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The Best Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp with a Buttery, Crunchy Oat Topping

A close-up, appetizing slice of apple crisp with a thick, gooey apple filling and crunchy oat topping.
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This is the tried-and-true recipe for a classic, comforting apple crisp. You get tender, cinnamon-spiced apples beneath a perfectly buttery and crunchy oat topping. It is simple to make and ideal for serving warm with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 large baking apples (like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for topping)
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (for topping)
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for topping)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8×8 inch baking dish or a similar sized pie plate.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples, granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Toss gently until the apples are evenly coated.
  3. Spread the apple mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
  4. In a separate medium bowl, prepare the topping. Whisk together the 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt.
  5. Cut in the cold butter cubes using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Do not overmix.
  6. Sprinkle the oat topping evenly over the apple mixture in the baking dish. Press lightly, but do not pack it down.
  7. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbly and tender when pierced with a fork.
  8. Let the apple crisp cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to set slightly.
  9. Serve warm, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Notes

  • For the best texture, use firm, slightly tart apples like Granny Smith. They hold their shape well during baking.
  • If your topping starts browning too quickly before the apples are tender, loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking.
  • You can substitute half of the all-purpose flour in the topping with whole wheat flour for a slightly nuttier flavor.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookincorner.com/best-old-fashioned-apple-crisp-recipe/