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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Very easy to make. My whole family loved it, especially still warm from the oven. I used a gluten free flour and it turned out great.
This is absolutely the best apple crisp recipe I’ve ever tried. For the topping, I add the oats to the food processor too so they’re a bit smaller – makes for an awesome crumble.
This was so delicious and easy to make! Thank you so much for posting it!
Absolutely divine recipe! I halved the recipe for two people only and it worked perfectly. I also added a good sprinkle of cinnamon to the apples, and a little more pecans and oats. My favorite dessert for more Thanksgiving dinners to come! Thank you so much Jenn!
I’m thinking of making this for Thanksgiving which will be just me, my husband, and my toddler. I would like to halve the recipe and put it into ramekins. Any guidance on how to modify i.e. baking time?
The bake time should be a little bit shorter but not by much because the apples still need time to cook. I’d just keep a close eye on them. Please LMK how it turns out if you try them in ramekins!
Can’t tell you how often your recipes are my go-to favorites. This apple crisp was again a family favorite. I never wonder if they’ll turn out because they always do. Thank you!
Love this recipe! I have made it twice. The first time I followed instructions exactly and it was delicious ! The second time I adjusted a bit and left the apple skins on (because I don’t mind them when nicely cooked in the sugars). Also, I layered the dish with apples, nuts, and the topping. It helped those nuts exposed directly to oven heat from tasting bitter. 🙂 Thank you again for all your wonderful recipes – always my first stop when looking for something special and delicious.
NO spices?! I far prefer my mother’s with allspice and cinnamon. Usually Jenn uses lots of flavor. This is bland.
I was wondering the same thing!
Huge hit! Prepped it the day before and just added a little lemon juice to the apples. Cut back the white sugar and baked it the next day. Served it with vanilla ice cream. Thank you again for making me look like a great cook!
We went Apple picking with the grandkids. When we got back we used this recipe to make apple crisp. It was a total hit and gone quickly.
Hi Jenn,
I am making your apple pecan crisp and I have a peach blueberry crisp in the freezer. I would like to make your crumble for both of them, do you think that would work?
Thanks,
Mary
Sure!