We’re singing all the praises of apple crisp because it’s THE dessert of the season. Featuring warm gooey cinnamon apples and a brown sugar oat topping, this comfort food classic takes half the time and effort that traditional apple pie requires. You just need a handful of basic ingredients to get started including baking apples such as Granny Smith and Honeycrisp.
How many ways can we bake with apples? Hopefully you’ve been enjoying sweet and simple baked apples or even dove headfirst into apple cinnamon bread, apple cake, and caramel apple upside down cake. There’s apple cinnamon babka and so many more apple recipes. But today, let’s get down to the basics. This is pure and simple apple crisp, a timeless dessert highlighting the natural flavor of apples. This apple dessert is an end-of-the-meal treat that delivers BIG flavor for very little work. Let’s be honest—if you can chop apples, you can make apple crisp.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Apple Crisp Recipe
- Easier Than Pie: It’s easy to adore apple pie, but there’s no doubt that homemade pie is a labor of love. In this fruit crisp, we’re swapping pie crust for oat streusel topping. Skip all the pie dough chilling and leave your rolling pin in the cabinet.
- Basic Ingredients: Crisps are pretty unfussy and there’s no strange ingredients required. Most of the ingredients you need are repeated in both layers, too.
- No Eggs: Many bakers have been asking for egg-free baking recipes like this.
- Short Cooling Time: As much as we all love homemade apple pie, it requires a long cooling time to properly set up. Sometimes we need a crowd-pleasing dessert that’s a little quicker, but just as seasonal and impressive.
- And It’s Delicious: What’s better than warm cinnamon apples and chewy-crisp oat topping? This is a cold weather must.
And above all else—if you have little ones, this dessert is convenient and manageable. You don’t have to wait for anything to come to room temperature, chill, or cool down. Kids have a ball spreading the apples into the dish and sprinkling the oat crumble on top. (And in the summer, have the young bakers help make a peach crisp!)
Overview of Apple Crisp Recipe Ingredients
There are 2 components in apple crisp: the apple layer and the oat topping. The topping is the same recipe we use for blueberry crumble pie and bourbon cherry crisp, only slightly increased for a larger 9×13 inch dish.
- Apples: See below for the best apples to use. You need about 8 medium apples, peeled and chopped into chunks.
- Brown Sugar: We use brown sugar to sweeten and bring flavor to the entire dish. You need it for both the apple layer and topping.
- Flour: All-purpose flour thickens the apple filling and is the base of the topping. Do you need a gluten-free version? Here’s my super flavorful gluten-free apple crisp.
- Vanilla & Salt: I’ve made a lot of apple crisp recipes and nothing compares to the way I make it now (recipe below). Vanilla complements these warm flavors and salt balances out all the sweetness. Trust me, you don’t want to skip either—the dessert tastes flat otherwise.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Use cinnamon and nutmeg in the apple layer and cinnamon again in the topping.
- Butter: To prevent it from melting too soon and losing texture, use very cold butter. Take it right from the refrigerator and cut it into cubes. Then use a pastry cutter or fork to mix it into the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Don’t overcomplicate this step, let the mixture be messy, crumbly, and coarse. Less is more. (Music to our ears!)
- Oats: Some oats get a little crispy, some stay soft and chewy. Use whole oats for the best texture. Stir the oats into the topping mixture *after* you cut in the butter. We do this with strawberry crisp as well—you just don’t want the oats to break down too much.
What Are the Best Apples to Use for Baking?
Firmer apples are ideal for baking. Avoid soft, mealy, and mushy apples. For depth of flavor, it’s best to bake with a mix of tart and sweet apples. For apple crisp, I usually use 4 tart and 4 sweet.
- Tart apples I love to bake with: Granny Smith (in my opinion, this is the best overall apple for baking), Braeburn, Jonathan, and Pacific Rose
- Sweet apples I love to bake with: Jazz, Pazazz (sometimes harder to find but delicious!), Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Fuji
For a detailed list of my favorite apple varieties and when to use each, you can visit my post The Best Apples for Baking.
Peel & Slice Apples into Chunks
You can skip peeling the apples if you’d like, but many prefer peeled apples in desserts. I use and love (affiliate link) this OXO peeler. A lot of apple crisp recipes use apple slices, but I prefer chunks because chunks easily fit onto a spoon or fork. It’s also difficult to get perfectly uniform slices, so some pieces can be much thinner than others—and that means mushy apples. 1-inch chunks that are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick are ideal for this apple crisp.
Toss them with the rest of the apple layer ingredients and then top with the oat topping.
Apple Crisp Toppings!
Of course you can serve apple crisp plain, but this warm dessert truly shines with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s just an apple crisp non-negotiable! Add a drizzle of salted caramel for good measure. Or even a dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream. This is the best fall dessert around.
Can I Make Apple Crisp Without Oats?
Yes, absolutely. To make apple crisp without oats, use the topping from apple crumble pie, only slightly increased. Use 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour, and 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Using a fork, stir in the cooled melted butter until the mixture is thick and crumbly. Don’t over-mix—it will become a paste if you over-mix. Use the same oven temperature and bake time as below. I prefer melted butter to keep the crumble topping on the softer side. If you want a crispy crumble topping, use cold butter and cut it into the mixture just as you do in the recipe below.
Or you can turn this into an apple cobbler. Cobblers are usually topped with a biscuit or cake-like topping instead of an oat topping. Use the same apple filling and oven temperature in the recipe below, but use the topping and bake time from my berry cobbler instead.
We’ve even made a scaled-down version to top this caramel apple cheesecake pie. However you choose to make your crisp, it will be a welcome (and easy!) addition to your lineup of Thanksgiving pies—or a “just because” dessert on a cool fall evening. Enjoy!
PrintClassic Apple Crisp Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Yield: serves 8-10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This classic apple crisp combines warm gooey cinnamon apples with a buttery brown sugar oat topping. See recipe notes for make ahead & freezing instructions.
Ingredients
Filling
- 8 medium peeled apples, cut into 1-inch chunks that are 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick (about 10 cups, or 1200g, chunks)
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup (85g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- optional: salted caramel and vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Any 3.5-4-quart baking dish works.
- Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl, then spread into the baking pan.
- Make the topping: Whisk the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture becomes super crumbly. Stir in the oats. Sprinkle over filling.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold; plain or with salted caramel and/or vanilla ice cream.
- Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Baked and cooled crisp freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake (covered) in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. You can prepare the crisp through step 3, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day before baking. You can also freeze the unbaked crisp for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 4. Bake time will be a little longer since the crisp will be cold.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Vegetable Peeler | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Pastry Cutter | Cooling Rack
- Apples: See blog post above for the best apples to use. An equal mix of Granny Smith and Jazz or Pink Lady is my favorite for apple crisp.
- Oats: Whole oats are best, but you can use quick oats if needed. The crumble topping will just be a little more powdery. (Don’t be tempted to reduce the flour, though– the topping may turn out greasy.) Use a 1:1 swap from whole oats to quick oats. For an oat-less topping, see blog post above.
- Nuts: Feel free to add 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the crisp topping. Stir into the mixture when you add the oats.
- Half Recipe: You can easily halve this recipe by halving all of the ingredients and baking in a 9-inch square or 9-inch round baking dish/pie dish. Reduce bake time to about 30-35 minutes.
Love your Pumpkin Muffins – soooo good!
Fantastic recipe that I’ve made numerous times and now I want to try freezing it in advance. Anyone have any luck with freezing this recipe?
I made this for my elderly mom’s birthday. I’ve been home for 3 months caring for her because she broke her foot. She has been very depressed, but she lit up when she tasted this. She raved and raved about it and made me make another one three days later. She even offered to peel the apples for it. Thanks Sally for cheering her up on her birthday.
Baked this today, in my favorite cast iron skillet. Absolutely delicious! It was love at first bite!
Second time making this recipe this season. This time I’m not halving it. It’s delicious. Love it better than pie. Thank you!
This is the second recipe of yours that I tried today and was not disappointed. Very easy to assemble and it turned out great. Plated it with the ice cream and caramel drizzle, yum!
This recipe is definitely a keeper!!! our trees were loaded with apples this year so it was fun to make crisps, We prefer them over pie. Delicious anytime
I tend to favor fruit crisps over fruit pies; crisps are easier and I like the oat topping more than a pie crust. This crisp was absolutely delicious, cinnamony and tastes like Fall in a bowl. My husband favors pies and he LOVED this crisp. Highly recommend!
I made this recipe tonight because I had a major craving and this did not disappoint. It truly is delicious. I used a different apple than the recipe suggested and I substituted the butter with canola oil. It was scrumptious. I just wish I had ice cream to serve with it.
So good, the best apple crisp I’ve ever made. I added 2 tablespoons of apple brandy to the apple mixture and 1/2 cup of sliced almonds to the topping. I used half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp apples. It was delicious the next morning for breakfast too.
So good, the best apple crisp I’ve ever made. I added 2 tablespoons of apple brandy to the apple mixture and 1/2 cup of sliced almonds to the topping. I used half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp apples. It was delicious the next morning for breakfast too.
This recipe is very similar to mine except I pour 1/2 cup of orange juice over the apples before putting on the topping!
I just made this recipe. Turned out yummy. Thank you for a nice, easy but delicious dessert. I didn’t buy certain apples, I just used apples off my tree and who knows what kind the are.
I do have one question tho…how many calories?
Hi Diana, we’re so glad you loved this apple crisp! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Could quick cooking oats be used?
See recipe Notes!
Dear Sally and Team: 1) Any issue with doubling this? Or better to make two? 2) Rather than your gluten-free recipe, can I just use my 1 for 1 King Arthur gluten-free flour? Many thanks!
Hi Judith! This recipe should be fine to double, but making separate batches guarantees consistent results. We haven’t tested a 1:1 GF flour in this recipe, but it should work fine here. Let us know how it goes!
Made this yesterday for a group and OMG, was it fantastic! I used half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp apples. Perfection! This is now my go-to apple crisp recipe. Thanks so much, Sally!
I am making this recipe this evening. I’ve read some of the reviews about the dryness, and the lack of bubbling, of the apple mixture. I was thinking of adding a little bit of water when I put it into the pan,. Also, am I supposed to butter the 13×9 in glass baking dish? And lastly, am I supposed to cover it with foil? I’m hoping you’ll be able to answer me before I cook it. It’s 3:00 Pacific time. I plan on cooking it around 6:00 tonight
Hi Carol! We recommend following the recipe as written for best results. Make sure to spoon and level your flour (Or use a kitchen scale) to avoid packing too much in. Lightly grease your pan (see step 1), we usually use a non-stick baking spray like Pam. No need to cover with foil. Happy baking!
Thank you for your very rapid response. I did weigh everything I will make it as you suggested. Let you know how it turned out.
Making this this weekend! A couple questions – should we put lemon juice on the apples to prevent them from browning? And can I make the topping a day or two in advanced and keep in the fridge? Thank you!!
Hi Stephanie, you can make and assemble the entire crisp through step 3, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day before baking. No need to add lemon juice, although you certainly can add a bit if you’d like. Hope you enjoy it!
I’m sorry I was such a sceptic. My crisp may have looked a bit different (I think because my butter should have been in bigger chunks) but taste-wise it was a big hit! Several people (it was Thanksgiving dinner) had double servings, with ice cream and/or whipped cream. I made a sweet potato pecan pie as well, but everyone had to have apple crisp! (Please publish a recipe for sweet potato pecan pie, because I used your crust recipe and the blind bake instructions, but I had to use someone else’s pie recipe and I only like to use yours.) Thanks!
I have made apple crisp for years. This is the best recipe I have ever found! Thank you!
The flavor was good however the flour is not necessary… in fact it makes the apples too dry it would be nice to have some juice at the bottom of the pan so next time I would completely omit the flour.
I baked this and then froze. Can I bake from frozen instead of thawing it first?
Hi Hailey, we recommend thawing overnight in the refrigerator, and aren’t sure what the bake time would be if you baked from frozen.
I’m baking this in my stone lasagne pan. It’s been 45 minutes so it’s a bit late to post this lol but I don’t see any bubbling. I’ll keep it in another ten minutes or so.
What if using apple pie filling..How long would you bake?
Hi Pamela, we’re unsure of the bake time when using apple pie filling, since the apples are already softened. Keep a close eye on it and take it out when the crisp has browned.
Made this yesterday as I had some apples in the freezer that needed to get used – it was so good!! The crisp topping, delicious seasoning, and wonderful aroma when it was baking…this is the epitome of fall in a recipe!
Um, YUM!!! I know apple crisp recipes say to peel your apples, but since I was using ones from my own apple trees, need 10 cups and my youngest two were wanting me I decided it’d be fine not to peel them…and it worked just great! Me, my husband and all 6 kids LOVED it! SO GOOD!
Can you make this with premade pie filling? I froze a few batches of pre-cooked apple pie filling and am looking for different ways to use it up!
Hi Chloe, we’re sure that could work, although we recommend using apple chunks for best texture (not sure if your pie filling is in chunks or slices!).
The closest thing I could find to the whole rolled oats is steel cut oats. I hope that’s okay.
Hi Joanne, whole rolled oats or quick oats are best. Steel cut oats won’t absorb liquid in the same way and will leave the topping quite coarse and less crispy. If you’re unable to find oats, there is an oat-less topping detailed in the post. Hope this helps!
I got the proper oats but the cooked crisp doesn’t look much different from the pre-cooked crisp. I took photos but don’t know if I can post them here. As in my post a few minutes ago, I’m using my Pampered Chef stoneware lasagne pan. I’ve left it in about ten extra minutes, but it still looks iffy. I hope it doesn’t taste iffy cause our Thanksgiving is in two days and I’m making it for that.
Perfect blend of oat and flour topping. I added in some chopped pecans to the topping because why not? LOL.The flour in the apples really brings creaminess.
Can you use the sugar free brown sugar?
Hi Ramona, we haven’t tested that! Sugar substitutes often behave differently in baking, so we’re unsure of the results.
Simply Devine! A perfect crisp recipe