This easy apple crisp with oats hits that sweet spot between indulgent and wholesome. It's the classic apple crisp flavor you crave, just with a few subtle nutritious swaps for those of us who like our desserts to feel good too. Perfect for cozy fall nights or your holiday table!
After a summer full of strawberry crisp and homemade peach crisp, it's finally time for the cozy fall version: wholesome apple crisp!
This one's got everything I crave when the air turns crisp: a saucy, cinnamon-spiced apple filling and a thick, buttery oat-packed topping that bakes up golden and just sweet enough. It's made with real, simple ingredients, but still feels like a treat.
If you're swimming in apples this fall (or just planning your Thanksgiving dessert menu), this easy apple crisp recipe deserves a spot. Let's make it!
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Key Ingredients & Notes
- Apples - Go for tart or sweet-tart varieties that hold up in the oven. Honeycrisp and Granny Smith are my go-to varieties for that perfect balance of flavor and texture.
- Tapioca starch - My secret to a thick, glossy fruit filling! It gives the apple crisp filling that perfect sauciness. Cornstarch, arrowroot, or regular flour work too.
- Apple pie spices - Cinnamon is classic, but a mix of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom takes things up a notch.
- Whole rolled oats - The backbone of that crisp, golden topping. Use rolled oats (not quick) for the best texture, and certified gluten-free oats if needed.
- White whole wheat flour - Adds a bit of fiber and nuttiness without making the topping dense. Good swaps include a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, spelt (like in my almond butter apple crisp recipe), whole wheat pastry, or unbleached all-purpose.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
One of my other favorite fall crisp recipes is this apple pear crisp! It's similar to apple crisp, but pears add a sweet, softness that makes the flavor pop.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F and butter an 8- or 9-inch baking dish (square or round-your call). Thinly slice the apples, then cut the slices in half for easy, bite-sized pieces. No need to peel unless you want to!
- Step 2: In a large bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice, tapioca starch, pie spices, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt until evenly coated. Transfer to the prepped baking dish.
- Step 3: In the same (or a separate) bowl, combine cubed butter, flour, oats, more spices, chopped nuts, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and a bit more salt. Use clean hands to mix, squishing and pressing until crumbly clumps form.
- Step 4: Layer the crumble across the apples. It might look piled high, but trust, everything will bake down!
- Step 5: Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. If it browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil or parchment. Let the crisp cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Step 6: Serve warm (or at room temp) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. The filling thickens as it cools, so it's delicious whether saucy and warm or fully set. YUM!
Tips for the Best Apple Crisp
- To peel or not to peel? I usually skip peeling! Thinly slicing the apples, then halving the slices, makes the peels practically disappear after baking. But if you or someone in your crew prefers peeled apples, go for it. My mom can peel an apple in one long peel with a knife, but I don't have those made skills, so I love a vegetable peeler for this task!
- Apple size matters: I've tried every cut imaginable, and thinly sliced + halved wins every time. The pieces bake evenly, stay tender, and soak up all that cinnamon-maple flavor. Plus, no awkwardly massive bites of apple!
- Serve à la mode: A warm scoop of apple crisp with cold vanilla ice cream (or a dollop of whipped cream) is life-giving.
Apple Crisp with Oats FAQ
For the best flavor, choose apples that are more tart or sweet-tart. For the best texture, choose apples that are crisp and can stand up well to baking without turning into complete mush. Granny Smith apples and Honeycrisps check both of these boxes, and I use them all the time in my apple crisps!
It's probably still warm from the oven! If you would prefer a sturdier apple crisp texture, allow the crisp to cool for about an hour or longer. The tapioca starch in the filling will help it gel up nicely as it cools.
A crisp and a crumble are similar enough that the terms are often used interchangeably to refer to the same dessert. The main differentiator is that crisp toppings tend to contain oats, which crisp up in the oven. A cobbler is also a baked dessert with a fruit filling, but the topping is a typically made from a biscuit dough.
You can store it at room temperature, covered, for 1-2 days before transferring it to an airtight container in the fridge. If you prefer a warm crisp, gently reheat it in the microwave, air fryer, or oven. It's best within 5 days.
You sure can! Make sure the crisp is completely cooled before transferring it to an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge when ready to eat. Reheat in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes or until warmed through.
More Dessert Recipes
Life is better with dessert. If you like apple crisp, you might also love:
📖 Recipe
Crispy, Cozy Apple Crisp with a Hearty Oat Topping
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This cozy apple crisp recipe strikes the balance between wholesome and indulgent, so it's the perfect cozy and sweet addition to your fall or holiday table! The oat topping creates an incredible texture atop saucy, cinnamon-spiked apples. YUM!
Ingredients
- 800 grams of apples, thinly sliced & slices halved (~7-8 apples)
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon or apple pie spice
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter (1 stick), cut into cubes
- 1 cup whole rolled oats
- ½ cup white whole wheat flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat & prep. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and butter an 8 or 9-inch baking dish (round, square, or a small rectangle of similar size is fine).
- Make the filling. Slice apples thinly, and slice the slices in half. Place into a large bowl and add ¼ cup maple syrup, tapioca starch, cinnamon or pie spices, lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir to get the apples nicely coated, then transfer the apples to the prepared baking dish, distributing them evenly.
- Make the topping. In the same bowl or a separate medium-large bowl, add the butter, oats, flour, brown sugar, walnuts, vanilla, remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or pie spices. Using clean hands, mix the ingredients and start to squish the pieces of butter into the oat mixture until integrated. Your bowl should look full of pebbly pieces.
- Bake. Transfer the oat topping to the baking dish in one layer atop the apples. Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes, until crisp topping is nicely browned and apple crisp filling is juicy and bubbling beneath. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- Storage and freezing instructions. Apple crisp can sit on the counter at room temperature, covered, for 1-2 days, but then it's best to store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days. To freeze, allow the crisp to cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to three months. When ready to enjoy, thaw it in the fridge, then reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until fully heated through.
- Apple recommendations. I love using Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for baking! They are both sturdy apples and bake up without turning to mush, plus they have incredibly tart or sweet-tart flavors that really pop when baked into something sweet. You can use any apple varieties that have these qualities as well!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 big scoop (⅛ recipe)
- Calories: 347
- Sugar: 27.8 g
- Sodium: 152.4 mg
- Fat: 16.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.5 g
- Fiber: 5.2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 30.5 mg
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