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Apple crisp with caramel and ice cream

Classic Apple Crisp

Tender cinnamon-spiced apple slices under a buttery oat streusel topping that bakes into golden, crunchy clusters. No pastry work, one dish, and ready in 75 minutes. A reliable from-scratch fall dessert.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Rest Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320

Ingredients
  

Apple Filling
  • 1.2 kg (about 2.5 lbs) firm apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn) peeled, cored, and sliced into 5mm wedges
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Oat Crisp Topping
  • 1 cup (90g) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar packed
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup (115g) cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch baking dish
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Pastry cutter
  • Wire rack
  • Vegetable peeler

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  2. Peel, core, and slice apples into 5mm wedges. Place in a large bowl with brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla. Toss until each apple slice is evenly coated. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir briefly to distribute. Add cold cubed butter and work it into the dry mixture by pressing and crumbling with a pastry cutter or clean fingertips until irregular clumps form and no large pieces of unmixed flour remain. Stop before the mixture becomes uniform.
  4. Scatter the topping loosely over the apple filling in even handfuls, covering edge to edge without pressing down.
  5. Bake on the center rack for 40 to 45 minutes until the topping is deep golden-brown and the filling is actively bubbling at the sides of the dish. If the topping browns early, tent with foil for the remaining bake time, then uncover for the last 5 minutes.
  6. Transfer to a wire rack and rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

Use cold butter for the topping; warm butter produces a soft topping rather than crunchy clusters.
Old-fashioned rolled oats are essential; quick oats produce a softer, less textured topping.
Wait for the filling to bubble actively before removing from the oven; a non-bubbling filling will be watery when served.
The filling and topping can each be made up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated separately before assembly and baking.
Allergens: Contains gluten (all-purpose flour, and oats unless certified gluten-free) and dairy (butter). This recipe has not been tested in a certified allergen-free kitchen and cannot be guaranteed safe for any specific allergy.