The BEST Apple Crisp Recipe

 Apple crisp is a classic fall dessert featuring tender apples coated in cinnamon and a crunchy brown sugar oat topping. With its warm flavors and comforting texture, this easy apple crisp recipe is perfect for cozy evenings, holiday gatherings, or whenever a homemade dessert sounds appealing.

Preparing this dessert is simple, with peeling and slicing the apples being the most time-consuming part. Once the apples are ready, the rest comes together with just a little stirring, making it an approachable choice even for beginner bakers.

The flavor combines fresh apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla for a familiar, comforting taste. As the apples soften, they pair beautifully with the sweet topping, creating a delicious contrast in every spoonful.

The topping brings its own irresistible texture. Oats add heartiness and a slight chew, while brown sugar provides a deeper sweetness. Flour, cinnamon, and salt round out the mixture, and melted butter helps create a crisp, buttery finish. Serve the warm apple crisp with cold vanilla ice cream for a classic combination that’s hard to resist.

The BEST Apple Crisp Recipe

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This EASY Apple Crisp recipe is the best fall dessert! It's made the old fashioned way like Grandma used to make, and is perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce! Pop this apple crisp in the oven and wait for the delicious smell to waft through your house!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Topping:

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• ⅔ cup all purpose flour
• ⅔ cup old fashioned oats
• ⅔ cup light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Apples:

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• 6 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples, see note
• 3 tablespoons apple juice (preferred) or orang juice
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or a 9×9-inch square baking dish. Set aside.
2. For the topping, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir until everything is evenly mixed. Place the mixture in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.
3. In a large bowl, gently mix the apples with the juice, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla until well combined. Transfer the mixture, including any accumulated juices, to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle the chilled topping over the apples, pressing some of the mixture together to create larger clumps.
4. Lightly coat a piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray and loosely cover the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for another 25–30 minutes, until the topping turns golden brown, the apples are tender, and the juices bubble around the edges.
5. Let the apple crisp cool slightly so the juices can thicken, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

• Apples: Use about 4–6 apples, sliced ¼ inch thick or thinner. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Cosmic Crisp, and Fuji are all great options. For a more complex flavor, try combining different apple varieties.
• Serving and Storage: Serve the apple crisp warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. For extra sweetness, drizzle a little caramel sauce over the top. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Enjoy them cold straight from the fridge or reheat individual portions in the microwave.

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