When it comes to Fall desserts with fresh apples, there’s nothing quite like an apple crisp. Not only are they one of the easiest desserts to make, but they are definitely one of the tastiest.
And there's nothing like that incredible smell that fills the house when an apple crisp is in the oven.
Can I give you a preview of why I'm making this apple crisp? While I make these all the time, this one is actually going to be used to make ice cream. Stay tuned for apple crisp ice cream recipe that is out of this world delicious.
The Best Apples for Apple Crisp
With so many different varieties of apples, it can be difficult to know which are best. For a crisp, tarter apples are better. A combination of apples like Empire, Honey Crisp and Granny Smith can be great, but my preference is to use only Granny Smith. They have a wonderful contrast between the crisp, apples and ice cream.
Ingredients for Apple Crisp
The ingredients in an apple crisp are really simple and straightforward. My guess is that you already have many of these ingredients in your pantry or in the refrigerator right now. If not, consider adding everything needed for this crisp to your next grocery list so you have everything you need for this dessert on hand and ready to go.
- apples
- sugar
- cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- fresh lemon juice
- kosher salt
- flour
- rolled oats
- brown sugar
- butter
How To Make an Apple Crisp
If you can mix up a few ingredients in a bowl and place them in the oven, you can easily make an apple crisp. The most tedious part is peeling the apples. The rest just takes a few minutes. You don't even really have to peel the apples because the peeling will get very soft as the crisp bakes.
To make apple crisp, start by mixing the crisp topping. This apple crisp is unique in that it has a crisp top and bottom layer. The more crisp, the more deliciousness, in my opinion!
Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt with a fork until it’s fully mixed. Drizzle the melted butter over the top, then continue to gently mix with the fork. You are going for large crumbs which will give that awesome crunch.
To make the filling, combine the sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice and salt in a large bowl.
To assemble the crisp, grease a 9-inch pie dish with the butter wrapper or cooking spray. Place a layer of crumble on the bottom and sides of the pie dish, saving plenty of room for the top (the most important part).
Add the apple filling over the bottom crisp layer. It may seem like too much filling, but as the crisp bakes the apples will soften and shrink in size.
The last step is to sprinkle the remaining crumble on top. Yum! I can almost taste how wonderful this apple crisp is going to be.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden and the apples are soft.
Tips for the Perfect Crisp Dessert
- If the skin of the apple really bothers you, go ahead and peel the apples. However, it's not really necessary because you’ll hardly notice the skin once the apples are cooked and soft. Plus, it's a huge timesaver.
- Cut your apples into similar size slices, so that they cook evenly.
- Your topping will be best with rolled oats (old-fashioned oats) instead of quick oats. Quick oats are cut into pieces to cook more quickly and tend to get mushy when baked.
- If you notice your topping browning too quickly in the oven, cover it with foil and continue to cook until the apples are soft.
Variations on a Crisp
There are many options when it comes to making a crisp dessert. In fact, this crisp can be customized to include your favorite fruits.
- Berries: Mix together 6 cups of berries such as raspberries, blueberries or blackberries with the other filling ingredients.
- Pear: Stir together 6 cups of diced and peeled pears with the other filling ingredients.
- Peach: Stir together 6 cups of diced peaches with the other filling ingredients.
What is the Difference Between a Crisp and a Crumble?
The difference between a crisp and a crumble is all about the topping. Both a crisp and a crumble have the same fruit filling with a loose sweet topping. A crisp topping contains oats and often nuts. The oats tend to crisp up during baking and the nuts provide a little crunch. A crumble topping bakes up more like a pie crust and usually contains only brown sugar, flour and butter. This crisp doesn't have nuts, but you can always add some in if you like.
What Does Apple Crisp Taste Like?
Wondering what it tastes like? Warm, sweet apples, plenty of warm spice from the cinnamon, and the crispy, crumbly oat topping is just the bee’s knees. Top it with some ice cream and dig in. Fall has never been so darn delicious.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
Apple Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 6 cups Granny Smith Apples peeled, cored and sliced (about 5 large apples)
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Crisp Topping
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ lb melted unsalted butter
Instructions
To make the filling
- Combine the sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice and salt in a large bowl.
To make the topping
- Make the crisp topping by combining the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt and in a medium bowl, mixing with a with a fork to combine.
- Pour in the melted butter and continue to stir with a fork, being sure not to over mix so you maintain large clumps of crumble.
To assemble the crisp
- Grease a pie dish with the butter wrapper or cooking spray.
- Place a layer of crumble on the bottom and sides of the pie dish, saving plenty of room for the top (the most important part).
- Add the filling to the pie dish, then sprinkle the remaining crumble on top.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the crumble turns golden and the apples are cooked.
- Let cool and serve with vanilla ice cream or make some apple crisp ice cream.
Notes
Tips for the perfect crisp dessert
- If the skin of the apple really bothers you, go ahead and peel the apples. However, it's not really necessary because you’ll hardly notice the skin once the apples are cooked and soft. Plus, it's a huge timesaver.
- Cut your apples into similar size slices, so that they cook evenly.
- Your topping will be best with rolled oats (old fashioned oats) instead of quick oats. Quick oats are cut into pieces to cook more quickly and tend to get mushy when baked.
- If you notice your topping browning too quickly in the oven, cover with foil and continue to cook until apples are soft.
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