Easy Apple Crisp Recipe

Apple crisp season begins as soon as the summer starts to wind down and the hot air changes to a cool breeze. And we'd like to make this apple crisp recipe your new go-to. Put your apple bounty to good use and bake up a batch of this warm apple crisp fit for fall days. It comes to us from recipe developer Sher Castellano. Castellano says, "This recipe is magic in a bowl — it's healthy-ish but not too healthy, and it's just too easy." 

And she's right because it takes just a few whole food, unrefined ingredients, and chances are, all of them are in your pantry right now. Simply slice and season the apples, combine the oat crisp topping, layer the apples with the crisp topping, and bake. In 50 minutes, you'll get an ooey-gooey, sweet and spiced apple treat. Another reason why we love this recipe is that it will please everyone. Castellano adds, "This apple crisp is great for all to enjoy because it's naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, whole grain, and refined sugar-free." 

The first step in making a fantastic apple crisp is selecting the best apple variety to use. Castellano says, "Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Gala are the best apples to use in this recipe because they have a crisp, firm bite, and they are higher in natural sugars so you end up needing to add less sugar. A lot of people like to bake with Granny Smith apples, and Granny Smith have a great bite to them, but they are too tart and acidic for this recipe. They are better suited for recipes with lots of butter and sugar."

Once you have your apples, gather up the rest of your ingredients. You'll need coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, sea salt, nutmeg, ginger, and oats.

Next, peel the apples, and then slice them into quarter-inch slices. Castellano says, "Quarter-inch slices are the best width for apple crisp — anything more or less will result in limp, soggy apples or underdone apples." Once you have the apples prepped and sliced, toss them in a bowl with the coconut oil, maple syrup, spices, and salt, and combine well. "Do not forget the salt! It is a must to balance out the sugar," Castellano reminds us.

Then, you will get started on the apple crisp topping by mixing a few ingredients together. Combine the oats along with the coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt (and again, do not forget the salt!). We think one of the best parts of this apple crisp recipe is the simplicity of ingredients, especially when it comes to the apple crisp topping. There aren't any finicky or expensive flours or starches — just whole grain oats. 

Castellano calls for an eight-by-11-inch baking dish, but if you don't have that size exactly, you can improvise by adjusting the bake time length accordingly. If your baking dish is slightly larger, reduce the time gradually (to avoid burning). If your baking dish is slightly larger, then you might want to add a little bit of time. Pour the apple mixture into the lightly greased baking dish and then sprinkle the crisp mixture evenly in small clumps over the apples. Castellano likes to use her fingers to distribute the apple crisp topping, but a spoon works, too.

Now the easiest part of all: Sit back and watch it bake. The apple crisp will be done baking with the topping is golden brown and the apples are bubbling. Luckily, Castellano assures us that, "It's pretty hard to mess this beauty up."

When it's done cooking, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool — it will be hot. After it's cooled, serve it on its own or with ice cream. We love this easy, tasty dessert, and we hope you do too!