This easy apple crisp recipe is a classic fall dessert with a sweet cinnamon spiced apple base topped with a buttery oat streusel topping. It’s easier than pie and a crowd-pleaser!
During fall baking season, I love fruit desserts with apples including apple dump cake, Dutch apple pie and apple pie cupcakes!
Table of Contents
The Best Apple Crisp
One of our favorite fall traditions is apple picking then baking all the apple desserts in the weeks to come. This quick and easy homemade apple crisp recipe is perfect to kick off fall and will make your whole kitchen smell delicious!
This apple crisp dessert is one that I grew up helping my mom make and now I love to have my children help me make it too. It’s my favorite fall treat and has similar flavors to an apple pie, but with an easy streusel topping instead of homemade pie crust.
Recipe Ingredients
- Apples: Peeled, chopped and cut into slices.
- Lemon juice: This keeps the color of the apples vibrant and fresh.
- Granulated sugar: Substitute up to a 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar if you would like.
- Cinnamon: Adds a warm and comforting flavor to both the spiced apple filling and topping.
- Butter: Cold butter make a better crumbly topping.
- All-purpose flour: Makes up the base of the crispy topping
- Old fashioned oats: Rolled oats add a crunchy texture. Do not use instant oats.
- Light brown sugar: Brown sugar with it’s hint of molasses adds a signature sweetness to the topping.
Best Type of Apples to Use
You can make this easy apple crisp recipe with really any type of apple, however I’ve found that the best apples that have both a crisp and tart flavor. You could even include a blend of different types of apples in the apple crisp dessert.
- Granny Smith
- Honeycrisp
- Golden Delicious
- Gala
- Empire
- Fuji
Tip for slicing apples: Make sure to slice your apples pretty thin. If they are too thick, they wont be as soft when they bake. Also make sure to slice them around the same size so that they bake evenly in the oven.
How to Make Apple Crisp
- Layer apples and toss with cinnamon sugar. Add sliced apples to a 9×13″ baking pan. Toss with lemon juice. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and then sprinkle over the apples.
- Make topping. In a large bowl, combine the flour and butter with a pastry mixer. Then add in oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix until combined and then crumble over top of the apples.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with nuts if desired then bake an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve. Serve warm a la mode style with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Apple Crisp Tips and Variations
- Peel the skin off the apples before baking so that they get soft and tender. The skin tends to be a bit chewy if you leave it on.
- An easy crumble topping (without the oats) also works great in this recipe and tastes similar to an apple cobbler.
- Adding in extra spices is an easy way to boost the flavor even more. A sprinkle of nutmeg, apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice goes a long way!
- Cut the recipe in half and bake in an 8×8″ pan if serving a smaller crowd.
- Chopped Nuts: Sometimes I’ll add a handful of chopped or roasted nuts on top for an added crunch. Pecans and walnuts are my favorite. You can even mix these in with the streusel topping.
- Serving suggestion: Serve this apple crisp dessert with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or my caramel sauce from this easy apple cake.
More easy apple desserts include these cinnamon oat baked apples, caramel apple pie bars and apple crepes.
More Apple Dessert Recipes
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 8 cups raw apples , peeled and sliced
- 1 lemon , juiced (about 4 teaspoons)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar , could sub for 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Topping:
- 8-12 Tablespoons butter , cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ¾ cup light brown sugar , packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts and/or coconut
For serving (optional): Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lay 8 cups sliced apples in a 9×13" baking pan. Toss with 4 teaspoons lemon juice. Mix 3/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon together and then sprinkle over the apples.
- Make crisp topping: In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour and 8-12 Tablespoons butter with a pastry mixer. Then add in 1 cup oats, 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix until combined and then crumble over top of the apples.
- Bake. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with nuts and coconut (if desired). Bake an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
The two are both baked fruit desserts with a topping so it is easy to see why they seem so similar! A crumble topping, though, does not contain oats or nuts. The crumble topping is made with only flour, sugar and butter.
If you find that your crisp filling is too watery there are a few things you can do! Follow the amounts as listed and add the necessary flour. You could also add a small amount of cornstarch. Bake the crisp for the entire listed time. This will allow the apples to thicken as they bake. Last, instead of immediately serving allow the crisp to rest for 20-30 minutes so all the juices can settle.
For texture reasons, I recommend peeling your apples for the crisp. The peel also contains more moisture, so it could mess up the consistency of the filling.
For optimal flavor, serve this dessert warm on the first day. The topping tends to soften the longer that it sits. Store in a covered container for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in the oven for a crispier topping or the microwave until warm throughout.
Yes! Cool then place in a freezer safe container and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven or microwave.
Categorized as: American, Crisps + Cobblers, Desserts, Fruit Desserts, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
This apple crisp is so warm and cozy, I’ll definitely be making this all throughout the fall season, it’s the best!
I do not have that type of camera to send to instagram. I just made it and getting ready to taste. I like it a lot. Will ask hubby when he gets home. I did add walnuts and coconuts. However, mine took longer than 20 minutes. Will try this recipe again. Thanks so much.
Such a delicious dessert for all family!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
10
If you only have instant oatmeal packs can you use them instead?
I haven’t tried substituting oatmeal packs before, but it’s worth a try!
This is such a delicious dessert! Everyone at my house really loved it!
Love that this can be made ahead and then popped into the oven while we eat dinner so it comes out fresh and hot from the oven when it’s time for dessert! So delicious and easy to make.
I just tried your apple crisp recipe.
It’s a keeper!!! I love the addition of walnuts!! I never thought to add nuts to my apple crisp and hesitated before adding them. So glad I did!!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!! It’s already printed off and in my recipe book!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’m glad you enjoyed the walnut addition. Thank you for your comment and review Brenda. :)
I made it..but used splenda for the white sugar and splenda for the brown sugar. Instead of 1 and 1/2 cups of flour I used I cup flour and 1/2 cup crushed cinnamon Graham crackers. The crisp was out of this world good. I am not sure how many calories I saved…but it sure was tasty
Thank you for your comment Scott! I’m glad to hear it still worked well with the substitutions!
Really delish and vegan!
I am trilled for this recipe ,though I tweaked it a little.
So glad you enjoyed it! :)
Can you make this the day before? If so, do you bake it entirely and then warm up the day of?
Definitely! Yes, that is what I would do! :)
Can u half the recipe if so how big of Pan like maybe 8×8 so how much of the ingredients would I use thanks. Beth
It’s was good but way to sweet! I already used a little less than 1 cup of sugar and it was still so sweet for my family. I was surprise when I saw you need 1 cup of sugar plus more of brown sugar but I still thought I would give it a try, next time I’m gonna try with half a cup only.
Thanks for your comment Natasha! :)
Loved your recipe i added about 1/2 cup cranberries with the apples
Sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Made your Apple crisp. I added about 1/2 cup cranberries
I have tried several apple crisp recipes this one is the winner. Made it today and family said it’s the best.
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks so much for your comment and review!
I can’t wait until apple season is here!
SOOO good! Can’t wait to make every fall!
This sounds so yummy,OMG. Going to make this for snacks this week!