Barth Bakery
- Oct 25, 2020
- 2 min read

The Best Apple Crisp

Updated: Mar 31, 2022

A quick and easy recipe for a must-have classic fall dessert. I mean, is it even fall if you don't have apple crisp at least once?! Fresh, juicy apples are perfectly spiced and sweetened and then baked until tender to highlight the natural flavor of the apples. While baking, the apples are caramelized together with a crispy brown sugar oat crumb topping for a perfectly buttery and flavorful homestyle dessert that's warm and comforting on a chilly fall day.

Originally published 10/08/2017; Updated 10/25/2020

Classic Apple Crisp with Oat Crumb Topping

Ingredients

Spiced Apple Filling

3 Tbsp salted butter, melted
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Zest of ½ lemon
3 Tbsp whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
4-6 large baking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges (Granny Smith, Cortland, Fuji, or Honeycrisp apples work well)

Oat Crumb Topping

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
½ cup salted butter, cold and cut into cubes
½ cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions

Spiced Apple Filling

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter and flour. Add the lemon juice and zest, milk, and vanilla and stir until well combined. Then stir in the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Place the cut apples in a large bowl and pour the sugar spice mixture over the apples, tossing well to evenly coat the apples. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer.

Oat Crumb Topping

In a medium bowl, combine all of the crumb topping ingredients with a fork, pastry blender, or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apple mixture in the baking dish.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown and crisp. Serve warm (with vanilla ice cream)!