This easy Apple Crisp Recipe Without Lemon Juice takes just 15 minutes to prep with fresh apples and a buttery brown sugar oat topping that bakes up golden, bubbly, and syrupy. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a cozy fall dessert everyone will love.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
- ⏱️ Ready In: 1 hour, with just 15 minutes of prep
- 👪 Serves: 8
- 🍎 Main Ingredients: Fresh apples, brown sugar, quick oats, cinnamon, and butter
- 🍂 Best For: Easy fall desserts, family dinners, holidays, and last-minute desserts
- ⭐ Why It Works: Thinly sliced apples bake until tender and syrupy under a buttery brown sugar oat topping that gets golden and crisp. Make the dry topping ahead and keep it on hand for a quick fall dessert anytime.
- ⚠️ What to Watch For: Apple varieties soften at different rates. Your crisp is done when the filling is bubbling and a knife slides easily through the apples.
This apple crisp is adapted from a cherished family recipe shared with me by my dear friend Marsha, known as Mimi to her grandchildren. When I was a young mom, she took me under her wing and shared so much of what she knew about cooking, hospitality, life, and faith.
This apple crisp is adapted from a cherished family recipe shared with me by my dear friend Marsha, known as Mimi to her grandchildren. When I was a young mom, she took me under her wing, sharing her love of cooking, hospitality, and faith. It's now my husband Russ's all-time favorite dessert.
Love these flavors but need something more portable? My Apple Pie Bars were inspired by this apple crisp and are perfect for making ahead and sharing at parties and gatherings.
If you love warm, old-fashioned fruit desserts like this one, try my Peach Cobbler, Peach Dump Cake, or Cherry Pie Bars. You can also browse my dessert recipes for more easy family favorites.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Just 15 Minutes of Prep: Peel and slice the apples, mix the topping, and let the oven do the rest.
- Classic Apple Crisp Flavor: Tender, syrupy cinnamon apples bake under a buttery brown sugar oat topping that gets golden and crisp.
- Perfect for Last-Minute Desserts: Make the dry crisp topping ahead and keep it in the pantry so you're halfway to dessert whenever you need it.
- Easy to Make Your Own: Use Honeycrisp or another apple you love, and make a full baking dish #ad or a smaller apple crisp for two.
Here's What You Need
- Honeycrisp apples: My go-to for this recipe. They have a sweet-tart flavor and bake up beautifully, but don't stress about the variety. Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, or a combination of apples will also work.
- Granulated sugar: Tossed with the apples to add sweetness and help create that syrupy filling as they bake.
- Brown sugar: Gives the crisp topping its rich, caramel-like sweetness.
- Quick oats: These are what I use for the topping and they bake up perfectly in the 45-minute baking time.
- All-purpose flour: Helps give the oat topping structure and that crumbly, crisp texture.
- Ground cinnamon: Used with both the apples and topping for plenty of warm cinnamon flavor.
- Ground nutmeg: Adds another layer of warm spice to the topping.
- Salted butter: Use softened butter so it's easy to work evenly into the oat topping with your fingers.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Add-Ins
- Different apples: Honeycrisp are my go-to, but Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, or a combination of varieties will work. Firmer apples may need a little more time to become tender.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: You can use them in place of quick oats, but they have a heartier texture and may take a little longer to soften as the crisp bakes.
- Chopped pecans or walnuts: Add them to the oat topping for extra crunch and nutty flavor.
Variations
- Apple Crisp for Two: Divide one prepared apple between two small ramekins and top with a smaller batch of crisp topping. It's perfect when you want a warm dessert without making a full pan.
- Apple Crisp for a Crowd: Double the recipe and bake it in a larger baking dish or disposable roasting pan #ad for an easy dessert for holidays, parties, and family gatherings.
- Individual Apple Crisps: Divide the apples and topping among individual ramekins for an easy dinner-party dessert that everyone gets to enjoy warm from their own dish.
How to Make Apple Crisp
1. Prepare the Apples. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Toss with the granulated sugar and cinnamon until evenly coated.
2. Prepare the Apple Crisp Topping. Mix the brown sugar, quick oats, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg together until well combined.
Make-Ahead Tip: Store this dry topping mixture in an airtight container so it's ready whenever you need a quick dessert. It's especially handy when you want to make a little apple crisp for two..
3. Add the Softened Butter. Add the softened salted butter to the dry topping mixture. Use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until everything is evenly combined and the mixture resembles wet sand.
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4. Assemble the Apple Crisp. Spread the prepared apples evenly in a baking dish or cast iron skillet #ad . Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the apples.
5. Bake. Bake at 375°F for about 45 minutes, until the topping is golden and the apple filling is bubbling around the edges. Insert a knife into the center to check the apples. It should slide through easily without resistance.
6. Serve. Serve the apple crisp warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The ice cream melts right into those warm, syrupy apples and crisp buttery topping.
Expert Tips
- Slice the apples thinly and evenly. Similar-sized slices cook at the same rate, so you don't end up with some apples soft and others still firm.
- Use softened salted butter for the topping. Work it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture resembles wet sand. This distributes the butter evenly throughout the topping.
- Let the apples tell you when they're done. Different apple varieties soften at different rates, so use the 45-minute bake time as a guide. The filling should be bubbling and a knife should slide easily through the apples without resistance.
- Keep a batch of dry topping ready to go. Store the mixed dry topping in an airtight container in the pantry. When you want apple crisp, just prepare your apples, add the softened butter to the topping, and bake.
Troubleshooting Guide
- Apples still firm after 45 minutes? Keep baking until a knife slides easily through the apples. Firmer apple varieties or thicker slices may need a little extra time.
- Apple crisp looks too juicy? Give it a few minutes to rest after baking. The bubbling juices will thicken slightly as the crisp cools.
- Topping seems dry or powdery? The butter may not have been incorporated evenly. Work the softened butter thoroughly into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles wet sand before adding it to the apples.
- Topping is getting too brown before the apples are tender? Loosely cover the top with foil and continue baking until the apples are soft.
Serving Suggestions
Apple crisp is best served warm, when the apples are soft and syrupy and the topping is still crisp. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and let it melt right into the warm apples and buttery brown sugar topping.
For an extra-special dessert, drizzle with warm caramel sauce or add a spoonful of whipped cream.
Storage & Make Ahead
Make Ahead: Prepare the dry topping ahead and store it in an airtight container in the pantry. If slicing the apples ahead, refrigerate them and toss with a little lemon juice if desired to prevent browning.
Store: Cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Warm individual servings in the microwave or reheat in the oven for a crisper topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. You can make apple crisp without lemon juice. The apples become sweet and syrupy as they bake without adding any lemon juice. If you slice the apples ahead of time, lemon juice is optional to help prevent browning.
I prefer to peel the apples for this apple crisp so the filling bakes up soft and tender. Leaving the peels on will give the filling more texture.
Yes. You can bake this apple crisp in a baking dish or cast iron skillet. Spread the apples evenly in the skillet, add the topping, and bake as directed.
Yes. Double the apple crisp recipe and bake it in a larger baking dish or disposable roasting pan. Use the doneness cues rather than relying only on the baking time.
More Delicious Apple Desserts
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📖 Recipe
Apple Crisp Recipe Without Lemon Juice
Equipment
- paring knife
Ingredients
Apples:
- 5 cups apples Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced.
- ¼ cup sugar (granulated)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Apple Crisp Topping:
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup oatmeal
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup butter salted, softened.
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Prepare the apples. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Toss with the granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon until evenly coated.
- Prepare Apple Crisp Topping. Mix the brown sugar, quick oats, flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg together until well combined.
- Add the butter. Add the softened salted butter to the dry topping mixture. Use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until evenly combined and the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Assemble. Spread the prepared apples evenly in a baking dish or cast iron skillet. Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the topping is golden and the apple filling is bubbling around the edges. Insert a knife into the center to check the apples. It should slide through easily without resistance.
- Serve. Serve this delicious Apple Crisp warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Video
Olga says
I had picked some apples from the apple tree and decided to make apple crisp today. It’s delicious!
Seanna Borrows says
That sounds absolutely perfect. Glad you enjoyed it! If you have more apples, try our apple pie bars. They have the apple crisp topping and a shortbread crust. Another favorite around here, for sure.
Mahy says
This apple crisp makes my mouth water. It's too good not to make it asap.
Seanna says
Thanks so much Mahy!
Hayley Dhanecha says
I absolutely love apple crisp/crumble. Here we have it with custard. This looks so tasty and surprisingly easy to make!
Seanna says
Thank you! Sounds great with custard.
Sharon says
This is my kind of simple dessert recipe. I love the oatmeal crumble on top of this apple crisp recipe.
Seanna says
Thank you Sharon. 😊
Jess says
I love how easy this is! With a scoop of ice cream, it is perfect!
Holley says
One of my favorite desserts ever! I can eat a whole bowl of this!
Seanna says
Me too. Love it for breakfast!
Russ B says
My all-time favorite dessert!
Seanna says
Don't I know it! Mine too!