Are you looking for the BEST Apple crisp? One that is full of flavor and perfected over time to be a NO-FAIL recipe? This is it. My secret? DOUBLE the crisp!
Apple Crisp
If you are anything like me, you always think your recipe is the best. I was convinced that the apple crisp I have been making for the last couple years couldn’t be beaten but was I ever wrong. I tried this recipe last fall and have made it at least 15 times since. It is perfect every single time! It is the ideal combination of rich oat crisp paired with a slightly tart apple (this is important, I will tell you why below) and just the right about of buttery richness. If you are looking for the best apple crisp you have ever tried, look no further.
Brown Sugar Apple Crisp
Most recipes call for all granulated sugar or 1/2 granulated and 1/2 brown. While these recipes are sweet, they lack the depth of flavor that all brown sugar adds. And after you try this apple crisp, you will definitely understand what I mean! I used a light brown sugar, but you can definitely use a dark brown sugar as well. If you don’t happen to have any brown sugar on hand, you can always make your own!
Homemade Brown Sugar
For light brown sugar add 1-2 tablespoons of molasses to 1 cup of granulated sugar. For dark brown sugar add 3-4 tablespoons to 1 cup of granulated sugar. I like to mix up a big batch in my food processor but you can also mix by hand if you prefer.
Oat Mixture
As you can see I use brown sugar in the apple coating as well as the oat mixture. But let’s talk about the butter because that is equally important! I like to use a good quality butter like Challenge Butter. It’s churned daily from two natural ingredients: the freshest 100% real pasteurized sweet cream and salt. That’s it! The taste is pure, and the flavor is consistent, which is extremely important in baking.
One thing that makes this recipe unique is that the oat mixture is used on the top AND the bottom. The amazing thing about this layer is that it changes depending on how long you bake the crisp.
If you bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, the bottom oat mixture will be slightly caramelized and gooey while the top will be perfect crispy deliciousness.
If you bake at 375°F for 45 minutes, the bottom oat mixture will be crispy throughout. The top will be darker, but if you prefer a less dark crispy top you can add a foil tent to the crisp after 35 minutes.
Best Apples to Use in an Apple Crisp
It is important to use tart apples in order to get that tang that contrasts well with the buttery topping in an apple crisp. Honeycrisp (they are crisp and juicy with a honey-sweet and tart flavor) or Granny Smith (they are crisp and very sour) are my top two favorites. The Honeycrisp was developed right here in Minnesota. #proudMinnesotan Either of those apples is ideal, but you could also do a combination of the two. Some folks in my extended family love to do a combination of a sweet apple (like Golden Delicious) and a tart apple. When we sampled this version we did enjoy it but found that the leftovers did not reheat as nicely as the version will all tart apples. (they were mushier than we liked)
This recipe calls for 10 cups of apples after they are peeled and sliced. I found this to be anywhere from 7-9 apples depending on the size. When preparing this recipe I like to wait until the very last moment to peel and cut my apples as I want them to stay as crisp as possible. And whatever you do, don’t skip the peeling!
- 10 cups Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cup (180g) quick-cooking oats
- 2 cup (250g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cup (400g) packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226g) Challenge Butter cubed while cold
Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a 9x13 pan with baking spray or coating with butter.
Place sliced apples in a bowl. Add brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Stir gently and make sure every piece of apple is covered in the sugar mixture. Set aside.
Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together. Add in the cubed butter and use your hands to combine. You want the butter to be pea-sized and coated entirely. You should have 6 cups.
Spread 3 cups over the bottom of your prepared pan and press flat. Pour the apple mixture over top and press down with rubber spatula. Pour remaining crisp mixture over top of the apples and bake uncovered at 375°F for 35-45 minutes.
Thank you for supporting the brands that support use here at iambaker! It has been a dream of mine to partner with Challenge Butter and I am just thrilled to be able to share a product that I love and use!
Any idea approximately how many apples(or weight) usually results in 10 cups of Granny Smith apples?
Sorry…re-read the article and saw that it’s about 7-9 apples.
Wow, this cake is really looking so awesome, thank you for sharing your blog
The crust doesn’t list cinnamon in the ingredients but the video shoes adding cinnamon. How much is going in the crust?
My grandmother @ mother always used Jonathan apples in anything they made using apples and now I do also.
There is a discrepancy in the video & photo with the written recipe. The video & photo show cinnamon in the crisp. Cinnamon and its quantity is not listed in the ingredients for the crisp. Please clarify this omission. Thanks. Looks delicious!
Just follow the written recipe. 🙂
Amanda Apple Crisp is one of my all time favorite fall dessert. I have looked far and wide to find a truly exceptional apple crisp recipe and my search is over. Made your recipe this afternoon and it the best I have ever tasted. The crumble topping is DELICIOUS!. Should have left it in the oven a tad bit longer bc my apples r still a bit crunchy but my mistake nothing to do with the recipe. I stumbled upon your site a few months ago and have not been disappointed with any of the recipes I have tried.
on your Apple Crisp it shows a sauce over the ice cream and crisp, what did you use for the sauce?
Hi
Can I make this recipe to be served the next day?
You could refrigerate, but I do think this is best served when it’s made. The texture of the apples as well as the crisp will change.
Do the oats for the Apple Crisp have to be quick cooking?
This recipe sounds great! I have not tried it yet, but, I already know it’s going to be wonderful. I do have 2 questions if you have time. First, I use 2 different types of cinnamon, Ceylon Cinnamon or True Cinnamon as it is also called, which is very fragrant, full flavored, but, milder, and then there’s Vietnamese Cinnamon or Saigon Cinnamon which is also very pungent, full flavored, but much sharper and spicier, the stuff that Atomic Fire Balls and Cinnabon Cinnamin Rolls are made of. The question, which would you use? The second question is this, I think chopped toasted pecans would be a great addition to the crisp mixture, have you ever tried it, and if not what is your opinion about it? Thanks for your time!
I love McCormick’s Siagon Cinnamon. 🙂 Chopped pecans would be lovely!