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Apple Crisp

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Apples bubbling under a crunchy oat-pecan streusel, this rustic apple crisp is the ultimate fall dessert.

Wooden spoon serving apple crisp.

This rustic apple crisp with tart apples bubbling away under a crisp and buttery oat-pecan streusel is a longtime favorite of mine. In fact, it’s one of the very first recipes I shared on this blog many years ago. It’s wonderful served warm out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream — though, truthfully, I like the cold leftovers with my morning coffee just as much.

What You’ll Need To Make Apple Crisp

apple crisp ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.

In a food processor, pulse the flour with the brown sugar, ¼ cup of the granulated sugar, and salt until combined, then add the chunks of butter.

flour with the brown sugar, ¼ cup of the granulated sugar, salt, and butter in food processor

Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

mixture with butter blended in

Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and stir in the pecans and oats. Set aside.

topping mixture with oats and pecans mixed in

Generously butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the remaining 6 tablespoons granulated sugar. Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish.

apples and sugar in baking dish

Cover with the oat topping.

apples covered with the oat toppingBake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the apples are tender when pierced and the topping is toasted.

White baking dish of apple crisp.Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Video Tutorial

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Apple Crisp

Apples bubbling under a crunchy oat-pecan streusel, this rustic apple crisp is the ultimate fall dessert.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
  • Pinch salt
  • 6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch dice
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 2½ pounds tart baking apples (about 5 large), peeled, cored and sliced ¼-inch thick
  • Lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
  2. In a food processor, pulse the flour with the brown sugar, ¼ cup of the granulated sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and stir in the pecans and oats. Set aside.
  3. Generously butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the remaining 6 tablespoons granulated sugar. Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish and cover with the oat topping. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the apples are tender when pierced and the topping is toasted. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.
  4. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The baked crisp can be frozen, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it, uncovered, in a 300°F oven until heated through and crisp on top.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (6 servings)
  • Calories: 461
  • Fat: 24 g
  • Saturated fat: 8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 60 g
  • Sugar: 40 g
  • Fiber: 8 g
  • Protein: 4 g
  • Sodium: 55 mg
  • Cholesterol: 31 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Hi Jen,

    If I prepare this the day before, can I bake it straight out of the fridge or should I room temperature it first? I’m worried if I bring the whole thing to room temperature, the butter in the topping will also be room temperature.

    Thanks so much for another great recipe!

    Lily

    • — Lily on March 2, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Lily, it’s fine to bake it straight from the fridge. You may need to add on another minute or two as it will be cold. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on March 8, 2024
      • Reply
  • Made this tonight and enjoyed it but would add a thickening agent to the apples next time, as my crisp came out watery.

    • — Sarie on January 15, 2024
    • Reply
  • Making this again tonight and the oven went out! The crisp had been in five minutes or so. I have a backup toaster oven but it took a few minutes to preheat. It got me to wondering why the butter needs to be really cold for a crisp? I know with pie dough it’s to create steam and flakes but, not sure of the purpose in this dish. I like to know the science and why in baking.

    • — Kerrie on December 14, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Kerrie, The butter should be cold as it helps to create the crunchy, craggy texture you’re looking for in the topping. If the butter is too warm, the topping will spread as it bakes.

      • — Jenn on December 15, 2023
      • Reply
      • Thank you! I had been making another version that called for melted butter but my topping never seemed right. My crisp turned out great last night even with a few minutes out of a hot oven.

        • — Kerrie on December 15, 2023
        • Reply
  • How many days in advance can this be made? Thanks!

    • — Suzie on December 9, 2023
    • Reply
    • I’d say a day or 2.

      • — Jenn on December 10, 2023
      • Reply
  • I made this last week for my Bunco group. Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe! I did add some spices spice to it: a pinch of nutmeg and a generous pinch of cinnamon. This is definitely a new Fall favorite.

    • — Susan Nugent on November 18, 2023
    • Reply
  • This was delicious; I omitted the white sugar and added 4T honey instead. Added 1t cinnamon and 1/4t nutmeg.

    • — b on November 17, 2023
    • Reply
  • Absolutely delicious! Made this for a dinner party for a group of 12 friends. Doubled the recipe and assembled the day before. Brought to room temperature before baking. Even after a hearty meal, there wasn’t one bite left! I will definitely be making again for Thanksgiving this year. Thank you, Jen.

    • — Lisa on November 12, 2023
    • Reply
  • This was so tasty! I used the slicing blade on the food processor so it was quick and easy. I also used less of the white sugar, and added cinnamon and nutmeg to both the topping and apples. Threw in some dried cranberries with the apples.
    Thank you for such a good recipe. Exactly the right amount of pecans, and using the size pan you call for results in a great ratio of apples to crusty top! Delish.

    • — laurie ailworth on November 4, 2023
    • Reply
  • This recipe is absolutely delicious! I have made it twice so far for my family and served it warm with vanilla ice cream. They loved it! And, it’s so much easier than making apple pie! Thank you Jen for creating such delicious recipes for all of us!

    • — Nancy Norris on November 2, 2023
    • Reply
  • Best apple crisp! I have been looking for the best apple crisp recipe and tried many recipes. This is the one. The crisp topping was crispy which was what I was looking for. The other recipes were mushy and did not compare. All the recipes on this site are so good. Thank you

    • — Mary Ann on October 25, 2023
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn, just want to say your recipes never let me down. Could I replace the pecans with sliced almonds? Thanks.

    • — Kari on October 17, 2023
    • Reply
    • So glad you like the recipes! And, yes, you can use almonds in place of the pecans. 🙂

      • — Jenn on October 17, 2023
      • Reply
  • Another AMAZING recipe! Thank you JeNN!!

    • — Dina on October 16, 2023
    • Reply
  • Hi! I have this in the oven right now 🙂 Something I’ve always wondered – when you write recipes, is the indicated weight/volume always *before* something is chopped? Like for the 2 1/2 lbs apples – is it 2 1/2 lbs of whole apples, knowing it’ll be more like 1.75 lbs once it’s peeeled and cored? Or, are you peeling/coring enough apples to reach 2 1/2 lbs total of slices?

    • — Katie on October 13, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Katie, when the weight/volume is listed for a recipe ingredient, that’s what you should be buying at the store. 🙂

      • — Jenn on October 16, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi Jenn,

    Would ambrosia apples work fine in this recipe?

    • — D on September 26, 2023
    • Reply
    • Sure, they should work nicely. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on September 26, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi Jenn!

    When you make this and your apple pie what kind of apples do you usually use?

    • — Jess on August 31, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Jess, I like to use a blend of different types of apples (like Fuji, Granny Smith, Jonagolds, Jonathans, Golden Delicious, Gala, Honey Crisp). Hope you enjoy the crisp!

      • — Jenn on September 1, 2023
      • Reply
      • Had to laugh! My friends always tease me about the kind of apples I put in my pie. I always start with 2 Granny Smiths, then mix up the others! Good to see someone else does that! They think I am crazy……but they still love the pie!

        • — Nancy Norris on November 2, 2023
        • Reply
  • Hi. I can’t wait to make this and freeze it for the upcoming Jewish holidays. Do I defrost it before reheating or bake again straight from the freezer? Thanks.

    • — Marsha DiGiacomo on August 24, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Marsha, I would thaw it before reheating it. (I’m going to add that to the freezer-friendly directions). Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on August 29, 2023
      • Reply
      • thanks!

        • — Marsha DiGiacomo on August 31, 2023
        • Reply
  • No amount of flour or brown sugar, or oats are listed, nor is the amount of chunks of butter. I am HIGHLY disappointed.
    What about the ingredients/amounts for each topping item?
    Maureen Humphreys

    • — Maureen Humphreys on June 13, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Maureen, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!

      • — Jenn on June 14, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi Jenn,
    Absolutely love all your recipes. You’re my go to for baking/cooking and the only chef I now follow or always recommend. Thank you, , Jenn! Quick question: would this recipe (or any of your crumbles/cobblers) work with using frozen blackberries as the fruit? Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

    • — Karen C. Smith on January 18, 2023
    • Reply
    • Thanks for your kind words about the recipes — so glad you like them! If you want to use blackberries, I’d suggest using my blueberry cobbler recipe. Keep in mind that I haven’t tried it with blackberries so I can’t say for sure how it will come out. The blackberries may give off too much juice on their own so if you want to try it, I’d suggest doing a combination of blackberries and blueberries. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you make it!

      • — Jenn on January 19, 2023
      • Reply
  • I can’t tell you how much I enjoy making your recipes as well as incorporating the tips and comments into my own dishes. This apple crips and the peach crisp are two of my faves. I froze the prepared peaches when I had some fresh from the farmer’s market and also froze the prepared crumble topping. I used up the peaches, but had some topping mix left over in the freezer… so, a smaller batch of apple crisp was on the menu. It was perfect! And as a universal crumble topping to keep on hand, it works well. I added my own spice mix to it and saved it in a zip lock bag. Alway be prepared for any type of crisp… so good, and thanks so much for sharing your recipes

    • — Carol on October 27, 2022
    • Reply
  • So do I just increase the flour in the food processor or do I just stir it with the pecans.

    • — Marylu on October 5, 2022
    • Reply
    • I would include the additional flour in the food processor.

      • — Jenn on October 6, 2022
      • Reply
  • Can you make this without oats?

    • — Marylu on October 5, 2022
    • Reply
    • Sure, you can replace the oats with flour. I’d love to hear how it turns out!

      • — Jenn on October 5, 2022
      • Reply

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