Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely a time and a place for a classic apple pie (with a sourdough pie crust of course!). But, there’s something nice, easy, and refreshing about satisfying that cinnamon apple craving with this Old Fashioned Apple Crisp. It’s easy to make, doesn’t take prior planning, and has a certain country charm that’s simply irresistible. Learn how to make this classic and delicious dessert from scratch, below!

A Warm, Comforting Breakfast or Dessert

There’s something about serving dessert in cast iron that makes me feel like I can justify having (essentially) any dessert for breakfast! Maybe I’m not the best judge of that though, I’ve been known to eat cake for breakfast too.

Okay, enough of my breakfast confessions.

This old fashioned apple crisp is sweet, warm, cozy, and comforting as either a breakfast or dessert!

For breakfast, serve it warm, or even cold leftovers straight from the fridge. Maybe cut back on the sugar and top it with maple syrup instead if you want a healthier option.

For dessert, serve it fresh from the oven for maximum crispiness on the topping! Top it with a little vanilla ice cream, and maybe a homemade caramel apple syrup, and you’re golden.

Supplies Needed

• Measuring cups and spoons: I use these measuring cups and these measuring spoons.
• Bowls: I love to use my glass bowl set.
• Skillet: I use my 12” cast iron skillet. You can alternatively use a non-oven-safe skillet for the first steps, and then use a 9”x13” baking dish for the baking portion.
• Spatula: You can use a wood spatula or a silicone spatula, whatever you prefer!

Ingredients

• Apples: My favorite variety is honeycrisp because they are sweet and have the most delicious flavor in my opinion, but you can absolutely use other varieties such as Granny Smith, golden delicious, Crispin, pink lady, Rome, and more. Avoid apples that are not good for baking, such as red delicious and gala.
• Lemon juice
• Salted butter
• Light brown sugar
• Water
• Cinnamon
• Four of choice: I use unbleached all-purpose flour.

Directions

Peel, core, and dice apples into approximately 1 inch cubes. As you slice the apples, place them into a bowl with the lemon juice, and stir the apples occasionally until all of them are coated to prevent browning. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. I prefer to use my 12” cast iron skillet because it can go straight from the stovetop to the oven, and adds to the old fashioned charm.

Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/4 cup of the water to the skillet, stirring constantly until melted and combined.

Add the flour, and stir until thoroughly combined and thickened. You’ll know it’s thick enough when dragging a spatula through the center of the skillet leaves behind a trail for a few moments before filling back in.

Add the apples and remaining 1/4 cup water to the skillet. Turn the heat to medium low, and cook until the apples soften slightly, stirring occasionally. This will take about 8-10 minutes.

While the apples are softening, prepare the crisp topping.

To a medium bowl, add oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.

Pour the melted butter into the bowl, and stir until combined and crumbly.

Once the apples are soft, remove from heat and spread into an even layer on the bottom of the skillet, or transfer to an oven-safe dish (such as a 9”x13” baking dish) if you aren’t using cast iron.

Top with the crisp topping.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the apples are soft and bubbling and the crisp topping is golden brown.

Optionally top with ice cream, and enjoy!

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Substitutions

• Apple varieties: I use honeycrisp apples for my baked apple dishes, but you can use any apple variety that is good for baking, such as Granny Smith, golden delicious, Crispin, pink lady, Rome, etc. Avoid apples that are not good for baking, such as red delicious and gala.
• Cut back on the sugar: To cut back on the the refined sugar, you can substitute pure maple syrup for some or all of the brown sugar in the recipe. It may alter the texture slightly, but the flavor will be there!
• Skip the lemon juice: You can skip the lemon juice altogether if you do not mind the apples browning before you cook them.

Can this be made ahead and baked later?

Partially! The cinnamon apples can be made the day before, but the crisp topping may be soggy if made in advance.

If you want to prepare the old fashioned apple crisp the day before, here are some tips:

1. Only make the filling up to 1 day in advance. Fresh apples can sour quickly once they have been cut. For best results, only make the filling up to one day before you plan to bake it.
2. Use a stainless steel baking dish instead of cast iron or glass. It’s not recommended that you refrigerate your cast iron skillet, unless you’re confident in how well seasoned it is. The moisture in refrigerators can rust cast iron, and it is also not recommended that you take cast iron straight from the fridge to a hot oven. This is the same situation with glass, as the temperature shock could shatter the glass. Using stainless steel is best for going from the refrigerator to a hot oven.
3. Keep your crisp topping separate, and leave out the butter until just before baking. After stirring together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg for the crisp topping, place the mixture in an airtight container and keep it at room temperature. It is then ready to stir in the melted butter just before topping the filling and baking. This will preserve the crispness of the topping and will prevent it from getting soggy in the fridge overnight.

Can I freeze it for later?

You can freeze Old Fashioned Apple Crisp for up to 3 months. For best results, make the crisp topping just before baking!

To bake a frozen Old Fashioned Apple Crisp, you can either thaw the filling in advance, or you can follow the temperature and baking instructions for a fresh recipe, but you may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.

How can I store leftovers?

Leftovers need to be kept in the refrigerator. Because of the moisture content in refrigerators, it’s recommended that you transfer the leftovers to a separate container if you baked it in a cast iron skillet. My favorite containers are these glass containers, but you can use whatever you have.

Leftovers can be kept for a maximum of 4 days.

Be sure to pin the recipe for later!