This Apple Crisp recipe is the perfect fall dessert topped with a buttery brown sugar streusel It’s simple enough for a weeknight dessert and easier than an apple pie. It’s a classic old fashioned dessert.

What is Apple Crisp?
An apple crisp is basically cooked apples and streusel. The streusel is mixed with the apples and then also placed over the apples which forms a crispy topping as it bakes.
Why you’ll love Oatmeal Apple Crisp
It’s fall and time to make some apple desserts. If you’re looking for the comforting flavor of baked apples and cinnamon then you’ll love this classic apple crisp recipe. Taylor is my apple lover so after getting some fresh apples at the farmer’s market, we made a simple and easy homemade apple crisp.
The house just smells like fall when you bake apples, it reminds me of my grandmother who loved to bake apples.
With this recipe, some of the buttery streusel topping is mixed in with the apples, because seriously who doesn’t love streusel. I like adding pecans to a crisp to give it a nice crunch, but then I add nuts to everything.
I mixed my favorite apples, fuji, with some braeborn that were so flavorful. Use your favorites whatever they might be. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and your set, the perfect fall dessert.
What you’ll need for this Apple Crisp Recipe with Oats
- Apples – I suggest using your favorites. Adjust the cooking time so that the apples are soft. Most people suggest granny smith apples because of their tartness, but I prefer a fuji or mixture of apples.
- Cinnamon and sugar – to sprinkle on the apples before they bake.
- Pecans – they not only add flavor but a nice crunch.
- Oats – quick cooking to give texture to the crisp.
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Flour
Best Apples for Apple Crisp with Oats
You can use any type of apple or a mixture of tart and sweet. I like a fuji apple.
How to make Apple Crisp with Oatmeal
A crisp is so simple to make, you can put it all together in just a few minutes. You can easily prepare this in advance and then put it in the oven while you’re eating and you’ll have a yummy dessert ready by time you’ve finished dinner.
Step 1: Peel and slice the apples. You don’t have to peel them, but I have picky eaters who don’t like the skins. Toss with cinnamon and sugar.
How to cut apples for apple crisp:
To cut the apples for a crisp, first peel them, unless you want to leave the peelings on, this is a personal preference. You can use an apple slicer that cores the apple and slices it into sections or cut the apple in half, remove the core and then slice into ¼ inch slices.
Step 2: Combine flour, brown sugar, nuts and oats and work the butter into it with a pastry cutter or your fingers.
Step 3: Take 1 cup of the streusel and mix it in with the apples. Place the rest on top and bake for an hour until the apples are bubbly and the top is golden brown.
How long to bake apple crisp:
An apple crisp will take about an hour to bake depending on how firm the apples are and how large the slices.
If you need some comfort food to enjoy while the weather is turning cool, you can’t go wrong with a bowl of warm apple crisp.
Tips for this Apple Crisp Recipe with Oatmeal
How to fix soggy apple crisp?
If an apple crisp is soggy, it is probably due to the type of apples used. Try using a firm apple like a fuji, honey crisp or granny smith. A softer apple will not keep its form while baking and will release more liquid causing it to be soggy.
Should you cover apple crisp when baking?
You do not need to cover an apple crisp while backing unless the top starts to get too brown before the apples are cooked. Just check it at about 50 minutes and if it looks too brown, tent it with aluminum foil.
Serving Apple Crisp with Oats
There is nothing quite like vanilla ice cream with a warm apple crisp, but heavy cream poured over the top is delicious along with a dollop of whipped cream. You could also drizzle with a caramel sauce or a caramel cream cheese frosting
Homemade Apple Crisp FAQs
You can leave the peelings on or off, it’s a personal preference but it’s delicious either way.
If you’re going to prepare this in advance, sprinkle some lemon juice over the apples so they don’t turn brown. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Let it warm to room temperature and then place in a 350º oven for 15 minutes, or microwave for about 30 seconds.
You can store it at room temperature for a couple of days, then it will need to be refrigerated or frozen.
I’ve found that the terms are used interchangeably. Both have a streusel topping but technically a crisp has oatmeal or nuts to make it crispier.
Apple crisp will stay fresh on the counter covered with plastic wrap for 3 days, after that store in the refrigerator for a week or you can freeze this as a whole or in individual servings. To serve, let it come to room temperature and reheat in the oven at 350º for 10 minutes or more depending on the amount you are reheating.
More Apple Desserts You’ll Enjoy
- Apple dumplings
- Apple cobbler with sweet potato biscuits
- Apple hand pies
- Apple and pear galette
- Grilled apples
- Apple pie bars
- Apple blondie
- Apple pomegranate cobbler
- Apple cinnamon rolls
Adapted from Joy the Baker
Apple Crisp with Oatmeal
Ingredients
FILLING
- 5-6 medium size apples
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
TOPPING
- 1 ⅓ cups flour
- 1 ⅓ cups brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- ¾ cup quick cooking oats
- ½ cup butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 9X9 inch pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Filling: Peel and core apples and cut into ¼ inch slices. Mix together cinnamon and sugar and mix with apples.
- Topping: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts and oats. Work the softened butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until it resembles coarse meal. Remove 1 cup and toss with the apple mixture.
- Place apple mixture in the prepared pan and spread the rest of the topping over the apple mixture.
- Bake until topping is golden brown and apples are bubbling, 55-60 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- If preparing in advance, sprinkle apples with lemon juice to prevent browning.
- This is even better with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
- You will get even more flavor by using a variety of apples, try some that are tart like granny smith along with a sweeter apple like a fuji.
- You do not have to peel the apples.
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