What are the best apples for apple crisp?

A mix. Granny Smith holds its shape and brings tartness; Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Golden Delicious break down and sweeten the filling. Using only one variety gives you either mush or uniformly firm slices.

What's the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble?

Crisp topping contains oats, which is where the crisp texture comes from. Crumble topping is just flour, butter and sugar, so it bakes into something softer and more shortbread-like. This recipe is a crisp.

Why is my apple crisp watery?

No thickener, or apples that released more juice than expected. The two tablespoons of cornstarch handle this — and letting the finished crisp rest 15 minutes gives those juices time to set into syrup.

Can I make apple crisp ahead of time?

Yes. Assemble it completely, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then bake with about 10 extra minutes. You can also freeze the unbaked crisp for 3 months and bake from frozen at 350°F for roughly 75 minutes.

Home › Desserts › Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp (The Easy Fall Dessert Recipe I Make All Season)

By Ami · September 11, 2026 · ★★★★★ 4.9 from 312 reviews · Jump to Recipe · Print

Apple crisp is the easy dessert recipe I start making the first week apples show up at the market and don't stop until the new year. Cinnamon apples bubbling underneath, a thick buttery oat crumble on top, and not a sheet of pastry in sight.

Apple crisp in a white oval baking dish with golden brown oat crumble over bubbling cinnamon apples

All the payoff of a pie with none of the pastry.

No dough, no chilling, no blind baking. Rub butter into oats and sugar with your fingers and you're done — fifteen minutes of work total.
Two kinds of apple is the whole secret. Tart Granny Smiths hold their shape, sweet Honeycrisps break down into sauce. Together you get both texture and body.
It's very hard to get wrong. Unlike my Greek yogurt banana bread, there's no crumb to overmix and nothing to sink in the middle.

Here's what you'll need.

Use cold butter cut into cubes — warm butter makes a paste rather than the loose clumps you want in a crumble.

Ingredients for apple crisp: Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples, rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon

Here's how it all comes together.

Step 1 — Peel and slice

Peel the apples and slice them into even quarter-inch wedges. Thicker slices stay too firm, thinner ones collapse into applesauce.

Peeling and slicing fresh apples into even wedges on a wooden cutting board

Step 2 — Toss with sugar and spice

Toss the slices with brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and a spoonful of cornstarch. The cornstarch is what turns the juices into syrup instead of a puddle.

Tossing sliced apples with cinnamon, brown sugar and lemon juice in a large glass bowl

Step 3 — Into the dish

Spread the apples evenly in a buttered baking dish, mounding them slightly in the center since they'll sink as they cook.

Spreading cinnamon-coated apple slices evenly into a white oval baking dish

Step 4 — Make the crumble

Rub the cold butter into the oats, flour and brown sugar with your fingertips until you have coarse, uneven crumbs.

Cutting cold cubed butter into oats, flour and brown sugar with fingertips until coarse crumbs form

Step 5 — Top generously

Scatter the crumble over the apples in clumps rather than an even layer. Those uneven clumps are what go crunchy and golden.

Scattering clumps of oat crumble topping over sliced apples in a baking dish

Step 6 — Bake until bubbling

Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes until the top is deeply golden and you can see syrup bubbling up around the edges.

Apple crisp fresh from the oven with a golden crumble top and cinnamon syrup bubbling at the edges

Warm scoop of apple crisp in a cream bowl topped with melting vanilla ice cream and caramel juices

Things I learned while testing this recipe.

Old-fashioned oats, not instant. Rolled oats stay distinct and chewy. Instant oats dissolve into the sugar and the topping goes sandy.
Don't skip the lemon. Two tablespoons sounds like a lot in a dessert, but it keeps very sweet apples from tasting flat and one-note.
Foil if it browns early. If the top hits deep gold before 45 minutes, tent it loosely — the apples underneath still need the full time.
Let it sit 15 minutes. Straight from the oven the juices are molten and thin. A short rest lets them set into syrup.

Why it's the easiest dessert to bring somewhere.

It's just as good warm as hot. No frantic timing to have it come out of the oven at the right moment.
Assemble ahead, bake later. Build the whole thing, refrigerate up to a day, and bake when you need it with an extra 10 minutes.
The crumble freezes on its own for 3 months, so a future crisp is only a bag of apples away.

Here's what I'd serve with this.

Vanilla ice cream — the single best thing to put on a warm crisp, no contest.
Greek yogurt banana bread if you want a second sweet thing on the table.
Mississippi pot roast for dinner beforehand, since it needs no oven time.
Crockpot beef chili — a big cozy bowl followed by this is a perfect fall menu.
Slow cooker potato soup and crisp is my favorite cold-night pairing.

Just in case you have leftovers.

Storing: Cover loosely and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for 5. Don't wrap it tightly while warm or the steam will soften the topping.

Reheating: Reheat uncovered at 350°F for 15 minutes to bring the crumble back to crisp. The microwave works but leaves the topping soft, so it's worth using the oven if you can.

More easy dessert recipes...

Greek Yogurt Banana Bread — moist, tangy and high protein

Fudgy Protein Brownies — dessert that works after the gym

Crockpot Mac and Cheese — the savory side of comfort food

Slow Cooker Potato Soup — the dinner before this dessert

Apple Crisp

★★★★★ 4.9 from 312 reviews — Cinnamon-spiced apples baked under a thick, buttery oat crumble until golden and bubbling. The easiest fall dessert there is.

Prep 20 min · Cook 50 min · Total 70 min · Serves 8 · Category: Desserts · Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the apples:
3 lb apples (half Granny Smith, half Honeycrisp), peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the crumble:
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed

Instructions

Prep the apples. Peel, core and slice the apples into even 1/4-inch wedges.
Season the filling. Toss the apples with the brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla until evenly coated.
Fill the dish. Spread the apples into a buttered 9x13 or large oval baking dish, mounding slightly in the center.
Mix the crumble. Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, then rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form.
Top. Scatter the crumble over the apples in uneven clumps, covering the surface completely.
Bake. Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until deeply golden and the juices bubble at the edges. Tent with foil if the top browns early.
Rest. Let stand 15 minutes before serving so the juices thicken. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Notes: Adding 1/2 cup of chopped pecans to the crumble is excellent. For a gluten-free version, swap the flour for a 1:1 gluten-free blend and use certified GF oats — the topping behaves the same way.

Nutrition (per serving, estimated): 386 calories · 3g protein · 64g carbs · 13g fat · 5g fiber

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FAQ

What are the best apples for apple crisp?: A mix. Granny Smith holds its shape and brings tartness; Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Golden Delicious break down and sweeten the filling. Using only one variety gives you either mush or uniformly firm slices.
What's the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble?: Crisp topping contains oats, which is where the crisp texture comes from. Crumble topping is just flour, butter and sugar, so it bakes into something softer and more shortbread-like. This recipe is a crisp.
Why is my apple crisp watery?: No thickener, or apples that released more juice than expected. The two tablespoons of cornstarch handle this — and letting the finished crisp rest 15 minutes gives those juices time to set into syrup.
Can I make apple crisp ahead of time?: Yes. Assemble it completely, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then bake with about 10 extra minutes. You can also freeze the unbaked crisp for 3 months and bake from frozen at 350°F for roughly 75 minutes.