The Ultimate Easy Baked Apple Crisp Recipe: A Cozy Fall Dessert Tradition
As the leaves begin to turn and the air grows crisp, there’s no better time than fall to embrace the bounty of the season, especially apples. If you’re searching for a reliable, go-to recipe for a comforting dessert that’s both simple to make and universally loved, look no further than this fantastic Baked Apple Crisp. This delightful dish features juicy, tender baked apples topped with a sweet, buttery, and irresistibly crunchy oat crumble. It’s the quintessential fall treat, perfect for any occasion, from weeknight family dinners to holiday gatherings.
This recipe calls for just a handful of everyday ingredients that you likely already have stocked in your pantry and refrigerator, with fresh apples being the undisputed star. Forget complicated pie crusts and lengthy preparation; apple crisp offers all the warmth and flavor of a classic apple pie but with a fraction of the effort. It truly embodies the spirit of homemade comfort food without the fuss.
There’s something uniquely satisfying about a warm apple crisp, especially when it’s served à la mode with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream melting gloriously over the top. The contrast of the warm, soft apples, the crunchy topping, and the cold, creamy ice cream creates a symphony of textures and flavors that is utterly irresistible. Beyond this classic baked apple crisp, we also adore this Apple Cranberry Crisp, which adds a tart and vibrant twist. And if you’re a fan of filling your home with the inviting aroma of apples and cinnamon, be sure to try our crockpot cinnamon apples – a simple way to enjoy the essence of fall.
RELATED: For another delightful fruit crisp, you might also like this recipe – Rhubarb Crisp
Why This Baked Apple Crisp Will Be Your New Favorite
Oh, how the fall season beckons us into the kitchen! The cooler weather and the abundance of seasonal produce inspire a craving for warm, fruity baked goods. While I adore the idea of a homemade apple pie, I confess, I’m quite relaxed—some might say lazy—when it comes to crafting pie crust from scratch. This is precisely why apple crisp has become my ultimate dessert hero. It offers the same incredible flavor profile as pie, but with a wonderfully easy, crumbly topping that comes together in minutes. It’s a delicious pastry shortcut that truly deserves all the praise!
Living with an apple tree in our yard means we’re often inundated with a bounty of fresh apples during the season. Thankfully, the apple season is long, ensuring a steady supply for many delicious crisps. This recipe makes its appearance from late summer right through to winter, guaranteeing that our bellies are filled with this delightful comfort food. You may not have an apple tree in your backyard, but I guarantee you’ll appreciate the convenience and sheer simplicity of this baked fruit dessert that everyone adores. Especially when crowned with that essential scoop of ice cream!
Beyond this classic, if you’re seeking more fruit-inspired fall dessert recipes, consider exploring my Spanish-inspired Orange Olive Oil Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache for something truly unique, or my Gluten-Free Peach Blackberry Crisp. Both are renowned for their subtle sweetness that beautifully complements the natural sugars of the fruit, offering elegant alternatives to your usual dessert rotation.
Choosing the Perfect Apples for Your Crisp
One of the best things about apple crisp is its forgiving nature when it comes to apple varieties. While you truly can’t go wrong with almost any apple, selecting the right kind can elevate your crisp from good to absolutely phenomenal. We generally recommend using sweet and crunchy varieties for the best texture and flavor balance. Popular choices like Gala, Golden Delicious, Fuji, and Honeycrisp are fantastic for this recipe. Their inherent sweetness means you won’t need to add excessive sugar, and their firm flesh holds up well during baking, preventing the apples from becoming mushy.
If you prefer a tarter dessert, Granny Smith apples are an excellent choice. You can also mix sweet and tart varieties for a more complex flavor profile – for example, combining Granny Smith with Honeycrisp or Fuji. This offers a wonderful balance of sweetness and tanginess. A key advantage of this recipe is that peeling the apples is entirely optional! The skins soften beautifully during baking and add a touch of color and extra fiber. However, if you or your family prefer a smoother texture, feel free to peel them.
Essential Ingredients for Your Apple Crisp:
This simple apple crisp recipe requires only nine basic ingredients, most of which you probably have on hand. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why each component is important:
- Brown sugar – This is our preferred choice for the topping because it imparts a richer, more caramel-like flavor than white sugar. While white sugar can be substituted, brown sugar truly enhances the depth of the crisp.
- Flour – We use all-purpose flour for consistency, which works perfectly. If you’re looking for an alternative, whole wheat flour can also be used, lending a slightly nuttier flavor and denser texture. For gluten-free options, a good quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend should work well.
- Rolled oats – Often called old-fashioned oats, these are crucial for creating that signature chewy yet crisp texture in the topping. Avoid instant or quick oats, as they tend to become soggy during baking. The distinct chewiness of rolled oats is essential to the crisp’s appeal.
- Cinnamon – A quintessential fall spice, cinnamon brings warmth and aromatic depth to both the apple filling and the crisp topping. Feel free to get creative and add other complementary spices if you like! Nutmeg, ground cloves, allspice, or even a pinch of ginger can add wonderful complexity and a truly autumnal feel.
- Sea salt – A small amount of sea salt is vital for balancing the sweetness of the sugars and enhancing all the other flavors in the crisp. If you don’t have sea salt, regular table salt can be used in equal measurements, though sea salt often provides a slightly cleaner taste.
- Unsalted butter – We exclusively use unsalted butter in our recipes to control the overall salt content. The butter is what brings the topping together, creating those delicious clusters. If you only have salted butter, you can use it, but we recommend reducing the added sea salt by half a teaspoon to prevent the crisp from becoming too salty. Margarine is also an acceptable substitute for a dairy-free option.
- Apples – As discussed, sweet varieties like Gala, Golden Delicious, Fuji, and Honeycrisp are fantastic for their flavor and texture. Red Delicious will also work. If you prefer a tarter crisp, opt for Granny Smith or incorporate a mix of sweet and tart apples for a balanced profile. The beauty of apple crisp is that nearly any apple will yield delicious results.
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is highly recommended. It brightens the flavor of the apples and helps prevent them from browning excessively, ensuring a beautiful appearance and vibrant taste. While bottled lemon juice is convenient, fresh lemon juice offers a superior, more natural flavor that truly makes a difference.
Helpful Kitchen Tools:
Having the right tools can make the baking process even smoother. Here are a few items that will come in handy for making your baked apple crisp:
- Chef knife: Essential for efficiently slicing your apples. A sharp knife makes prep work much safer and quicker.
- Cutting board: A sturdy surface for safely preparing your fruit.
- Oil spray: For easily greasing your baking dish, ensuring the crisp doesn’t stick and cleanup is a breeze.
- 9 x 7 baking dish: The ideal size for this recipe, allowing the apples to cook evenly and the topping to crisp perfectly.
Tips for Making the Best Apple Crisp
Achieving the perfect apple crisp is easier than you think with a few simple tips:
- Don’t overmix the topping: When combining the butter with the dry ingredients for the crumble, aim for a crumbly, coarse mixture. Overmixing can lead to a tough topping. Some larger clumps are desirable for that varied texture.
- Evenly slice your apples: Consistent apple slices ensure they all cook at the same rate. This prevents some pieces from being too soft while others are still firm. About ¼-inch thick is usually ideal.
- Adjust sweetness to your taste: If you use very tart apples, you might want to add an extra tablespoon or two of brown sugar to the apple mixture before baking. Conversely, if your apples are extremely sweet, you can slightly reduce the sugar.
- Bake until bubbly and golden: The crisp is ready when the topping is golden brown and the apple filling is visibly bubbling around the edges. This bubbling indicates the apples are tender and the juices have thickened.
More Delightful Apple Recipes to Explore
The versatility of apples means there’s an endless array of delicious recipes to try! Don’t miss out on celebrating all things apple with some of our other favorite apple creations. These recipes highlight the diverse ways you can enjoy this beloved fruit:
- Apple Cider Ice Cream: A unique and refreshing treat that captures the essence of fall.
- Homemade Apple Pie: For those special occasions when only a classic pie will do.
- Crockpot Apple Butter Recipe: A slow-cooked, rich spread perfect for toast or pancakes.
- Apple Cobbler in the Crockpot: An incredibly easy, hands-off dessert.
- Apple Hand Pies: Portable pockets of apple goodness, perfect for snacks or picnics.
- Air Fryer Baked Apples: A quick and healthy way to enjoy baked apples with minimal effort.
- Apple Crumble: Similar to a crisp, but with a slightly different topping texture, equally delicious.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Leftover apple crisp is a rare treat, but if you happen to have any, it stores beautifully. To maintain its freshness and deliciousness:
- Storage: Allow the apple crisp to cool completely to room temperature. Then, cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. You can also transfer individual portions into airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: For longer storage, you can freeze baked apple crisp. Once completely cooled, wrap the entire dish (if freezer-safe) tightly in multiple layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Alternatively, portion it into freezer-safe containers. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: To reheat, simply place the covered crisp in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through. If the topping needs re-crisping, uncover it for the last 5-10 minutes. Individual servings can also be reheated in the microwave for a quick treat, though the topping may lose some of its crunch.
Baked Apple Crisp
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Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup flour your choice (all-purpose, whole wheat, or 1:1 gluten-free)
- ½ cup rolled oats old-fashioned, uncooked (not instant)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (can add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice too)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter cubed (or margarine)
- 4 cups sweet apples about 4 medium apples, thinly sliced (Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, or a mix)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
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Prepare the Topping: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, rolled oats, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and sea salt. Add the cubed unsalted butter. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized clumps. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the topping mixture while you prepare the apples. This helps ensure a crispier topping.
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Prepare the Apples: Lightly spray a 9×7 inch baking dish with oil. Arrange the thinly sliced apples evenly in the prepared dish. Drizzle the fresh lemon juice over the apples, and then sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon. Gently toss the apples to ensure they are well coated.
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Assemble and Bake: Retrieve the chilled crumble mixture from the refrigerator and evenly sprinkle it over the surface of the seasoned apples. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 30-40 minutes, or until the topping is beautifully golden brown and the fruit mixture beneath is bubbly and tender.
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Serve: Let the apple crisp cool for a few minutes before serving. This allows the filling to set slightly. Serve warm, preferably with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce. Enjoy your delicious homemade fall treat!
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
We hope this easy baked apple crisp becomes a cherished part of your fall traditions. Its simple ingredients, straightforward method, and utterly delicious outcome make it a winner every time. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out, this recipe promises a warm, inviting dessert that will gather everyone around the table. Enjoy the flavors of the season!