Nothing says fall like a warm apple crisp fresh from the oven—tender apples, cozy cinnamon, and a golden oat topping. This easy baked apple crisp recipe is versatile, comforting, and can even be made with pantry staples like canned apples or applesauce when fresh apples aren’t on hand. Whether you’re making a quick weeknight treat, a festive Halloween apple crisp, or a cozy holiday dessert, this recipe has you covered.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Crisp
🍏 Works with real apples, canned apples, or applesauce
🌾 Buttery oat topping (or try an apple crisp without butter using coconut oil!)
🥣 Make it hearty with a crunchy apple crisp recipe with granola topping
🎃 Perfect fall dessert for Thanksgiving, Halloween, or any cozy evening
🥄 A classic, family-friendly oatmeal apple crisp easy enough for beginners
Ingredients You’ll Need
– 3 lbs apples (Granny Smith + Pink Lady recommended, or substitute 2 cans apple pie filling for an apple crisp recipe canned apples variation)
– ½ cup granulated sugar
– 1 tbsp lemon juice
– 1 tbsp cornstarch
– 3 tsp cinnamon (divided)
– ½ cup butter (or coconut oil for apple crisp without butter)
– 1 cup rolled oats (or granola for an apple crisp recipe with granola)
– 1 cup flour (sub with almond flour for gluten-free)
– ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
– ¼ tsp salt
👉 For an applesauce crisp recipe: swap chopped apples with 3 cups unsweetened applesauce for a softer, pudding-like dessert topping.
How to Make Easy Apple Crisp
1. Prep the Filling
– If using fresh apples: peel, core, and chop into chunks. Toss with sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and 2 tsp cinnamon. Spread in a greased 9×13 baking dish.
– If using canned apples: simply drain slightly and pour into the baking dish.
– If making applesauce crisp: spread applesauce in the dish, then top directly with crumble.
2. Make the Oat Topping
Melt butter or coconut oil. Stir in oats (or granola), flour, brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and salt until crumbly.
3. Bake
Sprinkle crumble over apples. Bake at 350°F for 45–55 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Cover with foil if topping browns too fast. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Fun Variations
🎃 Halloween Apple Crisp: Add blackberries or pomegranate seeds for a spooky color twist. Top with pumpkin spice whipped cream!
🥣 Oat Apple Crisp: Use extra oats for a heartier topping.
🥧 Applesauce Crisp: Great for toddlers or softer-texture desserts.
🥄 Apple Crisp Without Butter: Use coconut oil or vegan margarine for a dairy-free version.
🥛 Serve warm with ice cream, whipped cream, or caramel sauce for extra indulgence.
Storage & Make Ahead
– Store leftovers covered at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days (reheat in the oven to re-crisp topping).
– Assemble ahead of time, refrigerate, and bake just before serving.
Final Thoughts
This oatmeal apple crisp easy recipe is a fall essential. It’s simple, flexible, and full of cozy flavor—whether you’re making it the traditional way with fresh apples, turning it into an applesauce crisp, or dressing it up as a festive Halloween apple crisp. No matter the version, this dessert will fill your kitchen with the irresistible scent of cinnamon and apples. 🍎
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Easy Baked Apple Crisp | Cozy Oatmeal Dessert for Every Season
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Description
This easy baked apple crisp is the ultimate cozy dessert—juicy apples with cinnamon, topped with a buttery oat crumble. Perfect for fall holidays, Halloween treats, or a weeknight family dessert. Can be made with fresh apples, canned apples, or even applesauce!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs apples (Granny Smith + Pink Lady recommended, or 2 cans apple pie filling)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tsp cinnamon (divided)
- ½ cup butter (or coconut oil for dairy-free)
- 1 cup rolled oats (or granola)
- 1 cup flour (or almond flour for gluten-free)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ tsp salt
👉 For applesauce crisp: use 3 cups unsweetened applesauce instead of apples.
Instructions
- If using fresh apples: peel, core, and chop. Toss with sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and 2 tsp cinnamon. Spread in greased 9×13 dish. For canned apples: drain slightly and spread in dish. For applesauce: spread directly in dish.
- In a bowl, stir melted butter, oats, flour, brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and salt until crumbly.
- Sprinkle topping over apples. Bake at 350°F for 45–55 minutes until golden and bubbling. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Make variations: use granola for a crunchy topping, coconut oil for dairy-free, or applesauce for a softer crisp. Add blackberries or pomegranate for a spooky Halloween twist. Always let cool slightly before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scoop
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: easy baked apple crisp, oatmeal apple crisp easy, apple crisp without butter, apple crisp recipe with granola, applesauce crisp recipe, halloween apple crisp