The only Apple Crisp Recipe you’ll ever need – Tender apples topped with an easy brown sugar topping.
If you asked me to pick my favorite fall dessert, I would say this Apple Crisp recipe. Because it’s classic. Because it’s cozy. And because the combo of warm fruit crisp and cold vanilla ice cream gets me every single time.
If you’ve made my Apple Cranberry Crisp, Strawberry Crisp, Peach Crisp, Blueberry Crisp or my Apple-Pear Crisp, you will notice that this recipe is very similar.
Recipe overview: Apple Crisp
Apples: Thinly sliced apples are tossed with apple cider, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. A couple tablespoons of flour thicken the apple mixture, and then they get placed in a greased baking dish.
Crisp Topping: Oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter. This here is my favorite fruit crisp topping. Stir it up and crumble it over the top of the apples. The oats add heartiness, the brown sugar adds a depth of sweetness, and the melted butter ensures that every bite has a crisp buttery texture.
Baking: I like to start baking this Apple Crisp covered with foil. This allows the apples to begin to soften without any risk of the topping over-browning. After about 20 minutes, remove the foil and let the crisp finish cooking uncovered. Uncovering the apple crisp is what is going to make our topping crisp up. Once the juices are bubbling, the topping is golden brown, and the apples are tender, it is done!
What type of apples to use?
Use your favorite baking apples. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady and Fuji are my favorite for this recipe. If you prefer a less sweet apple crisp, you can use Granny Smith apples.
Make sure you slice the apples really thin (1/4 inch or thinner). This way they bake evenly and tender every time.
How to serve:
In my opinion, an Apple Crisp should be served warm, but not hot. It should be warm enough to slowly melt that big scoop of vanilla ice cream that I am undoubtedly placing on top.
Optional: A drizzle of caramel sauce over the top. Or you can even just spoon some of those sweet apple-cinnamon juices from the bottom of the baking dish over the top of your crisp.
Have leftovers? Place them in the refrigerator. You can eat the leftovers cold, straight from the fridge (breakfast of champions), or you can reheat it in the microwave to warm it up again.
Dig in, friends! Happy Apple Season!