Easy Apple Crisp
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Oct. 10, 2026
I created this easy apple crisp recipe to stand out from the rest, as it stays crisp without getting soggy. It’s teeming with juicy apples and topped with crispy, crunchy oats, and toasted pecans. It’s generously spiced, for big fall flavors. My family and friends say this is the best apple crisp they’ve ever tasted.
In This Article
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Amy’s Notes
My family adores apple desserts, so every fall I make all their favorites. This easy apple crisp is a fail-proof, well-tested recipe I’m always proud to share with family and friends. I usually don’t have any leftovers to speak of. What you will love:
- The Texture: The super crispy topping with whole oats and perfectly cooked apples create the most irresistible crispy and juicy texture.
- The ingredients are pantry staples, and you probably already have everything you need.
- This simple recipe feeds a crowd, so it’s perfect for gatherings.
- The tart apples enhance the sweet flavors in the buttery cinnamon sauce.
- It tastes just like apple pie, but without all the fuss of a homemade crust.
Watch This Recipe in Action
Why This Recipe Stands Out
Many people struggle with how to get the topping crispy, without getting soggy when making apple crisp. This recipe will give you a crispy topping every single time. My favorite tip for keeping the topping crisp is keeping the butter very cold and cut into very small pieces. I use a pastry cutter to mix the cold butter with the other ingredients. As it bakes, the cold butter will crisp up the topping, with whole oats and toasted pecans to create the crunchy topping everyone wants.
Key Ingredients
For The Cinnamon Oat Topping
- All-purpose flour: gives body to the apple crisp topping.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: old fashioned oats work better than instant oats, as they have a heartier texture.
- Brown sugar: sweetens the topping and adds a rich caramel flavor.
- Cinnamon: essential for any fall-flavored apple dessert; be sure your ground cinnamon is fresh.
- Salt: balance and enhance your baking or cooking with a bit of salt.
- Butter: real butter gives the topping a rich golden color/flavor as it bakes.
- Toasted pecans: adds a wonderful crunch to the topping and nutty flavor.
For The Apple Filling
- Apples: we recommend using granny smith and honeycrisp apples, as they hold their shape during baking.
- Lemon: both the lemon zest and lemon juice bring out the sweetness in the apples.
- Brown sugar: this sweetens the apple crisp and caramelizes beautifully as it bakes.
- Cinnamon: be sure your cinnamon is fresh; it’s highly recommended that you start with a fresh new jar every fall.
- Nutmeg: this earthy, fragrant spice that pairs perfectly with cinnamon.
- Cloves: you’ll often find cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in apple pie spice!
The Best Apples to Use
Use firm apples that hold their shape and taste a little tart. My favorites are granny smith apples for their tart and firm texture or honeycrisp apples, which are sweet and firm. A mixture of granny smith and honeycrisp apples is great as well. Avoid softer apples like red delicious or Mcintosh, which tend to turn mushy.
How to Make The Best Apple Crisp
- Stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter until it looks like wet sand with pea-sized butter bits. Stir in the toasted pecans. Cover and chill.
- Toss with sliced apples with lemon zest, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.eg, and cloves.
- Pour the apples into a buttered dish and scatter the cold topping evenly over the top. Don’t press it down.
- Set the dish on a sheet pan and bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Tent loosely with foil if the top is browning fast, then bake 15 to 20 minutes more or until the edges bubble thickly.
- Be sure to let finished apple crisp rest until it reaches room temperature so the juices have time to thicken and set before you slice it.
Pro Tips for Success
- Butter the baking dish really well to prevent sticking.
- Make sure the butter is very cold before you add it to the rest of the topping ingredients. You should be still able to see small chunks of butter after you’ve combined the mixture.
- If you want to mix the topping by hand, make sure your hands are cool. Warm hands will melt the butter too much.
- After baking the crisp for about 45 minutes, cover loosely with foil to prevent it from burning.
- This part is hard, but let the finished apple crisp rest until it reaches room temperature so the filling has time to thicken and set prior to slicing.
Easy Apple Crisp
Ingredients
For the Topping:
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ cup pecans, toasted
- ½ cup salted butter, very cold and cut into small pieces
For the Filling:
- 2 ½ pounds apples, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces*
- zest of 1 large lemon
- juice of 1 large lemon, a little under 1/4 cup
- ½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Optional: vanilla ice cream for topping
Instructions
- Butter a 8×8 baking dish. Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack on middle position.
- In a bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pecans. Stir to combine well.
- Using a pastry cutter, cut cold butter into the ingredients until mixture is crumbly, resembling wet sand with little clumps of butter still intact. If your fingers are cool, it's easier to mix with hands. Cover and chill.
- In a large bowl, combine apples, lemon zest, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; toss to incorporate. Pour mixture prepared baking dish. Scatter cold topping evenly over the apples.
- Place baking dish on a large baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, check the topping, and cover loosely with foil if it's browning too quickly.
- Continue baking another 15-20 minutes, or just until topping is nicely browned and edges are bubbling. Let cool to room temperature, to allow filling to thicken and set.
Notes
- I highly recommend firm granny smith or honeycrisp apples, as they hold their shape without getting mushy while baking.
- Variations and Substitutions: Walnuts are a good substitution for pecans. You can leave out the nuts for a nut-free version. Try a warm caramel drizzle over top.
- Storage: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Leftovers can also be frozen airtight for up to 1 month. Reheat in oven for 10-15 minutes at 350ºF (once frozen, the topping will be softer than original).
Nutrition (per serving)
Frequently Asked Questions
The best apples are a mixture of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples. They should be firm and slightly tart.
All apple crisps will become softer the longer they sit in the fridge. Cover the apple crisp airtight and keep in fridge no longer than 3 days. We recommend reheating in a toaster oven or oven until topping crisps back up.
Apple crisp has oats in the topping, which bake up crunchy. Apple crumble usually skips the oats and uses a flour, butter, and sugar streusel that’s more sandy and tender.
It’s actually super easy! So much so that we put together this post on how to make a gluten-free apple crisp.
Peeling gives the softest, most even filling. If desired, you can leave the peels on for more texture and color; the crisp will still taste great.
Usually the butter was too warm, the topping was pressed down, or the crisp was covered during resting and cooling. Use cold butter, scatter the topping loosely, and let leftovers cool uncovered before storing.
The topping will be deep golden brown and the filling will be bubbling thickly around the edges.
More Apple Desserts You’ll Love
- Chewy Apple Oatmeal Bars (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar-Free) – Everyone’s favorite dessert meets a healthy on-the-go breakfast with these easy bars.
- Apple Pie Bars – If you love this apple crisp, these apple bars will become your new go-to snack this fall.
- Dutch Apple Pie – The perfect balance between sweet and tangy, this apple pie is absolutely scrumptious and perfect for feeding a crowd.
- Apple Cake with Caramel – If you’re looking for a make-ahead treat, this gem of a cake is just what you need.
- Best Apple Pie with Flaky Butter Crust – This is hands-down everyone’s favorite apple pie around here. One bite, and this is all the apple pie you’ll ever wish for.