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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Best apple crisp! I have been looking for the best apple crisp recipe and tried many recipes. This is the one. The crisp topping was crispy which was what I was looking for. The other recipes were mushy and did not compare. All the recipes on this site are so good. Thank you
Hi Jenn, just want to say your recipes never let me down. Could I replace the pecans with sliced almonds? Thanks.
So glad you like the recipes! And, yes, you can use almonds in place of the pecans. 🙂
Another AMAZING recipe! Thank you JeNN!!
Hi! I have this in the oven right now 🙂 Something I’ve always wondered – when you write recipes, is the indicated weight/volume always *before* something is chopped? Like for the 2 1/2 lbs apples – is it 2 1/2 lbs of whole apples, knowing it’ll be more like 1.75 lbs once it’s peeeled and cored? Or, are you peeling/coring enough apples to reach 2 1/2 lbs total of slices?
Hi Katie, when the weight/volume is listed for a recipe ingredient, that’s what you should be buying at the store. 🙂
Hi Jenn,
Would ambrosia apples work fine in this recipe?
Sure, they should work nicely. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn!
When you make this and your apple pie what kind of apples do you usually use?
Hi Jess, I like to use a blend of different types of apples (like Fuji, Granny Smith, Jonagolds, Jonathans, Golden Delicious, Gala, Honey Crisp). Hope you enjoy the crisp!
Had to laugh! My friends always tease me about the kind of apples I put in my pie. I always start with 2 Granny Smiths, then mix up the others! Good to see someone else does that! They think I am crazy……but they still love the pie!
Hi. I can’t wait to make this and freeze it for the upcoming Jewish holidays. Do I defrost it before reheating or bake again straight from the freezer? Thanks.
Hi Marsha, I would thaw it before reheating it. (I’m going to add that to the freezer-friendly directions). Enjoy!
thanks!
No amount of flour or brown sugar, or oats are listed, nor is the amount of chunks of butter. I am HIGHLY disappointed.
What about the ingredients/amounts for each topping item?
Maureen Humphreys
Hi Maureen, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
Hi Jenn,
Absolutely love all your recipes. You’re my go to for baking/cooking and the only chef I now follow or always recommend. Thank you, , Jenn! Quick question: would this recipe (or any of your crumbles/cobblers) work with using frozen blackberries as the fruit? Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks for your kind words about the recipes — so glad you like them! If you want to use blackberries, I’d suggest using my blueberry cobbler recipe. Keep in mind that I haven’t tried it with blackberries so I can’t say for sure how it will come out. The blackberries may give off too much juice on their own so if you want to try it, I’d suggest doing a combination of blackberries and blueberries. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you make it!
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy making your recipes as well as incorporating the tips and comments into my own dishes. This apple crips and the peach crisp are two of my faves. I froze the prepared peaches when I had some fresh from the farmer’s market and also froze the prepared crumble topping. I used up the peaches, but had some topping mix left over in the freezer… so, a smaller batch of apple crisp was on the menu. It was perfect! And as a universal crumble topping to keep on hand, it works well. I added my own spice mix to it and saved it in a zip lock bag. Alway be prepared for any type of crisp… so good, and thanks so much for sharing your recipes