Am I the only one who thinks apple crisp never has enough streusel? I fixed that. Behold: the mother-load of streusel-y goodness right here. What better way to use up those fresh fall apples? Top with vanilla ice cream and My Favorite Caramel Sauce! Originally published November 16, 2016.
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We just had our baby girl a couple weeks ago, and one of the things people always ask is how the other 2 kids are handling it. Eric and I always use the same word: OBSESSED. They love her. They love her so much that sometimes they wake her up just to let her know.
The other day Charlotte was kissing the baby, and I said, “Don’t wake her up! Try blowing her kisses instead.” So Charlotte brings her face about an inch away from the baby’s, and starts blowing her kisses.
Just in case you were wondering, if you blow directly on a baby’s face, they WILL wake up. And they won’t be very happy. Details like this are lost on 5 year olds. “Why wouldn’t you want her to wake up, Mom? She’s so cute!” Ohhhh child.
Not your average Recipe for Apple Crisp
My friend Amelia made this apple crisp for a get together last year, and I still haven’t forgotten about it. In your average crisp dessert, I’m usually disappointed with the ratio of fruit to streusel. (I feel like it should be close to a 1:1 ratio, kind of like how these Best Lemon Bars have an equal amount of crust to custard.)
I’m always taking bites of streusel-less apples in an attempt to save the streusel for The Epic Final Bite. (Please tell me I’m not alone in meticulously plotting my food consumption so that I can have an Epic Final Bite.) But Amelia’s crisp was absolutely perfect. SO. MUCH. STREUSEL.
This recipe is deceptively simple; no surprise ingredients here, just about twice the amount of butter and sugar. (You weren’t making apple crisp because you wanted to be healthy, right? Good.) Also this recipe definitely feeds a crowd; it makes a thick 9×13 inch pan. You can easily half the recipe to fit in a square pan if you like.
This would be a perfect (and easy) dessert to make for Thanksgiving next week! Check out my Thanksgiving board on Pinterest for more menu ideas!
Best Apple Crisp Recipe ingredients
This recipe for apple crisp is just about as simple (and simply delicious) as dessert can get. See the recipe card below for the complete instructions!
- Apples (I like to use a variety. more on that below!)
- Brown sugar
- Flour
- Old fashioned oats
- Cinnamon and nutmeg
- Salted butter
What apples should I use for Apple Crisp with Oatmeal?
I love to use a mix of varieties when I am making any apple dessert! Today I used a combo of Granny Smith, Fuji, and Pink Lady. The tartness of the Granny Smiths and sweetness of the Fujis and Pink Ladies give great balance.
Using only one type of apple gives you only one flavor profile. Using a blend means your crisp will land somewhere perfectly in the middle of tart and sweet. Here is a list of common apple varieties, listed from most tart (Granny Smith) to sweetest (Fuji).
▪️Granny Smith
▪️Braeburn
▪️Macintosh
▪️Honeycrisp
▪️Red Delicious
▪️Golden Delicious
▪️Ambrosia
▪️Gala
▪️Fuji
Try to get a few tart apples, a few sweet apples, and a few in between apples.
Apple Crisp Topping Ingredients
The apple crisp crumble topping in this recipe is made with a combination of
- brown sugar,
- flour,
- oats,
- cinnamon, and
- nutmeg.
So simple.
How to make Apple Crisp
Here’s a rundown of how to make this homemade apple crisp (full recipe is below!):
- Prep the apples. Peel and core the apples, then slice them into thin pieces using a knife or mandoline.
- Make the filling. Add the apples to a pan. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in the butter, then sprinkle that over the apples.
- Bake until the apples are fork-tender, then cool for a few minutes and serve with an inappropriate amount of caramel sauce. And ice cream. Please, for the love, don’t forget the ice cream!
Apple Crisp Recipe Tips
How to make a Crispy Apple Crisp with Oatmeal
If you want crispy apple crisp, you need the right ratio of sugar, flour, and oats to softened butter. The proportions of each in this recipe are perfect – no sogginess or mushiness in THIS streusel!
But here’s the deal. Once you bust into an apple crisp, it’s naturally going to start to soften. The moisture from the apples will start to climb up into your crispy topping. The best course of action on day 2 is to warm it up in a 350 degree oven to re-crisp your crisp. Boom!
Serving Suggestions for this Recipe for Apple Crisp
With this much warm, streusel-y goodness, you pretty much need vanilla ice cream. I also like to top it with a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce.
The caramel sauce is optional; the ice cream is not. I SAID WHAT I SAID.
Apple Crisp Recipe with Oats storage
Leftovers will last covered on the counter for about 3 days, after that stick it in the fridge. You can also freeze apple crisp! Seal very well and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge. Then bake it at 350 for a few minutes to re-crisp the topping.
FAQ for Apple Crisp with Oats
Both crisp and apple crumble start with a base of sliced apples. The primary difference between the two (very similar) desserts is in the topping. A crisp topping always includes oats and/or nuts. A crumble topping is made with flour, sugar, and butter just as the crisp is, but does not include oats or nuts. The two are definitely easy to mix up, but not quite the same!
Nope! Leaving the crisp uncovered is what makes it nice and, well, crispy. If all that heat is trapped inside the pan, you’ll end up with a soggy topping. Say no to the sog.
The only time I do recommend covering the apple crisp is if you notice the oats are starting to burn before the apples are cooked through. Tent with foil and you’ll still get crispy streusel while the apples reach fork-tender perfection.
The Best Apple Crisp Recipe calls for PEELED apples!?
Yes!! Nobody likes tough chewy apple peels. Have you ever eaten an apple cake, crisp, crumble, or cobbler and thought “Well gosh, this is delicious, but I wish someone had put a bunch of apple peels in here?” No, of course not. I promise you guys, it’s worth the effort.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
Apple lovers rejoice!! ‘Tis time to bake pies, cobblers, and more from these beauties while they’re in season. Try some of my other favorite apple recipes!
- Easy Homemade Apple Cobbler cobbler, crisp, what’s the difference? ONLY EVERYTHING. ok I’m being dramatic, but they are not the same and you need to know.
- Best Dutch Apple Pie Recipe
- How to Make the Best Homemade Apple Pie (one of the most popular recipes on The Food Charlatan)
- Apple Pie Bars this is my favorite recipe from Ina
- Apple Pie Bread from the Country Cook
- Apple Streusel French Toast Bake from Deliciously Sprinkled
- Shredded Apple Pie from Life in the Lofthouse
- Apple Custard Pie with Cinnamon Streusel << It’s an apple pie, but with CUSTARD. So good.
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The Best Apple Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 large apples
- 1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 3/4 cup salted butter, softened
- Vanilla ice cream, pretty much not optional :)
- homemade caramel sauce, click for recipe
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples. Use a sharp knife or mandolin to slice the apples into very thin, uniform pieces.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
- Add the sliced apples to the pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup oats, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg.
- Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut in 3/4 cup softened butter. (That's 1 stick plus another half stick.)
- Sprinkle the streusel over the apples.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375. It is done when a knife inserted in the center slides in easily (the apples should be fork-tender).
- Let stand for a few minutes before serving hot or room temperature.
- Serve with ice cream and this amazing caramel sauce.
- Serves 12-16.
Giiiiiiiiirl….. I’m speechless!
Do you think adding raisins to the apples would work?
Hi Nancy, yes, I think that would be delicious! Great idea!
Do you cook the oats first or use as is?
Hi Cheri! No just use the oats uncooked.
1 word, YUMMMMMMM!
Should we use regular oats or quick cooking oats for this recipe?
How great that your kids love your new baby! I like all the yummy streusel! Yum!
Karen, can this be made up a day ahead? I am hoping to get as many dishes ready for tomorrow and would like to make this today and then warm it up tomorrow. I am like the rest on here and LOVE the streusel. I made the caramel sauce on Monday evening….I could eat it out of the jar!
Hey Denise! Yeah, I think this is the perfect dessert to make ahead! I would just leave it in the counter overnight covered. then about 15-20 minutes before you want to eat it, put it in at 350 until it’s hot. Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Haha yes!! The fruit and streusel ratio should definitely be at LEAST 1 to 1 or more ;) So cute that your kids are in love with their baby sister and want to wake her up (not always fun for mama though).
You had me at “ridiculous amount of streusel”. Love this recipe!
It’s hard to resist the streusel, right?? :)
I love how delicious and how easy this recipe looks.
I am going to try to cook it next week.
I hope it tastes great too.
Thank You!
Thanks Kendrick! I hope you love it as much as we did!
I think I just fell in love with you! I am SO the person who methodically eats just so that I can have that epic final bite! My husband laughs at me all the time because he thinks I’m weird the way I eat, haha! Plus, you can NEVER have enough streusel. I’m so with you on that and clearly need this in front of me now. :)
Haha! Next time we get together Lindsay we need to share a meal and talk epic bite-saving strategies. haha!
1. Sounds like you have a happy family! Small bits of joy are what we all need right now
2. I am all for ridiculous amounts of streusel. ALL DAY.
Thank you Annie! Streusel all day erryday!! :)
First of all, I’m with you 100% on streusel; I believe in a 2:1 ratio… er, 1:1. Secondly, thank you for providing me with food to take for Thanksgiving, as I am now considering making this along with your Roasted Garlic Green Beans. :D Also, the Epic Final Bite! Reading that was totally a YOU TOO?! moment! ;P
This is the streusel for you then Lexi! Er, I mean apple crisp. i hope you enjoy it, and the green beans too!! Yay Thanksgiving!!
i made the garlic green beans last week, they were so good! i ate basically the whole pan by myself. no regrets.
Yesssss!!! And you don’t even have to feel guilty eating a pan of green beans! Win.
Totally a last bite planner! Except after the last bite I usually end up scraping the plate and/or finishing off my kids’ desserts.
ahhhh guilty! guilty! They leave all the good stuff half the time.
yum! also, i am totally a last bite planner! or several last bites, even. the only problem with this is that sometimes i’m full before i get to the “good” bites…so of course i eat the good last bites anyway. and then i’ve eaten way more food than i need to…but how could i leave the best part? sigh.
and i think i may have said this here before (in addition to being a last bite planner, i’m also a story repeater) but i used to go into my sister’s room when she was a baby and take her out of her crib when she was sleeping just to hold her. (i was 10.) my mom was NOT impressed, but my little baby sister was just so cute and i loved having my very own real life baby doll! obsessed would definitely have been the term to describe me too, back then :)
Story repeater!! I’m such a story repeater! The worst.
And on your mom’s behalf, I officially hate 10 year old you. Baby-waker-upper!!!! :)
this is only mildly related, but yesterday I saw this viral video (from a nanny-cam) of a tiny 5-foot-tall grandma trying to put the sleeping baby in the crib. she stood on a stool, bent over to gently set the baby down…and then FELL IN. like, on top of the baby. I could not stop laughing.
oh. my. glob.
THAT IS SO FUNNY. XD