Baked Apple Crisp Dessert

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 03/7/22
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 6 servings

The flavors of fall and the bounty of the orchard come together in this traditional apple crisp. Your sliced fresh apples are combined with cinnamon and topped with a crumbly mixture of flour, butter, and sugar. This simple recipe goes together fast and you will have a great fruit dessert.

Feel free to add chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping mixture for added crunch and flavor. Like a crumble or cobbler, a crisp has no bottom crust and the topping helps thicken the hot bubbling apples below while it is cooking.

Prized baking apples include Cortland, Rome, Winesap, and Northern Spy, but you can use any apples you have on hand, even mixing the varieties. Making crisp can be a good way to use less-than-perfect apples, such as apples that have fallen from your tree onto the ground or apples that are getting a little old.

Baked Apple Crisp Dessert

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
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Ingredients

For the Apples:

  • 4 large apples, or about 6 medium, making 4 to 5 cups sliced

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup water

For the Topping:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

To Serve (optional):

  • Ice cream, whipped cream, or a drizzle of heavy cream

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 F.

    Baked Apple Crisp Dessert ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Grease a 10-inch deep dish pie plate with butter.

    greased baking dish / pie dish

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Peel and core the apples. Cut into thin slices.

    sliced apples on a wood cutting board

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Place the apple slices in the prepared pie dish alternating with sprinklings of the cinnamon and salt. Pour 1/2 cup of water over apple slices.

    apples in a pie dish, with cinnamon and salt

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, and flour together with your fingertips or a pastry blender until crumbly.

    sugar, butter, and flour in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Sprinkle over the apples.

    butter and flour topping on top of the apples in a pie dish

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Bake the apple crisp in the preheated oven until apples are tender and the topping is browned, about 35 to 45 minutes.

    Baked Apple Crisp Dessert

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Variations

  • Feel free to add chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping mixture for added crunch and flavor. You can also use packed light or dark brown sugar in the topping instead of granulated sugar. Many people like the slight molasses touch of this variation.
  • Prized baking apples include Cortland, Rome, Winesap, and Northern Spy, but you can use any apples you have on hand, even mixing the varieties.
  • Experiment with adding other fruit to the crisp, such as rhubarb, raisins, or cranberries.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
400 Calories
16g Fat
66g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 400
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 20%
Saturated Fat 10g 49%
Cholesterol 41mg 14%
Sodium 213mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 66g 24%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 49g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 7mg 34%
Calcium 21mg 2%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 183mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)