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.
Video Tutorial
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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Made this yesterday, as I noticed a lot of apples in the fridge. Quick and easy and very good with a little dollop of whipped cream.
I like that you omitted the dried cranberries (from the original recipe).
What a wonderful idea to mix different types of apples in a crisp! This is really yummy. The pecans add a really nice crunch and, in a good way, “un-sweeten” the crumble part. A great excuse to eat whipped cream! A+
This was hands-down fabulous! Everyone cleaned the entire dish at a family birthday party. Made recipe exactly as described! A home-run Jenn..
Made this for Thanksgiving. Not a huge hit. Ended up tossing half of it. Apples were not as flavorful as in a pie. Used a processor for crumb topping but did not crumble enough even though the Butter was cold.
I used half Honeycrisp and half Granny Smith and it was amazing! My four year old son helped me make the crisp topping!! Great fall recipe!
What are your thoughts about making this with another flour for gluten free diets?
Hi Karen, I think that would work fine here. Hope you enjoy!
Highly recommend Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 GF flour blend (already has xanthan), or King Arthur Measure for Measure (great price for 5 lb bag at BJ’s). Or if you have your own homemade blend, use that. I also prepare and have on hand America’s Test Kitchen all-purpose GF flour blend (has no xanthan, so if a recipe calls for it, must add, but such a versatile, inexpensive GF flour blend in so many recipes; always have success with the ATK blend).
glutenfreeandmore.com has recipe using almond flour, 3T butter + maple syrup for the topping in Apple-Cranberry Crumble– GF and delish! I can’t eat even GF oats, so I make that recipe for myself. My husband can’t eat almonds, so I’m making Jenn’s topping for his. Thanks, Jennifer!
Hi Jenn, love your blog and have tried many of your recipes with great success! (I really should start adding reviews!). Might make this crisp for Rosh Hashanah to change things up. Made your French Apple Cake last year and it was great. I need more than what this recipe makes. Have you doubled or 1 1/2 times the recipe and used a larger dish 9 x 13? Suggestions please. Thank you!
Hi Susan, Glad to hear you’re enjoying the recipes! You could definitely double this– just make sure you use a baking dish that holds 4 quarts. Enjoy!
Great recipe!
Yum! I made this with Lobo apples we picked at our local orchard today, and the recipe is a nice, easy (but still very tasty) alternative to apple pie. The only addition I made to the apple slices was a dash of pumpkin pie spice, which another commenter inspired me to do. The only mistake I made was to try and rush the top-browning process by turning on the broiler and leaving it a minute too long…this resulted in a bit of burning of the topping, but it wasn’t seriously burnt, and the whole thing was actually quite delicious. (And the original recipe obviously did not recommend broiling, so that mistake was all mine! Just mentioning it as a warning to others who may also think of taking this shortcut).
Thanks again, Jennifer!
How can I make ahead and reheat when ready to use?
This is a recipe that works well when made ahead and reheated. I’d take it out of the fridge about an hour prior to sticking it in the oven, then I’d reheat at 300 – 350 degrees until warm in the middle.
How long would it take to reheat Jenn?
This is the BEST apple crisp ever!
So glad you like it! I’d guesstimate it would need 45 to 50 minutes to reheat.