I love making apple crisp. It is one of my favorite easy fall desserts: sweet apples, a buttery oat topping, and a perfect balance of cinnamon and crunch. I’ll show you how to make this dessert with simple ingredients you probably already have.
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Apple Crisp Recipe
Apple Crisp is a traditional American dessert. In the UK, this treat is known as crumble. It’s made with cooked apples and a streusel topping.
Unlike pie, it requires no pastry crust. The dessert features a layer of tender, spiced apples underneath a crumbly, buttery topping. The contrast of crisp topping and the soft fruit beneath creates a comforting and warm dish in autumn.
You can enjoy the apple crisp with classic toppings like vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Warm custard is another traditional accompaniment, especially in British cuisine. Yogurt offers a healthier option for breakfast or snacks.
For bolder flavors, try a peanut butter drizzle or caramel sauce to enhance the dessert’s sweetness. This apple dessert also pairs well with drinks like hot cocoa, hot toddy, hot coffee, apple mule cocktail, or spiced rum.
Here’s how to make the apple crisp:
Classic Apple Crisp
Nutrition
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 6 medium apples Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled and sliced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
For the crisp topping:
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Transfer to a greased 8×8-inch baking dish.
- In another bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cubed butter and mix using a pastry cutter or fingers until crumbly.
- Sprinkle topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the top is golden and the apples are bubbling.
- Let it cool slightly before serving. Best enjoyed warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!
Notes
- Use a mix of sweet and tart apples for depth of flavor.
- Add 1/4 cup chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans) to the topping for crunch.
- It reheats well in the oven or microwave.
SIMILAR RECIPES:
Variations
Apple Crisp has many versions with different choice of fruits, toppings, spices, and preparation methods. Here are some notable variations:
- Fruit Variations include mixing apples with raspberries, pears, cranberries, peaches, nectarines, or berries. Dried fruits like cherries can also be added for extra flavor.
- Topping Variations replace oats with all flour to make an apple crumble instead of a crisp. Others add chopped nuts (walnuts), sesame seeds, coconut flakes, or granola for extra texture and flavor.
- Spice Variations add ground ginger, cardamom, cloves, or allspice to give a warm, complex flavor profile. For example, pear crisp with cardamom and dried cherries is one such variation.