Always a classic, apple crisp is sure to be a crowd-pleaser with a sweet apple filling balancing a generous crisp top that just begs for a scoop of ice cream!
Warm and bubbly cinnamon-spiced apples under a crisp coating with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream is my idea of heaven! Recipes for apple crisp abound, but this recipe sets itself apart by adding a bit of crunch to the topping with nuts, a spiced filling, and a heavenly topping.
Old fashioned apple crisp is very similar to the apple crisp Betty Crocker created. They are apple crisps in their most basic form. While the basic recipes are good, our addition of spice and a healthy dose of crispy topping takes this easy apple crisp from good to Ah-mazing!! My family insists it’s the best apple crisp recipe they’ve ever had!
As the seasons change, and different fruits come into season, I hope you’ll try our peach crisp and cherry crisp, and apple cranberry crisp next! You won’t be sorry!
What I LOVE About This Recipe
- The crunchy nuts in the topping
- Perfectly spiced to accent the apples
- The contrasting textures between the apples and crisp topping
What Is Apple Crisp?
Apple crisp is a delicious dessert that bakes spiced apples with a crumbly, crunchy topping. The name ‘crisp’ refers to the streusel top that, when done properly, is nice and crispy!
What Is The Difference Between Apple Crisp And Apple Crumble?
Both desserts start with a layer of fruit then they’re crowned with a delicious topping. A crisp generally has oats in the topping and a crumble topping doesn’t contain oats.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Filling:
- Granny Smith Apples – These hold up well when baked. A softer, snacking apple will get too mushy. Honeycrisp and Gala also work well.
- Sugar – For this recipe, I use granulated sugar.
- Flour – All-purpose flour.
- Cinnamon – This will add a lovely warm fall flavor with woody overtones.
- Nutmeg – This will add aromatic nutty nuance.
- Ginger – This is another warm spice that adds a slightly sweet and spicy nuance.
- Vanilla – Use the good stuff- pure vanilla not imitation!
- Lemon Juice – I use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Topping:
- Oats – I use quick-cooking oats.
- Unsalted Butter – Margarine is not the same as butter. You won’t get a nice crispy crust if you substitute it for butter! Keep your butter cold and cut it into cubes before mixing to get the best consistency for your crumble topping. Butter is best!
- Pecans or Walnuts – Both work equally deliciously.
Tips
- Best Apples For Apple Crisp: You’ll have the best result if you use a tart baking apple. If you pull a switch-a-roo and substitute an apple that is juicier and sweeter- like the one you would grab to snack on, your sugar-to-water balance will be off! Again, Granny Smith apples are our choice!
- Topping: Don’t press down on the topping. While you layer on the topping, you’ll be tempted to press it down to make it flat and even. If you do this, you topping will compact and be like a hard shell on the top. Let it keep its crumbly texture and pile it loosely on top of the fruit. You’ll get a lovely crumble that breaks apart and mixes with apple filling with each bite!
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? You can let your crisp be at room temp for up to two days — after that, you’ll want to refrigerate it. You’ll lengthen the life to five days!
- Can You Freeze This? Making freezable Apple Crisp is super simple, and the best part is that you can freeze it before or after baking it!
- If you are freezing after you’ve baked your Apple Crisp, let it cool completely. Then wrap in a layer of cling wrap. You’ll want the wrap to sit directly on the topping if you can. Then wrap with foil and label and date it. It will last about 3 or 4 months before texture issues start to develop.
- To reheat: It can go in the oven frozen or thawed. Bake at 350 until warmed through- about an hour. (make sure your baking dish can go from the freezer to a hot oven without cracking if you plan on baking it straight from the freezer.)
- Freezing Apple Crisp before baking follows a very similar approach. Once you’ve completed your easy Apple Crisp, wrap with a layer or two of cling wrap and then with foil. To bake, you can thaw or bake frozen. You’ll need to allow about 1- 1 ½ hours to cook from frozen in a 375-degree oven. Cook until the filling is bubbling up around the sides, and the apples are tender.
- Make-Ahead Tips: I actually think Apple Crisp tastes better the next day! It holds beautifully for a day or two once baked. You can also freeze it either baked or unbaked for an extended shelf life!
- Food safety: If you’d like more food safety info check out this article. I’ve yet to find an article that specifically lists cobblers and crisps, I use the “fruit pies” under baked goods as my reference.
Serving Recommendations
I love to serve this with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and a generous drizzle of sweet caramel sauce can send your taste buds into overdrive. It is outta’ this world delicious!
How to Make Apple Crisp
- Mix the filling apples, sugar, flour, and spices.
- Spread the filling mixture on a baking dish.
- Combine all the topping ingredients, except pecans.
- Cut the butter into the other ingredients, until crumbly.
- Add pecans or walnuts.
- Mix.
- Spread evenly over the top of apples.
- Bake.
***See full instructions below.
More Fabulous Cobblers and Crisps!
- Apple Cobbler
- Bisquick Apple Cobbler
- Chocolate Cobbler
- Pear Cobbler
- Strawberry Cobbler
- Blackberry Cobbler
- Pecan Pie Cobbler
- Blueberry Cobbler
- Bisquick Peach Cobbler
- Bisquick Blueberry Cobbler
Apple Crisp
Always a classic, Apple Crisp is sure to be a crowd-pleaser with sweet apple filling balancing a generous crisp top that just begs for a scoop of ice cream!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Filling:
- 8 cups (about 3 pounds) Granny Smith apples, peeled cored and thickly slice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, VERY cold
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
Instructions
For The Filling:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Butter a 9X13 inch baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl toss together the sliced apples (8 cups), 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour, cinnamon (1 1/2 teaspoons), nutmeg (1/2 teaspoon), and ginger (1/4 teaspoon).
- Spread apple mixture into prepared baking dish and arrange so fruit is somewhat level.
- Mix together the water (1/4 cup), vanilla (2 teaspoons), and lemon juice (2 teaspoons). Pour the water mixture evenly over the apples.
For the Topping:
- In a medium mixing bowl, add all the topping ingredients, except the pecans. Using a pastry blender or two butter knives, cut the butter (1 cup) into the other ingredients until the butter is the size of peas and the mixture is crumbly. Fold in pecans or walnuts (1 cup).
- Spread the topping evenly over the top of the apples. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the top is crisp, the edges of the topping are browning, and the apples are tender.
Notes
- Best Apples For Apple Crisp: You’ll have the best result if you use a tart baking apple. If you pull a switch-a-roo and substitute an apple that is juicier and sweeter- like the one you would grab to snack on, your sugar-to-water balance will be off! Again, Granny Smith apples are our choice!
- Topping: Don’t press down on the topping. While you layer on the topping, you’ll be tempted to press it down to make it flat and even. If you do this, your topping will compact and be like a hard shell on the top. Let it keep its crumbly texture and pile it loosely on top of the fruit. You’ll get a lovely crumble that breaks apart and mixes with apple filling with each bite!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 653kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 117mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 65g | Vitamin A: 785IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
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I’m gonna try this out! So excited!
Thanks, Adie! Enjoy 🙂
Just what you want on a cold day
Enjoy! 🙂