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.
This post may contain affiliate links.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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!
I’ve tried many recipes for apple crisp, and this one, by far is the best. Simple, perfect and tastes great!!
Absolutely delicious!
I was wondering if I could make it, freeze it, and bake 2 days later.
Yes, you can do that!
There is a reason this recipe has so many high ratings!! Seriously, look no further. It’s DELICIOUS!!
It was very good but I prefer a more moist topping and not so sweet. I even put more butter in top to help moisten. There seemed to be a lot of sweetness.
Amazing and so easy to make!
OMG! So darn good!!!
I’ve made your apple crisp recipe 2 times now and both times folks tell me how good it is. I tell them it isn’t a recipe that I made up, it’s one I found on the internet and I think it’s the best apple crisp I’ve ever tasted. I use my salad shooter to slice the apples. I like them sliced thin. Anyway, thanks so much for sharing your recipe. Yum-yum!!
I love this recipe, it is my go-to. I want to make a few for family and friends after a large apple picking haul. (Honeycrisp variety) wondering if this recipe can be frozen for storage? If so should it be frozen before or after baking?
Hi Kass, I would bake it first and then freeze. So glad your family enjoys it!
Made this for my family and they loved it. Thanks
I couldn’t find my go to recipe, so I thought I’d try something else. Good overall but I would make couple of adjustments: add 1 tbs of lemon juice if you aren’t using tart apples (I omitted vanilla). This will help to balance the sweetness. Add 1 tbs of flour to the apples, this will help to thicken the filling and absorb excess juice. I would reduce the sugar in apples to 1/4 or cup. Too sweet for my taste. But this is a great beginner recipe. Simple, quick with minimal ingredients. Crunchy topping, just the right amount.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. It’s delicious! I add in about a tablespoon of cornstarch to the apple mixture because the first time I made it, it was a little watery. Since then, the sauce has been delectably caramel- like. It’s so good with some Vanilla Bean ice cream!
In love with this apple crisp recipe! I wanted to mention though, when you try to double the recipe by clicking the 2x it doubles everything but the butter! I made a double batch and realized my topping was really dry and realized it was the same amount used for the original recipe!
Thank you for letting me know about that, Toni! I’ll look into that setting.
This is my go to recipe. compared this to apple crisp recipe on pinterest & decided to make this one. this actually has vanilla in it which gives it such a different flavor.
The recipe is actually perfected. You have to use 5 LARGE apples and not 5 medium apples. I had medium and used 7 apples. Sugar to apple ratio was actually perfect. I wouldn’t change anything. Rating 5/5
Have you ever made mini versions of these? Going to a fall party this weekend and need to make individual ones. Would you just check them in half the time? Thank you!
Hi there, no I have not done that before but I love that idea! Yes, about half the baking time I would start checking in on them.
This was amazing!!! Super easy and will say 3 of us ate a double batch in one sitting. Well worth it but really rich. Perfect amount of sweet and salty.
Wonderful recipe! I double it every time and take to friends for our dessert! I have an apple tree and this year was a bumper crop – made so much apple crisp I gave away to neighbors and friends. I’m unsure about how to freeze if that’s possible!