Apple Crisp Recipe (Warm, Buttery and Easy)
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Toss sliced apples with sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and cornstarch, then spread in a baking dish. Rub cold butter into oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon until crumbly and scatter over the apples. Bake 40 minutes until golden and bubbling, rest 10 minutes, then serve warm with ice cream.
Apple Crisp Recipe is the dessert that tastes like fall in the Pacific Northwest. Tender cinnamon apples baked under a buttery oat crumble, served warm with cold vanilla ice cream melting into the topping. Simple pantry ingredients, one dish, and a topping that bakes crisp and golden every time.
Why you’ll love it
- Tender cinnamon apples and a buttery oat crumble in every spoonful.
- One dish, 20 minutes of prep, then the oven does the rest.
- Works with any firm baking apple, so you can bake it all year.
- Feeds eight, so it suits family dinners and potlucks.
- Best warm with ice cream, and just as good the next day.
Ingredient notes
Apples: the heart of the dish. Firm apples like Granny Smith hold their shape and stay tart, which keeps the crisp from tasting too sweet.
Oats: rolled oats give the topping its chew and crunch. Quick oats work too, but the topping turns out finer and less chewy.
Cold butter: the secret to a crumbly topping. Rub it in while it is still cold from the fridge, so the topping bakes crisp instead of flat.
Brown sugar: brown sugar sweetens the topping and helps it brown deep golden in the oven, with a light caramel note.
Cinnamon and lemon juice: the balance. Cinnamon warms the apples, while lemon juice brightens the filling and keeps the flavor lively.
The cold butter rule that makes or breaks it
One rule decides whether the topping is crisp and crumbly or flat and soggy, and it is the temperature of the butter. Keep the butter cold from the fridge, cut it into small cubes, and rub it into the oats and flour until the mix looks like coarse crumbs with pea sized bits left. If the butter melts into the flour before baking, the topping loses its crunch and bakes like a flat cake. The second rule is the rest after baking. Let the crisp sit 10 minutes before serving, so the cornstarch can set the juices. Serve it straight from the oven and the filling runs across the plate. Wait 10 minutes and it spoons in neat, glossy scoops.
Variations
- Apple cranberry crisp: swap 1 cup of apples for fresh cranberries for a tart, ruby red filling.
- Caramel apple crisp: drizzle caramel sauce over the warm crisp before serving.
- Nutty topping: add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the crumble for crunch.
- Pear apple crisp: swap half the apples for ripe pears for a softer, sweeter filling.
What we learned testing it
- Granny Smith beat Gala clearly in the side by side test. The Granny Smith slices held their shape and stayed tart, while the Gala slices softened into sauce.
- Rubbing the butter in by hand beat using a food processor. The hand rubbed topping baked crisp and crumbly, while the processor topping came out dense and flat.
- A 10 minute rest beat serving right away. The rested crisp spooned in neat scoops, while the hot from the oven crisp ran across the plate.
Read how we test recipes.
Apple Crisp Recipe (Warm, Buttery and Easy)
Makes 1 9x13 dish, about 8 servings · 1 hr 10 min total · Easy
Ingredients
Equipment
9x13 baking dish · Large mixing bowl · Medium mixing bowl · Vegetable peeler · Sharp knife · Spoon
Instructions
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Slice the apples and fill the dish
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a 9x13 baking dish lightly. Toss the sliced apples with sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla and a pinch of salt in a large bowl until evenly coated. Spread the apples in the dish in an even layer, with the juices poured over the top.
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Rub the oat crumble topping
Stir the oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and rub them in with your fingertips until the mix looks like coarse crumbs with pea sized bits of butter left. The crumbs should hold together when squeezed, then break apart easily.
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Bake until golden and bubbling
Scatter the crumble evenly over the apples, covering them right to the edges. Bake 40 minutes until the topping is deep golden and the filling bubbles up around the sides. If the top browns too fast, cover it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
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Rest and serve warm
Let the crisp rest 10 minutes before serving, so the juices thicken enough to spoon cleanly. Serve warm in bowls with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. The contrast of warm cinnamon apples, buttery crumble and cold cream is the whole point.
Notes
- Use firm baking apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Braeburn. Soft apples turn to mush in the oven, while firm apples hold their shape and stay tender.
- Cut the apples into even slices, about 1 cm thick. Thin slices cook too fast and fall apart, while thick slices stay crunchy in the middle.
- Keep the butter cold for the topping. Warm butter melts into the flour and makes a flat paste instead of a crumbly topping.
- Taste your apples first. Very sweet apples need a little less sugar, while tart apples need the full amount in the recipe.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Granny Smith apples
- Use Honeycrisp or Braeburn apples instead, in the same amount. They are sweeter and softer, so the crisp tastes a little less tart.
- Rolled oats
- Use quick oats instead, in the same amount. The topping will be a little finer and less chewy, but still crisp.
- Unsalted butter
- Use cold coconut oil instead, in the same amount. The topping tastes lightly tropical and bakes just as crisp.
Storage and make-ahead
Store leftover crisp covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat portions in a warm oven for 10 minutes, or in the microwave for 1 minute, until warm through. The topping softens in the fridge, so reheat in the oven if you want it crisp again. Freeze baked crisp for up to 1 month and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best apple for apple crisp?
Firm baking apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Braeburn. They hold their shape in the oven and stay tender, while soft apples turn to mush.
Can I make apple crisp ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble the apples and topping, cover the dish and keep it in the fridge for up to 1 day, then bake straight from the fridge, adding 5 minutes to the bake time.
Why is my apple crisp topping soggy?
The usual cause is warm butter, or too little baking time. Keep the butter cold so the topping stays crumbly, and bake until the topping is deep golden and the filling bubbles.
Can I use frozen apples for apple crisp?
Fresh apples work best here, since frozen apples release a lot of water. If you use frozen apples, thaw and drain them well first, and add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch.
What do you serve with apple crisp?
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, served while the crisp is still warm. The cold cream against the warm cinnamon apples is the classic pairing.
