Easy Apple Crisp
With a crispy brown sugar and oat topping and a thick cinnamon, sweet apple filling, this Easy Apple Crisp is the perfect dessert recipe for any season.
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 pounds firm, tart apples (4 to 5 medium apples like Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and diced)
- 1 tablespoon orange juice*
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the apples and orange juice and toss to coat. Pour evenly into the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter until a crumble forms. Sprinkle over the apple mixture.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the filling is thick and bubbling around the edges and the apples are tender. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
While I tend to apple-themed recipes in the fall months, along with the pumpkin and pumpkin spice, I truly believe that apple desserts can be consumed any time of year! And, this Easy Apple Crisp is no exception! Throw a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, and you have a cool summer treat. Or leave it alone, and enjoy a warm and belly-filling dessert for those crisp fall and winter days.
This delicious dish of decadent cooked apples flavored with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg is topped with a buttery rolled oat and brown sugar topping. The perfect, simple dessert to make those taste buds dance!
When it comes time to serve this, I usually serve it slightly warm with a big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream. I have also been known to pour a little heavy cream right over the top, too. Life’s all about balance, folks! Y’all enjoy!
What is apple crisp?
Apple crisp is a yummy and classic dessert featuring delicious, sweet, baked apples topped with a crisp and crumbly topping. Most commonly, apple crisp is a base of sliced or diced apples coated in sugar and spices. Then, that mixture is topped with a crumbled topping of flour, oats, butter, and brown sugar. Sometimes the base will also include nuts, spices, and a citrus juice, like lemon or orange juice, for an added zest of flavor.
This dessert is baked until the apples are tender and the topping is golden and crispy. Traditionally served warm, I like to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce, or heavy cream on top. While this dish is generally most popular in the fall season, many enjoy this delicious treat year-round, as do I!
Should I peel my apples? How should I cut my apples for apple crisp?
When it comes time to prep those delicious apples, I like to peel and dice mine for this recipe. Some apple peels can often get tough when cooked and though it is one more step to have to peel them, I think it’s worth the effort. With that being said, you can absolutely leave the peels on the apples if you wish. You can also put one of these fancy peelers to good work, too. I have one and love it.
When it comes to the dicing part, that’s just personal preference, too. I feel like the smaller bites of apples are easier to fit on a spoon and less cumbersome when eating, but many recipes call for the apples to simply be sliced. As always, you do you. It will be just as tasty either way.
What variety is best for apple crisp?
I love all the apple varieties! The truth is, really any apple will work in this recipe. So, if you’ve already got some on hand, use those.
For me, I generally recommend using a firm-fleshed apple, like a Granny Smith, when baking. It’s got tons of tangy and tart apple flavor and is firm enough to not turn to complete mush when baking. You can also use other firm-fleshed apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, Braeburn, or Pink Lady.
