Apple Crisp

Best apple crisp ever!  Granny Smith apples swirled together with an ooey gooey sweet cinnamon filling and topped with a brown sugar and oats crumb topping.

Today we’re talking apple crisp.

What’s the difference between apple pie, apple crumble and apple crisp, anyway?  Who reigns supreme? Plus all my tricks for the perfect consistency when you make your filling (aka no runny fillings).

The perfect apple crisp.  Do I think this is the perfect apple?  Yes.  100%

Here’s what, in my book, makes an apple crisp, extra.

For starters the consistency should be gooey, not runny.  I want to get a big scoop of apple crisp without losing all of my yummy filling.  

Next it has to do with the sweetness to tartness ratio.  Not too sweet, just barely sweet enough that it balances the tart, I hate it when you can’t still taste the actual apple.  

Last, the texture.  This goes for the apples and the crumb topping.  The apples should have just a slight bite to them still, not total mush.  And the crumb top should also have a little bite to it, take a hike gooey oatmeal you don’t belong here.

Combined this makes an apple crisp reign supreme.  Especially when you want something quick.  Apple pie is amazing but if you want to skip the crust situation then go with a crisp.  Crisp or crumble?  Traditionally a crisp has oats.

For this apple crisp you’re going to mix all your filling ingredient in a soup pot, bring it to a boil so it can get gooey and thick.  That’s where the corn starch comes in.  You most definitely need the corn starch to help thicken up your apple crisp filling.  

Have you ever cut into your apple crisp or apple pie and all of the filling just gushed out, without holding its form?  So frustrating right?  Here’s my tip.  Let it cool HOURS before cutting in to it.  The filling should come to room temperature before you attempt to scoop some out, because as your apple crisps cools it will continue to firm up and set.

Our apple of choice?  The classic Granny Smith apple.  I like the tartness of it, personally.  And it holds up nicely while baking.  To make it even easier on myself, I use an an apple spiralizer.

For me, apple crisp really marks that autumn is here.  I love soups and stews, hot cocoa and of course apple crisp.  

Print Recipe

Apple Crisp

Granny Smith apples swirled together with an ooey gooey sweet cinnamon filling and topped with a brown sugar and oats crumb topping.

Course: Dessert

Keyword: apple crisp, apple pie, apples

Author: Tara Moore

Ingredients

• 8 apples cored, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 c white sugar
• 1 small lemon juiced
• 1/4 c water
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter

crumb topping

• 1/3 c flour
• 3/4 c oats not instant
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/4 c butter
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375
• Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat
• Add the apple, lemon juice, water, corn starch, cinnamon, salt and butter
• Stir
• Let it come to a boil and then cook 3-5 minutes (don’t turn the heat up) until the liquid has started to thicken
• Turn the heat off
• In a separate bowl combine the flour, butter, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, baking powder and salt
• Use a fork or pastry cutter to combine it all
• Add in the oats and stir
• Pour the apples and filling into a pie pan and top with the crumb topping
• Bake for 35 minutes, it should be golden on top and bubbling around the edges when done
• Remove the apple crisp from the oven, let it cool on a wire rack for a few hours, until the filling has come to room temperature and completely set up
• Serve with vanilla ice cream!