Make Your Apple Crisp Even Sweeter With One Store-Bought Swap

Apple crisp is one of the best apple desserts to sweeten up your fall, but it's delicious anytime of year. It has all the flavor notes found in a standard apple pie, except it's faster and easier to make, ideal for satisfying cravings that hit when you're low on time and energy. Although a classic apple crisp recipe is nearly perfect as-is, sometimes a simple ingredient swap can birth a whole new favorite dessert, perhaps even a new tradition. Today's creative tip is courtesy of Carla Hall, the lively chef who shared a hack for an elevated apple crisp on her Instagram: Use cookie dough for the topping.

There's something about the buttery sweetness of cookie dough that makes everything better, be it croissants, cakes, ice cream, or pies. You can make the cookie dough for the apple crisp from scratch, like Carla Hall did, but the best thing about this swap is that it totally works with the cookie dough from the grocery store, too. We actually reviewed 10 store-bought cookie dough brands to help you pick the best one. After that, all you have to do is place the chunks of dough on top of the apple filling and bake in the oven until it's fully melted and slightly golden — just remember to bake it at a low temperature, as the cookie dough is quick to burn.

The filling for the apple crisp is very simple to make, as you just need to mix fresh apples with some sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice, then cook them in butter for a few minutes. That said, it's totally fine if the filling comes from the can, too. Using pre-made ingredients will massively speed up the process and eliminate room for error — not to mention, it turns this unique crisp into only a two-ingredient dessert. If you're worried the canned filling won't taste as luxurious as the homemade thing, there are also several simple ways you can elevate canned pie filling; for example, by mixing it with fresh fruit or using flavoring essences for the extra gusto.

When serving your cookie dough apple crisp dessert, you can experiment with a variety of different flavor combinations that traditionally pair well with apple desserts and cookies. Whipped cream and ice cream are the obvious favorites, but we also like the idea of custard. You could even serve a glass of milk on the side to pay homage to the timeless cookies-and-milk combo. Now grab a spoon and dig in!