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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Hi Jenn,
I am making your apple pecan crisp and I have a peach blueberry crisp in the freezer. I would like to make your crumble for both of them, do you think that would work?
Thanks,
Mary
Sure!
Perfect recipe!!
Dear Jenn, just a quick thank you really for this gorgeus receipe. It turned out light, springy and super tasty. Perfect for less experienced cook as myself as not complicated to make.I have made a slight adjustment to the amount of sugar and reduced it to 110 g which could still be reduced a bit more I recon,depending on your taste. I was planning to freeze some,but fat chance this is going to happen! Half already gone😊
Hi Jenn,
the Apple Pecan crisp recipe does not update to Metric measurements.
Thanks for checking
Regards
Sujata
Hi Sujata, I just added them. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks so much
Really delicious. We loved the flavor and extra crunchiness that pecans brought to the topping.
Hi Jenn, Made the apple crisp yesterday & it was super delicious. had it warm with vanilla icecream as suggested. Love it !! Thanks, Sujata
Hi Jenn,
If i would like to double the quantity of the recipe what size baking dish should i use please.
Thanks,
Sujata
Hi Sujata, You’ll need to use a baking dish that holds 4 quarts or you can use two 2-quart baking dishes.
Can I use walnuts or do you think that the apples just prefer pecans in this?
Hi Geni, walnuts would work here too. Enjoy!
Thanks for the question, and answer! I only have walnuts on hand.
Made this today & once again, absolutely delicious Jenn. The extra bonus is that it’s so easy to make. Btw, I usually like apple crisp & apple pie warmed up but after the company left I had a few forkfuls when it had cooled. I think it’s even more tasty cooled. Thanks for another delicious recipe!
Made it last night. Turned out perfect! Added a little lemon juice to the apples and also added a sprinkle of nutmeg to the topping. Very easy to put together and love it warm out of the oven! Will be adding this for Thanksgiving instead of my traditional apple pie – much easier!
Want to put it together ahead of time, keep it chilled then bake while we’re having dinner so we can enjoy it warm with our other desserts. Would you recommend that I put it together Thanksgiving morning or could I do it the night before and keep it chilled till I bake it for dessert?
Hi Lisa, Glad you liked it! You can assemble it the night before and refrigerate if that’s easier for you.
If you assemble the night before and refrigerate, do you keep the filling and the topping separate? Or does it not matter? Thanks! This is part of our Thanksgiving menu.
No need to keep them separate. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn! If you assemble the day before Thanksgiving, you don’t bake it first before refrigerating, right? Just store it raw? Thanks! P.S. I love and appreciate all of your recipes. Even bought one of your cookbooks :o)
Thanks for your nice words about the recipes and support of the cookbook! 🙂
Yes, you can assemble and refrigerate it prior to baking. Enjoy!
This is a good basic crisp. I did stir in a little bit of flour into the apples because I was concerned about them being too juicy. About 1/8 of a cup was a good amount, and the filling came out perfectly.
Thanks for the tips, everyone and Thanks Jenn for my favorite food website! I didn’t try it without the spices, but sure liked this with them, as many suggest. Agree that adding flour (in my case GF oat flour) was nice for making it more pie-like. As a celiac, this recipe completely negates all need for pie, and everyone likes my GF version just as well… some say better, on top of heavy holiday dinners.
My 10 year old son and I made this for our Halloween party and it was really easy to make. We made it ahead of time and baked it during the party so the house smelled like apples. Everyone loved it! I only wish I had made more! Thank you!
What about adding some yellow raisins to the mix? If so, what quantity would you suggest?
Sure, Carol, that would work. I’d add about 1/2 cup. Enjoy!
Can you use quick cooking oats for this recipe?
Hi Linda, I think you get away with quick-cooking oats here, although the topping won’t have quite the same hearty texture. Please LMK how it turns out!