The BEST Apple Crisp recipe ever is made with thinly sliced Granny Smith apples and baked with a cinnamon glaze and oatmeal crumb topping.
Apple Crisp is one of those recipes that a lot of people have in their personal recipe book. Let me just say, if you do already have a recipe for apple crisp, you will probably never make it again after trying this one! I fell in love with this recipe years ago from Cooking Classy, and I loved the “sauce” that the apples get coated in before the crumble topping goes on them. If you are serving a crowd, this recipe can easily be doubled and cooked in a 9×13” pan.
How to make apple crisp:
- Make the oat crumble topping. In a medium size bowl combine the crumb topping ingredients with a fork or pastry blender until it resembles small crumbs. Refrigerate.
- Peel and slice your apples. I use a Johnny Apple Peeler to peel and slice the apples all at once. It makes the process a lot faster!
- Toss in apples in sauce. Add melted butter and flour to a small bowl and combine. Add lemon juice, milk and vanilla and stir well. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Toss the apples in the sauce, then pour mixture into a 8×8” baking dish.
- Top with oat crumble and bake. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the top of the apples. Bake for about about 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Allow the baked apple apple crisp to rest and cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. This will give the sauce a chance to thicken a little more as it cools.
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, if desired. Complete HEAVEN!
Should I peel apples for apple crisp?
Yes! For apple crisp
Tips for Perfect Apple Crisp:
Choose the right apples for baking: Granny Smith apples are my favorite for baking because they bring a tart flavor and crisp texture that blends well with sweet desserts. Gala apples, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, or any tart apple will also work great for baking.
Peel, Core, and Slice at the same time: I suggest peeling apples for apple crisp because the skin or the apples will not break down during baking and can make for a tougher texture. I use my Johnny Apple Peeler for this part because it PEELS, CORES and SLICES the apple all at once! I once made this apple crisp for a party of 200 people and the Johnny apple peeler was a life saver.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Make the apple filling as instructed but add an extra splash of lemon juice to keep the apples from turning brown. Store in an air-tight container, in the fridge, for up to one day. Make the crumble topping and store separately in the fridge.
To Freeze: Prepare and bake the apple crisp as directed. Cool completely, then cover with a double layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
CONSIDER TRYING THESE POPULAR APPLE RECIPES:
- Caramel Pecan Apple Crisp
- Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
- Baked Apples
- Apple Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
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Recipe
Apple Crisp
Video
Ingredients
For the crumb topping:
- 2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup salted butter , cut into small pieces
For the Apple filling:
- 3-4 large Granny Smith apples , peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter , melted
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For serving (optional)
- vanilla Ice Cream
- Homemade Caramel Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
For the topping:
- In a medium size bowl combine the crumb topping ingredients with a fork or pastry blender until it resembles small crumbs. Refrigerate while you prepare the apple filling.
For the Apple Filling:
- (I use a Johnny Apple Peeler to peel and slice the apples all at once. It makes the process a lot faster!)
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter and flour until well blended. Add lemon juice, milk and vanilla and stir well. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Pour butter mixture over apples and toss to coat. Pour apple mixture into an 8x8-inch baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and top is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream and homemade caramel sauce, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this post October 10, 2014. Updated November 2017 and October 2020.
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Delicious!!!! I don’t have a pastry blender or whatever so I was trying to use a fork like the directions say but it was taking too long so I started to just use my hands and it worked perfectly!! So so yummy!!! Will definitely be making this again!!
Wowsome! The best apple crisp and, oh so easy! And the topping, so good, I’ll double it next time! Kudos to Lauren.
I honestly can’t believe how amazing this is! Best Apple Crisp I have ever made. Took Dado’s advice and doubled the topping and my husband and I ate this in 3 days flat. Sooooo good.
So yummy and easy to make! I took some advice from the comments and doubled the topping. Definitely recommend doing so!
By far the BEST apple crisp recipe on the internet! Made countless times, we love it!!!
I’ve made this for family and friends at least a dozen times. It’s so easy and yummy, and many of my loved ones have asked me to forward this recipe! We love topping it with vanilla ice cream and then just a sprinkle of cinnamon on top…yummmmmy!!!
Who doesn’t like butter! However, next time I would cut back on the butter and cut back more on the sugar than I already did. I think it’s way sweeter than it needs to be. But then, I’m not a fan of really sweet desserts that leave a coating of sugar in the mouth.
The only thing I deviated was I used regular butter not unsalted. I cooked for full 35 minutes at 375 and the apples weren’t soft enough for my liking. IF I make again, I’m going to microwave the apple filling overed about 3 minutes on high before putting on topping and baking in the oven.
Your apples may have been too thick or laced to high in the dish. Try again, hope this helps.
I love this recipe! I tried it with fresh peaches instead of apples and it turned out great!
We LOVE this recipe, I’ve been using it for years and it’s always a hit! I also just used the same recipe but instead of apples I used my basket of fresh peaches that were going bad and it was yummy!