There’s something so comforting about a warm Apple Crisp fresh out of the oven! With its tender, spiced apples and buttery oat topping, this dessert is perfect for cozy evenings, family dinners, or holiday gatherings.
What You’ll Need
You can easily find all of these ingredients at your local grocery store if you don’t already have them on hand. Full ingredient list with amounts is in the recipe card below!
- Apples – You can’t have an apple crisp without apples! Make sure they are cored and cut into slices. Opt for Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala, Pink Ladies, or a combination.
- Lemon Juice – Believe it or not, lemon juice helps to slow down the browning process of the apples. It also adds a little acidity to apple desserts.
- White Sugar – Although apples themselves are sweet, we need a little added sugar to make this the best apple crisp.
- Apple Pie Spice – This is simply a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. You can buy it at the store or make your own homemade apple pie spice.
- Almond Flour – This can be substituted for gluten-free all-purpose flour, regular all-purpose flour, or coconut flour if you’d prefer.
- Quick Oats – This will be the base for the crunchy topping. Oats add flavor and texture to this apple crumble.
- Brown Sugar – I love the warmth and flavor that brown sugar adds to apple recipes like this one.
- Baking Powder – When added to this apple crumble topping, baking powder helps to ensure a light and tender texture.
- Fine Sea Salt – Salt always helps to bring out the flavors of baked goods. If using salted butter, you can omit this.
- Eggs – Lightly beaten eggs are what help to hold this oat crumb topping together.
- Vanilla Extract – Vanilla brings warmth to this easy apple crisp recipe, making the end result even more delicious and desirable.
- Unsalted Butter – I always prefer to use unsalted butter when baking. If using salted butter, just omit the added salt above so that it’s not too salty.
Put a Twist on It!
There are plenty of ways to put your own twist on this classic dessert!
- Pecans – Add a handful of chopped pecans to the topping for extra crunch and a nutty flavor.
- Maple Syrup – Replace part of the brown sugar with maple syrup for a rich, natural sweetness.
- Pears – Swap some or all of the apples for sliced pears.
- Gluten-Free Oats – Ensure the dish is entirely gluten-free by using certified gluten-free oats.
- Coconut Sugar – Substitute coconut sugar for some or all of the brown sugar.
- Raisins or Cranberries – Mix in some dried fruit with the apples for an extra pop of sweetness and texture.
- Spiced Whipped Cream – Top with whipped cream flavored with cinnamon or nutmeg for an extra layer of warmth.
How to Make Apple Crisp
You can have this easy recipe prepped and in the oven in only 15 minutes!
- Toss apples. In a large bowl, toss apple slices with lemon juice, white sugar, and cinnamon. Pour into baking dish and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients. In the same mixing bowl, stir together almond flour with brown sugar, fine sea salt, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and oats.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until uniformly wet.
- Pour on top of the apples. Using a spoon, dollop on top of the apple mixture until fully covered.
- Top with melted butter. Pour melted butter over the oat topping.
- Bake. Cook uncovered until the top is golden brown and puffy.
- Allow to cool. Remove and allow to cool before serving.
- Serve with toppings. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or caramel sauce.
Common Questions about Apple Crisp
Any type of crisp is generally best eaten the day it is made and right out of the oven. The crisp topping, even when we use oats instead of a pastry topping, will start to get soggy and never totally regain the texture.
It’s easy! Simply chop up your apples, either into chunks or slices. Peeling is strictly a matter of preference. Toss your apples with a little lemon juice to prevent browning and then sugar to keep them sweet while baking. Transfer them to a baking dish.
Then, mix together the oat topping using your flour of choice, gluten-free or not, and then dollop onto the apples. You can use almond extract instead of vanilla if you prefer. You can even get crazy and use both! Melt butter and pour it over the crisp topping and apples. Bake and you are ready to eat!
Make sure to drizzle the butter evenly over the topping and avoid overcooking the apples.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftover apple crisp in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer to keep it fresh.
Assemble the crisp ahead of time and refrigerate it, unbaked, until you’re ready to pop it in the oven.
How to Store
Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave to restore its warmth and texture.
Can I Freeze Apple Crisp?
Freeze apple crisp for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
More Apple-Based Desserts
Apples are one of the easiest fruits to incorporate into so many desserts! Check out more of our favorites.
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
Apples:
- 6 medium apples , cored and cut into 1 inch slices
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
Oat Topping:
- 1 cup almond flour*
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 2 eggs , lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a medium baking dish or casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with lemon juice, sugar and apple pie spice.
- Transfer to the baking dish and set aside.
- In the same mixing bowl (no need to make another one dirty), stir together the almond flour with brown sugar, salt, apple pie spice, baking powder and oats.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mix until uniformly wet.
- Using a spoon, dollop on top of the apple mixture until fully covered.
- Pour the melted butter over the oat topping.
- Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and puffy.
- Remove and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or caramel sauce.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
I’m drooling over this fabulous apple crisp. It’s so easy to make that I know family will be asking for it often.
This is a really good recipe! The apples are so sweet and tender, and the crisp topping is perfect. This is my new favorite apple crisp recipe.
Such a classic for good reason! I agree the bit of almond flour in there is great for flavor and texture – a trick I like to do in other desserts, too! Yummy.
I love apples, Truly amazing in taste and flavors in this recipe. Will definitely make again.
I love a good apple crisp recipe and this is one of the best! Delicious!
My kids love this recipe and we make it often its yummy everyone should try this!