An easy Apple Crisp recipe made with sliced apples and a crispy brown sugar oat topping. The perfect easy dessert for fall or any time of year!

A finished apple crisp in a round baking dish.

Ever since I made this mixed berry crisp several years ago, I have been in love with the combination of warm fruit filling and crispy oat topping. Plus who can resist a dessert that pairs perfectly with a huge scoop of ice cream right on top?

Today’s apple crisp recipe may be my favorite crisp recipe to date. It’s literally fall wrapped up into a simple crisp recipe. This crisp is also:

  • Jam-packed with sliced apples
  • Filled with warm spices
  • Topped with a delicious crispy brown sugar oat topping
  • A simple dessert that you can throw together and enjoy year-round

In fact, I think the hardest part about making this crisp is peeling and slicing the apples. An added bonus? Your house will smell amazing while this is baking in the oven.

The oat topping mixed together in a small bowl ready to be put on the apples.

How To Make Apple Crisp

As with my other crisp recipes, there are two parts to this one – the topping and the apple filling. I recommend starting with your topping first, then moving on to the filling. Let’s discuss how to make each one and then assemble the crisp.

How To Make the Topping

To make this crisp you’ll start with the topping which is just a simple mixture of all-purpose flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, salt, unsalted butter, and old-fashioned rolled oats. Here’s a simple step-by-step rundown for how to make the topping:

  • Whisk together the dry ingredients: Start by whisking together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until they’re well combined.
  • Cut in the butter: I like to use a pastry cutter for this step, but a fork works just fine too! You want to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it’s crumbly and starts to come together.
  • Stir in the rolled oats: I suggest mixing in the oats last, otherwise, they can get cut up with the pastry cutter. 
  • Cover and refrigerate: This will help ensure that the butter stays cold while you mix together the filling. You want your butter to be cold when this goes into the oven so the topping holds up well and doesn’t melt everywhere.

How To Make The Filling & Assemble The Crisp

For the apple crisp filling, you’ll be using a simple mixture of sliced apples, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I suggest spraying a 9-inch pie dish well with nonstick cooking spray first. Set it aside, then prep the filling. Here’s a simple explanation for how to make the filling;

  • Peel, core, and slice the apples: I recommend slicing your apples 1/4-inch thick. If you slice them any thinner, they can end up turning mushy in this crisp. 
  • Add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg:  I only used 1/4 cup of sugar in the filling because apples are already sweet enough and I wanted to let the flavor of the apples really shine in this crisp. The flour helps to thicken up the filling and the cinnamon and nutmeg pair beautifully with the apples.
  • Stir until the apples are fully coated: You want to make sure that all of the apple slices are completely coated with the dry ingredients. This will ensure that your filling is sweet enough and thickens up properly.
  • Scoop into the prepared pie dish: Spread the apples around evenly into the dish.
  • Sprinkle the topping over the apples: This is a lot of topping, but I recommend using it all. This will ensure that you get some of the topping in every single bite!
  • Bake the crisp: Place the crisp in a 350°F (177°C) oven and let it bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the topping is browned and the filling is bubbling around the edges.

Incredibly simple, right? I prefer to let the crisp cool for 20 to 30 minutes before serving it. This will ensure that it’s still warm, but not too hot.

An apple crisp ready to go in the oven surrounded by more apples.

What Are The Best Type Of Apples To Use?

You can use any kind of baking apples that you prefer in this recipe. Here are some great options:

  • Fuji Apples
  • Braeburn Apples
  • Granny Smith Apples
  • Honeycrisp Apples
  • Pink Lady

I prefer to use a mix of sweet and tart apples, so I typically use a combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples in this apple crisp recipe. Feel free to use any combination or just one of the apples listed above in this recipe though!

Storing Instructions

While it’s okay to leave this crisp at room temperature for a day or two, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator so that it stays fresh longer. Once the crisp has cooled completely, cover it tightly, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To rewarm individual servings: Microwave in 20 to 30 seconds increments until warmed through.

To rewarm the whole crisp: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Place the crisp in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed through. If needed, cover with foil to prevent the topping from browning too much.

An individual serving of apple crisp in a small bowl topped with a scoop of ice cream.

Baking Tips 

  • If you don’t have old-fashioned rolled oats on hand, quick oats should be fine in this recipe too.
  • Make sure to peel and core your apples before slicing them. You can also use any type of baking apples that you prefer (see my list above in this post), but I like to use a mixture of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples.
  • One medium apple will usually yield about one cup of sliced apples, so I typically use about 5 medium apples for this recipe.

More Apple Recipes To Try

An individual serving of apple crisp in a small bowl topped with a scoop of ice cream.

Apple Crisp Recipe

4.94 from 16 ratings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
An easy Cinnamon Apple Crisp recipe made with sliced apples and a crispy brown sugar oat topping. The perfect easy dessert for any time of year!
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Ingredients

Servings: 6 servings

For the topping:

  • ½ cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
  • ¾ cup (150 grams) light brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (115 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed into small pieces
  • 1 cup (100 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats

For the filling:

  • 5 cups (600 grams) sliced apples
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9-inch pie plate (or an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

To make the topping:

  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Add the cold cubed butter and using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture starts to come together and is crumbly. Stir in the oats and transfer to the refrigerator while you make the filling.

To make the filling:

  • Add the sliced apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a large mixing bowl and stir until all of the apple slices are well coated. Scoop the apples into the prepared baking dish. Remove the topping from the refrigerator and sprinkle on top of the filling.
  • Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 40 to 50 minutes or until the topping is lightly golden brown and the juices are bubbling around the edges.
  • Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Leftover apple crisp may be covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To rewarm individual servings: Microwave in 20 to 30 seconds increments until warmed through.
To rewarm the full crisp: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Place the crisp in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed through. If needed, cover with foil to prevent the topping from browning too much.
Oats: I prefer to use old-fashioned rolled oats, but quick oats are fine too.
Apples: I used a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples in this recipe. Some other great options that you may use are Braeburn, Fuji, or Pink Lady apples.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Danielle
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.