Easy apple crisp recipe with oat topping

5 from 7 votes

If ever there was a dessert that screams fall, it is an easy apple crisp recipe. It is the epitome of a cozy fall treat.

Prep Time30

Cook Time55

Total Time1 25

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 494kcal

Author: Cheryl Bennett

6 large apples About 3 lbs. // 1.4kg // see notes
1 tbsp. lemon juice from ½ lemon
2 tsp. vanilla
⅓ cup granulated sugar 67g
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon *if you prefer a more subtle cinnamon flavor, use 2 tsp. If using a tablespoon, it is a LEVEL tablespoon, not heaping.
½ tsp. nutmeg optional, but delightful
2 tbsp. all purpose flour Substitute with 1 tbsp. cornstarch to make it gluten-free

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Whisk or stir to combine.
Pour vanilla and melted butter over the mixture. Stir with a fork (not a spoon!), until clumps begin to form, and there are no dry bits left in the bowl. Set aside.

Core and chop (or slice) the apples. *Peel them as well, if you prefer.
Place apples in a large mixing bowl, and toss with lemon juice. Add vanilla and stir to combine.
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples and stir to combine until apples are well-coated.
Pour apple mixture into baking dish - see notes. Sprinkle crisp topping over the apples, and lightly pat to even out the top.
Bake for 45 - 55 minutes, until topping is golden brown and crisp is bubbling all the way through (not just the edges).
Serve warm, as is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Refrigerate leftover crisp for up to 5 days, tightly covered.

I use a variety of apples. Each has a different texture and a different level of sweetness/tartness. In this recipe, I used Gala, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and one Golden Delicious.
For the crisp topping, this makes A LOT. It's for those who love the crumbly bits. You can either use a portion of it and freeze the rest, or cut the recipe in half if you don't like much crisp topping. I would suggest making the full recipe and freezing whatever you don't use. When you want to make another crisp, even a small amount, you already have the topping done.
I like a crisp topping that has bigger crumbles, so I melt the butter and stir it together. If you prefer a "sandier" texture, cut in cold butter, like I do in my cherry crisp recipe.
I used a 9 x 13 baking dish. The 6 apples I used were pretty big, slightly over 3 lbs. If your apples are slightly smaller, you might be able to use a deep 8x8 pan.