Ultimate Apple Crisp with Oats
Equipment
- 8x8-inch pan or
- knife
- kitchen scale for best accuracy
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 10 cups apples, peeled, cored, and ¼-inch sliced (Cosmic Crisp, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn) 862g
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed 73g
- 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch 12g
- 1 tbsp lemon juice 15g
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp salt
For the Topping
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 180g
- 1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats 135g
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 220g
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup salted butter, melted 170g
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (177°C) and place a rack in the center. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch baking dish.
- Prepare the Filling: In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly coated. Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish.
- Make the Topping: In another bowl, combine flour, quick-cooking oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir well. Pour the melted butter over the dry ingredients and mix with a fork or spatula until the mixture forms clumps, like wet sand. Sprinkle evenly over the apple filling.
- Bake: Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling vigorously. At 1 hour, test the apples with a fork—they should be tender. Bake longer if needed. Cover with foil if the topping browns too quickly.
- Cool and Serve: Let the crisp cool for 15 minutes to set the filling. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for pure bliss!
Notes
- Choose the Right Apples: Great baking apple varieties include Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, and Braeburn because they hold their shape and offer a balanced sweet-tart flavor. These apples have moderate water content and firm texture, ensuring a tender, non-mushy filling with a cohesive, syrupy consistency.
- Get the Filling Right: The cornstarch is the secret to a thick, syrupy filling. It absorbs the apple juices perfectly, avoiding the runniness I battled in earlier attempts. Make sure to toss the apples thoroughly to distribute the cornstarch evenly.
- Nail the Topping Texture: The quick-cooking oats and melted butter create a cohesive, slightly chewy topping that’s less crumbly than traditional streusel but not cakey, thanks to the small amounts of baking powder and soda. For extra crunch, try swapping half the quick-cooking oats (¾ cup/67 g) for old-fashioned rolled oats.
- Check Doneness: Use a fork to test at 1 hour and extend baking if needed to ensure the filling bubbles and sets.
- Feeding a Crowd: Simply double the recipe and bake in a 9x13-inch pan.
Nutrition
Serving: 1
Servings: 8
