this Easy Apple Crisp Recipe It’s a simple and crowd-pleasing dessert, perfect for fall and winter! Sweet spiced apple filling is layered with golden oatmeal crumbs and baked to perfection. Serve it warm with coconut whip or ice cream and it always disappears quickly!
Almost foolproof, this gluten free Apple crisp too dairy free, Nut freeand Refined sugar freemaking it perfect for everything from a fall weeknight treat to a holiday feast!
The Best Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
I am very focused on eating seasonally and do it as often as possible to get the most nutritional benefits and to help keep my grocery costs down. So I use a lot of apples in the fall and winter to stay healthy apple recipes like mine Gluten-Free Apple Muffins, Apple Cinnamon Baked OatsIand Apple, Sweet Potato & Kale Quinoa Salad.
However, I also love sneaking them into sweet treats, and this easy apple crisp recipe is one of my all-time favorite desserts! It's a true American classic, with all the warm, sweet flavor and soft, crispy texture you love in traditional potato chips, with ingredients that are just a little better for you.
Plus, it's quick to make, with only 15 minutes of prep time and lets the oven do all the work. The only hard part is waiting for it to bake! Give it a try and I guarantee it will become an instant favorite and highly requested during the holidays.
Required ingredients and substitutions
*Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient list!
Crispy toppings
- Oat flour and oatmeal: This combination helps create structure on top while creating a crumbly consistency that browns nicely. You can easily make your own oat flouror go to the store to buy a bag! If you need to keep this easy apple crisp recipe gluten-free, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
- Sweetener: We use coconut sugar or maple sugar to create a sweet and slight caramel effect.
- spices: Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and fine sea salt add the perfect amount of warmth.
- Chopped nuts: These are optional, but we love the subtle crunch of walnuts or pecans.
- Cold butter: Be sure to use unsalted butter to avoid the ingredients being too salty!
- Vanilla extract: This adds extra depth and ties the vanilla flavor of the filling into the toppings. Use store-bought vanilla, or make Homemade Vanilla Extract instead!
filling
- Fresh apples: Use whatever apple you like best! Just make sure to peel and slice them before you start.
- Vanilla extract: Again, this adds a rich vanilla flavor and creates a dessert with a cohesive flavor.
- Sweetener: Use maple syrup or honey for natural sweetness.
- lemon juice: This adds a bright, refreshing flavor that balances out some of the sweetness. Freshly squeezed is best, but bottled lemon juice will work too!
- Arrowroot: This helps thicken the filling without using specialized flour, making it gluten-free. Tapioca flour works too.
- Cinnamon powder: Adds warmth and combines with the flavors of the ingredients.
What oats do I buy?
- organic
- Certified gluten-free (if desired)
- non-genetically modified
- Glyphosate Free (probably the most important label to me since oats are a heavily sprayed crop in the US)
My favorite brand is First-class organic food!
At the very least, I recommend looking for oats that are glyphosate-free. Glyphosate is a toxic pesticide that can be harmful if ingested. Whether your oats are gluten-free or not is entirely up to you.
Tips for the Best Apple Crisp Recipes
- Slice thinly, but not too thinly. You want the apple slices to be thin enough so that they cook through, but not so thin that they break down too much and become soggy.
- Prevent browning. If the crispy ingredients brown too quickly in the oven, cover the dish with aluminum foil and continue baking until the filling is bubbly and the apples are tender.
- Let it cool. Once crisped, let it cool slightly, even overnight, to give the filling time to thicken. If you serve it immediately, the filling will still be runny.
How to store
Store leftover homemade apple crisp in an airtight container or covered with foil in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Or, freeze leftovers for up to 3 months!
To serve, thaw frozen chips in the refrigerator overnight. Then, reheat in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes or until heated through. You can also microwave leftovers, but the ingredients won't be as crispy.
FAQ
The main difference is the ingredients. For example, apple crisp is made with a sweet apple filling like apple crisp, but it has a more decadent streusel-like topping without the oats or nuts that are common in crisp recipes.
Technically any kind of apple will work in this recipe. However, I recommend using apples that hold their shape when baked to prevent the filling from being too mushy. Some good choices include Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples.
I prefer to peel the apples for a smoother consistency, but you don’t have to!
The most common reasons are using too much butter or not baking the chips long enough.
More Delicious Fruit Crisp Recipes
Watch the video:
Crispy topping:
- 6 apple Peel and slice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 spoon Arrowroot
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
Crispy ingredients:
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup Add gluten-free oatmeal if desired
- 1/3 cup Coconut or maple sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
- Optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts of choice, just omit nuts
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
- 2 spoon maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- pinch fine sea salt
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Combine filling ingredients in a bowl.
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, Optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts of choice, omit nuts, 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, a pinch of fine sea salt
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Meanwhile, make the ingredients in a large bowl: Mix together with a fork with your fingers until mixture is crumbly.
6 apples, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup gluten-free oatmeal, if desired, 1/3 cup coconut or maple sugar
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Pour the fruit filling and any juices into a 9×9-inch (or similar size) baking pan. Crumble the crispy topping on top and bake in the preheated oven until the juices are bubbling and the pears are toasted, about 55 minutes. If the crispy ingredients are browning too quickly, cover the dish with aluminum foil.
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Cool slightly before serving. Serve as is, or with coconut whipped cream or ice cream and caramel, if desired.
Storage:
– Store leftover homemade apple crisp in an airtight container or covered with foil in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
– Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months!
– To serve, thaw frozen chips in the refrigerator overnight. Then, reheat in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes or until heated through. You can also microwave leftovers, but the ingredients won't be as crispy.
Serve: 1ServeCalories: 401kilocaloriescarbohydrate: 61gramprotein: 6gramFat: 15gramSaturated fat: 8gramPolyunsaturated fats: 2gramMonounsaturated fats: 4gramTrans fats: 0.5gramcholesterol: 31milligramssodium: 127milligramsPotassium: 227milligramsfiber: 3gramsugar: 28gramVitamin A: Chapter 357IUVitamin C: 1milligramscalcium: 64milligramsiron: 2milligrams
