Apple Crisp Recipe (VIDEO)

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.

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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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

• Pumpkin Pie Recipe
• Banana Bread
• Stuffed Baked Pears
• Pumpkin Bread
• Baked Apples
• Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
• Pumpkin Cheesecake