Classic Apple Crisp Recipe

When gardens and farmer's markets begin to fill with apples, there's no doubt that a warm apple crisp is on the horizon. This simple baked dessert is a timeless classic, which is no surprise when you dig into the delicious spiced treat. With the perfect contrast of crispy topping and tender, cooked apples, it's always time for apple crisp.

Recipe developer Jaime Shelbert, the holistic dietitian behind Wholly Nourished, knows that dessert — in moderation — is a key component to enjoying a healthy lifestyle. Plus, this sweet treat is loaded with fresh fruit so there's really no reason to feel guilty. Shelbert shares, "This is one of my favorite apple season recipes."

Using standard baking ingredients like butter, sugar, and flour, this recipe is the perfect way to delight your taste buds. As Shelbert points out, "There's no need to fuss over making a pie crust, instead you can easily mix up a crisp topping for an easy dessert." Or better yet, dig into a warm bowl as an afternoon pick-me-up. 

Unsurprisingly, you'll need apples for this recipe — Shelbert notes that any type of apple meant for baking works, adding, "I used Honeycrisp in this recipe, but some of my other favorites are Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and Jonagold." She explains, "These varieties stand up to baking without becoming mushy." Core and peel the fruit, then slice it into ¼-inch pieces. 

You'll also need butter, granulated sugar, and cinnamon to cook the apples. As for the crisp, it's made by combining flour, brown sugar, whole rolled oats, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt. Finally, melted butter is added to the mix in order to form a crumbly texture.

Preheat your oven to 375 F. Next, set a saucepan or medium-sized Dutch oven over the stove top on medium-low heat. Add in 2 tablespoons butter and heat it until it melts. Toss in the sliced apples, ½ cup granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook the fruit for 4-5 minutes while continuously stirring so the slices are properly coated. Once they're nice and tender, turn off the heat and transfer the apples to a 2-quart baking dish or pie plate.

It's time to make the crisp topping. Set out a small mixing bowl and combine the flour, brown sugar, whole rolled oats, walnuts, the remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and salt. Then, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and pour it into the bowl. Stir the ingredients together, until the mixture is crumbly with no dry spots.

Carefully spread the crisp over the layer of apples in the baking dish, evenly distributing the topping so it bakes uniformly. At this point, your oven should be preheated, so pop the apple crisp onto a rack and bake it for 40 minutes. Aside from the anticipation of digging in, you'll surely agree with Shelbert that "There's also nothing better than a kitchen filled with the smell of cinnamon apples baking in the oven." 

Once the surface becomes crispy and turns a warm golden-brown color, remove the baking dish from the oven. Let it cool slightly before serving it, but don't wait too long — warm apple crisp is the ultimate treat. "This crisp is delicious on its own, or topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream," Shelbert recommends.

Keep the leftovers sealed and refrigerated for up to 5 days, and enjoy them chilled or reheated.