While apple pie is a beloved classic, homemade apple crisp is a quicker, simpler alternative that tastes equally delicious. It combines sweet, crisp apples with a buttery topping and hints of warming spices of cinnamon. It’s an easy recipe that is versatile and can be adapted to use different apple varieties based on preference.
Ingredients You’ll Need & Why It Works:
Crisp Topping —
Light Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar combines molasses and granulated sugar. It adds moisture and pairs well with the chunks of unsalted butter. Once baked, the light brown sugar and butter meld together, resulting in a delicious caramel flavor.
All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is great for creating a light and crispy crumble topping because it has enough protein to hold its structure.
Old Fashioned Oats: Rolled and old-fashioned oats are the same despite their different names. They cook in about 10 to 15 minutes while maintaining some structure and texture. After many test batches of various oats, old fashioned oats were the most favorable for this recipe.
Cinnamon: I prefer using ground Ceylon cinnamon for several reasons. Its flavor and aroma are much milder and sweeter than cassia cinnamon. Ceylon is also regarded as the “less harmful” cinnamon, as it contains lower levels of coumarin. This compound naturally occurs in all cinnamon and can be toxic to the liver when taken in large quantities.
Table Salt: Salt helps balance all the flavors in the apple crisp.
Unsalted Butter: Unsalted butter contributes to the crisp’s richness and helps bind all the ingredients together.
Apple Filling —
Honeycrisp Apples: Refer to the tips section to learn which apple varieties are best for making apple crisp.
Light Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar adds moisture and flavor from the molasses and pairs well with the chunks of unsalted butter. Once baked, the light brown sugar and butter meld together, resulting in a delicious caramel flavor.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon imparts a pleasantly warm, spiced flavor that complement the apples well.
Table Salt: Salt helps balance all the apple crisp flavors.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch, a type of starch, helps to thicken the apple juices released during baking. You could also substitute it with all- purpose flour for a similar thickening effect.
Lemon Juice: Lemon juice serves two purposes in this crisp recipe. Firstly, adding two teaspoons of lemon juice to the apple filling balances out its sweetness. Additionally, the acidity of the lemon activates the apple’s pectin, which also helps thicken the apple juices released during baking.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract helps balance and enrich this apple crisp’s flavor.
Unsalted Butter: Adding chunks of unsalted butter to the top of the apple filling enriches the apples during baking.
Tips For Making Skillet Apple Crisp:
Apple Varieties — Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Granny, and Fuji varieties are the best apples for making apple crisp. They are known for their crispiness, sweetness, and/or tartness, and they hold their shape and texture well when baked.
Apple Slice Thickness — Avoid slicing the apples too thinly. They soften as they bake, so you don’t want them to break down completely in the oven. Slicing the apples into ⅜” to ½” thickness is ideal for having some slightly crisp and softer slices in your filling.
Skillet Pan — This recipe requires a 9″ skillet pan. If a skillet pan isn’t available, you can use a 9″ or 8″ baking pan instead. Just ensure that you lightly grease the baking pan with butter before pouring in the apple crisp filling.
Test Apple For Doneness — Use a fork, toothpick, or a small knife to determine if the apples are done. While it’s important not to burn or undercook your crisp topping, the appearance of the top alone isn’t a reliable indicator. Before concluding the baking time, pierce a few apples. Neither a super crunchy nor a super soggy apple is desirable in a crisp.
Main Reasons Why You Should Make This Skillet Apple Crisp:
- It’s a simple and quick alternative to apple pie with an equally delicious taste.
- The recipe is versatile and can be adapted to use different apple varieties based on preference.
- The recipe includes a crisp topping that adds a delightful contrast to the slightly crisp and soft baked apples.
- It can be served warm or at room temperature and pairs wonderfully with vanilla ice cream or caramel sauce for added flavor.
- It provides a comforting, warm dessert perfect for any time of the year.
Storing Instructions for Skillet Apple Crisp:
When covered and refrigerated, this apple crisp will remain fresh for 3-4 days. To warm it up, reheat it in the microwave for a few minutes or in an oven at 325°F for about 10 minutes. The crisp topping may start to soften after the first day, but it will still taste amazing. Cold apple crisp is also delicious.
Skillet Apple Crisp
Equipment
- 9" skillet or baking pan
Ingredients
Crisp Topping —
- 1/4 cup (40g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (100g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) old fashioned oats
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter , cold, cut into ½" cubes
Apple Filling —
- 6-7 medium-sized honeycrisp apples , cored & sliced into ⅜" to ½" thickness
- 1/4 cup (60g) light brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter , cold, cut into ½" cubes
Instructions
Crisp Topping —
- Whisk together all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, old-fashioned oats, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Next, add cold cubed butter. Using either a pastry cutter or fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Set aside.
Apple Filling —
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel, core, and slice apples to about 3/8" to 1/2" inch in thickness. Transfer apples to a large mixing bowl.
- Next, mix the granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract with the apples until they are well coated. Pour the apple mixture into a 9" skillet, forming an even layer. Finally, spread the 2 tablespoons of cold cubed butter evenly over the apples.
- Sprinkle on an even layer of crisp topping. If you prefer crisper apples, bake for 35 minutes. For softer apples, bake for 40 minutes. Once the apple crisp is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10-15 minutes. You can serve it warm or at room temperature. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce to top it off. It's completely optional but delicious!
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