Apple Crisp is a comforting, classic dessert that’s made with a generous amount of spiced apple filling and a crisp, oat topping. This fall classic is perfect when served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. You can’t find a better way to use up all those gorgeous, fresh apples in the fall.
APPLE CRISP
There are a few deserts that truly represent the fall season and Apple Crisp is one of them. There is nothing that brings out the feeling of this season better than the house filled with sweet aroma of baking apples with cinnamon. It’s even more special if the apple have been freshly picked from the orchard.
I always see pictures of people apple picking in the fall and I have to admit, I get a little jealous. Freshly picked apples make the best desserts but I settle for farmer’s market apples in my favorite Apple Crisp recipe. There are a couple of things that I do to make my crisp extra special and that is to precook apples with apple pie spice and sugar and have extra oat topping for a higher crisp to apple ratio.
Precooking the apples makes it almost into an apple pie filling by releasing natural apple juices and combining it with spices, butter, sugar, and flour. It makes apples softer as well.
For my apple crisp recipe, I like to use sweet and juicy apples like honey crisp. Honey crisp apples give out a lot of its own natural juice and that’s where the best apple flavor comes from.
Use old fashioned oats instead of instant oats. Top of the oat topping will get nice and crispy while the bottom part, that touches the apple filling, will soak up some of the apple juices. It’s the best combination of soft and crunchy.
HOW TO MAKE APPLE CRISP
Like I mentioned above, I like to precook the apple filling and that can actually be done ahead of time. To do that, simply combine peeled, cored, and sliced apples in a pot with melted butter, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and spices. Cook it covered over medium-low heat until apples give out natural juices and start to soften.
To make the crisp topping, combine old fashioned oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, spices, and melted butter in a bowl and thoroughly mix it all together.
Finally, spread apple filling in a buttered 9×9 baking dish and spread oat topping evenly over the top. Bake apple crisp at 350° for 35-40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and apples bubble.
You will want to let it sit for about 15 minutes after it’s baked and then serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream of top.
CAN I FREEZE APPLE CRISP?
Yes! You absolutely can freeze apple crisp but do it before baking.
If you’re planning on freezing apple crisp, you can prepare it right in an aluminum baking pan. Prepare the apples and the oat topping according to the recipe, spread it in the pan, and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap first and then with aluminum foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before baking. When ready to bake, make sure to take off the plastic wrap and foil and bake uncovered at 350° for about 35 minutes.
DOES IT HAVE TO BE REFRIGERATED?
This is the most common question about apple crisp, whether it has to be refrigerated after baking. I always recommend to refrigerate it because it will extend the shelf life by several days and it will prevent bacteria from growing in your dessert. Left on the counter, there is a high chance of bacteria growth in apples, so it’s better to be safe.
It’s very easy to reheat the crisp in a microwave, in a microwave safe bowl, for a few seconds.
So to store cooked apple crisp, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or a fitted lid to keep it air-tight and keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
SOME MORE APPLE RECIPES TO TRY
Caramel Apple Pie with Cookie Crust
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Extra Special Apple Crisp
Ingredients
- 1-2 tbsp butter to coat the baking dish
Apple Filling:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 lbs honey crisp apples peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp apple pie spice
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Oat Topping:
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp apple pie spice
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
Instructions
Apple Filling:
- Peel, core, and slice apples thinly.
- Melt butter in a heavy bottom sauce pot over medium-low heat and add apples. Mix to coat apples with butter.
- Sprinkle apple pie spice, sugar, and flour over the apples and mix well, until ingredients are evenly incorporated. Add lemon juice and mix.
- Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until apples give out its natural juices and start to soften. Take off heat.
Oat Topping:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients for the oat topping and mix well, until evenly incorporated.
- Pour in melted butter all over and mix very well. Feel free to use your hand to make sure butter and ingredients are mixed very well.
Apple Crisp:
- Preheat the oven to 350° and rub inside of a 9x9 baking dish with butter, all over the bottom and up the sides.
- Spread apple topping evenly in the dish.
- Spread oat topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and apples bubble.
Notes
Nutrition
Sandra says
Can you buy apple spice or do you mix your own sice
LyubaB says
Hi, Sandra! Yes, you can buy apple pie spice 🙂
Lane says
I made these last night and they were amazing! Definitely adding them to the rotation!!
LyubaB says
Hi, Lane! That’s what I love to hear! Thank you!