Apple Crisp
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This is my go-to apple crisp recipe—tart apples bubbling under a buttery oat-pecan topping. Simple, rustic, and so, so good.
This rustic apple crisp, made with tart apples bubbling away in their juices under a crispy, 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 warm from the oven, but honestly, I love the cold leftovers with my morning coffee just as much. Serve it plain, or take it up a notch with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or even caramel sauce.
“We went apple picking with the grandkids. When we got back we used this recipe. It was a total hit and gone quickly.”
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Crisp
- Flour, Oats & Pecans: These form the base of the streusel topping. The flour holds everything together, the oats give it that classic rustic texture, and the pecans add a buttery crunch.
- Brown & Granulated Sugars: Sweeten both the apples and the topping. The brown sugar brings a hint of molasses, while the granulated sugar helps everything caramelize as it bakes. (Be sure to pack the brown sugar when you measure—it makes a difference.)
- Butter: Cold butter is key. It gives the topping its crumbly texture and helps it bake up golden and crisp instead of greasy or heavy.
- Apples: Go for tart-sweet varieties like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonagold, Jonathan, or Golden Delicious—or better yet, use a mix for the best balance of flavor and texture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Start the streusel topping. In a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, ¼ cup of the granulated sugar, and salt, and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and pulse again until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
Step 2: Finish the topping. Transfer the crumb mixture to a bowl, then stir in the pecans and oats. Set it aside while you prepare the filling.
Step 3: Prepare the filling. Generously butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the remaining 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar until evenly coated, then pour them into the prepared dish.
Step 4: Add the topping. Sprinkle with the oat topping and make sure it’s evenly distributed over the apples.
Step 5: Bake the crisp. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the apples are tender when pierced with a knife and the topping is golden and crisp. Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before serving—it’s wonderful warm from the oven.
Video Tutorial
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Apple Crisp
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- Pinch salt
- 6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch (13-mm) 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 (6-mm) thick
- Vanilla ice cream or Whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In a food processor, pulse the flour with the brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) 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 (2-L) 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 to 50 minutes, or until the apples are tender when pierced and the topping is toasted. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
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 (150°C) oven until heated through and crisp on top.
Nutrition Information
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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This was delicious and very straightforward in its making. I added 1t cinnamon as others suggested and cut back a bit on the sugar. I used both Granny Smith and Pink Lady (New Zealand) apples.
I was out of pecans so no nuts in topping and it was still very good.
I, too, added spices – 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg. And having no pecans on hand, used walnuts. It’s the BEST apple crisp I’ve ever made. Thank you Jenn! CANNOT wait to try your other recipes.
My husband is allergic to tree nuts – what substitute would work well for the pecans to add a little crunch?
Hi Corey, I think you could just leave out the nuts; the topping will still be deliciously crisp. Or you could try a handful of unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Hope that helps!
I would like to make this apple crisp recipe for my granddaughters birthday. Could it be made in a 9 x 13 baking dish and if yes, how would the ingredients be adjusted? Thank you from Massachusetts!
Hi Nancy, Yes, this can be made in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish — I’d double all the ingredients. Hope everyone enjoys!
This recipe was delicious, however I was surprised at the lack of spices. So I added cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. I also used chopped almonds in place of pecans. It was really, really good!
Hey Jenn:
I would like to make this for my friend who’s diabetic. What sugar replacements would you use in this case?
Thanks so much,
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia, I wish I could help but I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes so I can’t say which one would be best. (If it helps at all, I have read plenty of comments from readers who have said they’ve replaced some or all of the sugar in recipes with a substitute like Stevia and Truvia and have had good results.) Hope that helps at least a bit!
As a diabetic, I’ve cooked a lot with sugar substitutes. Splenda happens to be my choice. They make a lighter brown sugar and a granulated sugar substitute, both of which can be used cup for cup in baking recipes.
I also adapt a lot of baked dessert recipes for my diabetic mom. Often I’ll use coconut sugar to replace half of the brown sugar (lower glycemic index) and Splenda brown sugar for the other half. I will also reduce the white sugar in general by 25% and use a 50-50 ratio of Splenda white sugar to granulated white sugar. I find that using only Splenda for all of the sugars results in a weird aftertaste and may cause an upset stomach. But this tango of sugars usually works great. (Side note: In flour based baking, the normal white and brown sugars are important to retain moisture. In such cases, I suggest an extra egg yolk, a few tablespoons of greek yogurt, sour cream or applesauce to help compensate for structural integrity when making coconut sugar and/or Splenda substitutions.) I have not experimented with monk sugar yet.
You can replace sugar in baked good with applesauce, in equal measure. I use unsweetened applesauce successfully in cookies, cobblers, bread, etc. Interestingly enough, it is also a great sub for fats / oils in baked goods.
This was perfect. I used Macintosh apples as that is what I had on hand and it came out fantastic. My husband couldn’t stop raving about it. This is a keeper. I may even use this recipe instead of apple pie for Thanksgiving!
I recently came upon Jenn’s website and I have been trying her recipes. Every one of them has been better than the last. Thank you.
One of the most delicious apple recipes I have found. The family ate it so fast I already need to make another batch.
I made a few mods to this recipe – I was too lazy to unearth the food processor out of the millions of boxes our kitchen stuff is in (post-renovation), so I used a fork and my hands to do the mixing. I also toasted the pecans for about ten minutes at 350º and added a healthy sprinkle of cinnamon to both the apples and to the flour/sugars before adding the butter. It turned out so well, I’ve had it for both breakfast and dessert the past couple of days in a row.
Absolutely outstanding recipe! Everyone loved it!