called for. Otherwise, this recipe is always a hit!
john says
I made this at my lake camp in a wood fired dutch oven. Turned out marvelous.
carey says
OMG, that was the best apple crisp I have ever had!!! I put in a little vanilla, but other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you!!!
Rhonda says
Excellent recipe. Barely fit in my 9 x 13 pan though! 8 x 8 wouldn’t have done it.
Andee Hughes says
recipe is awesome
Gerry says
I freeze 3 or more bags of filling in 6 cup measurements .. when I want apple crisp, thaw while making the topping. Bake as per directions.
Craig says
Awesome Apple Crisp
Pamela Adams says
Can you add nutmeg or vanilla to the recipe this is my first time making apple crisp
The Chunky Chef says
Absolutely 🙂