I love apple crisp and I love this easy apple crisp recipe. It’s the perfect easy dessert for those nights that you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. It’s warm and comforting. Sweet but not too sweet. The apples take center stage and the crunchy topping is a delicious complement to the hot, bubbly, cinnamon sugar apple goodness.
This easy apple crisp recipe will make putting dessert the the table a breeze. And what makes it even easier is that most likely you’ll have many if not all of these items already in your pantry. Simply coat the apples in a cinnamon sugar mixture and dump into a baking dish. Top the apple mixture with a simple streusel topping. I pop it in the oven while we’re eating and 45 minutes later we have a delicious dessert that the family loves.
A few notes…
Demerara sugar is a lovely alternative to brown sugar when used in a streusel. It has crunchy, large crystals which are perfect when used as a topping and delivers a wonderful caramel flavor that goes so perfectly with apples. If you don’t have demerara sugar, you can always substitute with brown sugar. Nutmeg in the streusel adds another dimension of flavor but is completely optional.
Feel free to adjust the granulated sugar in this recipe. Use 3T for tart apples and 2T for sweeter ones. I personally like using Honeycrisp apples since I like a firmer apple in my apple crisp. Granny Smith apples are a great choice as well.
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, for greasing
3T granulated sugar
1/2t ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
6 Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples, peeled and cored
5T Demerara sugar
(or brown sugar)
1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt, additional
Pinch nutmeg (optional)
4T or 1/2 stick unsalted butter, chilled and diced
Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 8″x8″ baking dish with a small amount of unsalted butter.
To make the apple filling
Combine the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Halve the peeled-and-cored apples and carefully slice into 1/4″ crescent-shape pieces. Add to the bowl, tossing the apples and allowing them to be evenly coated in the mixture. Place the apples into the baking dish.
To make the streusel
To prepare the streusel, combine the Demerara sugar, oats and flour in a bowl and add the small pieces of cubed butter. Use your fingertips to work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Top the apples with this mixture.
Now bake!
Bake on the middle rack in the oven for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, or until the streusel is golden and crispy and the apples are tender. Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool sufficiently before serving with vanilla ice cream.