Description
This easy homemade apple crisp features tender, cinnamon-spiced apples topped with a buttery, golden oat crumble. Perfect for fall gatherings, Thanksgiving, or any time you’re craving a warm, comforting dessert. Serve with vanilla ice cream for the ultimate treat!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Apple Filling:
- 6–7 medium apples (about 3 pounds), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Crisp Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Set aside while you prepare the filling and topping.
- Prepare the apple filling. Peel, core, and slice the apples into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Toss everything together until the apples are evenly coated. The mixture will seem dry at first, but the apples will release juice as they bake.
- Transfer apples to baking dish. Pour the apple mixture into your prepared baking dish, spreading it out into an even layer. Use a spatula to distribute the apples uniformly so they cook evenly.
- Make the crisp topping. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir with a fork until well mixed. Add the cold butter cubes to the mixture.
- Cut in the butter. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. The mixture should clump together when squeezed but still be crumbly. Don’t overmix—you want distinct buttery pieces that will create crispy clusters.
- Add topping to apples. Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the apples, covering them completely. Don’t press it down—just let it sit loosely on top. This ensures maximum crispiness.
- Bake. Place the baking dish on the middle oven rack and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and crispy, and the apple filling is bubbling around the edges. If the topping starts browning too quickly (before 35 minutes), loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.
- Cool slightly. Remove from the oven and let the apple crisp cool for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to thicken slightly and makes it easier to scoop.
- Serve and enjoy! Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce. The contrast between warm apple crisp and cold ice cream is absolutely heavenly!
Notes
- Apple Varieties: For best results, use a combination of tart and sweet apples. Good choices include Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Gala, or Golden Delicious.
- Butter Temperature: Make sure your butter is cold for the best crumbly topping texture. If the butter is too warm, the topping will become greasy instead of crispy.
- Don’t Skip Lemon Juice: Even if you don’t taste it directly, lemon juice brightens the apple flavor and prevents browning.
- Adjust Sweetness: If your apples are very tart, add an extra 2-3 tablespoons of sugar to the filling. If they’re very sweet, reduce sugar by 2 tablespoons.
- Checking Doneness: The crisp is done when the topping is deep golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling at the edges.
- Preventing Soggy Topping: Don’t cover the crisp with foil immediately after baking, as trapped steam will soften the topping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of recipe
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 105mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 30mg