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Easy Apple Crisp With an Oat Topping

By the Season's Table team · Updated

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Apple crisp is the easiest fall dessert there is - no crust to roll, no pie plate to fuss with. Just sliced apples, a little sugar and cinnamon, and a crunchy brown-sugar oat topping. You'll want an 8x8-inch baking dish, and an apple peeler and corer (both on Amazon) speeds up the only real work.

Short answer: toss 6 sliced apples with a little sugar, flour, lemon and cinnamon, cover with a topping of flour, oats, brown sugar and cold butter rubbed into clumps, and bake at 375 °F for 40 to 45 minutes, until the juices bubble thickly and the apples are tender. Let it cool 15 minutes. It keeps covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or about a week in the fridge.

How to tell apple crisp is done: the oat topping is deep golden and crunchy, the juices bubble thick and syrupy at the edges rather than thin and watery, and a knife slides easily into the apples, with a note to let it rest 15 minutes so the juices thicken
Three signs it's done: golden top, thick bubbles, tender apples.

Easy Apple Crisp

Prep 20 minCook 45 minTotal 1 hr 20 minServes 8 servings

Bakes in an 8x8-inch or 2-quart baking dish. Total time includes 15 minutes of cooling.

Ingredients

Apple filling

  • 6 medium apples (about 2 1/2 pounds / 1.1 kg), peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • A pinch of salt

Oat topping

  • 3/4 cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (70 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 375 °F (190 °C). Butter an 8x8-inch or 2-quart baking dish.
  2. In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt. Spread them evenly in the dish.
  3. In another bowl, mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingertips (or a pastry blender) until it forms clumps the size of peas and small marbles.
  4. Scatter the topping evenly over the apples. Don't press it down.
  5. Set the dish on a baking sheet to catch drips and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is deep golden, the juices are bubbling thickly at the edges, and a knife slides easily into the apples.
  6. If the topping browns too fast before the apples are tender, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the top.
  7. Let it cool at least 15 minutes so the juices thicken. Serve warm, plain or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Which apples to use

Firm apples hold their shape in the oven; soft ones turn to applesauce. Many bakers like a mix - something tart and firm with something sweet:

A mix gives you a filling that's both bright and sweet. If you use only sweet apples, the lemon juice helps balance it.

How to tell it's done

Then wait 15 minutes. It's hard, but the juices thicken as it cools.

Keeping the topping crunchy

Make ahead and storing

An apple crisp is a baked fruit dessert made with sugar and no eggs - the same kind of thing as a baked apple pie. University of Maine Cooperative Extension's guidance for those pies:

You can also mix the topping and slice the apples (tossed with the lemon juice) a few hours ahead, keep them separately in the fridge, and assemble right before baking.

For a holiday dessert table, it sits nicely next to our classic pumpkin pie.

Frequently asked questions

What apples are best for apple crisp?

Firm apples that hold their shape - many bakers mix a tart one like Granny Smith with a sweet one like Honeycrisp or Jonagold.

Do you have to peel the apples?

No, but peeled apples give a softer, more even filling. Unpeeled is fine if you like a little texture.

Does apple crisp need to be refrigerated?

Not right away. Covered, it keeps at room temperature for up to 2 days, then 2 more in the fridge - or up to 7 days in the fridge from the start.

Why is my apple crisp topping soggy?

Usually the butter was too warm or the topping was pressed down. Use cold butter, leave it in clumps, and bake until the top is deep golden.

Sources and further reading

How this was written: A classic apple crisp. Storage guidance follows University of Maine Cooperative Extension's advice for baked fruit pies made with sugar and no eggs, which matches a crisp. No nutrition numbers.