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–+ servings

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

Warm cinnamon apples bubbling under a golden, buttery crust—this is the apple crisp texture you’ve been craving. The secret is using cold butter for the topping to get those giant, crunchy clumps that don't get soggy. It smells incredible while baking and tastes even better. If you love desserts with plenty of spice and a caramelized brown sugar filling, you need to try this. It’s sweet, slightly tart, and has the perfect crunch in every bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10 SERVINGS

Ingredients
  

FOR THE APPLE FILLING

  • 10 cups apples peeled and sliced (about 10 medium apples)
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

FOR THE CRISP TOPPING

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter cold and cubed (1 stick)
  • ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
  • Add the sliced apples to a large bowl. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg (optional), vanilla, salt. Toss until evenly coated.
  • Spread the apple mixture in the baking dish in an even layer.
  • Make the topping: whisk flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt in a bowl. Add cold butter and cut it in until the mixture forms chunky crumbs with some larger clumps. Stir in nuts if using.
  • Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples (don’t pack it down).
  • Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown. If the topping browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.
  • Rest 15–20 minutes before serving so the filling thickens.

Notes

A mix of apples (half tart, half sweet) gives the best flavor and texture.
For a thicker filling, use flour. For a slightly silkier filling, use cornstarch.
Make ahead: prep the topping up to 3 days in advance and store it in the fridge.
Store leftovers covered in the fridge up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven to crisp the topping again.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!