Old Fashioned Apple Crisp Recipe
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This old-fashioned apple crisp is one of my favorite desserts to make. With fresh apples, brown sugar, and oats, it bakes into a comforting treat that smells and tastes incredible. I love serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel for a simple dessert my family enjoys.
I grew up eating apple crisp because my mom made it all the time during apple season when the apples were at their sweetest. She always said it was the perfect way to satisfy our sweet tooth, and she was right. That is why I created this apple crisp recipe, along with many other apple desserts like my baked apple slices and the classic apple Galette recipe, which is another family favorite that we make every fall.
Apple Crisp
Apple crisp is a simple dessert made of apples topped with a crumbly, sweet pastry mixture, similar to a streusel, and baked until golden and crisp. Isabel Ely Lord included the earliest written record of this recipe in 1924 in Everybody’s Cookbook. It became popular during World War II when ingredients like sugar, butter, and flour were rationed, making the simpler apple crisp a favorite over the more elaborate apple pie.
I sometimes add chopped nuts to the crumble topping for extra texture or mix different types of apples for more flavor. No matter how you make it, this apple crisp is a very simple to make crowd-pleasing dessert.
Just to clarify, apple crisp and apple crumble are almost the same dessert. The main difference is that an apple crumble usually does not include oats or nuts in the topping, while an apple crisp often does. Other than that, they are nearly identical and both just as delicious.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Apples – I like to use a combination of granny smith apples and fuji apples. You can, however, use 1 breed of apples.
- Flour – You will need some regular all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Salt – I always use sea salt in my baking and cooking.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter, so you control the salt content.
- Oats – Old-fashioned rolled oats are what you will need.
- Nuts – I used finely chopped walnuts, but you can also use pecans or almonds.
- Sugar – Packed light brown sugar adds the best sweetness to this recipe.
- Cinnamon – A little cinnamon goes a long way to enhance the flavor of this dessert.
- Nutmeg – freshly ground nutmeg will add the right amount of savory.
- Liquor – I used dark rum, but regular rum, brandy, or calvados will also work.
How to Make an Apple Crisp
Make the streusel topping: I start by mixing the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. I stir everything together until it looks evenly combined.
Cut in the butter: Next, I add the butter and use a pastry knife to cut it into the mixture. I keep working it in until the pieces of butter are small, about the size of couscous, and the topping looks crumbly.
Add the nuts: I fold in the finely chopped nuts with a rubber spatula until they are mixed. Then I place the bowl in the freezer to chill while I prepare the apples.
Prepare the apples: I peel the apples, slice them in half, remove the cores, and slice them in half again. Then I cut them into thick pieces, about a ½” inch.
Mix the filling: I place the sliced apples in a large bowl and add the flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, and a splash of rum. Then I toss everything together until the apples are coated.
Assemble the filling: I transfer the coated apples into a deep 12×8 or standard 13×9 inch baking dish. There is no need to grease the dish beforehand since the apples release enough moisture as they bake.
Add the topping: I take the chilled oat streusel from the freezer and sprinkle it evenly over the apples. I make sure to cover the entire surface so the topping bakes up golden and crisp.
Bake the apple crisp: I gently pat the streusel topping to even it out, then bake the dish at 350 degrees for about 45 to 55 minutes. The top should turn lightly golden, the edges will caramelize, and the apples should be soft and tender. I never cover it with foil so the topping can crisp up nicely.
Serve and enjoy: Once the apple crisp is done baking, I let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Check my serving suggestions below for my favorite way to enjoy this delicious dessert while it is still warm.
Chef Tip + Notes
A good tip for making this apple crisp is to chill the oat streusel before baking. When the butter in the topping is cold, it melts slowly in the oven, creating that crisp and golden texture on top while keeping the apples soft and juicy underneath.
- Thick streusel topping: I love using a generous layer of oat streusel because it adds extra crunch and flavor to every bite. It is my favorite part of this recipe.
- Perfect apple texture: I bake the apples until they are tender but still a little firm. This keeps the filling from turning mushy.
- Oven placement: I always bake my apple crisp on the lower middle rack. It helps the topping brown evenly and the apples cook perfectly.
- Make ahead tip: When I prep this dessert early, I soak the sliced apples in pineapple juice. This keeps them fresh and prevents them from browning in the fridge.
- Best Apples to Use: You can use an assortment of apples to create this apple crisp. Here are my favorites in order of sourness to sweetness: Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious, Gala and Fuji.
Serving Suggestions
I love eating this apple crisp the same way we did when I was a kid with my mom. A big scoop topped with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce is all it needs. It is simple, sweet, and something my family still asks for every time I make it.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 1 hour ahead of time. After baking, cover it in foil and keep it in the oven at low temperatures (200°) until you are ready to serve it.
How to Store: Once cool, cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. You can freeze this apple crisp by covering it and keeping it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of apple crisp to a small casserole dish and bake it in the oven at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes or until hot.
More Dessert Recipes
Video
Old Fashioned Apple Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crisp Topping:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup oats
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 stick butter
- ½ cup walnuts
For the Filling:
- 4 granny smith apples
- 4 Fuji apples
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Start making the oat streusel topping by combining flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
- Next, cut in the butter using a pastry knife until the butter is blended into the mixture and is the size of cous cous.
- Fold in the finely chopped nuts using a rubber spatula. Place the mixture in the freezer to keep the butter ice cold.
- Peel, slice in half, core, slice in half again, and thickly slice the apples. They should be about a ½” inch thick.
- Place the apples in a large bowl with the flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, and rum.
- Thoroughly mix the ingredients until they are well combined.
- Transfer the apples to a deep 12”x8”” or regular 13”x9” baking casserole dish. You do not need to grease the dish ahead of time.
- Evenly sprinkle the chilled oat streusel over the top of the apples.
- Pat the streusel down to even it out, and then bake the apple crisp at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes. The top should be lightly browned, and the edges should have some caramelization. In addition, the apples should be tender. You also do not want to cover it with foil so the top can brown up.
- Once it’s done baking, serve a scoop of it with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
I really don’t understand how you keep coming up with these recipes. This is the best Apple Crisp ever, and I have tried a bunch. Your recipes have become our favorites. My husband always says “must be a Chef Billy”. Even my family members ask if it’s a Chef Billy recipe.
So glad you and your family are enjoying the recipes!
Delicious! Another winner from Chef Billy! I love your easy to follow recipes that use “normal” ingredients! Thank you!
My pleasure.