This Easy Apple Crisp combines tender apples, warm cinnamon, and rich salted caramel with an irresistible buttery oat topping. Paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it’s the perfect fall dessert for any occasion!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Both the filling and apple crisp topping come together easily in just a few simple steps!
- Various Serving Options: You can bake this easy apple crisp with oats in a pie plate, square baking dish, or individual ramekins.
- Next Level Flavor: Classic apple crisp gets an upgrade thanks to the addition of salted caramel for a restaurant-quality dessert you don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen making!
For more ways to use salted caramel, check out this caramel pecan pie and this caramel chocolate cake.
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Ingredients
For the Filling
- Apples: I used a mixture of Gala and Granny Smith apples, but Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Golden Delicious also work well. Be sure to save some to make these homemade caramel apples too!
- Cinnamon: Gives this easy apple crisp with oatmeal topping a warm, fall vibe.
- All-Purpose Flour: Helps the cinnamon and caramel stick to the apples and keeps the filling from becoming too runny, as the apples release moisture while baking.
- Salted Caramel Sauce: I used our homemade salted caramel sauce, but feel free to use store-bought if you’d like.
For the Topping
- All-Purpose Flour: Acts as a binder, holding everything together for a crumbly topping.
- Oats: Use rolled oats for the best texture, as instant or quick oats break down too easily.
- Brown Sugar: Feel free to use dark or light brown sugar for sweetening the topping.
- Butter: Helps the topping get crisp and golden brown. You can use salted or unsalted butter.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Gluten-Free: Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free blend and ensure the oats are certified gluten-free if needed.
- Add Nuts: Mix some sliced almonds or chopped pecans into the topping to add some crunch.
- Try Some Pears: Swap half of the apples with sliced pears to change up the flavor.
How to Make Apple Crisp
To get started, choose your baking dish (pie plate, 8”x8” square dish, or individual ramekins) and grease it with butter or cooking spray. You’ll also need to preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Step 1: Prepare the apples. Peel, core, and slice the apples. Then, add them to a large mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Make the filling. Add the cinnamon, flour, and salted caramel sauce to the apples. Toss until the apples are well coated. Place them in the prepared baking dish.
- Step 3: Mix up the topping. Add the flour, oats, brown sugar, and butter to a food processor. Pulse into coarse crumbs.
- Step 4: Combine apples and topping. Sprinkle the crumb mixture on top of the apples in the baking dish.
- Step 5: Bake. Bake uncovered until the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
- Step 6: Serve and enjoy. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream, if desired, and a drizzle of extra salted caramel. Enjoy a mug of warm milk and cinnamon as the perfect cozy drink pairing for this delicious apple crisp!
Expert Tips
- Slice the apples evenly: Be sure to slice the apples thin and ensure they are uniform in size so that they bake up evenly.
- Bake uncovered: I don’t recommend covering the apple crisp during baking, as this traps moisture and prevents the topping from browning properly. However, if it looks like it’s starting to burn and the apples aren’t done yet, you can tent it with aluminum foil for the last few minutes.
- Store in the fridge: Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave in short bursts or in a 350°F oven to crisp up the topping again.
Serving Suggestions
- Add this easy apple crisp to your Thanksgiving dessert table along with this pumpkin pie and this chocolate pumpkin cake.
- Enjoy this sweet dessert after a comforting dinner of smoked turkey breast and pressure cooker mashed potatoes.
Recipe FAQs
This can happen if the butter isn’t well incorporated with the rest of the ingredients or if the apple crisp is underbaked. Ensure the topping looks like coarse crumbs and there aren’t big chunks of butter or patches of dry oats. It’s also important to bake the dessert until the apples are tender when pierced with a fork and the topping is golden brown and crisp to the touch.
My family prefers the skins off of the apples, but if you don’t mind them and you’re short on time, you can leave them on.
While they are both baked fruit desserts, the main difference is in the topping. A crumble has a topping made with flour, sugar, and butter. A crisp topping also includes oats, which gives it more texture and crunch.
More Apple Recipes
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Easy Apple Crisp Recipe with Oats
Equipment
- blender or food processor (optional)
- Apple Peeler and Corer (optional)
Ingredients
Filling
- 3 gala apples peeled, cored, and sliced thin
- 3 granny smith apples peeled, cored, and sliced thin
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon flour
- ½ cup prepared salted caramel sauce or you can use store-bought
Topping
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup oats
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter cubed
- Vanilla Ice Cream for serving
Instructions
Filling
- In a large bowl combine apples, cinnamon, flour, and caramel sauce. Toss to coat.
- Transfer to greased baking dish. You can use a pie plate, an 8x8, or fill individual ramekins.
Topping
- In a blender or food processor combine all ingredients. Pulse until mixture forms coarse crumbs.
- Top apple mixture with topping.
- Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until apples are softened and topping is golden.
- Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and extra caramel sauce.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to slice the apples evenly to ensure they bake up properly.
- If you prefer not to peel the apples, you can skip this step and slice them thinly with the peels on.
- There’s no need to cover the apple crisp during baking unless the topping starts to burn. It’s best to let it bake uncovered so the topping gets golden brown and crisp, but you can tent foil over the top to prevent burning if needed.
Nutrition
Jyn says
This is an amazing dessert!!! I want to cook it for Thanksgiving this year however, a member of my boyfriend's family is unable to consume milk products. Do you have a suggestion on how to make the caramel sauce without heavy whipping cream?
Kadee says
You can use a vegan store bough caramel sauce as a substitute or you can make a caramel without dairy. Search "vegan caramel recipe" on google and you should be able to find a highly rated one.
Martha says
Everyone devoured this! So delicious!
Emily Kemp says
This salted caramel apple crisp looks so delicious, I can think of so many things to serve this with!
Lucy @ Globe Scoffers recipes says
Wow this looks amazing! I wouldn't want to share this.
Cicely says
This looks delicious! And I love the idea of baking it in individual servings. I'm definitely making this next time we have guests.