We’re singing all the praises of apple crisp because it’s THE dessert of the season. Featuring warm gooey cinnamon apples and a brown sugar oat topping, this comfort food classic takes half the time and effort that traditional apple pie requires. You just need a handful of basic ingredients to get started including baking apples such as Granny Smith and Honeycrisp.
I originally published this recipe in 2020 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips.
How many ways can we bake with apples? Hopefully you’ve been enjoying sweet and simple baked apples or even dove headfirst into apple cinnamon bread, apple cake, and caramel apple upside down cake. There’s apple cinnamon babka and so many more apple recipes. But today, let’s get down to the basics.
This is pure and simple apple crisp, a timeless dessert highlighting the natural flavor of apples. This apple dessert is an end-of-the-meal treat that delivers BIG flavor for very little work.
Let’s be honest—if you can chop apples, you can make apple crisp.
One reader, Lori, commented: “I have made many apple crisps in my 66 years! There are many good recipes that are easy to follow, use ingredients I typically have in my fridge and pantry, and they have been enjoyed by my family. But THIS recipe? How do you outdo ‘outstanding,’ ‘incredible,’ and ‘fabulous’? Honestly, the best apple crisp that I’ve made and enjoyed yet! You’ve done it again, Sally and team! This will be my go-to apple crisp recipe! ★★★★★”
Another reader, Cheryl, commented: “I have been making this apple crisp recipe for several years now. Great balance of flavors! It’s one of my go-to recipes! Just yummy! ★★★★★”
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Apple Crisp Recipe
- Easier Than Pie: It’s easy to adore apple pie, but there’s no doubt that homemade pie is a labor of love. In this fruit crisp, we’re swapping pie crust for oat streusel topping. Skip all the pie dough chilling and leave your rolling pin in the cabinet.
- Basic Ingredients: Crisps are pretty unfussy and there’s no strange ingredients required. Most of the ingredients you need are repeated in both layers, too.
- No Eggs: Many bakers have been asking for egg-free baking recipes like this.
- Short Cooling Time: Sometimes we need a crowd-pleasing dessert that’s a little quicker, but just as seasonal and impressive as pie. Today’s crisp joins 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipes—ready in 1 hour or less!
- And It’s Delicious: What’s better than warm cinnamon apples and chewy-crisp oat topping? This is a cold weather must.
And above all else—if you have little ones, this dessert is convenient and manageable. You don’t have to wait for anything to come to room temperature, chill, or cool down. Kids have a ball spreading the apples into the dish and sprinkling the oat crumble on top. (And in the summer, have the young bakers help make a peach crisp!)
Overview of Apple Crisp Recipe Ingredients
There are 2 components in apple crisp: the apple layer and the oat topping. The topping is the same recipe we use for blueberry crumble pie, apple cranberry crumble pie, and bourbon cherry crisp, only slightly increased for a larger 9×13 inch dish.
- Apples: See below for the best apples to use. You need about 8 medium apples, peeled and chopped into chunks.
- Brown Sugar: We use brown sugar to sweeten and bring flavor to the entire dish. You need it for both the apple layer and topping.
- Flour: All-purpose flour thickens the apple filling and is the base of the topping. Do you need a gluten-free version? Here’s my super flavorful gluten-free apple crisp.
- Vanilla & Salt: I’ve made a lot of apple crisp recipes and nothing compares to the way I make it now (recipe below). Vanilla complements these warm flavors and salt balances out all the sweetness. Trust me, you don’t want to skip either—the dessert tastes flat otherwise.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Use cinnamon and nutmeg in the apple layer and cinnamon again in the topping.
- Butter: To prevent it from melting too soon and losing texture, use very cold butter. Take it right from the refrigerator and cut it into cubes. Then use a pastry cutter or fork to mix it into the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Don’t overcomplicate this step, let the mixture be messy, crumbly, and coarse. Less is more. (Music to our ears!)
- Oats: Some oats get a little crispy, some stay soft and chewy. Use whole oats for the best texture. Stir the oats into the topping mixture *after* you cut in the butter. We do this with strawberry crisp as well—you just don’t want the oats to break down too much.
What Are the Best Apples to Use for Baking?
Firmer apples are ideal for baking. Avoid soft, mealy, and mushy apples. For depth of flavor, it’s best to bake with a mix of tart and sweet apples. For apple crisp, I usually use 4 tart and 4 sweet.
- Tart apples I love to bake with: Granny Smith (in my opinion, this is the best overall apple for baking), Braeburn, Jonathan, and Pacific Rose
- Sweet apples I love to bake with: Jazz, Pazazz (sometimes harder to find but delicious!), Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Fuji
For a detailed list of my favorite apple varieties and when to use each, you can visit my post The Best Apples for Baking.
If you’re not into an oat topping, but still want an easy, quick, and gooey apple treat, try this apple cobbler instead.
Peel & Slice Apples into Chunks
You can skip peeling the apples if you’d like, but many prefer peeled apples in desserts. I use and love (affiliate link) this OXO peeler. A lot of apple crisp recipes use apple slices, but I prefer chunks because chunks easily fit onto a spoon or fork. It’s also difficult to get perfectly uniform slices, so some pieces can be much thinner than others—and that means mushy apples. 1-inch chunks that are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick are ideal for this apple crisp.
Toss them with the rest of the apple layer ingredients and then top with the oat topping.
Apple Crisp Toppings!
Of course you can serve apple crisp plain, but this warm dessert truly shines with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s just an apple crisp non-negotiable! Add a drizzle of salted caramel for good measure. Or even a dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream. This is the best fall dessert around.
Can I Make Apple Crisp Without Oats?
Yes, absolutely. To make apple crisp without oats, use the topping from apple crumble pie, only slightly increased. Use 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour, and 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Using a fork, stir in the cooled melted butter until the mixture is thick and crumbly. Don’t over-mix—it will become a paste if you over-mix. Use the same oven temperature and bake time as below. I prefer melted butter to keep the crumble topping on the softer side. If you want a crispy crumble topping, use cold butter and cut it into the mixture just as you do in the recipe below.
Or try apple cobbler instead.
However you choose to make your crisp, it will be a welcome (and easy!) addition to your lineup of Thanksgiving pies—or a “just because” dessert on a cool fall evening. Enjoy!
Print
Classic Apple Crisp Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Yield: serves 8-10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This classic apple crisp combines warm gooey cinnamon apples with a buttery brown sugar oat topping. See recipe notes for make ahead & freezing instructions.
Ingredients
Filling
- 8 medium peeled apples, cut into 1-inch chunks that are 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick (about 10 cups, or 1200g, chunks)
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup (85g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- optional: salted caramel and vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Any 3.5-4-quart baking dish works.
- Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl, then spread into the baking pan.
- Make the topping: Whisk the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture becomes super crumbly. Stir in the oats. Sprinkle over filling.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold; plain or with salted caramel and/or vanilla ice cream.
- Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Baked and cooled crisp freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake (covered) in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. You can prepare the crisp through step 3, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day before baking. You can also freeze the unbaked crisp for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 4. Bake time will be a little longer since the crisp will be cold.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Vegetable Peeler | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Pastry Cutter | Cooling Rack
- Apples: Here are the best apples for baking. An equal mix of Granny Smith and Jazz or Pink Lady is my favorite for apple crisp.
- Oats: Whole oats are best, but you can use quick oats if needed. The crumble topping will just be a little more powdery. (Don’t be tempted to reduce the flour, though– the topping may turn out greasy.) Use a 1:1 swap from whole oats to quick oats. For an oat-less topping, see blog post above.
- Nuts: Feel free to add 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the crisp topping. Stir into the mixture when you add the oats.
- Half Recipe: You can easily halve this recipe by halving all of the ingredients and baking in a 9-inch square or 9-inch round baking dish/pie dish. Reduce bake time to about 30-35 minutes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Every recipe you do is amazing and this Apple crisp is no exception. Sweet, tangy, perfect.
This recipe!! Oh. My. GOSH. I share it with everyone who asks, and that’s basically anyone who eats it! This is going to be one of those things I make that my kids will remember as adults. It’s next-level-good. ❤️
Perfect every time! I halved the recipe for a 9×9 pan because I only had a few apples to use up. Super easy to make & tastes great.
I have made many apple crisps in my (66) years! There are many good recipes that are easy to follow, use ingredients I typically have in my fridge and pantry, and they have been enjoyed by my family. But THIS recipe??? How do you outdo ‘outstanding’, ‘incredible’, ‘fabulous’? Honestly, the best Apple Crisp that I’ve made and enjoyed, yet! You’ve done it again, Sally and team! This will be my go-to Apple Crisp recipe!
What apples do you find more tasteful for Sally’s crisp?
Sally, can you give me any suggestions on how to keep topping from coming out in areas as dry ingredients?
I’m using the right amount of butter plus every ingredient is measured properly.
Thank you.
Hi Mary! The crisp is likely under-mixed is there are dry areas. Try to work in the butter a little more next time.
Will it be watery in the inside bc I don’t want that xx?
Hi Rachael, it shouldn’t be watery. Hope it turns out well!
Ok thx! I’ll be making it this Friday!
Made this last night, drizzled a bit of real maple syrup, and a tad bit of caramel, over the apples before adding the topping (the family likes ‘goo’), and it was a huge hit. Anything I make from Sally, brings lots of praises and compliments. I’m grateful for what she shares, without being boastful, or pretentious. She seems to genuinely enjoy sharing recipes she and her team create. I’m thankful.
Can I substitute honey for the brown sugar? If so how much honey should I use.
Hi David, we don’t recommend using a liquid sweetener in place of the brown sugar here. Best to stick with brown sugar for best results!
Can I substitute granola for rolled oats. Would you recommend single cream or custard rather than ice cream. Many thanks.
Hi Chris, you want raw whole oats for the topping. Granola isn’t a suitable substitute. You can serve the apple crisp with whatever you choose! A frozen custard would be delicious.
I loved this recipe so much!
Can I make this gluten free?
Here’s our gluten free apple crisp recipe, Sheila!
this recipe was great.
can you do raspberry crisp next?
Your recipes are always a hit with my family. This one is no exception. Well done!
My husband wanted a pie and I wanted to make him a good one. He was very impressed with this and went on and on about how it wasn’t soggy. I am not a pie eater…I normally don’t like the crust but this recipe with the all butter pie crust was a 10/10. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! As someone that never eats pie and this being my first one, I know all the secrets now!!
I just had to come back and say — this recipe is absolutely fantastic! I’ve made it four times over the past three months for my work’s potlucks and my family’s Thanksgiving, and it’s been a huge hit every single time. Everyone loves it, and I keep coming back to it because it’s so easy and delicious. Thank you!
Story time! : For my fourth go-round, I decided to experiment by par-baking the filling the night before. However, I neglected to consider that my oven is a convection/air-fryer toaster oven. Without the crumb topping to protect it, the top layer of apples started to dry out and turn into dried apples instead of baked ones — oops!
Here’s how I fixed it (and it worked beautifully): I made another batch of filling (which I needed anyway since the apples I used were too small). I cooked the new batch in a covered skillet over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and adding a splash of apple cider for moisture. Once the skillet filling was nearly done, I added the par-baked filling to warm it up and mix everything together. Let me tell you — I wanted to eat the filling straight out of the pan! It was perfectly gooey and soft.
But I held back and poured it all into the baking dish, topped it with the crumb, and baked it for another 30 minutes. *Chef’s kiss!* I can’t wait to dig in later!
And I *know* I will definitely continue to make this recipe again and again in future!
I’ve made this recipe a few times and I think I mixed the crumb topping with my hands until it was all congealed together. I dId have to bake it longer to get the apples completely Cooked and so the juices started bubbling. Nevertheless, this dessert has always been a big hit at our family Thanksgiving.
Tried this recipe when visiting my in-laws. We all loved it!
I have been making this apple crisp for several years now. Great balance of flavors! It’s one of my go to recipes! Just yummy!
This apple crisp is Phenomenal !! I add a bit more cinnamon and nutmeg just because I love those spices. Made it according to the recipe otherwise. I have to tell you it was gone in one day. Every recipe I’ve made from this site has been excellent.
Hello, can I add caramel sauce to the recipe? Would I add it to the recipe before it is baked? Thank you and I really enjoy and appreciate your detailed recipes.
Hi Sandy, yes, you absolutely can! Drizzle some on top of the filling before you add the topping. Enjoy!
Hi Melissa, You can replace some of the apples with cranberries without any other changes. If using fresh cranberries the filling would be similar to this Apple Cranberry Pie. Enjoy!
Thank you for such a quick reply. I’m sure it will turn out great!
Yummy
I’ve made apple crisp for decades, and they were tasty, but this recipe knocks it out of the park!!
I have some apples I previously cut and have frozen. Will those be okay to use for this? Would you adjust the baking time so it doesn’t get too soggy?
Hi Erin, We haven’t tested this with frozen apples. Fresh fruit is best, but for best results with frozen, thaw the fruit first. Blot dry as much as you can before using in the filling. Let us know if you give it a try!
I love Sally’s recipes. They are pretty reliable. I definitely recommend using tart apples. I was given 15 pounds of sweet apples and this recipe was a little too sweet for those apples. Overall, the Crum on top was delicious and it cooked fabulous.
How long would you cook this if doubling the topping and normal size filling?
Hi J! We’re unsure of the exact time needed. Keep an eye on it and look for golden brown topping and bubbling filling.
It was too sweet for me. But, it was delicious. I will be making it again.
My favorite apple crisp recipe! I’ve made many versions… but I like the oatmeal component in Sally’s recipe. I only add a scant amount of sugar to the filling… as I don’t like overly sweet. I topped with ricotta or vanilla ice cream. Perfect!
This recipe is outstanding! Brought it to a bring -to – share event recently everyone raved about it. Will definitely make again.
Great turnout!!
This was my first time making apple crisp and this was delicious! It was also very easy! Thank you for sharing!
Great classic Fall apple crisp recipe. I did 1.5 times the amount of topping because I like to add a bottom layer also, and added a touch more cinnamon and vanilla due to personal preference, but this is such a good apple crisp recipe and totally my go-to. Add some homemade salted caramel sauce and good quality vanilla bean ice cream, and you’re set with the perfect Fall dessert!
How much longer did you cook it?