Apple Crisp
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This is my go-to apple crisp recipe—tart apples bubbling under a buttery oat-pecan topping. Simple, rustic, and so, so good.
This rustic apple crisp, made with tart apples bubbling away in their juices under a crispy, buttery oat-pecan streusel, is a longtime favorite of mine. In fact, it’s one of the very first recipes I shared on this blog many years ago. It’s wonderful warm from the oven, but honestly, I love the cold leftovers with my morning coffee just as much. Serve it plain, or take it up a notch with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or even caramel sauce.
“We went apple picking with the grandkids. When we got back we used this recipe. It was a total hit and gone quickly.”
Crisp vs. Cobbler vs. Crumble vs. Buckle: What’s the Difference?
Crisps, crumbles, cobblers, and buckles are all fruit desserts, but the toppings are what set them apart. A crisp has a buttery oat topping (often with nuts) that bakes up crisp and crunchy. A crumble is similar but traditionally made without oats. Cobbler swaps in a biscuit-dough topping instead—like my apple cobbler—while a buckle is a tender cake with fruit folded into the batter.
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Crisp
- Tart baking apples: Go for tart-sweet varieties like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonagold, Jonathan, or Golden Delicious—or better yet, use a mix for the best balance of flavor and texture.
- Granulated and light brown sugars: Granulated sugar sweetens both the apples and the topping, while brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle caramel flavor to the crisp topping.
- All-purpose flour & old-fashioned rolled oats: Together they create a crisp, buttery topping with plenty of texture.
- Ground cinnamon & salt: Cinnamon adds warm spice, while salt balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor.
- Cold unsalted butter: Creates tender, crumbly clusters that bake up crisp and golden.
- Pecans: Add delicious crunch and a rich, nutty flavor. Walnuts work well, too, or omit them for a nut-free crisp.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Make the streusel topping: Combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt, then work in the cold butter until you have coarse, clumpy crumbs. Stir in the oats pecans. You’re looking for a mixture that holds together in small clusters rather than a fine, sandy texture.
Toss the apples and assemble: Toss the sliced apples with the sugar and cinnamon until evenly coated, then spread them in a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples, making sure it reaches all the way to the edges so every bite gets plenty of crisp topping.
Bake and serve: Bake until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. If the topping browns before the apples are done, loosely tent the dish with foil to prevent the pecans from over-browning while the apples finish cooking. Let the crisp cool for about 20 minutes before serving so the juices have a chance to thicken, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use other fruits? The oat topping works beautifully with other fruits, but the filling isn’t one-size-fits-all. Different fruits require different amounts of sugar, fruit, and sometimes a thickener. For the best results, try one of my fruit-specific recipes, including peach crisp, strawberry rhubarb crisp, or plum crisp.
Can I make apple crisp ahead? Yes, partially. You can make the topping up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it. The assembled crisp can also be refrigerated for a few hours before baking, but for the best texture, I recommend assembling it just before it goes into the oven.
Note: This apple crisp recipe was updated in August 2026 to skip the food processor in favor of an easier hand-mixing method, and to add cinnamon based on reader feedback.
More Apple Desserts You’ll Love
Apple Crisp
Ingredients
For the Topping
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup chopped pecans
For the Filling
- 2½ pounds tart baking apples (about 5 large), peeled, cored and sliced between ⅛ and ¼-inch thick
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For Serving
- Vanilla ice cream or Whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Make the topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and, using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms coarse, clumpy crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Stir in the oats and pecans. Place the bowl in the fridge until ready to use.
- Make the filling: Generously butter a shallow 2-quart (2-L) baking dish. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the granulated sugar and cinnamon.
- Assemble and bake: Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish and cover with the topping. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. If the topping is nicely browned before the apples are tender, loosely tent the dish with foil to prevent the pecans from over-browning and continue baking until the apples are done. Let the crisp cool for at least 20 minutes, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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So do I just increase the flour in the food processor or do I just stir it with the pecans.
I would include the additional flour in the food processor.
Can you make this without oats?
Sure, you can replace the oats with flour. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
This was delicious and very straightforward in its making. I used both Granny Smith and Pink Lady (New Zealand) apples.
I was out of pecans so no nuts in topping and it was still very good.
Having no pecans on hand, used walnuts. It’s the BEST apple crisp I’ve ever made. Thank you Jenn! CANNOT wait to try your other recipes.
My husband is allergic to tree nuts – what substitute would work well for the pecans to add a little crunch?
Hi Corey, I think you could just leave out the nuts; the topping will still be deliciously crisp. Or you could try a handful of unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Hope that helps!
I would like to make this apple crisp recipe for my granddaughters birthday. Could it be made in a 9 x 13 baking dish and if yes, how would the ingredients be adjusted? Thank you from Massachusetts!
Hi Nancy, Yes, this can be made in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish — I’d double all the ingredients. Hope everyone enjoys!
This recipe was delicious. I used chopped almonds in place of pecans. It was really, really good!
Hey Jenn:
I would like to make this for my friend who’s diabetic. What sugar replacements would you use in this case?
Thanks so much,
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia, I wish I could help but I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes so I can’t say which one would be best. (If it helps at all, I have read plenty of comments from readers who have said they’ve replaced some or all of the sugar in recipes with a substitute like Stevia and Truvia and have had good results.) Hope that helps at least a bit!
As a diabetic, I’ve cooked a lot with sugar substitutes. Splenda happens to be my choice. They make a lighter brown sugar and a granulated sugar substitute, both of which can be used cup for cup in baking recipes.
I also adapt a lot of baked dessert recipes for my diabetic mom. Often I’ll use coconut sugar to replace half of the brown sugar (lower glycemic index) and Splenda brown sugar for the other half. I will also reduce the white sugar in general by 25% and use a 50-50 ratio of Splenda white sugar to granulated white sugar. I find that using only Splenda for all of the sugars results in a weird aftertaste and may cause an upset stomach. But this tango of sugars usually works great. (Side note: In flour based baking, the normal white and brown sugars are important to retain moisture. In such cases, I suggest an extra egg yolk, a few tablespoons of greek yogurt, sour cream or applesauce to help compensate for structural integrity when making coconut sugar and/or Splenda substitutions.) I have not experimented with monk sugar yet.
You can replace sugar in baked good with applesauce, in equal measure. I use unsweetened applesauce successfully in cookies, cobblers, bread, etc. Interestingly enough, it is also a great sub for fats / oils in baked goods.
This was perfect. I used Macintosh apples as that is what I had on hand and it came out fantastic. My husband couldn’t stop raving about it. This is a keeper. I may even use this recipe instead of apple pie for Thanksgiving!
I recently came upon Jenn’s website and I have been trying her recipes. Every one of them has been better than the last. Thank you.
One of the most delicious apple recipes I have found. The family ate it so fast I already need to make another batch.