This apple crisp recipe is my favorite go to crisp recipe. It is packed with apples and warm spices, all topped off with a crispy oat crust. This is a dessert that takes no time to make and is fun to share with any company !
Apple crisp or apple crumble is a delectable desert with baked apples in the bottom and a crunchy crust on the top. It is a quick desert as there is almost no prep time involved. Takes 30 minutes to bake and can be served warm , and in fact that is how we prefer it , warm crisp with a scoop of ice cream !
Feeling fancier ? Bake in indivdual ramekins and served with a dollop of ice cream topped with a drizzle of (rum infused) caramel ! Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Here are all the things that go into it – apples (of course), oats, flour, sugar, spices , lemon , butter and a pinch of salt , baking powder and water!
Apples
Use a firm apple in this recipe – like granny smith or honey crisp or baldwin. I have made these with gala as well. Tarter apples add more flavor to the crisp. While you can add more lemon juice to the apples to make the dish more tart, the flavors just does not compare.
If you are planning to serve the crisp fresh it does not make much of a difference whether you use granny smith or gala (I would still stay away from red delicious , unless I am looking for apple sauce). But it does make a difference if you are freezing or refrigerating the crisp as the firmer apples tend to hold their shape better.
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Flour
I love about this recipe is that it you can easily substitute whole wheat flour in place of white flour. But with oats there is plenty whole grain here already. So use what have you in the pantry ! No judgement.
Sugar
Usually this dish is mad e with brown sugar. That is wha the recipe below calls for as well. But here is teh thing , this is a home cook’s dish. So use what you have available.
The molasses in the brown sugar definitely adds more flavor and deeper color to the dish. Usually brown sugar is a little sweeter as well. Add about 2 Tbsp extra if substituting white sugar for Brown sugar for the same sweetness.
Notes
When making this dish peel and core the apples as the last step. The longer apples are exposed to air the more brown they turn. Of course you can avoid this by coating the apples with lemon juice. There is a minor issue of the acid in breaking down the structure of the apples. So slice and dice it at the last minute.
The crisp topping on the other hand though can be prepped in advance. But if making 30 minutes or longer ahead of time , do not add water to the mix . Add it at the last minute before layering on top of the apples.
The crisp can be frozen as well. Cool and wrap (double or tripple wrap) in foil as airtight as possible and freeze. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in 350F oven .
If planning to freeze , use the firmest apples you have. The softer apples lose their structure and turn to mush when defrosted/reheated.
Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Apple Layer
- 6 Apples , Medium Notes
- 1 Lemon
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- Nutmeg – a pinch optional
- Cinnamon – 1 tsp
For the Crisp Topping
- 1/2 C Rolled Oats
- 1/2 C Flour Whole wheat / All purpose
- 1/2 C Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder optional
- 1/8 Tsp Salt
- 6 Tbsp Butter Unsalted
- 2 -3 Tbsp Water
To Serve
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Carmel Sauce
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F (160 degree C ).
Prepare the apples
- Peel and core the apples . Slice them into ½ “ thick slices. Squeeze 2 tbsp the lemon over the apples. Mix cinnamon , nutmeg and 2 tbsp sugar tgether. Spread over the apple slices and toss to combine. .
Make the topping
- In a bowl mix the dry ingredients for the crisp. Cut the cold butter into this mix until the mixture looks like crumbs . Add 1 to 2 tbsp of water if necessary .
Bake
- Transfer the apples into an 8” X8” pan . Spread to form an even layer. Pour the crumb mix over it evenly .
- Loosely cover with foil and transfer to the preheated oven . Bake for 20 minutes , remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes until the top is slightly brown and the apples are bubbly .
Notes
- Use any firm apple your have.
- The more firm and tart the apple is the better the crisp will be.
- About 6 C of apple slices are needed for this dish.
Nutrition
Important: Nutrition Values are estimates. Actuals vary based on ingredients and serving size.
Talking about this brings up one of the biggest perks of being a baker – you don’t have to use air fresheners for the house to smell divine! Dishes like these do not need much skill and are very forgiving. So go ahead and take a stab at it !
Go for it if you are a
- beginer baker
- lazy baker
- learning to cook
- looking to impress someone / anyone 😉
- busy bee
Oh just about anybody ….
This recipe was originally published on June 2015.