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Apple Crisp delivers all the cozy, comforting flavors of apple pie—without the fuss! This Easy Apple Crisp recipe is a no-fuss dessert anyone can whip up in no time. It’s simple, satisfying, and perfect when craving that warm, spiced apple goodness without all the pie-making hoopla. If you’re looking for a dessert that brings all the comfort without the effort, this one’s for you!
What makes this apple crisp special is its perfect balance of flavors and textures. The tartness of Granny Smith apples is the ideal match for the sweet, buttery crumble that sits on top.
With just the right amount of cinnamon and nutmeg, each bite brings a warm, cozy feeling that makes this dessert perfect for any time of year, especially during the cooler months and when apples are fresh. Plus, the topping, made with oats and brown sugar, gives a delightful crunch that contrasts beautifully with the tender apples underneath.
Also, it is so simple. With just a handful of pantry staples and no complicated steps, it’s a dessert anyone can master. Softened butter is mixed easily into the dry ingredients, making the topping a breeze to prepare. When served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this apple crisp is the ultimate comfort food dessert that feels like a big, sweet hug on a plate.
If you are looking for pies, check out this rhubarb pie, Dutch apple pie, blueberry pie, or American Apple Pie recipe. This would be a great dessert for something like a grilled ribeye steak. Whatever you decide to cook, make sure to treat yourself.
Table of Contents
🍏 Ingredients
This has all of the apple pie flavors without the pie part. Here is what you will need:
- Granny Smith apples
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Flour
- Oats
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
See the recipe card for quantities.
Kinds of Apples to Use For Apple Crisp
Like the other recipes we have shared in our apple series, we are sticking with two different kinds of apples that I think would be good for apple crisp. Braeburn and Granny Smith apples. For this particular recipe, I am using Granny Smith apples.
Granny Smith apples keep a nice, firm texture and are sweet enough. They tend to be tart, but remember that we are adding a boatload of sugar to this dessert. Granny Smith Apples will work great.
🍨 Best Served With Ice Cream
While ice cream is great for most apple desserts, it becomes a bit more important in our apple crisp. A great apple pie can rely on the crust to bring a delicate and interesting flavor and texture to the pie. With apple crisp, however, I feel it demands a nice creamy ice cream that can balance the flavors and textures of the crisp.
🍲 Instructions
To make this easy apple crisp, preheat your oven to 400°F and grease a 9×9 pan. Peel, core, and chop five medium Granny Smith apples, then arrange them evenly in the pan. In a separate bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg until it forms a thick paste.
Spread this mixture over the apples, covering them as evenly as possible. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Check if the apples are bubbling and can be easily pierced with a fork. If not, continue baking for another 5 minutes and test again. Once the apple crisp is done, remove it from the oven, let it cool slightly, and serve, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
🤷 Substitutions and variations
There are a few ways you can change this recipe up.
- Granny Smith Apples—This recipe calls for Granny Smith apples, but you could substitute whatever you have.
- Brown Sugar – Did you know you can make your own brown sugar just by adding molasses to white granulated sugar? Sure thing. You could also substitute the ¾ cup of brown sugar with ½ cup of maple syrup or honey.
📦 Storage
If you have any leftovers (lucky you!), make sure to store your apple crisp in an airtight container. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, just pop it in the oven at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes to reheat. Of course, you could just eat it right out of the fridge, too.
You can also microwave individual portions for a quicker option, but the oven helps bring back that perfect crispy topping. Apple crisp can also be frozen for up to 3 months— thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat before serving.
🎓 History tidbit
Most of the early apple varieties in America were more intended for hard cider and not for eating. In fact, Johnny Appleseed was more known for apples intended for cider than the eating varieties. During the prohibition period, apple trees intended for cider-making were even destroyed.
❓ FAQ
Imagine a perfect traditional apple pie. Now, take just the guts of that apple pie and put that on a plate. Then, add a beautiful oatmeal streusel topping to it. Bingo, bango, bongo… Apple Crisp. Apple crisp is an easy version of an apple dessert that almost anybody can make with common ingredients from around the kitchen.
Granny Smith apples work marvelously for apple crisp. Braeburn or Honey Crisp is fine, too. Granny retains crispness very well.
📝 Tips and tricks
- Use Granny Smith apples for the best results
- Learn how to use the power function on your microwave to master softening. For me, I put a stick of butter in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds on power level three.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream.
🛠 Products used in this recipe
😋 Did you make this recipe?
That is awesome, and thank you so much for giving this Apple Crisp recipe a try. If you could leave a rating in the comment area below, it would be greatly appreciated. This lets me know how I am doing and also helps others decide if they want to make this recipe. Most of all, thanks for visiting Ramshackle Pantry.
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Apple Crisp is a fruity, easy, and delicious dessert. Don’t have the time or energy for fresh pie crust? Give this super simple recipe a try to quench that sweet tooth!
Ingredients
- 5 medium granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 stick butter, unsalted and softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit
- Place apples into a lightly greased 9×9 pan
- Thoroughly mix the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl until the consistency of a thick paste
- Spread mixture over apples
- Bake for 40 minutes. Check to see if apple mixture is bubbling. If it is and the apples are easily pierced with a fork, the apple crisp is done. If not, repeat for another 5 minutes and test again.
- Once apples are done, remove and serve.
Notes
- Use Granny Smith apples for the best results
- Learn how to use the power function on your microwave to master softening. For me, I put a stick of butter in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds on power level three.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Sometimes I pat a very, very, very thin layer of the topping onto the bottom of the pan, and then proceed as usual. It caramelizes and makes a really fun crisp.
Nothing like a classic apple crisp… even better when made so simple! THanks for sharing.
I think what you call apple crisp, I know as apple crumble — I love how traditions and names for things are different across the world! I love this kind of simple tasty food.
This looks really good! So yummy! I like this! Thank you for a great recipe!
How nice and delicious. Perfect for this time of year and I love that you used tart Granny Smith’s to start the recipe.
Apple Crisps is such a perfect fall dessert! Love how simple this is!