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.
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.
- 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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Marti says
I’ve made this and doubled it several times. It’s s go to dessert in our house. It’s so easy to make, my 15 yr old son makes it! It’s so crispy, Mercer soggy at the bottom, and in the summer great with a scoop of ice cream. We’ve made many recipes from the Chunky Chef
Mary-Lynn Lamboo says
I have made and eaten a lot of apple crisps in my day! This recipe is by far the best I have ever made. Make 2 8″ x 8″ pans because one won’t last long!
Cal says
This my go-to recipe when I have a bunch of apples. Wonderful treat that everybody loves 🙂
Crystal Cooper says
I made this, and it turned out phenomenal
Steve says
Delicious and so easy.
Arlene says
Simply delicious!
Anna says
Very yum! I LOVE that this recipe spices the apples. I even put a smidge of nutmeg to the spiced apples. Thank you for sharing!! 🥰
Linda says
This is the best I’ve ever made! The topping actually came out crispy instead of soggy like recipes I’ve tried in the past. Everybody loved it, and I will definitely keep this recipe and make again! Thank you so much🙂
Meg says
Excellent recipe!
Aleta Welch says
Do I need to add water?
The Chunky Chef says
Nope, it’s not called for in the ingredient list, and there’s no need with this recipe 🙂
Lora says
Best apple crisp!!
Jimbob says
Good till the end
Sarah says
Omg! This was so good! I never leave reviews, but this one was necessary. This was delightful! We will be making this often.
Joelyn R Moody says
I’ve made as many as five of these at one time when I say five I mean double the 20 apples or servings. They are a big hit!
Susan Henderson says
Should leftovers be refrigerated if eaten next day?
The Chunky Chef says
I prefer to refrigerate any leftovers.
Grace says
This recipe worked soooooooooooo well thank you Amanda you are gorgeous stay warm BRRRRRR it’s cold. 🙂 🧑💻. Same
Donna R says
Everyone liked it. Perfect amount of sweetness. I was shy sufficient Apple by about a cup or so and added raspberries and blueberries. Very good!
Nancy says
Not enough cinnamon butter. It was really a poor recipe.
The Chunky Chef says
Obviously you’re entitled to your opinion and everyone has different tastes and preferences, but over 3,500 people enjoy this recipe. Also, I’m not sure what you mean by cinnamon butter, as that’s not called for in this recipe. Perhaps you meant not enough cinnamon OR butter? Either way, best of luck.
Tonya Tucker-Pryce says
Goodness… always gotta be one in the crowd…lol
However, I beg to differ worth this one …Amanda, you truly rocked this recipe!!! Thank you so much because this is the 1st in at least a dozen that I’ve tried to recreate what my heart gran used to create and none lived up to hers… until yours…literally perfect amount of cinnamon, perfect on the bitter… all the ingredients meld together into the most delicious apple crisp and yes, 3,500 perfect reviews…recipe speaks for itself…sorry there had to be a Karen. I truly thought that once I hit my thirties, there would just be a shift in the maturity scale ans things would be better but…43 and I’m finding there are a lot more haters than in high school…grrr…. I pray for them that they may find peace and joy in everyday blessings that we all sometimes take for granted. Don’t let anyone get you down…. your recipe is “up” as my Jamaican husband would say … “Up top settings, chef!” 😉
Karen Stocks says
I take offense to the reference to A KAREN, she is obviously a Nancy.
Excellent dessert !
Gal says
I have made this recipe and left in the fridge for a couple hours and baked, turns out perfect!
WV Honey Bee says
Delicious! Made just the way it was written.
Served hot with vanilla bean ice cream & toasted pecans cooked on top
Katie says
Soooo delicious! Everyone loved it and had seconds! I needed to double it and make it gluten free. I just doubled the ingredients, used 11 Fuji apples and put it all in a 9×13 Pyrex. I used a GF cup-for-cup flour. Per the recommendations in the comments, I reduced the brown sugar to about 3/4 cup (1.5cups since I doubled the recipe), and I added a 2 tablespoons of tapioca starch (4tbsp since I doubled the recipe) plus a tiny dash of vanilla to the apples. I made it the night before per the recipe’s make-ahead instructions and it turned out perfect. Thanks Amanda!
Dee James says
Excellent recipe! Just like the recipe I can’t find🤣🫶🏾!