The Best Apple Crisp Recipe
This Apple Crisp recipe is the best fall dessert! Fresh sliced apples are topped with a buttery cinnamon oat topping that tastes divine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
For more delicious Fall Recipes, be sure to check out my Crockpot Pumpkin Dump Cake, Southern Sweet Potato Pie, and The Best Chocolate Pecan Pie.
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This Apple Crisp Recipe was the first thing on my mind when my family took a little trip to a local apple orchard this past weekend. It wasn’t really the best day to go; it was drizzling, and the temps were in the 50s.
But our kids still had a good time, especially since it was their first time going apple picking. Plus, we came home with a “peck” of apples to put to good use!
While there are lots of great recipes for apples that we could have made, apple crisp is always my favorite.
We were lucky enough to pick my favorite kind of apples, Honeycrisp. Their sweet yet tart nature and sturdy composition make an irresistible dessert and the perfect choice for this apple crisp recipe!
Ingredients for The Best Apple Crisp Recipe
- fresh apples
- granulated white sugar
- cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- old fashioned oats
- brown sugar
- salt
- butter
How to Make Homemade Apple Crisp – Step by Step
Step 1: Preheat oven
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a baking dish with butter. Grab a large bowl and combine about 5 cups of sliced apples (this comes to about 2 pounds of apples, or 4 large ones) with some granulated sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Add to baking dish
Pour that yummy goodness into your baking dish. Next make the topping by combining flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Pour in some melted butter and stir until well coated and crumbly (I usually put my hands in there to get it mixed up well). Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top of the apples.
Step 3: Bake
Now pop that dish into your waiting oven for 45-60 minutes, and get ready for heavenly smells to start floating your way! I cook mine until my apples are soft and tender. Once it’s done baking, allow it to cool slightly then serve. It tastes amazing warm with some vanilla ice cream on top!
FAQs
This kind of comes down to preference, or what you have available, but generally you’re going to want a variety of apple that will hold its shape after baking and not turn to total mush. We had a huge bag of Honeycrisp apples (my personal favorite) to use up, so that’s what I used. Granny Smith are usually considered the best apples for apple pie, but Golden Delicious, Braeburn, and Pink Lady apples would all work well for this apple crisp recipe, or for a pie.
My short answer for this is no! But that’s because I don’t like to do more work than I have to, and I don’t mind apple peels, especially once they’re baked. If you would prefer your apple crisp without the peel, though, feel free to remove them!
You can store your prepared and baked apple crisp covered tightly on the counter top for up to three days. You do not need to refrigerate it unless you would like to. Due to its crisp, crumbly topping, apple crisp tastes best when served the same day, as the topping can get soggy the longer it sits. Just keep that in mind!
Yes! Prepare the apple crisp recipe as directed and allow it to cool completely. Cover with both plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 4 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Tips and Notes for the Best Apple Crisp Recipe
- Slice your apples evenly. I slice my apples using this slicer to speed up the process and remove the core easily. I then slice the apples one more time each with my knife so that the widest part of the slice is roughly 1/2 an inch wide. You can also chop them into big chunks if you would prefer, but just make sure that you chop your apples to a uniform size to ensure even baking in your apple crisp.
- Prevent over-browning. If your topping is starting to get too brown but your apples still need more time to cook, simply place some aluminum foil loosely over the top of your pan and continue baking.
- Optional additions: Chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts would be a delicious addition to the topping! I didn’t add any to ours because my son has a nut allergy.
- Serving: this apple crisp tastes AMAZING with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! You could also top it with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Yum!
More Awesome Apple recipes
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!
Recipe: The Best Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Filling:
- 5 cups fresh apples, sliced
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a deep dish pie plate or large baking dish with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine the sliced apples with the sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and mix until all of the apples are evenly coated. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
- In a separate medium size bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and stir until well coated and crumbly. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top of the apples.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes until fruit is soft and the topping is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Slice your apples evenly. I slice my apples using this slicer to speed up the process and remove the core easily. I then slice the apples one more time each with my knife so that the widest part of the slice is roughly 1/2 an inch wide. You can also chop them into big chunks if you would prefer, but just make sure that you chop your apples to a uniform size to ensure even baking in your apple crisp.
- Prevent over-browning. If your topping is starting to get too brown but your apples still need more time to cook, simply place some aluminum foil loosely over the top of your pan and continue baking.
- Optional additions: Chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts would be a delicious addition to the topping! I didn’t add any to ours because my son has a nut allergy.
- Serving: this apple crisp tastes AMAZING with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! You could also top it with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Yum!
Great recipe. I love how crispy the topping came out. When I make it again I will reduce the white sugar by a little. It was a tad too sweet for my tastes.
I love this recipe. The only thing I do differently is I put apples on the top. It is juicier this way.
We love this apple crisp! I make double the topping 🙂 so good!
I made it last night. To be honest, I’ve never made an Apple Crisp before, so I have nothing to compare it too. All I have to say was it was delicious, and everyone loved it. My family asked me to make it again. Thank you for the recipe!
Is it 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup butter? Kinda confused by the instructions
Hi, it’s 1/4 cup of butter which is the same as 1/2 of a stick.
Best Apple Crisp I have ever ever made. I thought I had saved and realized I hadn’t. Almost full on terror thinking I wouldn’t find again!
Yumlicious!! I made up a new word to describe how yummy and delicious this recipe is! Served warm with vanilla ice cream is the best.
I’ve made this many times! Such a hit. Only thing different I do is add lemon juice to the apples at the beginning
Will update.
Started this but ended up cutting too many apples so I tripled the recipe. I did blend together the topping and apples and then did another set of topping for the top. Kind of nervous. Lol. Will update in about an hour or so.
Best apple crisp recipe I’ve ever made. I followed ingredient list and baking instructions exactly as written.
This is so very good! I always add more cinnamon because I love it but I love the vanilla in the apples and the topping is crunchy as long as you bake it long enough! Definitely delicious and worth making! Thank you!
I have made this 3 times in the last week and a half
I just made this apple crisp and we love it! It was very easy to make and double!
The only other add was chopped pecans.
It is very yummy! I will definately add to my recipe library!
Thank you for this!
🧡
Nice recipe. I added some lemon juice to the apples. I’ll make it again and include a bit of flour to solidify some of the liquid that developed at the bottom of the dish. I used Granny Smith Apples and a couple of Galas I had on hand.
This sounds delicious! I’d love to make this for our Christmas meal dessert. Have you ever prepped ahead and refrigerated, then popped in the oven later? Hoping that’ll work!
Yes, I’ve done that many times. Just wait to add the topping until right before you bake it.
I made this recipe last week and it is delicious! My best friend said it was the best apple crisp that he ever had. I definitely will be making this again! Thank you!
Very delicious. Preparation was easy.
I’ve made this recipe 4x in 2 weeks and it’s so easy and delicious. We can’t get enough!
Made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious!! Such a great recipe!
Best apple crisp out there! Easy and turns out perfect each time.
Super easy to follow. And it was amazing. Easy to adjust for the family. I will be checking out more of your recipes1
Fun to make. Easy to follow instructions. Recipe needed more salt.
I’ve made this at work for the cafeteria. Huge Hit!!!!
Is this for an 8×8 or 9×13?
I usually use a 9×9, 11×7, or a deep dish pie plate. A 9×13 is a little too big.
Thank you so much for the recipe and clear instructions. It looks amazing! I will be making it tonight for a Friendsgiving potluck at work.
If I double the recipe and bake it in a 13×9 dish, do I need to increase the cooking time?
Thank you!
The time should be about the same!
Best recipe I’ve tried for apple crisp and so easy!!