Apple Crisp
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Apples bubbling under a crunchy oat-pecan streusel, this rustic apple crisp is the ultimate fall dessert.
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
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.
Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and stir in the pecans and oats. Set aside.
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.
Cover with the oat topping.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the apples are tender when pierced and the topping is toasted.
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.
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
- 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. 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.
- 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.
- 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
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- 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
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Hello! I just started this recipe and completely forgot to peel the apples. They are already cut and ready to be baked. Will I still be able to stick to this recipe? Also, should I bake tonight then reheat tomorrow, or refrigerate and bake tomorrow? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I think it will be okay – some people like the apple skins for texture. You can bake tonight or tomorrow – it’s the same either way.
I only have a 9×13 baking dish. How should the recipe be modified? I will be using cinnamon and nutmeg. Thank you for your help!
Nancy P.
Hi Nancy, I’d double it. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn – could I use walnuts instead of pecans? I just happen to have walnuts on hand. Thanks!
Sure, Mia – walnuts will work. Enjoy!
I made this recipe and must tell you it’s very good.
Hi Jen!
My family is a huge fan of your recipes! Can’t wait for your cookbook.
Can I use quick oats for this recipe?
Thanks! Kristen
Thanks so much, Kristen! 😊 I think you get away with quick oats here, although the topping won’t have quite the same hearty texture. Please lmk how it turns out!
Jen, it was fantastic! Thanks for the quick response. Off to make your Thai Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup now 😁
I just served this for Thanksgiving dessert. Added a little cinnamon and nutmeg to the apples and halved the granulated sugar. Absolutely perfect, but as it cooled a lot of liquid formed at the bottom. Is there a way to prevent this (flour maybe)? I am definitely making it again.
Hi Edi, I never experienced that so I’m wondering if you had particularly juicy apples. That said, it’s fine to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour to the apple mixture.
This is a great recipe! I did add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon to the apples. Delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
Fantastic! And both easier and healthier than traditional pie, with less mess.
I used oat flour, and made it GF!
How do you think it would work to make the crisp and freeze unbaked – then thaw and bake when you want to have it.
Hi Marina, I haven’t tried the crisp this way, but I think it should work. Enjoy!
This was absolutely delicious! I cut way down on the granulated sugar, just because I am trying to cut my sugar down, and served it with greek yogurt and a bit of honey. Such a great sweet treat. I will try this with other fruit as well.
I agree…I also chose to cut back sugar and added fresh Meyer lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Is it possible to omit the pecans and maybe add more oats? Also, could I use oat flour instead of regular flour?
Yes, Deena, you can omit the pecans (and no need to add more oats). Hope you enjoy!
Made this yesterday, as I noticed a lot of apples in the fridge. Quick and easy and very good with a little dollop of whipped cream.
I like that you omitted the dried cranberries (from the original recipe).
What a wonderful idea to mix different types of apples in a crisp! This is really yummy. The pecans add a really nice crunch and, in a good way, “un-sweeten” the crumble part. A great excuse to eat whipped cream! A+
This was hands-down fabulous! Everyone cleaned the entire dish at a family birthday party. Made recipe exactly as described! A home-run Jenn..
Made this for Thanksgiving. Not a huge hit. Ended up tossing half of it. Apples were not as flavorful as in a pie. Used a processor for crumb topping but did not crumble enough even though the Butter was cold.
I used half Honeycrisp and half Granny Smith and it was amazing! My four year old son helped me make the crisp topping!! I added some cinnamon to the sugar to the apples! Great fall recipe!
What are your thoughts about making this with another flour for gluten free diets?
Hi Karen, I think that would work fine here. Hope you enjoy!
Highly recommend Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 GF flour blend (already has xanthan), or King Arthur Measure for Measure (great price for 5 lb bag at BJ’s). Or if you have your own homemade blend, use that. I also prepare and have on hand America’s Test Kitchen all-purpose GF flour blend (has no xanthan, so if a recipe calls for it, must add, but such a versatile, inexpensive GF flour blend in so many recipes; always have success with the ATK blend).
glutenfreeandmore.com has recipe using almond flour, 3T butter + maple syrup for the topping in Apple-Cranberry Crumble– GF and delish! I can’t eat even GF oats, so I make that recipe for myself. My husband can’t eat almonds, so I’m making Jenn’s topping for his. Thanks, Jennifer!
Hi Jenn, love your blog and have tried many of your recipes with great success! (I really should start adding reviews!). Might make this crisp for Rosh Hashanah to change things up. Made your French Apple Cake last year and it was great. I need more than what this recipe makes. Have you doubled or 1 1/2 times the recipe and used a larger dish 9 x 13? Suggestions please. Thank you!
Hi Susan, Glad to hear you’re enjoying the recipes! You could definitely double this– just make sure you use a baking dish that holds 4 quarts. Enjoy!
Great recipe!
Yum! I made this with Lobo apples we picked at our local orchard today, and the recipe is a nice, easy (but still very tasty) alternative to apple pie. The only addition I made to the apple slices was a dash of pumpkin pie spice, which another commenter inspired me to do. The only mistake I made was to try and rush the top-browning process by turning on the broiler and leaving it a minute too long…this resulted in a bit of burning of the topping, but it wasn’t seriously burnt, and the whole thing was actually quite delicious. (And the original recipe obviously did not recommend broiling, so that mistake was all mine! Just mentioning it as a warning to others who may also think of taking this shortcut).
Thanks again, Jennifer!
How can I make ahead and reheat when ready to use?
This is a recipe that works well when made ahead and reheated. I’d take it out of the fridge about an hour prior to sticking it in the oven, then I’d reheat at 300 – 350 degrees until warm in the middle.
How long would it take to reheat Jenn?
This is the BEST apple crisp ever!
So glad you like it! I’d guesstimate it would need 45 to 50 minutes to reheat.
So do you not toast the pecans before adding them? The recipe doesn’t say to do so, but in the step-by-step above, you mention mixing in the toasted pecans. Also, I assume that you roughly chop them? Thanks!
Thanks, Mary. That’s a typo — you don’t need to toast the pecans; they get plenty toasted while they bake.
Is it ok to not peel the apples?
Hi Merle, I definitely prefer them peeled. Sorry!
Another very nice recipe, Jenn, but I think I would add a sixth apple next time, as there was a LOT of topping for a not-so-large amount of sliced apples. Also, I’m wondering if you think the pecans would toast adequately during the baking process, rather than toasting them before adding them to the oats? I over-toasted mine in advance and set them aside because I didn’t want them to cook any more in the oven and then I forgot to add them at the last minute – doh! I also think the amount of sugar can easily be cut back without compromising taste.
Hi Jenn, Glad you enjoyed. Where do you see the step to toast the pecans before adding them to the topping?
I hosted book club this month and was looking for something warm, seasonal, and delicious. This was perfect! Adding pecans really upgraded this already amazing apple crisp; there is a generous amount of topping, so it achieves a lovely crunch. Not adding a lot of seasonings, really lets the apples take center stage. I used a combination of honey crisp, and granny smith, along with one perfect gala, for a lovely variety of taste and texture. I did offer some local, vanilla ice cream to serve, but it hardly needs it. This one’s a keeper. Thanks, Jennifer!
After making this the first time, I have made it weekly since! The pecan topping is the best I’ve tasted. I followed the recipe exactly as written and it has been perfect every time. It has become our family favorite for this autumn!
What happens if I don’t core the apples? What are the pros and cons?
Hi Sue, You will have seeds in your crisp, which won’t be very pleasant 🙂
This was very good and easy! I made the topping the day before and kept it in a bowl in the fridge. My son and a friend had a race peeling the 10 apples ( I doubled the recipe), it was done in a flash. I also added a little cinnamon to the apples.
This crisp is the best I have had! The pecans in the topping make this dish. Fantastic recipe!
Absolutely delicious dessert and very simple to make. I did add cinnamon when I tossed the apple slices with sugar and it gave a nice flavor. Perfect dessert for the fall. Hubby and teenage girls all loved it.
Delicious!!
This was delicious! I loved the pecans in the topping. Other than adding a dash of cinnamon to the apples (because that’s what my mom always did), I followed exact recipe. Everyone loved it 🙂
This sounds delicious ! Will try this in place of my usual apple crisp recipe – 4 c sliced tart apples, 1/4 c hot water, 1/2 c butter, 1/2 c flour, 1/2 c sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon. Thank you for sharing !
Hi Jenn,
Can I use almonds instead of pecans? Thanks!
Hi Shirley, Yes almonds will work; just be sure to use slivered, not sliced, which might burn.
Can’t wait to make this! Can this be a make ahead dessert? WNt to make it the night before and pop it in the oven when needed.
Hi Alena, Yes, it’s a good make-ahead dessert and reheats well.
I just loved this. The lack of the heavy typical apple pie spice was a refreshing change. The apples really do take center stage. Of course we served ours a la mode, and I mixed it all in my stand alone mixer with no problems to the texture at all. Very delicious!
Another great recipe I’ve tried … Instead of using a food processor, I crumbled the ingredients with my hands, which worked fine. I left the finished apple crisp on the kitchen counter and we nibbled on it all day, until it was gone … Delicious!!!
This makes me want to make a peach crisp (I have some peaches) this weekend. I add a touch of cinnamon and a bit of vanilla to mine.
Another one of our family favorites, apples and pecans yum!
This looks to die for. Saving this one for fall.
I too use this as a classic standby for dinner guests. It works great in any season, on it’s own or with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Love it.
This is now one of my go to desserts when we have company. It is so easy to make and everyone loves it.
Made the Apple Pecan Crisp for my bookclub. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe.
Thanks for such a failproof recipe. And you’re right, the topping stays crisp.
I added a little cinnamon and a tad less sugar to suit my family’s taste.
I love new ways to use up apples in season!
Jenn
Could this recipe be adapted with matzah meal and Spring seasonal fruits?
Loved the family picture……
Cheri
Hi Cheri, I think you’d be fine using matzah meal instead of flour, but I wouldn’t change the fruit.
Apple season is finally here again! Made this for dessert the other night and everyone loved it…Delicious with vanilla ice cream!
Fantasic recipe! Thanks!
definitely going to give it a try then!
Chris – I hope you’ll try this topping over your favorite recipe. It actually stays crisp 🙂
It’s such an individual thing, we all have our own favorite “Apple Crisps” some more streusal, some more granola like – they’re all wonderful!
I always toss a bit of cinnamon in with my apples – can’t imagine a crisp without it, and my daughter always asks for apple crisp on her birthday in December LOL…Now…if there were ONLY a way to keep that topping “crisp” the next day…
Looks very very tasty! I have a few apples from my own tree and I need to get baking 🙂
Dear Jenn,
Love your blog, recipes are very enticing. Hope it will motivate my girls who hardly cook at all.
Cheryl