Easy Apple Crisp With Pecan Topping

A combination of sweet, tart and crumbly, this amazing Apple Crisp has that familiar classic apple pie flavor without all the work! The buttery pecan topping adds richness, warmth, and texture to this surprisingly simple recipe. Taking just a little time to prepare, the inclusion of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves makes this easy apple crisp feel like the ultimate essence of fall.

Fall is the time of the year when the kids love to go apple picking, and of course we come home with tons of apples. What better way to use the bounty of apples than to make this Easy Apple Crisp. Add some vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce on top and you have a dessert that the whole family will devour!

Why This Recipe Works?

• Sweet, tart and crumbly, so yummy!
• Easy to make, much simpler than apple pie.
• Readily available ingredients.
• No eggs.
• Great way to use apples and get kids to eat them.
• Perfect fall dessert.
• Kid friendly.
• The Best Apple Crisp recipe ever!!

Main Ingredients

This recipe uses super easy ingredients that can be purchased from a local grocery store if they are not already in your kitchen. Read the Recipe Card for the measurements.

• Apples – It’s very important to use baking apples. We use a combination of tart and sweet (provides more depth of flavor) that are good to bake with. We used 2 Granny Smith apples for the tart flavor, but you can also use Braeburn and Pacific Rose. On the sweet side, we used 3 Honeycrisp apples. Other varieties of sweet you can use are Jazz and Pink Lady. In general, you want to use apples that remain somewhat firm when baked, and avoid varieties that will become mushy (when baked), such as Red Delicious or MacIntosh.
• Pecans – Pecans provide a sweet and buttery flavor along with their crunchy texture. We use them for both the filling and the topping in this recipe. If you don’t have pecans handy, an alternative would be walnuts. Although they are not as sweet and caramelly, walnuts are an adequate substitute.
• Flour – We use All-Purpose flour, as it helps to thicken the filling and also aids in giving the topping a crunchy texture.
• Brown Sugar – Brown sugar adds a deep, caramel or toffee-like flavor to the entire dish. You need it for both the apple filling and topping. You can adjust the amount of brown sugar based on the apples you use. The sweeter the apples, the less brown sugar you need; tarter apples will require more.
• Pure Maple Syrup – Real maple syrup has a sweet, caramel and nutty flavor. You can also use honey if that is what is readily available.
• Spices – A combination of fall spices are used including cloves, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. These spices are warm and earthy and make you feel good inside!
• Butter – We use butter instead of shortening due to its rich flavor. Chilling the butter first helps create a crumbly topping when cut into the flour.

How To Make Apple Crisp

Step 1: Prep it

• Set the oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat to 375 degrees F.

Step 2: The Filling

• Prep the apples and nuts: Peel and core the apples, chop into small pieces and place into a large bowl; finely chop the pecans and add them to the apples. 

• In the same bowl, add the rest of the filling ingredients: Flour, brown sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and dry spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves). Stir with a spatula to incorporate all of the ingredients.

• Empty mixture into a 10 inch pie dish and set aside. 

Step 3: The Topping

• Cube the chilled butter, coarsely chop the pecans and set aside.
• In a food processor: Add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt; pulse 5-6 times to combine.
• Add chilled butter cubes and pulse until the mixture forms pea sized lumps.
• Add chopped pecans and give 5-6 pulses to incorporate.
• Sprinkle the topping over the filling mixture.

Note: If you do not have a food processor, you can combiner the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine, then cut the butter into the flour with a fork or two knives.

Step 4: Bake It

• Bake in the preheated 375 degree F oven for 35-45 minutes.  

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve as is or with vanilla ice cream.

Variation:

Try this recipe if you want to make a classic apple tart.