Ultimate Apple Crisp

Ultimate Apple Crisp is a fall favorite full of sliced apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and crispy baked oats.

We have a passion for apple crisp in this house, and in our kitchen this week we’re cooking up Apple Crisp Crumb Cake, Apple Crisp Cookies, and my Legendary Apple Crisp Pie!

Ultimate Apple Crisp
 Ultimate Apple Crisp

Ultimate Apple Crisp is a MUST in our house when this time of the year rolls around. My favorite part is that it tastes a lot like apple pie, with less than half of the work!

Plus the topping. The topping is the best part of any dessert because it’s crispy, buttery, full of brown sugar and it has (in our house at least) a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over it making it this mix of hot and cold and buttery. Did I mention the apple and caramel-y goodness in the apple mixture? This dessert is heaven.

The apples cook down with the brown sugar and spices to make something really close to apple pie filling. And the soft texture of the apples are perfectly matched with the crispy crunch of the oat crumble topping. My kids LOVE having this dessert with vanilla ice cream on the holidays.

You can assemble this apple crisp recipe ahead of time or even freeze it so it’s ready when you are. You can also throw nuts into the crisp streusel topping, like pecan or almonds, to add even MORE crunchy texture.

Easy Apple Crisp

HOW DO YOU MAKE APPLE CRISP TOPPING?

Apple crisp topping uses all-purpose flour, butter, and sugar as the base. From there, you can add ingredients like oats, nuts, seeds, or pieces of dried fruit for sweetness and crunch. Each apple crisp recipe does it a little bit differently. You want to cover the entire dessert, so make enough for the length of the baking dish.

Make sure you’re using rolled oats for this topping and not quick oats or oatmeal. You need the firmness of the rolled oats to stand up to the baking, the others will disappear into the topping when baked.

I also consider ice cream a topping, even if it’s not technically part of the apple crisp recipe, because it really completes the dessert.

WHAT KIND OF APPLES DO YOU USE FOR APPLE CRISP?

Fuji, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Braeburn or Granny Smith apples all great choices for this because they are all sweet / tart apples, and hold up really well in this crisp recipe. These are also great for baking other recipes, like Apple Slab Pie With Spiced Glaze.

Choose your favorite apple and it’ll likely work, just please don’t use apple filling from a can or store bought caramel sauce.

HOW TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED APPLE CRISP IN THE SLOW COOKER

Add apples to slow cooker and stir together with orange juice, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl mix together your all-purpose flour, sugar, and other topping ingredients, and add on top of apples.
Bake on high for a total time of 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. In the last half hour, open top slightly. This will help the top crisp up of the dessert.
Serve warm with ice cream.

Classic Apple Crisp

CAN YOU MAKE APPLE CRISP IN ADVANCE?

Apple crisp is a great make ahead dessert because it can be assembled in a baking or casserole dish and stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before baking. You can also seal it tightly and freeze it, then defrost in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before baking.

HOW DO YOU STORE APPLE CRISP?

Cooked apple crisp should be cooled and tightly sealed either in a container or with plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator. It will keep about 2-3 days. You can also wrap the apple crisp tightly and freeze it. When you’re ready, defrost in the refrigerator.

TIPS FOR HOMEMADE APPLE CRISP

  • Make sure you’re using rolled oats. They are less processed then quick cooking or instant oats, so you’ll get a crispier crust this way.
  • Don’t skip the brown sugar. It adds some of those deep molasses notes to the apple crisp that make it really flavorful instead of just sweet.
  • If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can pulse the topping ingredients a few times in the food processor. Just make sure to not over-process, or the topping won’t turn out as crispy.
  • Once you add your butter you want about pea-sized pieces.
  • If you cut your apples ahead of time, add 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
  • For the full dessert experience, top warm apple crisp with cold vanilla ice cream!
  • If you want a fun topping that isn’t caramel sauce use apple cider that you cook down to a glaze. You’ll love it so much you’ll never use caramel sauce again.

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Ultimate Apple Crisp

A Fall favorite full of sliced apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, butter and oats baked crisp. Top with whipped cream for a perfect cold weather favorite or top with a scoop of ice cream you're still experiencing this never-ending heat wave with the rest of us.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword ultimate apple crisp
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 9 servings
Calories 396 kcal
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Fuji or Granny Smith apples peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar , packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
  • 1/2 pound cold unsalted butter , diced

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  2. In a large bowl add the apple slices, orange juice, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

  3. To make the crisp topping, mash together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar, salt, oats and butter.

  4. Add the apples to a 8x8 pan and add the crisp topping on top before baking for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe Notes

Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.

Nutrition Facts
Ultimate Apple Crisp
Amount Per Serving
Calories 396 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 40mg13%
Sodium 105mg5%
Potassium 161mg5%
Carbohydrates 62g21%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 42g47%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 525IU11%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 37mg4%
Iron 1.3mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. I am planning on making this for Thanksgiving. Does it turn out caramely? I had a quest for a apple crisp with lots of caramel ?thank you in advance!

    1. This recipe is very crisp heavy which is our favorite but it’s still got a saucy filling. If you want more caramel sauce You could double the sauce mixture but it’s going to be a LOT. As in a lot of heavy flavors. If you like the crisp topping, this is absolutely hands down your dessert, it just hasn’t been tested with tons of sauce. Happy Thanksgiving!

  2. I made this last year for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. I’ve tried multiple Apple crisp recipes and this is by far the best. I do have a question for this year though, I need to make it gluten free and I was wondering if there is any specific flour substitute you would recommend? Or maybe they would all turn out pretty much the same? I don’t know anything about gluten free baking ?

  3. Just tried this recipe out! I used 1/4 less butter only because I didnt have enough. came out perfect in a 9×13 glass pan. Even made the apple cider glaze and vanilla ice cream to go with it 🙂 thank you thank you!

  4. This is my dads new favorite dessert. Now I’m making two other of your recipes for Thanksgiving. So delicious! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

  5. Very good! Thanks for the recipe, perfect for a cold snowing winter day.
    My other half truly appreciates you, I appreciate the ease of the recipe.

    1. I used 1 teaspoon of nutmeg for this recipe. If you don’t have it, you can substitute with more cinnamon or ginger or clove. Pumpkin pie spice would even make a great substitution. Hope this helps!

  6. I made it 4 days ago and just ate the last bit myself last night… Fantastic. Another winner. Made it as written. Gosh, thank you for this awesome recipe! lol

  7. This was a great recipe and had great flavor! I’m fairly new to baking, so I’m thinking may have messed up the topping. I cubed the cold butter and mixed it in. When it was done baking the top layer looked kind of dry and powdery instead of what is pictured. Is there a tip or recommendation you can offer? Thanks in advance!

    1. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It sounds like maybe your butter was still in too big of pieces. Try mashing it more into smaller pieces that’ll melt easier. Hope this helps.

  8. Would it work to replace the apples with peaches and if so, would the amounts still be the same? This looks amazing ! Thank you

  9. Simple and delicious! I swapped out orange juice for lemon juice and used gluten-free flour. It turned out really well. I will definitely use this recipe again!

  10. Some nice woman gave me a bag of apples this past weekend and I just made this Apple Crisp. It was absolutely delicious but I am not sure how you made this in an 8×8 pan. I did mine in 9×13 and it was perfect. I did bake it for about 50 minutes. So good!

  11. Soooo good! Hubby said it was perfect! It has the best apple to topping ratio of any crisp ever! It totally fits in an 8×8 pan so I’m not sure what other people are talking about. Smoosh it in the pan if you have to, but don’t be afraid of the topping. It condenses a little during baking anyway. I cannot say enough about how amazing this recipe is!!!

  12. I used a 9” x 13” glass pan.
    Additional ingredients added:
    Apple mixture:
    Add 1 cup of frozen cranberries.
    Instead of Orange juice, substitute 1/2 cup of Countreau or Grande Marnier

    Crumble Topping:
    Add 1/2 cup of chopped unsalted pecans

    Absolutely incredibly awesome recipe. Love it!!! Bakes up like a dream. Be courageous, use all the crumble topping. You’ll be glad you did.

  13. Could you please us a different amount for the butter, like a cup etc.
    Thanks a lot and it looks very very good I really want to make it.

  14. The topping was delicious! Topping part can be the toughest sometimes but this recipe was easy and came out good. Just a personal opinion- i will make it with less nutmeg next time, too overpowering for my taste. (But I’ve never been huge on nutmeg)

  15. It is delicious! We made it to take to a Thanksgiving Dinner. It was a hit. I just made it again to take to another event but we are having trouble not sneaking bites before 🙂

  16. This was delicious! My husband tried it at a dinner party, then he made it for the next dinner party we hosted. It’s now a go-to dinner party dessert for us.

  17. Made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! The amount of cinnamon was perfect for me. The very slight orange flavor is really nice, too. I did use a 9×13 pan as others suggested. And, since we don’t eat dairy, subbed in Earth Balance for the butter. Will definitely make again!

  18. If I make this tonight, do I bake it before I put it in the fridge or do I just put on the crumble and put in the fridge and bake it tomorrow?

      1. I just made this with the apples we picked this past weekend. It was delicious!!!!! Can I cut out any of the sugar or butter? Put in one stick instead of two? I would love to make this soon but am thinking of a healthier option so I can make more often.

        1. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Feel free to play around with the recipe until you find the amounts that are perfect for you.

  19. This recipe looks delicious. I’m planning on making this for Thanksgiving. I don’t care for the taste of nutmeg. Should I add an extra teaspoon of cinnamon or just delete the nutmeg and not substitute the cinnamon. Also, many people have suggested using a 9×13 pan rather than an 8×8 pan. Do you think this would cause the apple mixture to be skimpy? Thank you in advance for answering my questions.

    1. Sorry for the delay. I used an 8×8 pan whenever I make this. I would add more cinnamon for the nutmeg, and maybe ground clove or cardamom if you prefer those flavors. Hope this helps!

  20. I never leave a comment unless I’ve actually tried a recipe. This one I will make again and again! It’s that good! I didn’t have orange juice so I juiced clementines, it was wow! I did cut way back on the cinnamon. I wanted a BIG pan so I tripled the recipe. I had leftover crumb topping, that I put in the freezer for another time. Oh and I shredded the apples. I was asked for the recipe by several others. Now that’s a compliment! I did make it the day before and put it in a low oven to warm before serving. mmmmmm

    1. That’s a huge compliment when people ask for your recipe! I’m glad you were able to make it your own and it turned out so well! 🙂

  21. I have a question…does this topping come out very crunchy? When my mother-in-law makes apple crisp using oatmeal in her topping, it is a soggy gooey mess. Not to my liking. I am looking for a “crunchy” topping.

    1. It does – the trick is to use rolled oats, not instant or quick cooking. 🙂 Hope this helps and it turns out well for you!

  22. Just did this as a practice round before the holidays. Not gonna lie, I felt pretty grossed out by the amount of sugar and butter that’s in it, but that’s also why it ended up being so good. Even my apple hating roommate went back for seconds.

    1. Haha well glad this won over the apple haters. 🙂 The butter and sugar make it for sure, but it’s definitely an indulgent treat for us!

    1. So sorry it wasn’t to your taste 🙁 You can always use less if you aren’t a fan of that much cinnamon. Let me know if you try it again and adjust to your liking 🙂

  23. This recipe is absolutely delicious!!! I didn’t have any OJ on hand so I used just a little lemon juice. I followed the rest of the recipe as written and it was perfect! I do agree with the pan size change, I used a 9×13 and it was great! I have made many different apple crisp recipes and this is the only one that my boys have asked me to make again!

  24. If I’m planning to make this today, and our thanksgiving dinner is tomorrow would you recommend just leaving it in the fridge and reheating in the oven tomorrow when we are ready for dessert? Or what would you suggest ?

    Thank you so much

    1. You can definitely do that! You can also make it in the slow cooker the same day (instructions in post) if you the yummy smell of apples won’t make you crazy while cooking all the other Thanksgiving stuff 😀

  25. Planning on making this tonight!… I noticed that in the recipe it doesn’t mention anything about a stand mixer, but in the blog it does. What attachment is used in the stand mixer for mixing the crumble topping?

    I also noticed that you mentioned in the comments there were more prep pictures, where would I find these?

    A lot of the comments pertain to the 8×8 square dish not being big enough… should the assembled, uncooked version be overflowing because it eventually cooks down?

    1. I use the flat beater with the mixer on low. Make sure it doesn’t over mix. I’m not sure what you mean by more pictures, the pictures I have are in the post. The only comment I could find mentioning them, references the post.

  26. Something with the flour in this recipe is not right…it seems like it’s way too much flour for the small amount of the other topping ingredients.

    1. I’ve used this amount many times and it always comes out perfect but you can feel free to adjust it if it’s not working for you.

  27. Just popped this into the oven made with apples From my tree! I will say this recipe does NOT fit in an 8×8 pan. It filled up my 10×13. Can’t wait to try it. Vanilla ice cream is in the freezer ready to go.

  28. I made this for the second time tonight and it is PERFECT. Anytime I’m in a funk, I like to make my life as “Fall” as possible (chili, fall scented candles, pumpkin and apple everything). This makes my house smell so good and, when paired with a good Halloween movie, is a serious life saver for me. Thank you so much for this recipe.

  29. This was ridiculously sweet. The topping turned out grainy due to the excessive amount of sugar and had the flavor of toffee. I would definitely suggest starting with less sugar and adding more as you go to your own taste preferences.

    1. The recipe card includes the instructions for using the oven, not a slow cooker. Sorry if that was unclear. You’ll want to bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Hope this helps clear up any confusion.

    1. The recipe states to make the crisp topping to mash together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar, salt, oats and butter. Maybe you saw the 3/4 for the sugar and brown sugar instead? Hope this helps clear up any confusion.

  30. If I wanted to double the recipe for a party & put it in a 9×13, how long would you suggest cooking it for? Looks amazing, can’t wait to try!

  31. I’ve only ever made apple crisp with fresh apples, but I have a bunch that have started to go mealy. Would this be a good use for them since they get cooked anyway, or would the texture still be noticeable and ruin the dessert?

  32. I absolutely Love your recipes and I thank you so much for Sharing! I am a 72yr. old Grandma that can still learn something new everyday.

    1. My apologies John, I actually run about half the ads of most food blogs which is the minimum I can run to actually pay my bills since I have done only one sponsored post this year. Since I don’t charge for any of my content it is the only way to keep this blog afloat. I apologize, I do actually try really hard to keep it to a minimum because I am really sensitive to ads too.

  33. I currently have this recipe baking in the oven. It looks and smells wonderful. I hope it tastes as good! I would just like to note one thing – there is absolutely, positively no possible way this recipe was going to fit in an 8×8 pan. No way. The apples alone filled 3/4 of the pan. I am using a 9×13 and that’s filled end to end and to the top.

  34. You mentioned cooking down some apple cider as a glaze, but don’t expand upon that… Is there any trick to it? Or other ingredients? Or do you just cook apple cider?

    1. It’s pretty easy. Bring apple cider, sugar, butter and corn syrup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in a bit of vanilla. Enjoy!

  35. Help…I’m currently making this and have read through most of the “how to”, looking for the pan size. ? I used a 9×13 as it appeared to be a lot of everything, and buttered it.
    I’ll let you know how it turns out. ?

  36. The best apple crisp I’ve had. So so good. Easy to make. Turns out perfect every time. Tonight I made it for our Thanksgiving feast tomorrow cause it’s so good! Thank you!

  37. Hi, is this recipe for a 8 or 9” pan or a 9×13”? I don’t seem to see where you say what size pan to use. Thanks!

  38. We couldn’t have loved this more! Made it for a Friendsgiving and everyone was asking for the recipe. The double topping is key and it comes out super crispy and delicious. A must make, especially for the holidays.

    1. You’ll want to use an 8×8 pan for this recipe. I’ve edited the recipe card to add that. Thanks for letting me know it was missing. 🙂

  39. Omg. This is the best apple crisp I have ever made/had! Love love love it’s so so good. My friends and family all love it Making for the second time in two weeks. Love serving it warm with a dallop of Vanilla ice cream and a bit of Carmel sauce. Decadent! Thank you for the recipe!

  40. The BEST apple crisp I have ever made ? Had guests over who weren’t fans of “cooked fruit” and they went back for seconds.

  41. I looked under your nutrition information and the calories is left blank. How many calories in one serving would you say? TY!

  42. This was the best apple crisp I’ve ever made! Thanks for sharing! I did cut the recipe in half and it worked great!

  43. My family & I love desserts with apples this time of the year. Apple Crisp has always been my favorite Autumn dessert, and yours sounds super tasty & easy. I’m planning to make this with Fuji apples this coming weekend. I might cut down a tiny bit on the sugars, but I’m sure it will still be delicious!

  44. This is the BEST Apple Crisp ever! I made this and it was gone so fast! My mom’s new favorite. Thank you for the amazing recipe.

    1. Hey sorry this got snagged in the spam filter Teresa! I’ve used my hands or hand mixers or in a pinch I have just pulsed it very quickly in a food processor for just a few seconds until the butter was combined but before the oats were pulverized.

  45. This is delicious. I add slightly more apples(peeled) and used gluten free flour blend but kept everything else the same. Made this for my family twice so far and it was gone within minutes both times. Now I’m making again for get together and I know it will be a hit! Thanks!

  46. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’ll keep it and use it again with just a few minor changes. I made this today and as delishus as it is, it is a bit too sweet for even me. Next time I will cut back on the sugars. There is a lot of liquid in the dish so I will mix a quarter cup of flour with the apples and sugar and I’ll probably peel my apples next time too!

  47. This apple crisp look mouthwatering. I love apple crisp they are one of my go-to desserts.

  48. My topping didn’t get crispy…it stayed as a powder almost. Any idea why this happened? I’m pretty sure I followed the directions…is there a quick fix for this?

    1. Did you mix it well with the butter? Look at the last picture before it goes in the oven, the topping should look sort of like clusters. I usually use a stand mixer or you can use your hands to sort of mash it together like you would a hamburger mix before forming patties. The topping shouldn’t be powdery even before going in the oven. We can definitely troubleshoot more if you would like, you can always email me at [email protected] 🙂

  49. I always fail at making apple crisp 🙁 I will have to see if this recipe works for me. I love eating it for breakfast!

  50. I have a ton apples i need to do something with. This looks like a great recipe to try. I bet it smells amazing when it is baking.

    1. It smelled so good I burnt my tongue because I didn’t wait for it to cool even ten seconds before taking a bite. Molten apples, lol.

  51. I love making apple desserts. I will have to try this apple crisp recipe. It looks so delicious and easy to make. I am sure my family will love it.

  52. OK double the crisp is right up my alley! You are totally speaking my language! I love anything crisp and so you know I am going to make this one!

  53. WOW. This is my all time favorite dessert, and this looks amazing. Mine never looks like this though, I will be doing this over the weekend. YUM.

  54. Anything with warm, cooked apples and a scoop of ice cream is a win in my book. It’s crazy how often I crave this combo, so this recipe would be perfect for me.

    1. I’ve done it both ways and to be honest I like the taste better and I love the extra ten minutes of my life not spent peeling them where I get to watch more Bravo instead 😉

  55. More crisp, yes please! This would go great with my caramel apple granola recipe! I haven’t used my cast iron skillet in a while either….

  56. I love that your recipe is much different than my oat free version. I love making apple crisp when I do not feel like making a pie!

  57. You had me at Double the Crisp! The crip is absolutely the best part and this recipe looks divine!

  58. The crisp is my favorite part of these types of recipes – so double the crisp is even better! Definitely making this recipe!

  59. I always make apple crisp in the fall. It’s usually gone as soon as it comes out of the oven around here 😉