Old Fashioned Apple Crisp with Oats

Old Fashioned Easy Apple Crisp Recipe with oats and modifications for an apple crisp topping without oats.

4.94 from 15 votes

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp with Oats

Made with sweet, soft, and tender apples and a buttery oat topping that is spiced to perfection, this apple crisp is the ultimate fall dessert.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Equipment

8x8 baking pan

Ingredients

For the Apple Mixture

4 large sweet firm, apples (like Golden Delicious) peeled, cored and chopped into 1-inch cubes
2 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and chopped into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the Oat Crisp

⅔ cup brown sugar light or dark
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
⅓ cup unsalted butter (cold and cubed) plus more for greasing the baking dish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃). Grease an 8x8 baking dish generously with butter and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the prepared apples with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, tossing to coat.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine ⅔ cup brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¾ teaspoon nutmeg. Add in ⅓ cup unsalted butter (cold and cubed), and with a pastry cutter or your hands, combine the mixture until crumbly and the butter is evenly distributed through the mixture.
Pour the apples into the prepared baking dish and evenly top with the oat topping.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown.
Let the crisp cool for 10-20 minutes to continue to thicken. Then serve semi-warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream as desired.

Video

Notes

Note on Number of Apples: You will need about 6 cups of diced apples which is about 6 large apples. The measurement should be close, but not exact.

Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats stand up better to baking, but quick oats can be used if that is all you have on hand. The topping will just be slightly less chewy.

Variety of Apples: I like to use 2 tart Granny smith apples paired with 4 sweet, firm apples, but feel free to use all sweet apples. If using all tart apples, you will need to increase the granulated sugar to 3 tablespoons to help sweeten the apple mixture.

Types of Sweet Apples: Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Mutsu, Winesap, Honey Crisp, or Pink Lady. Stay away from McIntosh or Red Delicious which can break down and become mushy as they bake. Feel free to use a variety of apples.

Doubling: This recipe can easily be doubled, simply use a 9x13 pan or a 4-quart shallow baking dish.

Gluten-Free: Be sure your oats are certified gluten-free and use an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.

Dairy-Free: Use unsalted, non-dairy stick butter.

Add Nuts: If desired, you can add up to ¼ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the crisp topping for a nutty, earthy crunch.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat individual servings, place in a heat-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through.

Nutrition