Our easy Apple Crisp Recipe is a classic dessert loaded with freshly sliced apples that bubble up through a crunchy, crisp, and buttery cinnamon oat topping.

Apple Crisp is just as irresistible as our Apple Pie, but it’s so simple and quick to make, so it’s perfect for feeding a crowd. Don’t forget a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream when serving.

Plated apple crisp with apples, topping and vanilla ice cream

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Easy Apple Crisp Recipe 

We love all things Autumn, which also means we love apple recipes. From Apple Fritter Rings to Apple Turnovers and Sharlotka Apple Cake sweetened with crisp apple slices, we can’t get enough! If you love apple season as much as we do, this recipe is a must-try.

Every year we go apple picking in my parent’s yard. They have 4 apple trees that really produce, so we like to get creative with those apples to capture the season. This recipe is on our regular rotation in Fall because it calls for a generous amount of apples. It’s especially quick and easy to make if you use an apple peeler.

Apple Crisp Video Tutorial

Watch Natasha make this easy apple crisp recipe, and see her secret for peeling and slicing apples. It’s the perfect recipe for apple season, which is any time of the year in our home!

Ingredients for Apple Crisp Filling

Apple Crisp is all about the experience—the smell of Fall spices, the crunchy topping, and the warm, gooey filling. Here are the simple ingredients that make this incredible dessert:

  • Apples – we used golden delicious apples, but any crisp apple would work well (see list of options below)
  • Lemon juice – keeps the apples from browning and adds flavor and acid to balance out the sweetness
  • Sugar – adjust to taste depending on how tart your apples are
  • Flour – helps to thicken the filling. You can substitute with cornstarch for a gluten-free apple crisp.
  • Cinnamon – our favorite complimentary spice for apple recipes
Ingredients for pie filling including lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and flour

Apple Crisp Topping Ingredients

We like to make apple crisp recipes with oats as the topping since they are both soft and chewy. Here’s the winning apple crisp topping mixture.

  • Flour – bonds the crumb together, feel free to use your favorite gluten-free flour
  • Oats – use old-fashioned oats for the best texture, making sure to buy gluten-free, if needed. Quick oats are cut into small pieces, so the topping will have a finer texture and not be as crunchy. Avoid steel-cut oats since they won’t cook in time.
  • Sugar – we combine brown sugar and granulated sugar for a sweet caramel-like filling
  • Cinnamon – compliments the apple filling
  • Salt – balances the sweetness
  • Butter – use unsalted, softened butter.
Ingredients for streusel topping with oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon butter

Substitutions

This will become your go-to recipe for apple crisp, so if you’re feeling adventurous, try these variations.

  • Nuts – add chopped nuts or sliced almonds to your streusel topping
  • Caramel Sauce drizzled over the top just before serving
  • Cranberries – add 1 cup fresh or 1/2 cup dried cranberries and add more sugar if using fresh cranberries. You’ll love the Cranberry Apple Almond Crisp in Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook!
  • Spices – add a pinch of cloves, nutmeg, or even candied ginger

Which Apples are Best for Apple Crisp?

Select firm apples so they won’t get mushy in the oven. Apples vary a ton in sweetness so adjust sugar accordingly. We used Golden Delicious here with 3/4 cup of sugar, but if you use Granny Smith Apples, increase the sugar to 1 cup or add it to taste.

You can use an assortment of apples for this easy apple crisp recipe. For instance, combine sweet and tart apples for a different flavor. Here are our favorite apples for baking:

  • Golden Delicious
  • Granny Smith
  • Fuji
  • Honeycrisp
  • Jonagold
  • Braeburn
  • Pink Lady
Red, green, and yellow apple varieties for apple crisp

How to Make Apple Crisp

Slice, mix, dump, bake—see how easy it is to make this classic recipe:

  1. Prep – Butter a 9×13 casserole dish, preheat oven to 375˚F.
  2. Cut Apples – peel, core, and slice apples into 1/4″- thick pieces (an apple peeler makes it easy), then transfer to a bowl, and toss with 2 Tbsp lemon juice.
  3. Coat Apples – in a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon then sprinkle over apples and stir to coat. Transfer to buttered casserole dish.
  4. Topping – In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Add diced softened butter and use your hands to stir in the butter until pea-sized crumbs form throughout. Then, spread the topping evenly over your apples.
  5. Bake – place on the center rack in the oven and bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes until bubbling at the edges. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil until the apples are bubbling.
Step by step how to make and assemble an apple crisp

The best way to serve apple crisp is warm, topped with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. You can try topping it with caramel sauce, greek yogurt, or homemade whipped cream as well.

Pro Tip

If you want to keep your hands clean, you can mix the topping in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until pea-sized crumbs form. Be sure not to overmix because you want the topping to be crumbly, not dough-like.

Easy Apple crisp in casserole dish with crisp topping

What is the difference between apple crisp, crumble, and cobbler?

We often use the terms interchangeably, and the ingredients are very similar, but technically speaking, an apple crisp has a crunchy oat-based topping, while an apple crumble has a sandier texture since it is flour-based (see our Blueberry Crumble). Apple Cobbler has a biscuit or cake-like topping.

Can I make this gluten-free apple crisp?

Yes, you can replace the flour in the filling with cornstarch and then replace the flour in the topping with 1-to-1 gluten-free flour or flour substitute for a gluten-free apple crisp recipe.

Can I make Apple Crisp in a Slow Cooker?

It’s easy to convert this recipe to use a slow cooker. Put the apple crisp filling in the slow cooker, and top with the streusel. Before closing the lid, place a paper towel on the slow cooker bowl first to catch any condensation. Cook until bubbly, on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-7 hours.

Plate of apple crisp served with vanilla ice cream and spoon

Make-Ahead

This recipe for apple crisp keeps well on the counter for a day, but then requires refrigeration.

  • Prep Ahead: You can assemble the apple crisp for 1 day ahead of time, just cover and refrigerate then bake when ready to enjoy.
  • Refrigerate leftovers: once apple crisp is at room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-5 days.
  • Freezing: Once cooled to room temperature, you can cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
  • To Reheat: We prefer to serve this warm. You can reheat the chilled crisp in the microwave just until heated through or reheat uncovered in the oven at 350˚F for about 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

There’s nothing like pulling an apple dessert out of the oven to draw everyone into the kitchen. Who can resist the sweet aroma of a baked Apple Crisp? You’ll love how easy it is to create this recipe and how satisfying it is to eat!

More Autumn Desserts

These autumn dessert recipes always hit the spot when we’re craving those sweet, spicy, and comforting flavors of fall.

Apple Crisp Recipe

4.99 from 192 votes
Apple Crisp served on a red plate with ice cream
Classic Apple Crisp recipe with fresh sliced apples, topped with crisp and buttery cinnamon oats apple crisp topping. So good served with vanilla ice cream.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 10 people

For the Apple Crisp Filling:

For the Crumb Topping:

Instructions

  • Prep: Generously Butter a 9×13 casserole dish with 1/2 Tbsp butter. Preheat the oven to 375F.
  • Peel core and thinly slice apples to 1/4’ thickness. You should have 12 cups of sliced apples. Squeeze 2 Tbsp lemon juice over the apples and toss to coat.
  • In a separate bowl, stir together 3/4 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp flour, and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon then sprinkle mixture over apples and toss to combine. Transfer apples to the buttered casserole dish.
  • Make the topping – in a large bowl, use your hands to stir together flour, oats, brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Add the diced butter and work it into the mixture with your hands until pea-sized crumbs form throughout. Spread topping over apples.
  • Bake at 375˚F for 45-50 minutes or until the topping is golden and crisp and the apples are bubbling at the edges. The center should register above 175˚F.

Notes

*Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or a combination of any firm, crisp apples will work.
**Use 1 cup sugar or add to taste for tart apples such as Granny Smith.
Make-Ahead: Store covered on the counter for 1 day or in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat at 350°F for 15-20 min, or until warmed through.
Variations:
  • Nuts – add chopped nuts or sliced almonds to your topping
  • Caramel Sauce drizzled over the top to serve
  • Cranberries – add 1 cup fresh or 1/2 cup dried cranberries and add 1/4 cup more sugar if using fresh cranberries.
  • Spices – add a pinch of cloves, nutmeg, or even candied ginger

Nutrition Per Serving

496kcal Calories80g Carbs4g Protein19g Fat12g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat5g Monounsaturated Fat1g Trans Fat49mg Cholesterol67mg Sodium275mg Potassium6g Fiber50g Sugar667IU Vitamin A10mg Vitamin C38mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Apple Crisp Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
496
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
19
g
29
%
Saturated Fat
 
12
g
75
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
5
g
Cholesterol
 
49
mg
16
%
Sodium
 
67
mg
3
%
Potassium
 
275
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
 
80
g
27
%
Fiber
 
6
g
25
%
Sugar
 
50
g
56
%
Protein
 
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
 
667
IU
13
%
Vitamin C
 
10
mg
12
%
Calcium
 
38
mg
4
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple crisp, apple crisp recipe
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 496
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook
4.99 from 192 votes (135 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Destiny A.
    January 25, 2025

    In 2022 I was looking for a new crisp recipe since the last few I’d tried were no more than 4.5 stars.
    While flipping through YouTube one night I came across Natasha’s video and after watching it I thought I’d try it out.
    2024 was the 3rd year in a row I revisited it to make it again and again!
    I finally saved it in my Foodie’s folder so I didn’t have to search through my Liked video’s anymore lol.
    Thank you lady you’re awesome!!
    😋🤤

    Reply

  • Beth
    December 26, 2024

    This apple crisp was absolutely delicious! It was easy to make and so flavorful! Thanks for sharing, Natasha!

    Reply

  • C Phillips
    November 23, 2024

    Can I make the apple crisp and then freeze it? Is there anything I should be aware of? Thx!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      November 24, 2024

      Hi there! Yes, see my instructions in the “make-ahead” section above.

      Reply

  • Rena
    November 8, 2024

    Hi Natasha, I hosted a dinner party with 4 of my closest cousins. I made Broccoli Cheddar Soup and your Apple Crisp . It was so delicious. I was asked to make it for Thanksgiving.. I really love your recipes .. Tks

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      November 9, 2024

      Hi Rena! That’s awesome. Thank you so much for sharing.

      Reply

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