Description
This Easy Cinnamon Apple Crisp recipe gives you all the reward of a classic fall dessert with none of the fuss of making pie crust. Tender, juicy apples swim in a warm, spiced sauce, all buried under a crunchy, buttery cinnamon oat topping. It’s the ultimate comforting fall dessert, practically foolproof, and delivers homemade, rustic charm with an irresistibly crunchy streusel top.
Ingredients
For the Apple Filling
- 6-7 cups Baking Apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or a mix), peeled, cored, & sliced
- 1/4 cup (50g) Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup (55g) Packed Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
For the Crisp Topping
- 1 cup (130g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup (80g) Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats (not instant)
- 3/4 cup (165g) Packed Brown Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) Cold Unsalted Butter, cut into small cubes
Instructions
-
Preheat Oven and Prepare Dish: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch glass baking dish.
-
Create the Spiced Apple Filling: In a large bowl, add the sliced apples. Immediately pour the lemon juice over them and toss to prevent browning. Add the granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, vanilla, and optional nutmeg. Toss until all apple slices are evenly coated.
-
Mix Dry Topping Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the 1 cup all-purpose flour, rolled oats, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt.
-
Cut in Cold Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry topping mixture. Using fingertips, a pastry cutter, or two forks, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Do not overmix or let the butter melt.
-
Assemble the Crisp: Pour the apple filling into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the crisp topping generously and evenly over the apples, covering completely.
-
Bake: Place the dish in the preheated oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the topping is deep golden brown and the apple filling is hot and bubbling around the edges.
-
Cool Before Serving: Let the apple crisp cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to thicken properly.
Notes
- Prevent Browning: Tossing the apples with lemon juice immediately after slicing is crucial to prevent them from turning brown.
- Keep Butter Cold: For the topping, the butter must be cold! Work it into the dry ingredients quickly until crumbly. Little butter pockets are what make the topping crisp, not bready.
- Don’t Overmix Topping: Stop mixing the topping once it reaches a coarse crumb texture. Overmixing will melt the butter.
- Cooling is Crucial: Letting the crisp cool for at least 15 minutes is essential. This allows the hot, bubbly juices to cool and thicken into a perfect, velvety sauce.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1/12th of crisp)
- Calories: 290 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 105 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
