The essential fall dessert, old fashioned apple crisp is an easy and not fussy recipe with all the best fall flavors, Apples, cinnamon, brown sugar with a buttery crisp topping. Easily convert to gluten free and vegan.
Start by making the crisp topping; in a medium bowl add oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder, mix to combine. Add softened butter, using your hands, squish into the dry mixture until you have some larger marble sized pieces and the ingredients are mixed well.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter or spray an 8x11 (thicker crisp) or 9x13 pan (thinner crisp).
Coarsely chop apples and toss with sugar, flour and cinnamon; coating well. Pour evenly into prepared pan.
Top with chilled crisp oat topping, breaking up larger chunks and evenly covering the apples. If desired, sprinkle some chopped pecans on top. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes until apples are soft, crisp topping is lightly browned. Bake longer for soft and tender apples, less time if a crisp tender apple is desired.
Remove from oven and if desired, sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt, and a little fresh grated nutmeg.
Serve warm with a scoop of cinnamon or vanilla ice cream, grating a little fresh cinnamon and/or nutmeg over the top. You may swoon now!
Baked apple crisps will last covered at room temperature for 3-4 days. 7-8 days refrigerated and up to 3 months frozen.
Notes
Use any apples you like! I used Sweet Tango, but have also used Granny Smith's, Honeycrisp, Golden DeliciousFRESH COOKY TIP | I use soft instead of cold butter for my crumb and crisp toppings, adding the ingredients to a ziplock baggie and smooshing them together with my hands, then toss the whole thing in the freezer for 10-15 minutes while finishing the recipe. Firming the butter back up results in a crunchy, crumbly crumb topping every time.
GLUTEN FREE APPLE CRISP
Replace the all-purpose flour with a good Gluten Free Flour, this is my favorite GF 1-to-1 flour. Make sure you replace it both the apple mixture and the topping.
Make sure your oats are gluten free, especially if someone is celiac, better to spend a few extra dimes and buy Gluten Free Oats.
VEGAN (OR DAIRY FREE)
Replace butter with with coconut oil (liquid or solid) or Olive Oil
If desired, replace 1 tablespoon of brown sugar with equal amount of maple syrup
Mix topping ingredients well with oil of choice above, place in freezer for 10 minutes to firm back up slightly, bake as directed.
May be made ahead of time and placed in fridge before baking, if a couple of hours baked as directed.Or Freeze unbaked or baked, covered well. To bake, bake straight from freezer (make sure your dish is oven safe) or let set out for 30 minutes before baking, follow directions. To rewarm a frozen baked crisp place in preheated 300 degree oven covered for about 30 minutes, removing the foil 10 minutes prior -- bake longer if not warmed through.