This easy, old-fashioned apple crisp is a cozy fall dessert made with tender cinnamon-spiced apples and a buttery, crunchy oat topping. It’s simple, homemade, and delicious, served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
When I was in 8th or 9th grade, we had a cookbook for children that had simple recipes with easy-to-follow steps to help kids learn how to cook. I had already learned how to make quite a bit, but one night I decided I wanted to make dinner using a recipe in that book. I couldn’t tell you what the dinner was, but being the overachiever I was at 13, I also used the cookbook to make a dessert – apple crisp. It was one of the most disgusting desserts I’ve ever tasted.
You know when you make something for others to eat, how you wait for them to try it, eager to see their reaction? Well, the reaction I got to my apple crisp was not what I was hoping for. It was the, “Um…well…uh…it’s okay,” kind of reaction, and after tasting it myself, I knew that was generous. We discussed it a bit and eventually decided that it tasted so bad because it called for whole wheat flour, and the whole wheat flour that we had was pretty old. I don’t know if that was the actual reason, but sometimes we just need to blame the ingredients.
This apple crisp recipe is not the same one that I made 20 years ago, and I assure you it is much better. If you decide to make it, I would just advise using ingredients that are not stale or spoiled. You know, just to give your apple crisp a fighting chance.
Ingredients
- Apples – it is best to use an apple that is more tart, like Granny Smith, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Brown Sugar
- All-Purpose Flour
- Old-Fashioned Oats
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Butter, softened
- Vanilla Ice Cream, for serving (optional)
Equipment
- 8×8 Baking Dish
- Mixing Bowl and Spoon
How to Make Apple Crisp
- Preheat oven to 375° and grease an 8×8 square baking dish.
- Peel and cut 4 medium apples into small pieces, and arrange at the bottom of the baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together ¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup oats, ¾ tsp cinnamon, ¾ tsp nutmeg, and ⅓ cup softened butter.
- If you are using a sweeter variety of apples, use ⅔ cup of brown sugar instead of the full amount.
- Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the apples.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Enjoy!
Questions You May Have
What are the best apples to use for apple crisp?
Because we are adding sugar, it’s best to use a more tart variety of apple. This will balance out the flavor and keep the dessert from becoming overly sweet. The most widely available tart apple is probably a Granny Smith, but McIntosh and Pink Lady are other tart varieties.
If you only have sweeter apples on hand, you can still use them in this dessert. You may just want to use less brown sugar. Instead of the normal ¾ cup, just use ⅔ cup.
Can you use this crisp recipe with other fruits?
This recipe can also work well with peaches. Use about 4 cups of sliced fresh peaches instead of apples, and use ⅔ cup of brown sugar instead of ¾ cup. The rest of the ingredients are the same, and baking instructions are the same.
Apple Crisp
Difficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes28
minutesIngredients
4 medium apples
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup old-fashioned oats
¾ tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp nutmeg
⅓ cup butter, softened
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375° and grease an 8×8 square baking dish.
- Peel and cut 4 medium apples into small pieces, and arrange at the bottom of the baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together ¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup oats, ¾ tsp cinnamon, ¾ tsp nutmeg, and ⅓ cup softened butter.
If you are using a sweeter variety of apples, use ⅔ cup of brown sugar instead of the full amount. - Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the apples.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Enjoy!
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