The Best Homemade Apple Crisp

This warm and comforting Apple Crisp recipe is full of cinnamon sugar apples and heavy on the crumble. It’s a classic Fall dessert that will fill your home with the most amazing, cozy aroma while it’s baking!

An Easy and Healthy Apple Crisp

This time of year we have an abundance of apples, pears, and quince because my parents grow them in the backyard. For that reason, during late summer and into Fall I make an apple crisp, or a pear crisp, about once a week. We love that homey smell of baked apples with cinnamon. Doesn’t everyone? ?‍♀️

If this dish could talk, it would say, “WELCOME HOME.” ❤️

I love this apple crisp recipe in particular because you can reduce the calories with just a few simple substitutions. Don’t worry, you still get the same quintessential Fall treat, but without a lot of guilt. If you’re a fan of sweet and crumbly apple crisp, you have to try this easy recipe!

Recipe Ingredients

For the Apple Filling

• Granny Smith Apples: Core your apples, then cut them into wedges. Remove peel, if you want. 
• Lemon: You’ll need the zest and the juice of one lemon.
• Maple Syrup OR Honey – I use this Keto Maple Syrup. 
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

For the Crumbly Topping:

• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour or All-Purpose Flour (Almond Flour works great, too)
• Light Brown Sugar
• Quick Cooking Oats: These coarsely chopped oats add crunch without taking any flavor away from the dessert!
• Ground Cinnamon
• Unsalted Butter: Melt your butter before you make your topping.

How to Make Apple Crisp

1. Prepare for Baking: Preheat your oven to 375˚F and butter a 9×13 baking dish.
2. Add Apples: Add prepared apples to the baking dish.
3. Season Apples: Add lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg, mixing around until well combined. Set the baking dish aside.
4. Combine Topping Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
5. Assemble: Sprinkle the oats mixture over the apples and spray the topping with cooking spray.
6. Bake: Place the baking dish over a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until browned on top and apples are bubbly.
7. Let Cool: Remove your apple crisp from the oven and let it stand for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions + Tips for the Best Apple Crisp

• Control Browning Process: If you notice that the top of your apple crisp is browning too quickly, tent a piece of foil over the baking dish and continue to cook.
• Use Granny Smith Apples: You want to use a nice and firm kind of apple for this recipe so the filling doesn’t get soggy. I love using Granny Smith apples in my crisp, but you could also go with Honeycrisp or Golden Delicious apples.
• Serve with Ice Cream: Trust me when I say that you’ll want to serve your apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The warm apples and the creamy ice cream are a match made in heaven!
• Top with Caramel Sauce: If you love caramel apples, you have to drizzle some salted caramel sauce over your apple crisp.

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Crisp

• Leftover apple crisp can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to a week. You can also store your crisp in the freezer! Just let it cool completely and cover it with two layers of aluminum foil. Frozen apple crisp will stay good for up to 3 months.
• If you choose to freeze your crisp, thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating. You can reheat your crisp in the oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until warm.

FAQs

What Are the Best Apples to Use?

In my opinion, Granny Smith apples are the way to go when it comes to apple crisp. But as long as the kind of apples you choose are on the tart and crisp side, your dessert will come out great.

If you use a softer, sweeter apple for your crisp, it could come out too mushy or too sweet. Go for Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious or Gala apples for the best results.

Do I Need to Peel the Apples?

You definitely don’t have to, but it’s up to you if you want to peel the apples before making this dessert. If you don’t, the skins could separate from the apples during the baking process.

Can I Freeze Apple Crisp?

• Yes, this recipe is freezer friendly. Just make sure you let the crisp cool completely before you store it in the freezer. I also recommend covering it with two layers of aluminum foil. This will ensure that your crisp stays fresh for as long as possible!

More Apple Recipes

ENJOY!

Tools Used in this Recipe

Apple Crisp

This warm and comforting Apple Crisp recipe is full of cinnamon sugar apples and heavy on the crumble. This classic Fall dessert will fill your home with the most amazing smells while it’s baking!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8

Calories: 358 kcal

Ingredients

For the Apple Filling

• 6 granny smith apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch wedges, (peeled, optional)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Crumbly Topping

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, (you can also use Almond Flour OR All-Purpose Flour)
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (You can also use melted coconut oil OR melted vegan butter)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F and butter a 9×13 baking dish.

2. Add prepared apples to the baking dish.

3. To the apples, add lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix around until well combined. Set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt; pour in the melted butter and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

5. Sprinkle the oats mixture over the apples.

6. Spray the topping with cooking spray.

7. Place the baking dish over a sheet pan.

8. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until browned on top, and apples are tender and bubbly.

9. Remove from oven and let stand 8 to 10 minutes.

10. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Recipe Notes

• If the top of your crisp starts to brown too soon, tent a piece of foil over the baking dish and continue to cook.

Nutrition Facts

Apple Crisp

Amount Per Serving

Calories 358 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 6g30%

Cholesterol 23mg8%

Sodium 170mg7%

Potassium 292mg8%

Carbohydrates 69g23%

Fiber 7g28%

Sugar 44g49%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 336IU7%

Vitamin C 13mg16%

Calcium 54mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe originally published on November 2, 2010.