5 Star Reader Comment
This is my new apple crisp recipe! It is the best of all the recipes I have made.
Donna
An Heirloom Family Recipe Worth Passing Down
This recipe brings back such great memories. It’s from my husband’s Grandmother, Elizabeth Johns. When Rob and I were first married, he asked me to make Grandmother Johns’s apple crisp for him. It was an honor to receive her handwritten recipe card, and even though I have the ingredients and instructions memorized, I get filled with joy when I see her lovely handwritten words on that little card.
XO,
Things To Know Before Making
- Choose apples with structure. Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Jonagold hold up well during baking. Mixing varieties gives the best flavor.
- Slice evenly. Thin, consistent slices bake more evenly and absorb the spices beautifully.
- Cold butter is key. It helps create the classic crisp texture on top.
- Let it rest before serving. This allows the warm apple juices to settle and create that luscious sauce under the crisp.
- Serve warm. This recipe tastes best right out of the oven or slightly cooled with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Apples – A mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp gives you the perfect blend of tart and sweet. Firm apples hold their shape beautifully during baking.
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens the apples and helps build the rich sauce at the bottom of the pan.
- All-purpose flour – Forms the crisp topping and helps thicken the apple juices as everything bakes.
- Butter – Cut into cubes and mixed into the flour and sugar, creating that classic crumbly topping.
- Water + Vanilla – A simple mixture poured over the apples for moisture and flavor.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg – Warm fall spices that bring depth and coziness to the dessert.
- Kosher Salt – Just a pinch to balance the sweetness.
Variations & Substitutions
- Brown sugar topping – Swap part or all of the white sugar for brown sugar for a deeper caramel flavor.
- Add nuts – Chopped pecans or walnuts add a wonderful crunch to the topping.
- Make it gluten-free – Substitute a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.
- Warm spice blend – Add a pinch of cardamom or allspice for extra fall flavor.
- Berry blend – Mix apples with blueberries or cranberries for a fresh twist.
How To Make Homemade Apple Crisp
- Peel and slice the apples, layering them in a buttered baking dish.
- Pour a simple mixture of vanilla and water over the apples, then sprinkle everything with cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Cover the apples generously with the crumb topping.
- Start by mixing the topping: sugar, flour, a pinch of salt, and cold butter worked into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Bake until the top turns golden and the apples become tender and bubbly around the edges.
Craving More Apple Recipes? Try These
- Skillet Cinnamon Apples
- Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread
- Broccoli Apple Salad
- Apple Sausage Dressing
- Apple Spice Cake
- Crock Pot Applesauce
More Cozy Fall Desserts
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup softened butter cut into cubes
- pinch Kosher salt
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 6 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8×8 baking dish. Set aside.
- Add the sugar, flour, and a pinch of salt to a bowl. Add in the cubed butter, and mix it into the dry ingredients using the back of a fork. Set aside.
- Layer the sliced apples in the baking dish. Mix the water and vanilla and pour over the apples. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the apples.
- Using a large spoon or your hands, sprinkle the butter-flour topping evenly over the apples. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven, and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream
Video
Nutrition
Everything Folks Ask About This Apple Recipe
Peeling is recommended for the softest texture, but you can leave the skins on for a more rustic feel—just wash them well first.
Yes! Peaches, pears, blueberries, or even cherries work well. If the fruit is very juicy, reduce the water slightly.
Absolutely. If you prefer a traditional “crisp” with oats, swap part of the flour for rolled oats.
What’s The Difference Between Apple Crisp And Apple Crumble?
This recipe could easily be called a crumble. A crisp traditionally has an oat topping, whereas a crumble has more of a streusel topping. Chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts are also sometimes used in the toppings.
How To Serve This Warm Apple Dessert
This is the fun part! Once the crisp has cooled a bit, a rich sauce will develop from the apple juices, butter, and sugar. It’s so good. Now, it’s time to make things extra special. Vanilla Ice Cream is everyone’s favorite topping in my house. To take it to another level, add caramel sauce and chopped nuts. Fresh whipped cream is also a great choice.
If you tried this Grandma’s Apple Crisp Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
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The best apple crisp recipe I’ve ever tried.
Gayla, you have made my heart sing! Thank you for such a great comment and rating.
~Donya
Made this tonight! It was PERFECT! Thank you!
Thank you, Nicole!
I’m so glad you are cooking with me.
XO,
~Donya
could you make this with peaches instead of apples?
I’ve never tested it but I’m sure it could work.
~Donya
Made this tonite and it was delicious! Next time I will have to double the recipe. Another recipe added to my book!
Thank you for sharing, Kathy. I’m thrilled to be in “your book!”
~Donya
Great recipe! Was absolutely delicious 😋 Thanks for sharing!
I would get out of school for the summer .this used to be my favorite ,,I have so many fond nenorys with this. Back on the farm the smell of my Grandmas kitchen This Apple Crisp is wonderful,
.
I’m making this today! So excited to try recipe that doesn’t use oats! I’m a little nervous about the one cup water though-I can often get soupy crisp, depending on apples, yet have never used close to this amount. I’m going to give it a try! 🙂
Thanks for the excellent rating!
~Donya
Can u make Apple Crisp printable
Hey there Sandra!
Thank you so much for your interest in this dish, I think you’re really going to love it! If you scroll down to the recipe card, or just hit the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of the post, you’ll see a button that says Print at the top of the recipe card. If you click that, it’ll allow you to print the recipe and use it as needed. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out, I’d love to hear what you think of the recipe!
~Donya
Is there no sugar in the apples for the Apple Crisp? Also, I seem to remember my mother mixing a handful of dry oats in the topping. What do you think?
Hey there Carolyn!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, it’s a family favorite in my house so I really hope you give it a try! There’s natural sugar from the apple that is released as the Crisp bakes, but I also add sugar into the buttery topping so that the fruit gets extra caramelized. I usually like to make this dish the exact same way my Grandma made it, so I don’t add oats into my topping, but oats are a very common, delicious addition to Apple Crisp and if you want to add them in you definitely should! Let me know how everything turns out if you give the recipe a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
Awesome really awesome
Hey there Aeil!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I really hope you do give it a try! This apple crisp is super simple to prepare and it’s got all those classic, warm autumn flavors we love. Let me know if you do give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya