When the first real apple-picking weekend rolls around, this is what I make with the overflow bag on my counter. Apple crisp is the easiest of all the fall fruit desserts: no crust to roll, no lattice to weave. You toss sliced apples with brown sugar, cinnamon and a little lemon, pile them into an 8×8 dish, and pack a buttery brown sugar oat crumble on top. Forty-some minutes later the kitchen smells like cinnamon and the filling is bubbling up around golden, crunchy clusters.
I’ve made this one a lot, and I fixed the things that used to bother me. The topping now has brown sugar and a pinch of salt, so it bakes up sweet and crisp instead of floury. There’s a spoonful of flour and some lemon juice in the apples, so the juices thicken into a glossy sauce instead of a puddle. And it bakes at 375°F until it really bubbles in the center, which is the sign the apples are tender. It serves 8, and it’s best warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Why You’ll Love It
- Simple pantry ingredients. Apples, oats, flour, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. That’s the whole list, plus lemon, vanilla and salt.
- A crisp that’s actually crisp. Cold butter and brown sugar make crunchy, golden oat clusters.
- No soupy filling. A little flour turns the apple juices into a thick, cinnamon-y sauce.
- Easy to make ahead. Mix the topping days in advance and keep it in the fridge.
- Cozy fall comfort. Warm apples, crunchy top, melting ice cream. Hard to beat.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Full amounts are in the recipe card below. Here’s what each ingredient does and the swaps that work.
For the apple filling
- Apples (6 cups, peeled and sliced): About 6 medium apples, or 2½ pounds whole. Slice them about ¼ inch thick. Use firm baking apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Pink Lady. A mix of tart and sweet is my favorite.
- Light brown sugar (⅓ cup, packed): Sweetens the apples and adds a light caramel flavor. Use ¼ cup if your apples are very sweet. Granulated sugar works too.
- All-purpose flour (1 tbsp): Thickens the juices. Cornstarch works the same way (use 2 teaspoons).
- Lemon juice (1 tbsp): Brightens the flavor and keeps the apples from tasting flat.
- Ground cinnamon (1 tsp), vanilla extract (1 tsp) and salt (¼ tsp): Warm and cozy without overpowering the apples. Add a pinch of nutmeg if you like.
For the oat crumble topping
- Old-fashioned rolled oats (1 cup): They give the topping its chewy, toasty crunch. Quick oats work but bake up finer and less clustered. Don’t use steel-cut.
- All-purpose flour (¾ cup): Binds the crumble into clusters. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour and certified gluten-free oats.
- Light brown sugar (¾ cup, packed): This is what makes the topping crisp and golden. Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor.
- Ground cinnamon (1 tsp) and salt (¼ tsp): Salt is what makes a buttery topping taste buttery. Use ⅛ teaspoon if you use salted butter.
- Cold unsalted butter (½ cup, 1 stick), cubed: Keep it cold until you use it. Cold butter makes clusters; melted butter makes a flatter, cookie-like top.
How to Make Apple Crisp
- Heat the oven. Preheat to 375°F (190°C) and grease an 8×8-inch baking dish (or another 2-quart dish). Set it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips.
- Make the filling. In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with the brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla and salt until evenly coated. Pour into the dish and spread level. It will be mounded, but the apples cook down.
- Make the topping. In another bowl, whisk the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and cut them in with a pastry cutter, a fork or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse, clumpy crumbs with pea-size bits of butter.
- Top the apples. Scatter the crumble evenly over the apples, squeezing some of it into clumps as you go.
- Bake. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and the juices bubble thickly in the center, not just at the edges. A knife should slide into the apples easily. If the top browns before the apples are tender, cover loosely with foil.
- Cool. Let it cool for at least 20 minutes so the juices thicken, then serve warm.
Tips for Success
Slice evenly
Apples sliced about ¼ inch thick cook at the same rate. Very thick wedges stay crunchy while thin ones turn to mush, so take an extra minute with the knife.
Wait for the bubbles in the middle
Bubbling edges come first. When the juices bubble thickly in the center too, the flour has done its job and the apples are tender. Pulling it too early is the main reason for a runny crisp.
Keep the butter cold
If your kitchen is warm, chill the finished topping for 10 minutes before you sprinkle it on. The cold butter pieces melt in the oven and leave behind crisp, craggy clusters.
Storage and Make-Ahead
- Room temperature: Cover and keep at room temperature for up to 1 day.
- Fridge: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the baked, cooled crisp for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Make ahead: Mix the topping and refrigerate it in a zip-top bag for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Slice and toss the apples right before baking so they don’t brown.
- Reheating: Warm it uncovered at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes to re-crisp the top, or microwave a portion for 30 to 45 seconds.
Variations
- Apple cranberry: Swap 1 cup of the apples for fresh or frozen cranberries and add 1 extra tablespoon of brown sugar to the filling.
- Pecan crumble: Add ½ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping.
- Caramel apple: Drizzle ¼ cup of caramel sauce over the warm crisp before serving.
- Apple pear: Use half apples and half firm, ripe pears.
- Bigger batch: Double everything and bake in a 9×13 dish for 45 to 55 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best apples for apple crisp?
Firm apples that hold their shape: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Jonagold or Golden Delicious. Softer apples like McIntosh break down into applesauce, which some people love. Mixing two kinds gives the best flavor.
Do I have to peel the apples?
No. Unpeeled apples are fine and add a little color, but the peels stay slightly chewy. I peel them for a softer, more classic texture.
What’s the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble?
In the US, a crisp usually has oats in the topping and a crumble usually doesn’t, so a crumble is more like a streusel. The filling is the same.
Why is my apple crisp runny?
It probably came out before the center bubbled, or the filling had no thickener. Bake until the juices bubble thickly in the middle and let it cool 20 minutes. The juices keep thickening as it cools.
Why isn’t my topping crispy?
The butter was too soft, or there wasn’t enough sugar in the topping. Use cold butter, keep the brown sugar in the crumble and bake until it’s deep golden.
Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease an 8×8-inch (2-quart) baking dish and set it on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Toss the apples with the brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Spread in the dish.
- Whisk the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cut in the cold butter until coarse, clumpy crumbs form.
- Scatter the topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake 40–45 minutes, until deep golden and the juices bubble thickly in the center. Tent with foil if the top browns too fast.
- Cool at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
Save this recipe: Pin this apple crisp to your fall dessert board so it’s ready for your next apple-picking haul.
