This Easy Apple Crisp Recipe has been in our family for years and one that is in regular rotation during the fall months. My dad requests this dessert on Sunday afternoons, always with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The tender apples are perfectly cooked; not too soft but not too crunchy. And the crumbly sweet topping bakes to a golden brown and is to die for! I could eat it all on its own with a spoon. For a simple apple dessert without fussing with pie crust, try this homemade apple crisp recipe. It’s sweet, delicious and the perfect way to use up all those glorious autumn apples!
Ingredients in this Easy Apple Crisp
This really is the best apple crisp recipe you’ll ever try! Easy ingredients combine together for one delicious treat.
For the apple filling:
Granny Smith apples – or any other kind of tart apple. Avoid red delicious or other sweet apples. Lemon juice – optional, to keep the apple slices from browning. Sugar – white sugar for this part of the recipe. All Purpose Flour – about a tablespoon Cinnamon – start with a teaspoon ground cinnamon. Add a bit more if you like. Nutmeg – this warm spice pairs beautifully with cinnamon and apples. Almond extract – You can substitute vanilla extract if you don’t have any almond extract on hand, but the almond gives the dish a rich, nutty flavor that is so yummy! Water – about two tablespoons
For the oat topping:
Quick cooking oats – I like to stir the quick cook kind into the dry ingredients for this recipe rather than old fashioned oats. Brown sugar – one cup, packed Flour – one more cup of all purpose flour for the topping mixture Baking soda Baking powder Butter – softened. You can also whisk melted butter for different textures and crumbles. Nuts – walnuts or pecans, optional Pinch of salt – optional but enhances the flavors of the crisp.
Best Apples for Apple Crisp
If you aren’t familiar with baking with apples you should know that some apples are better for baking than others. The apples should be tart and crisp. You don’t want them turning to mush while baking. For this particular recipe, I usually opt for Granny Smith apples. Granny Smith apples are pretty tart and they balance out the sweetness of the crumb topping nicely. You can try any of these tart or semi-tart apples:
Granny Smith Pink Lady Honeycrisp Fuji Gala apples Jonagold
Prepping the Apples
Best Apple Crisp Topping
I know that the apples take center stage in this recipe but I adore the crumbly topping! It is sweet but not too sweet and pairs perfectly with the tender apples. Mix them all together and cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until it’s nice and crumbly and pour into the baking dish over the apples. It’ll brown and crisp up perfectly over the apple mixture. So delicious!
Substitutions for this Recipe
When serving this traditional apple crisp, I always add a big ol’ scoop or vanilla ice cream and then drizzle with a little caramel sauce for good measure. Add half a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping mixture for even more crunch and flavor. If you’re crazy about oat streusel crumb topping like me, double the amount! For extra cinnamon flavor, add another teaspoon into the crumb mixture. Top with whipped cream instead of ice cream. If you aren’t a fan of apples or you don’t have any on hand, you can always use peaches or pears instead. We actually have a great Slow Cooker Peach Crisp Recipe that is so yummy!
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More Apple Recipes
If you have an abundance of apples this year or are just looking to try some new apple recipes, we have lots of favorites to share with you! Try our Dutch Apple Pie that bakes in a brown paper bag, our Disneyland Apple Pie Caramel Apples, or Apple Fries with Caramel Cream Dip. If you want to try something a little more savory, try our Copycat Bluebird Turkey and Brie Sandwich or our tasty Apple, Ham, and Cheddar Melts.
How to Make Apple Crisp
Apple Bread Pudding
Dutch Apple Pie
Apple Pie Caramel Apples
Apple Fries
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