I promise this Old Fashioned Apple Crisp with quick oats and cinnamon will wreck your willpower and beg to be buried under a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
I’m obsessed with this Old Fashioned Apple Crisp because it tastes like honest apple stuff, not some frou-frou dessert. I love the way the topping gets crunchy from quick oats while the apples go soft and saucy.
I can’t stop thinking about that contrast, and I always want a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. I’ve tried a bunch and I honestly call this my Best Apple Crisp Recipe, simple, sticky cinnamon edges, butter notes, still a little gritty from brown sugar.
It’s loud, not precious. Eat it with a spoon and don’t share.
I will take seconds.
Ingredients
- Apples: juicy, sweet-tart base that gets soft and cozy when baked.
- Plus lemon juice: keeps apples from browning and adds a little zip.
- Granulated sugar: simple sweetness that balances the fruit’s tartness.
- Basically flour in the filling: thickens juices so it’s not soupy.
- Cinnamon in the filling: warm spice that feels like home.
- Quick oats: chewy, nutty crunch that adds hearty texture.
- Flour for topping: gives the crumble structure and light bite.
- Brown sugar for topping: caramel notes and moist, slightly sticky crunch.
- Salt: wakes the flavors and cuts through the sweetness.
- Cinnamon for topping: extra cozy spice in every crunchy bite.
- Butter: makes the topping rich, flaky, and golden crisp.
- Plus vanilla ice cream optional: cold, creamy contrast that’s basically magic.
Ingredient Quantities
- about 6 medium apples peeled and sliced (about 6 cups)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour for the filling
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the filling
- 1 cup quick oats (not instant, but quick)
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour for the topping
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar for the topping
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the topping
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving, optional
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and butter or spray an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish, set aside.
2. Peel, core and slice about 6 medium apples to make roughly 6 cups, then toss them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon lemon juice so they dont brown.
3. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the apples, stir gently until well coated; this thickens the juices and sweetens them.
4. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared dish, spreading into an even layer and pressing down a bit so it bakes evenly.
5. For the topping, combine 1 cup quick oats, 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a bowl.
6. Cut 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter into small pieces and work it into the oat mixture with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly and some pea sized clumps form; cold butter makes a better crisp.
7. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples, gently pressing a few clusters into the surface so you get crispy chunks after baking.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown; if the top browns too fast, loosely tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes so the juices settle, this helps it slice without turning soggy.
10. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if you like, and store leftovers chilled for up to 3 days or reheat in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven (preheated to 350°F)
2. 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish, buttered or sprayed
3. Chef’s knife and cutting board for peeling, coring and slicing apples
4. Large mixing bowl for tossing the apples
5. Medium mixing bowl for the oat topping
6. Measuring cups and spoons (including tablespoon and 1/4 cup)
7. Pastry cutter or two forks (or your fingers) to cut the cold butter into the topping
8. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon to spread and press the apples and topping
9. Aluminum foil to tent if the top browns too fast
FAQ
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Apples (about 6 medium)
- Pears, peeled and sliced — a softer, sweeter filling that holds up well when baked
- Frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained — for a tangier, juicier twist (reduce lemon juice slightly)
- Quick oats (1 cup)
- Old fashioned rolled oats, lightly pulsed in a food processor for a finer texture
- Chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans, half oats half nuts gives more crunch
- Light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- Dark brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor
- Granulated sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon molasses if you dont have brown sugar
- Cold unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
- Cold coconut oil, measured solid, for a dairy-free option (gives a slight coconut note)
- Cold shortening for a flakier, less rich topping
Pro Tips
1) Use a mix of apple types. Granny Smith for tartness and Honeycrisp or Fuji for sweetness makes the filling more interesting and less mushy. Don’t overthink proportions, just aim for at least one firm tart apple.
2) Dry the sliced apples a bit after tossing with lemon juice. Spread them on a towel for 5 minutes to absorb excess moisture. That keeps the topping from getting soggy and helps the juices thicken.
3) Freeze the butter pieces for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into the oat mix. Colder butter = bigger crunchy clumps. And when you mix, leave some pea size pieces instead of making it all crumbs.
4) If the topping browns too fast, tent foil loosely for the last 10-15 minutes, and always wait 10-15 minutes before scooping. The filling firms up as it cools so your servings hold shape better and aren’t just watery.
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
I promise this Old Fashioned Apple Crisp with quick oats and cinnamon will wreck your willpower and beg to be buried under a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
8
servings
339
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven (preheated to 350°F)
2. 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish, buttered or sprayed
3. Chef’s knife and cutting board for peeling, coring and slicing apples
4. Large mixing bowl for tossing the apples
5. Medium mixing bowl for the oat topping
6. Measuring cups and spoons (including tablespoon and 1/4 cup)
7. Pastry cutter or two forks (or your fingers) to cut the cold butter into the topping
8. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon to spread and press the apples and topping
9. Aluminum foil to tent if the top browns too fast
Ingredients
about 6 medium apples peeled and sliced (about 6 cups)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour for the filling
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the filling
1 cup quick oats (not instant, but quick)
3/4 cup all purpose flour for the topping
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar for the topping
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the topping
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and butter or spray an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish, set aside.
- Peel, core and slice about 6 medium apples to make roughly 6 cups, then toss them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon lemon juice so they dont brown.
- Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the apples, stir gently until well coated; this thickens the juices and sweetens them.
- Pour the apple mixture into the prepared dish, spreading into an even layer and pressing down a bit so it bakes evenly.
- For the topping, combine 1 cup quick oats, 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a bowl.
- Cut 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter into small pieces and work it into the oat mixture with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly and some pea sized clumps form; cold butter makes a better crisp.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples, gently pressing a few clusters into the surface so you get crispy chunks after baking.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown; if the top browns too fast, loosely tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes so the juices settle, this helps it slice without turning soggy.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if you like, and store leftovers chilled for up to 3 days or reheat in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 196g
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 339kcal
- Fat: 12.9g
- Saturated Fat: 7.4g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.5g
- Monounsaturated: 3.4g
- Cholesterol: 32mg
- Sodium: 76mg
- Potassium: 210mg
- Carbohydrates: 55.5g
- Fiber: 4.7g
- Sugar: 33g
- Protein: 3.6g
- Vitamin A: 350IU
- Vitamin C: 6.4mg
- Calcium: 15mg
- Iron: 0.84mg
