The Best Apple Crisp Ever {Recipe} | My Joy in Chaos (2024)

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Apple crisp is an apple lover’s dream and the perfect fall dessert. Learn how to make the best apple crisp ever with simple pantry ingredients.

The Best Apple Crisp Ever {Recipe} | My Joy in Chaos (1)
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Can you feel it?

The slight drop in temps.The dew on the grass from temps dropping into the 50s at night. The desire to grab a sweater when going out for the evening.

Friends, fall is around the corner.

Or at least, it is here. I know that for many of you the days are still blistering hot and you are glaring at your screen and shooting daggers at me because I have the audacity to mention temps below 90. I’m sorry and please don’t hate me!

The Best Apple Crisp Ever {Recipe} | My Joy in Chaos (2)

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. My birthday lands just as the seasons are changing so some years it’s still perfect summer weather and other years I’m rocking tall boots and a scarf. Usually it’s still the shorts and tank but occasionally I get to indulge 😉

There are a few fall traditions that I refuse to let pass me by and apple picking is one of those. We used to go to an orchard in town every year but what was once a hidden gem has now become a mecca for all and by the time we’ve gone the last couple years it’s been picked clean – even in early September! Drives me a little nuts.

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Thank goodness for friends!

One of my dear, sweet, wonderful friends has several apple trees in her backyard and despite sending her three boys out to pick constantly they are still overloaded! I simply knew we could help her out and take a bag or two off her hands. The kids had a blast and I knew exactly what I would be using the apples for when we got home.

Are you ready to make the best apple crisp EVER?

I’ve had LOADS of apple crisps over the years but I always come back to this recipe. I think it’s the ratio of crumb topping to apples and the texture of the topping. I want that topping in every bite of apple crisp I take. I also want a good balance between oatmeal and flour so it’s almost cookie like. This hits all the right notes. And it’s easy enough for the kids to help!

If you can’t make it to an orchard for freshly picked apples you don’t need to miss out on this delectable dish. Grab a 5lb bag of your favorites – I usually opt for a sweeter variety than a tart variety – and make up a pan. I’ve even included freezer directions if you want to make several at the same time and save them for later!

What tools do you need to make apple crisp?

If you are awesome at peeling and coring apples, you could probably get away with a sharp knife, bowl and measuring spoons. I don’t have the hand or knife skills necessary to do this without causing serious bodily harm so I use the following items for making my apple crisp. I do keep a knife handy for any spots the peeler misses, but I mostly stick to the crank.

What ingredients are needed for apple crisp?

  • apples
  • oatmeal
  • flour
  • brown sugar
  • cinnamon
  • sugar
  • butter
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The Best Apple Crisp Ever {Recipe} | My Joy in Chaos (5)

The Best Apple Crisp Ever

Apple crisp is an apple lover’s dream and the perfect fall dessert. Learn how to make the best apple crisp ever with simple pantry ingredients.

4.50 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Equipment

  • Apple peeler/corer

  • Small knife

  • 9×13 baking pan

  • Measuring spoons

  • Measuring cups

  • Wooden spoon

Ingredients

Apple filling

  • 8 cups apples peeled, cored, and sliced thin
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 TBSP sugar

Crumb Topping

  • 1 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup softened butter
  • 2 cups oats quick-cooking or old fashioned

Optional Toppings

  • vanilla ice cream
  • whipped cream
  • caramel sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350* and grease a9×13 glass casserole dish.

  • Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. I currently usean apple peeler/corer that suctions to the counter. I’ve gotthe Kitchen Aid attachment versionin my Amazon Wish List so I can be done with the hand-crankingYou can also simply peel the skin off and slice the apple thinly by hand.

  • Place apples in a9×13 glass casserole dish. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top of apples.

  • In large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, butter and oatmeal–working mixture together with hands. Yes, your hands will get messy. A spoon simply doesn’t work as well!

  • Spread oatmeal mixture evenly over the top of the apples, and bake at 350 for an hour. You can shorten the baking time by 10-15 minutes for slightly firmer apples. Keep an eye on the crisp to make sure it doesn’t burn.

  • Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel syrup, or all three! I’ve also sprinkled a little sea salt on with the caramel for a salted caramel apple crisp – amazing!

Make-Ahead Instructions (2 options)

  • Prepare as above in aglass 9×13 casserole dishor ina disposable foil pan. Thaw in fridge then bake as directed.

  • Prepare the apples with cinnamon sugar in a large bowl.Prepare crumb topping. Store apples and crumb topping separately in freezer bags until ready to assemble apple crisp. Prepare as usual.

Keyword baked goods

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What are your favorite parts of fall?

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FAQs

What's the difference between apple crumble and apple crisp? ›

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 are the best apples for making 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.

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

How do you keep Apple crisp from getting soggy? You need enough butter in your topping, try both melted or cold cut into the dry ingredients. Also, there needs to be enough texture to keep it from just flattening into the fruit below.

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 is my apple crumble topping 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 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.

Should I cover my apple crisp while 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!

Can you prep apple crisp the night before? ›

Tips and Tricks. You can make this the evening before or the morning of the day you plan to serve it. Take it through step 4 and then cover the apples and streusel topping with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to bake. Then just remove the plastic wrap and bake.

Which apples stay crisp the longest? ›

Storage quality also varies by cultivar. The best apples to store long-term have thick skin and tend to be crisp and tart. Apple varieties such as Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, McIntosh, Winesap, Honeycrisp, Northern Spy, and Rome are known to store very well given the proper conditions.

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

Add a little extra fresh lemon juice to help prevent the apples from turning super brown. Prepare the entire apple crisp, cover well, and refrigerate the night before baking. Don't wait any longer than overnight before baking, to prevent the apples from browning too much or drying out/spoiling.

Why is my apple crisp always dry? ›

Not enough butter, and your topping will be a dry, floury mess. Too much butter and your topping will become a greasy blob or disappointingly soggy. Some recipes will ask you to cut in cold butter along with your dry ingredients, resulting in pea-size pieces that are sprinkled across the hot fruit filling.

What's the difference between a crisp and a crumble? ›

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 Betty apple crisp and Apple Crumble? ›

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.

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

Cobbler: A fruit dessert made with a top crust of pie dough or biscuit dough but no bottom crust. Crisp/crumble: In Alberta, the terms are mostly interchangeable. Both refer to fruit desserts similar to cobbler but made with a brown sugar streusel topping sometimes containing old-fashioned rolled oats.

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. Ingredients usually include cooked apples, butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and often oats and brown sugar, ginger, and/or nutmeg.

Is apple Betty the same as apple crumble? ›

A brown betty is similar to a crisp or crumble, except the topping is layered into the fruit mixture before baking for an intensely crunchy effect. Food Network Kitchen's Grilled Rhubarb Brown Betty is warm, sweet and super-crisp — excellent when served with a scoop of strawberry ice cream.

Is apple crisp and apple pie the same thing? ›

Crust or crumble…that's what the main difference between apple pie and apple crisp comes down to. A traditional apple pie features a buttery, flaky crust encasing the apple filling. Apple crisps, on the other hand, have a crunchy, crumbly coating on top (and nothing on the bottom).

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