This warm, cozy Apple Crisp with Brown Sugar and Oat Topping has sweet, juicy, cinnamon-spiced apples baked beneath an irresistible buttery brown sugar oat crumble. Delicious on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this is a comforting apple dessert we love to make each fall.
What we love about this Apple Crisp with Brown Sugar
Years ago, I took my kids apple picking, and with the bounty of apples, we ended up buying an apple peeler corer to make our applesauce and treats more easily. Every fall, we break out our apple peeler, my kids help me peel apples; my dog loves a little apple peel, and we make a couple of our favorite apple treats. This crisp is a favorite. I include in my notes how to make it a softer topping, so whether you like it more crisp or soft, it is delicious both ways.
I love how the brown sugar makes the topping a little caramelized and slightly soft like a crumble. The apples are perfectly seasoned. It’s just as delicious warm with a scoop of ice cream as it is by the spoon, straight from the fridge. It really tastes so good and is something we look forward to in the fall.
Looking for another fall dessert? Try our favorite Apple Caramel Bundt Cake, our Glazed Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting, or our Pecan Tassies.
What you need to make this Apple Crisp with Oat Topping
You will need the following ingredients:
- Apples
- Granulated Sugar
- Cinnamon
- All-purpose flour
- Quick-cooking oats
- Brown sugar
- Salt
- Butter
- Optional: Vanilla ice cream
Apple Crisp Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You can substitute lemon juice for the water.
- You can replace white sugar with brown sugar in the topping. Brown sugar creates a slightly clumpier, chewier topping, and white sugar creates a little more sandy and crispy topping.
- If you don’t want the oats, you could omit them and reduce the butter.
- You could use a variety of apples instead of Granny Smiths (*see note)
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt, using a fork to break up the brown sugar. Add the melted butter and continue to mix with a fork until the butter is completely incorporated. Set aside.
Step 2. In a large bowl, mix together the apples, water, cinnamon, and sugar. Spread evenly in the 8×8 pan.
Step 3. Crumble the oat brown sugar mixture over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the apples are easily pierced with a fork or toothpick. Start checking at 20-25 minutes on the topping, and cover loosely with foil if browning more quickly than the apples are cooking.
Step 4. Carefully remove from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Tips
- This recipe calls for an 8×8 pan. I love USA Pan Bakeware, this is the 8×8 pan that I use, and it gives great results every time.
- There are a variety of apples that work well for apple crisp. I like to use firm, tart baking apples that hold their shape when baking. You can also use a mix of softer and more firm baking apples if desired. Some apple choices include: Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Braeburn, or a combination of Granny Smith with Honeycrisp or Fuji. Avoid Gala or Red Delicious, as they will break down too much when baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Can Apple Crisp with Brown Sugar and Oat Topping be made in advance? |
| a. You have a few options for making it in advance. You can make the whole crisp and bake it, let it cool, cover it with foil, and refrigerate it a day in advance. Warm in the oven to serve. The crisp topping may not be quite as crisp as the day you made it. b. You can store just the topping, cover it, and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or up to a month in the freezer. The apples are harder to make in advance, as they brown once they are cut. You can drizzle the apple slices with lemon juice and store them in the fridge up to a day before if necessary. c You can also assemble the crisp, cover it with foil, and place it in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking, but you may need to bake it for 10 min longer or more since it will start out cold. You can also let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking to help. |
| How to store and reheat Apple Crisp? |
| a. Once it has cooled to room temperature, cover it and refrigerate for 3-5 days. b. You can freeze apple crisp, covered, for up to 3 months and thaw it overnight in the fridge before warming to eat. c. The oven is the best way to reheat apple crisp. Reheat it at 350 degrees for 15-30 minutes to warm it before serving. This melts the butter and slightly crisps up the topping. You can also reheat it in the microwave in 20-second intervals until warm. |
Apple Crisp with Brown Sugar and Oat Topping
This warm, cozy Apple Crisp with Brown Sugar and Oat Topping has sweet, juicy cinnamon-spiced apples baked beneath an irresistible buttery brown sugar oat crumble. Delicious on it’s own, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this is a comforting apple dessert we love to make each fall.
6
servings20
minutes35
minutesIngredients
Apple Filling
6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick (I like using Granny Smith apples)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Brown Sugar and Oat Topping
1 cup oats
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons melted butter
Directions
- Grease an 8×8 baking pan and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt, using a fork to break up the brown sugar. Add the melted butter and continue to mix with a fork until the butter is completely incorporated. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the apples, water, cinnamon, and sugar. Spread evenly in the 8×8 pan. Crumble the oat brown sugar mixture over the top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the apples are easily pierced with a fork or toothpick. Start checking at 20-25 minutes on the topping, and cover loosely with foil if browning more quickly than the apples are cooking.
- Carefully remove from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Notes
- We like to make this 2 ways. This topping has a more traditional, crisp topping. If you would like a slightly softer (think soft granola bar/cake-like) topping, add 1 teaspoon of baking powder to the dry ingredients and 1 unbeaten egg after mixing the butter in, in step 3. We are a divided house on this! My husband prefers the softer topping.
- There are a variety of apples that work well for apple crisp. I like to use firm, tart baking apples that hold their shape when baking. You can also use a mix of softer and more firm baking apples if desired. Some apple choices include: Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Braeburn, or a combination of Granny Smith with Honeycrisp or Fuji. Avoid Gala or Red Delicious, as they will break down too much when baking.
- My favorite way to eat this is plain, without the ice cream, because I just love enjoying the flavors of the crisp with the apples. Even straight from the fridge, cold, with a spoon if you have any leftovers. You can definitely serve it with ice cream, because that warm crisp is so great with a scoop of ice cream as well, that’s just my personal preference.
