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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Hi Jenn, how do you think this would be with some cranberries thrown in? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I think you could include some, but I’d limit the amount as they are pretty tart.
I have made this recipe twice. Love the recipe. The second time I made this it had a lot of extra juice that made it a bit soupy. This did not happen the first time, I used all honeycrisp apples just as I did the first time. I do not think I made an error in measuring. Any thoughts?
Ann
Hi Ann, even if you did everything the same this time around, there is some variability in fruit and how much juice it will generate, so it may be not exactly the same every time. I would suggest using a blend of different types of apples (like Fuji, Granny Smith, Jonagolds, Jonathans, Golden Delicious, Gala, Honey Crisp). That way, if one variety is juicier than another, it shouldn’t have a significant impact on the recipe.
Thank you for your reply. I just love your site.
Ann
This was so delicious!! I used Cartland apples we picked the day before and toasted the oats and pecans before adding to the topping. My family loved it.
This recipe did not turn out great. I make two errors — I used all MacIntosh apples, and they were not sour enough; I added a 6th apple, and that meant that there wasn’t enough crisp for the amount of apples. In all other ways I followed the recipe exactly. If I had to do again, I would use a mix of apples and make a third more crisp if I added a 6th apple. I would also add about 2/3 of the sugar that the recipe recommends, as the apple crisp was a tad too sweet for me.
Have made twice. Cut sugar a bit both times. SO easy and delicious. Have been looking for years for an easy recipe and now I have it! Thanks for another great one!
Simply delicious! We had tons of apples to eat and made this recipe with the last apples. Super easy and will make again.
I made this and topped it with vanilla bean ice cream AND whipped cream.
Very delicious! My husband couldn’t stop saying “yum” while eating.
This dessert was a complete hit at our Thanksgiving celebration today! I used Granny Smith apples and the only tweak I made to the recipe was to add cinnamon to the apple/sugar mixture. I will definitely be making this recipe again!!
I used a mix of Granny Smith and Fuji apples for a trial run before Thanksgiving. Yum!!
Hi Jenn: I made your apple crisp today, was perfection😀. I held back a little on the white sugar, just a light sprinkle on the apples, I used Gala apples and they were delish. Thanks Jenn for another FAB recipe.
Cynthia
😊
Did you use Raw Pecans or Roasted? I have raw and not sure to roast before adding to recipe.
On another note-loved your Ratatouille recipe-a huge hit with my restauranteur Beau.
The Secret is cutting and cooking items separately as you’ve stated. Delicious!
Thanks!
No need to toast the pecans Keala – they will get plenty toasted in the oven. And glad to hear you and your boyfriend enjoyed the ratatouille!