Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (2024)

55 minutes

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5 from 1 vote

by Lisa Longley

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posted: 09/04/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

Jump to Recipe

by Lisa Longley

|

posted: 09/04/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

Jump to Recipe

This Apple Crisp Recipe is a delicious easy fall dessert recipe! You will love how quickly this amazing treat comes together.

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (2)
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One of my favorite fall memories as a child was sitting in our family room while my dad watched the Packers and watching him peel apples. He would make a delicious apple crisp with these perfect apples he spent the afternoon on.

This apple crisp recipe is a little different than Dad’s (I just can’t with the raisins and walnuts), but it is still just as delicious. And I think that baking it up in your house will create those same sweet memories.

How to Make Apple Crisp

One of the best parts of this recipe is how simple it is to make. It doesn’t have any complicated steps.

  1. Add apples to a baking dish. Toss them with cinnamon.
  2. Combine with apple juice. Pour apple juice and vanilla extract over the top.
  3. Make the topping. Mix together butter, flour, and sugar and top the apples with it.
  4. Bake and enjoy!
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (3)

Apple Crisp Topping

The topping of this recipe is one of my favorite parts about it. Lots of apple crisps recipes use oatmeal. While that is delicious, I love the simplicity of this apple crisp without oats.

The topping is made simply with white and brown sugar, butter, and flour. The combination of all of four make this perfect crisp top, hence the name.

Best Apples for Apple Crisp

I really love using a mix of apples when I’m baking. My favorites to bake with are Granny Smith and Gala. I think that the two together make a great combination of tart and sweet. That being said, other great apples for baking are Jonagold and Honeycrisp.

Peeling and Cutting Apples

Apple peeling might be the one difficult part of this recipe. I highly recommend that you get a few tools that help with the process.

I love this apple peeler and this apple corer. They make it go very quickly. You can also try a combination peeler corer, but sometimes that leaves on a few peels.

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (4)

How to Cut Butter with Flour

Cutting butter with flour is when you incorporate cold butter into flour. It’s used often in pastry making. It is also key in making the delicious topping for this apple crisp recipe.

When we make cookies (like these delicious Apple Cookies) we use room temperature butter and cream it with sugar. Here we are cutting the cold butter into flour to make little crumbles.

Cutting Butter with flour is easiest with a pastry cutter, but you can also use a fork. Your butter doesn’t need to be ice cold, but fresh out of the refrigerator works well. It also helps to cut it into 1 tablespoon pieces before cutting it into the flour. Work the butter and flour until there are no large clumps left.

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (5)

Making Ahead

This great dessert can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Make it through step 3. Then cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake it. Keep in mind that with everything so cold, it will likely take about five more minutes to bake.

Storing Leftovers

Leftover apple crisp should be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days. It can be enjoyed cold, or warmed up in the microwave. As with all recipes, use your best discretion when it comes to leftovers.

Freezing Apple Crisp

You can make this dish ahead and freeze it! Please note! Transferring a ceramic or glass baking dish from the freezer to a hot oven can result in it cracking and breaking. I always recommend that you bake from frozen in a disposable baking dish.

  1. Make the recipe through step 3.
  2. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Freeze for up to three months.
  3. When ready to bake, transfer straight to the preheated oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until the edges are a deep golden brown.

FAQ

Does apple crisp need to be refrigerated?

Strictly speaking, no it does not. But, your safest bet is to refrigerate to keep it fresh longer and to prevent any bacteria from growing.

Can you freeze apple crisp?

Absolutely! See my instructions for freezing above.

What apples are best for apple crisp?

I love the combination of Granny Smith and Gala. They both hold up well for baking and create a great combo of tart and sweet.

Can you make apple crisp ahead of time?

Yes! You can make it up to 24 hours in advance. Read my instructions on this above for more details.

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (6)

Other Great Apple Recipes

If you also went apple picking recently and have lots of great apples to use, check out some of my other fall favorites.

  • Apple Cobbler
  • Slow Cooker Apple Butter
  • Fall Salad with Apples
  • Apple Bread

If you make this Apple Crisp or any of my other apple recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know!

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (7)

5 from 1 vote

Apple Crisp

Serves: 6 servings

(tap # to scale)

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 40 minutes minutes

Total: 55 minutes minutes

This Apple Crisp Recipe is a delicious easy fall dessert recipe! You will love how quickly this amazing treat comes together.

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Ingredients

Apple Base

  • 5 small to medium apples peeled and sliced (5 cups) (Read about my apple crisp apple recommendations here.)
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup apple juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup all purpose flour

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8 by 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

  • Add the apples to the baking dish and toss with cinnamon. Pour the apple juice and vanilla over the top and mix

  • Using a fork or pastry blender, cut the butter and flour together until it makes small crumbles. Blend in the sugars. Sprinkle over the apples. (It will seem like a lot of topping.)

  • Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the top is brown, but not burnt.

  • Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Serving: 0.5cup Calories: 418kcal (21%) Carbohydrates: 70g (23%) Protein: 2g (4%) Fat: 16g (25%) Saturated Fat: 10g (63%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 41mg (14%) Sodium: 9mg Potassium: 186mg (5%) Fiber: 5g (21%) Sugar: 49g (54%)

Author: Lisa Longley

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (8)

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Apple Crisp

I’d love to see what you made! Tag me @lisasimplejoy and hashtag it #simplejoyrecipes!

you may also like…

  • Apple Cobbler
  • Apple Pie Filling
  • Crockpot Applesauce
  • Apple Cookies

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (13)

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (14)

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Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

Reader Interactions

    LEAVE A COMMENT

  1. Pammy Tyler says

    Can I substitute anything for the apple juice? Like cranberry juice?

    Reply

    • Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (16)Lisa Longley says

      I haven’t made this with anything but apple juice. That being said, from a baking perspective it will work with any liquid. It will taste best with a liquid that is sweetened, and what you use will just switch up the flavors a little.

      Reply

  2. Carol Hatchfield says

    Hi Lisa. Can I substitute fresh sliced peaches for the apples? I’m a big fan of your recipes!

    Reply

    • Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (17)Lisa Longley says

      I haven’t made this with peaches, but I have no reason to believe they wouldn’t work. The only thing I would do is recommend that you par boil them and remove the peels.

      Reply

  3. Carol Rutgers says

    In gluten free. Will almond flour work in this recipe?

    Reply

    • Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (18)Lisa Longley says

      I’m sorry, Carol, I haven’t tested this with almond flour.

      Reply

  4. Sandra says

    Lisa I made this using Cartland apples snd it is delicious!
    Thanks.

    Reply

    • Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (19)Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sandra!

      Reply

  5. claudia goldsworthy says

    Great recipes – loving them

    Thank you

    Reply

    • Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (20)Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad to hear that!

      Reply

older comments

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble? ›

Like an apple crisp, an apple crumble is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping. But unlike the crisp, the crumble topping rarely includes oats or nuts. Instead, a crumble's topping is more like streusel, made with flour, sugar and butter.

What apples are best for apple crisp? ›

What Makes A Good Apple For Apple Crisp? The best apples for baking keep their structure under heat, which prevents the chunks of fruit from turning into mush after baking. The firm and crisp Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties are popular apples to use in apple pies and apple crisps.

Why is my apple crisp not crunchy? ›

The main reason your crumble topping isn't crunchy is probably because you haven't used Demerara sugar. Although, it could also be that you've got your topping ingredient quantities wrong: either too much or not enough flour and butter alongside the sugar.

Why do you put lemon juice over the apples when making an apple crisp? ›

Many recipes for apple pie and apple cobbler will call for tossing your sliced apples in a little bit of lemon juice before putting them into your dish. Lemon juice prevents oxidation of the apples, which means that it stops the slices from turning brown by providing a barrier between the ...

Why is it called Brown Betty? ›

This has led some historians to believe that Betty was the name of the cook and creator of the recipe and that brown was in reference to her skin color.

Is apple brown betty the same as apple crisp? ›

Both are very similar apple desserts, but the difference mainly comes down to the crumble topping: Instead of the flour and oat mixture used in an apple crisp, an apple brown betty uses breadcrumbs for its crumbly, delicious topping.

Does apple crisp need to be covered when baking? ›

Baking: Start baking the apple crisp covered with foil. This allows the apples to soften without any risk of the topping over-browning. After about 20 minutes, remove the foil and let the crisp finish cooking uncovered. Once the juices are bubbling, the topping is golden brown, and the apples are tender, it is done!

How do you thicken apple crisp? ›

Adding cornstarch and flour to the apple mixture will help bring your crisp's filling together. You want to make sure you have a nice balance of the sweet and tart in your dessert.

How do you make Martha Stewart apple crumble? ›

In a large bowl, toss together apples, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; transfer to prepared dish. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in 1 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt until large pieces form. Scatter over filling.

Why are my apples mushy in my apple crisp? ›

Picking the wrong apples

Softer apples like Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, or Macintosh break down too much in the heat of the oven, basically turning into applesauce. So avoid those, and opt for a variety that's firm and crisp like Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp.

What is the secret to crunchy crumble? ›

A pastry chef friend shared the technique. Instead of sprinkling the raw crumbs on top of the fruit, where they absorb the juices and turn a little mushy on their undersides, he spread them out in a pan and baked them separately, until crisp and cookielike.

How do you keep apples from getting mushy in apple crisp? ›

Don't cut or slice them into very small/fine pieces. Keep them a bit bigger in size, so while baking they get little mushy and remain firm. If the apples are not Granny Smiths, you boil water and dunk the apples into the hot water for 10 minutes.

Why add flour to apple crisp? ›

Rolled or quick oats- You can make my best apple crisp with rolled oats or quick oats! I used rolled oats and it took about 40 minutes to bake. If you use quick oats, it'll likely take closer to 35 minutes to cook! Flour- Flour helps to create the perfect topping and bind it all together.

How many apples are 10 cups? ›

According to this equivalent list, 10 cups of sliced apples requires 10 medium apples. To be on the safe side, buy one additional apple. You don't want to run short—after all, it's always better to have too many ingredients than too few!

What is the difference between crumble and crisp? ›

So what's a crumble vs. a crisp? A crumble is just a crisp without oats in the streusel. It may feature nuts, but the streusel topping is usually a simple combination of butter, flour, and sugar that is more clumpy than that of a crisp.

What is the difference between apple crisp cobbler and crumble? ›

Whereas crisps and crumbles are topped with a streusel-like mixture, cobblers are topped with a cake-like batter or a biscuit-like dough.

What is apple crumble called in America? ›

Apple crisp is a dessert made with a streusel topping. In the US, it is also called apple crumble, a word which refers to a different dessert in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

What is the American version of crumble? ›

A crisp is “a type of dessert consisting of fruit baked with a crumble topping,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary's definition, citing an early use in a 1916 recipe for an apple crisp with a topping of butter, sugar, and flour that's mixed together by rubbing your fingertips “*ntil crumbly.” Often, at least ...

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