Apple Crisp
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Apples bubbling under a crunchy oat-pecan streusel, this rustic apple crisp is the ultimate fall dessert.
This rustic apple crisp recipe with tart apples bubbling away in their juices under a golden brown buttery oat-pecan streusel is a longtime favorite of mine, thanks in part to its irresistibly crisp topping. In fact, it’s one of the very first recipes I shared on this blog many years ago. It tastes wonderful served warm out of the oven, but honestly, I like the cold leftovers with my morning coffee just as much! This crisp is perfect on its own, or you can take it up a notch with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or even caramel sauce.
“We went apple picking with the grandkids. When we got back we used this recipe. It was a total hit and gone quickly.”
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Crisp
- All-Purpose Flour: Adds structure to the streusel topping, helping it to hold together and bake into a perfect crumbly texture.
- Light Brown Sugar: Provides sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor to the topping. When measuring brown sugar, always pack it tightly to eliminate air pockets.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens both the apples and the streusel, balancing the tartness of the fruit and adding a lovely caramelization as it bakes.
- Butter: Creates a rich, crumbly texture in the streusel and helps it to crisp up in the oven. The streusel will come together best if the butter is very cold.
- Pecans: Add a nutty crunch to the topping.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Contribute to the crisp texture of the streusel, making it more substantial and giving it a rustic feel.
- Baking Apples: For the best results, use tart-sweet apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonagold, Jonathan, or Golden Delicious. I love using a mix of different varietals for a more balanced and complex flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
In a food processor, pulse the flour with the brown sugar, ¼ cup of the granulated sugar, and salt until combined, then add the chunks of butter.
Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and stir in the pecans and oats. Set aside.
Generously butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the remaining 6 tablespoons granulated sugar. Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle with the oat topping and make sure it’s evenly distributed.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the apples are tender when pierced and the topping is toasted. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anytime you’re baking with apples whether it’s apple pie or applesauce, it’s a good idea to use a blend of tart and sweet baking apples for the best flavor. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonagold, Jonathan, and Golden Delicious are all good options—try different varietals and see what combinations you like best.
You could just omit the pecans; the topping will still be deliciously crisp. Or you can substitute walnuts or almonds or a handful of unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Sure! The baked apple crisp can be frozen, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it, uncovered, in a 300°F oven until heated through and crisp on top.
Video Tutorial
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Apple Crisp
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- Pinch salt
- 6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter cut into ½-inch dice
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2½ pounds tart baking apples (about 5 large), peeled, cored and sliced ¼-inch (6-mm) thick
- Whipped cream or Vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In a food processor, pulse the flour with the brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) of the granulated sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and stir in the pecans and oats. Set aside.
- Generously butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the remaining 6 tablespoons granulated sugar. Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish and cover with the oat topping. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the apples are tender when pierced and the topping is toasted. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The baked crisp can be frozen, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it, uncovered, in a 300°F (150°C) oven until heated through and crisp on top.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Comments
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Perfect recipe!! I only added a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the apples and it turned out amazing!!
Dear Jenn, just a quick thank you really for this gorgeus receipe. It turned out light, springy and super tasty. Perfect for less experienced cook as myself as not complicated to make.I have made a slight adjustment to the amount of sugar and reduced it to 110 g which could still be reduced a bit more I recon,depending on your taste. I was planning to freeze some,but fat chance this is going to happen! Half already gone😊
Hi Jenn,
the Apple Pecan crisp recipe does not update to Metric measurements.
Thanks for checking
Regards
Sujata
Hi Sujata, I just added them. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks so much
Really delicious. I added a little cinnamon and nutmeg to the apples, which my household believes is necessary for any apple crisp. We loved the flavor and extra crunchiness that pecans brought to the topping.
Hi Jenn, Made the apple crisp yesterday & it was super delicious. had it warm with vanilla icecream as suggested. Love it !! Thanks, Sujata
Hi Jenn,
If i would like to double the quantity of the recipe what size baking dish should i use please.
Thanks,
Sujata
Hi Sujata, You’ll need to use a baking dish that holds 4 quarts or you can use two 2-quart baking dishes.
Can I use walnuts or do you think that the apples just prefer pecans in this?
Hi Geni, walnuts would work here too. Enjoy!
Thanks for the question, and answer! I only have walnuts on hand.
Made this today & once again, absolutely delicious Jenn. The extra bonus is that it’s so easy to make. Btw, I usually like apple crisp & apple pie warmed up but after the company left I had a few forkfuls when it had cooled. I think it’s even more tasty cooled. Thanks for another delicious recipe!
Made it last night. Turned out perfect! Added a little lemon juice to the apples and also added a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg to the topping. Very easy to put together and love it warm out of the oven! Will be adding this for Thanksgiving instead of my traditional apple pie – much easier!
Want to put it together ahead of time, keep it chilled then bake while we’re having dinner so we can enjoy it warm with our other desserts. Would you recommend that I put it together Thanksgiving morning or could I do it the night before and keep it chilled till I bake it for dessert?
Hi Lisa, Glad you liked it! You can assemble it the night before and refrigerate if that’s easier for you.
If you assemble the night before and refrigerate, do you keep the filling and the topping separate? Or does it not matter? Thanks! This is part of our Thanksgiving menu.
No need to keep them separate. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn! If you assemble the day before Thanksgiving, you don’t bake it first before refrigerating, right? Just store it raw? Thanks! P.S. I love and appreciate all of your recipes. Even bought one of your cookbooks :o)
Thanks for your nice words about the recipes and support of the cookbook! 🙂
Yes, you can assemble and refrigerate it prior to baking. Enjoy!
This is a good basic crisp, but I missed having spices like in it. If I make it again I will add some cinnamon, nutmeg, etc., to the apples. I did stir in a little bit of flour into the apples because I was concerned about them being too juicy. About 1/8 of a cup was a good amount, and the filling came out perfectly.
Thanks for the tips, everyone and Thanks Jenn for my favorite food website! I didn’t try it without the spices, but sure liked this with them, as many suggest. Agree that adding flour (in my case GF oat flour) was nice for making it more pie-like. As a celiac, this recipe completely negates all need for pie, and everyone likes my GF version just as well… some say better, on top of heavy holiday dinners.
My 10 year old son and I made this for our Halloween party and it was really easy to make. We made it ahead of time and baked it during the party so the house smelled like apples. Everyone loved it! I only wish I had made more! Thank you!
Can you use quick cooking oats for this recipe?
Hi Linda, I think you get away with quick-cooking oats here, although the topping won’t have quite the same hearty texture. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi Jenn, Can wait to try this! Your recipes haven’t failed me. What type of apple is the Granny Smith one? Thank you.
Hi Kathy, Glad you’ve had success with the recipes. Granny Smiths are bright green in color, have crispy, juicy flesh, and are tart in flavor. Here’s some more info about them. Hope you enjoy the crisp if you make it! 🙂