Homemade Apple Crisp is made with a sweet fresh apple filling and a crunchy streusel crumb topping made with crispy oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon for a deliciously warming sweet treat! It’s the perfect dessert during the fall or cold winter months, especially when served with a scoop of my homemade vanilla ice cream!
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Apple Crisp is probably our favorite fall dessert here at The Recipe Rebel!
It’s just hard to beat that soft, gooey fruit filling with the crunchy streusel — pair it with half-melted vanilla ice cream and it’s a dreamy combo!
Of course, you can enjoy it any time of the year and I love using this streusel recipe to make Peach Crisp, Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp or Rhubarb Crisp or even Pineapple Crisp! It’s so easy to mix and match the fruit you have for the filling.
The classic combination of apples and cinnamon is what makes this comforting dessert perfect for fall — the smell that comes out of the oven when it is baking is one of my favorite in the world!
This recipe, made with simple ingredients and just a couple of easy steps, takes just under an hour to make.
It’s perfect for dessert during the week, after dinner parties, and even for the holidays (with a great option to make it ahead of time)!
Try my Apple Crisp Cheesecakes, Overnight Apple Crisp French Toast, Baked Maple Glazed Apple Crisp Doughnuts, Maple-Glazed Apple Crisp Cookies, or these Apple Crisp Blondies for more delicious Apple Crisp flavors.
Ingredients Needed:
- Apples: I use tart apples for this recipe for that classic crisp apple flavor, but you can use any kind of apples.
- White Sugar: White granulated sugar adds sweetness to the apple filling.
- Cornstarch: to thicken the apple mixture as it bakes for a thick and juicy filling.
- Cinnamon: ground cinnamon will add a deliciously spiced warmth to the dessert.
- Oats: rolled oats will give the crumble topping a great texture and also crisp up better than other types of oats. You can substitute for quick oats in a pinch.
- Flour: use all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, depending on your preference.
- Brown Sugar: lightly packed brown sugar sweetens the crisp topping.
- Butter: cold butter will work well to bind the crispy topping and help it bake.
How to Make Apple Crisp
This recipe is quick and easy! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- Combine crisp topping ingredients: Add oats, flour, brown sugar, and cold butter to a bowl.
- Make topping: With a pastry cutter, fork, or even your hands, mix the topping ingredients until combined.
- Mix apple filling ingredients: Stir together apples, white sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon until the apples are coated.
- Add topping and bake: Crumble the oat mixture over the fruit in the pan and press down slightly. Bake for 40-50 minutes, and serve warm.
Apple Crisp FAQs
Yes! Fresh, frozen, or canned fruit can be used to make Apple Crisp. I prefer fresh apples here as they’re easily accessible all year round, but canned and frozen will work well too. You don’t have to adjust the recipe, but If you use frozen fruit and you like a thick fruit filling, increase the corn starch to a ⅓ cup.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge.
Yes! I love Crisp desserts because they freeze so well, and can even be freshly baked from frozen (if your dish is ok to go from freezer to oven)! Store it in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 4 months. Freeze it before or after baking it, the only difference will be how you reheat or bake it.
To reheat: You can bake a frozen and previously unbaked Crisp dessert by first leaving it on the counter for a couple of hours to thaw a bit or bake it from frozen if you need. After the specified baking time, if it is still frozen in the middle, cover it in foil and continue to bake. If baking it from frozen after it’s been cooked already, let it fully defrost and cover it in foil before putting it in the oven.
Apple Crisp Variations
- Mix up the fruit. You can easily use different kinds of fruit or berries to change the flavor of this classic dessert. Try peaches like in my Peach Crisp or mixed berries with apples, pears, or rhubarb.
- Add flavor. Add some extra warmth with nutmeg or vanilla extract. Or add some lemon juice or zest to the fruit filling for a burst of fresh citrus flavor.
- Keep the peel. I often peel and chop my apples for Apple Crisp, but you can leave the peel on. It’ll save you time and add more nutrients, but the texture will differ slightly.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your Apple Crisp hot or cold with a dollop of ice cream or Homemade Whipped Cream on the side for extra sweetness!
Try my Coffee Ice Cream, Butter Pecan Ice Cream, or this No Churn Turtle Ice Cream!
Serve this dessert for your holiday dessert table with some other apple desserts like Apple Spice Cake, Cinnamon Apple Muffins, my Perfect Apple Pie, or this Caramel Apple Icebox Cake.
See more dessert recipes!
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 8 cups peeled, chopped, tart baking apples (about 6 apples)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup flour all purpose (or whole wheat)
- ½ cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
- ½ cup cold butter, cubed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a 3 quart baking dish (9×9 or 9×13 will both work — 9×13" will bake a little more quickly), stir together apples, sugar, corn starch and cinnamon until apples are coated.
- In a medium bowl, combined oats, flour, brown sugar and cold butter with a pastry cutter, fork or even your hands, until combined. It should resemble cookie dough when done and easily hold together when pressed.
- Crumble oat mixture over fruit in pan and press down slightly.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until oats are golden brown and filling is thick and bubbly at the edges.
- Serve warm with ice cream or as desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Barbara Hogan says
Made this last night for the family and it was so delicious! We served it with icecream.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for your review Barbara!
Sarah says
Made this last night! Absolutely delicious! My husband loved it
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sarah! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Rosalyn L Harris says
I am going to be trying it soon after I make it, it looks delicious 😋
The Recipe Rebel says
Hope you enjoy it Rosalyn!