This apple crisp is one of my favorite fall and winter desserts recipes. A sweet cinnamon apple filling is layered with the best oat crumble topping and baked until golden. It comes out of the oven perfectly warm and tastes even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!
When you don’t want to go through the process of making apple pie, this apple crisp recipe is the next best thing — or in my opinion, even better. Not only is it much easier to make, but I love how you get some of the crumbly topping with the sweet cinnamon glazed apples in every bite.
I make this (and my baked apples) regularly when apple season hits, but it’s also a non-negotiable Thanksgiving dessert. It’s comforting, perfectly sweet, and even better with a scoop of melty vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of warm custard on top.
This apple crisp recipe is a dessert winner during the cold weather months, and when summertime rolls back around, I make this berry crisp or peach crisp. You really can’t go wrong with fruit crisp recipes year-round!
Apple Crisp Ingredients
- Use tart apples. I love using tart apples for baking (like Granny Smith apples) since they’re extra crisp and balance any sweetness. They’re also firm enough to hold up to longer baking times in the oven. The apples then get mixed with a little maple syrup for sweetness and lemon juice for freshness.
- Any form of starch will work. I’m using arrowroot powder to thicken up the glaze in the apple filling, but you could also use cornstarch.
- The crumbly topping. It’s a simple combination of almond flour, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt. Almond flour adds a delicious nuttiness and coconut sugar imparts a slight caramel undertone. But you could swap in regular flour and any granulated sugar if you prefer.
- Rolled oats are the best. Old fashioned rolled oats are stirred into the topping to give the apple crisp that delicious crumbly texture. But if you only have quick-cooking oats, you can use those instead.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Apple Crisp
Prep the apples. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Then peel, core, and slice the apples. You can do this by hand or use this Johnny Apple peeler for an all-in-one tool!
Make the fruit base. In a large bowl, toss together the apples, maple syrup, arrowroot flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, until well combined.
Place in baking dish. Transfer the apple mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
Make the apple crisp topping. Whisk together the almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a separate medium bowl. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Then, stir in the rolled oats.
Add the topping. Sprinkle the apple crisp evenly over the sliced apples in the baking dish.
Bake until golden. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the topping is lightly golden brown and the apples are soft and tender.
Common Questions
Yes! Just swap the butter for ghee (if you’re only dairy-sensitive) or vegan butter if you’re dairy-free.
You can certainly make the topping ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge. But I wouldn’t recommend slicing the apples ahead of time. Even with a splash of lemon juice, they’re likely to still brown a bit. Plus, they won’t be as fresh, or crisp if sliced too far in advance. So your best bet is to use the Johnny Apple peeler to cut the apple prep time down drastically. Then, you can assemble everything very quickly!
Storage Tips
Leftovers of this recipe are delicious! Sure, the topping will no longer be crispy, but when you reheat it and the flavors meld together, you’ll no longer remember that little detail. You’ll just devour it!
- For storing leftovers in the fridge: You can transfer leftovers to an airtight container or cover the baking dish with plastic wrap. Either way, they can be stored for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
- For freezing leftovers: Let the apple crisp cool completely before storing it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Just note that the texture might not be as good over time!
- To reheat: Place it in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or microwave individual servings in 30-second increments until warmed through.
More Fall Desserts
Sweets season is upon us, so here are a few other tasty desserts to enjoy! And if you need more ideas to round out your holiday dinner, I’ve got all the Thanksgiving recipes you need.
- Rice Pudding: A warming and deliciously creamy dessert for the holidays.
- Almond Cake: Perfect for afternoon tea or top it with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake: The softest, spiced cake layered with cream cheese frosting.
- Flourless Chocolate Cake: This version is extra fluffy with lots of chocolatey richness.
- Cranberry Orange Muffins: A classic holiday combo in one delicious muffin.
- Or peruse this delicious list of dessert recipes!
I hope you enjoy this apple crisp recipe all season long! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Johnny Apple Peeler Cut the prep time down by 80% with this tool!
Ingredients
For the fruit base
- 8 Granny Smith apples
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour, or cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the apple crisp topping
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup coconut sugar, or other granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
- Prep the apples. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Then peel, core, and slice the apples.
- Make the fruit base. In a large bowl, toss together the apples, maple syrup, arrowroot powder, lemon juice, vanilla, and cinnamon, until well combined.
- Place in baking dish. Transfer the apple mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Make the apple crisp topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut in the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Then stir in the rolled oats.
- Add the topping and bake. Sprinkle the apple crisp evenly over the sliced apples in the baking dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are soft.
- Serve. Scoop a portion out and serve warm. You can also add a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream on top.
Lisa’s Tips
- How I prep this for Thankgiving: I’ve gotten a lot of questions about this, so here’s what I do. I make the topping ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then, as soon as the turkey comes out of the oven, I slice the apples with the Johnny apple peeler (linked above), toss with the maple syrup, vanilla, etc, add the topping, and pop it in the oven. That only takes about 15 minutes with the peeler. Also, keep in mind that a turkey needs to rest for 30 min before serving. Then, dinner will likely take at least 30 minutes. So you have plenty of time to assemble this while the turkey is resting, and it can cook in the oven while everyone is eating dinner. When it’s time for dessert, a warm apple crisp will be ready to serve up! Just remember to set a timer so you don’t forget about it in the oven. 😉
Nutrition
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This recipe is a staple in my home and very versatile. Can add nuts, use a variety of apples and it always turns out great. I have even thawed out frozen apples, drained the juices and recipe turned out amazing. The Johnny Apple peeler is worth every penny – even if you use it once a year! Thanks Lisa!
Happy to hear this recipe has become a staple in your house, Tanya!