Hi everyone! It’s been just a little while since I’ve gotten around to blogging, hasn’t it? The lost Covid year got me just as hard as anyone else, but now that the kids are back in school and I can bake (and blog!) without little fingers poking into everything, I’m hopeful that I can get back into a more regular posting rhythm again. I hope that this post find you safe, happy, and healthy. It’s been too long of a year and a half not to eat sweets, right? In that spirit, I’m going to share my favorite apple crisp recipe. There are thousands of them out there, but I’m confident that this one takes the best parts of all the others to make something that is exactly what you’ll need when that fall dessert craving hits you!

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I know there’s all sorts of fancy crisp recipes out there, and I’m sure they’re lovely. But I’ll always be a fan of the traditional apple crisp- we’re talking tart apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, and oats. There’s no nuts and no nonsense in this recipe, although you are welcome to add at least the nuts if you like!

What Apples Do I Use?

The simple answer here is Granny Smith only. There’s something about this tart apple that lends itself perfectly to apple crisp. I use only Granny Smith apples, no blending with Gala or Honeycrisp or anything else. There is enough sugar in the recipe itself to more than balance out the tartness of the apple. Do try all Granny Smith apples the first time before you go adding any other varieties into your bowl.

I Hate Peeling Apples! Do I Have To?

Yup, you have to. I know it’s a pain and it’ll ruin a manicure in no time, but you want to peel your apples fully before you slice them. I use about 6 large Granny Smith apples (or about 10 medium size apples) to fill my dish. If you’re a slow peeler and cutter like me, you can set aside a deep bowl filled about halfway with water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to drop your peeled/cut apple slices into. This will keep them from browning while you work your way through the apple pile.

How Thin Do I Slice Apples?

Not that thin- about ¼ inch should be plenty. If your apples are too thin, they tend to become kind of applesauce-y after baking. It’s okay to have varying thicknesses, with some a little thinner and some a little thicker, just make sure that your slices aren’t wafer thin!

I Love The Topping, Should I Double This Recipe?

Nope, don’t double it. This makes a ton of that delicious oat crumble. We’re going to use a 9×13 baking dish for this crisp, and my topping will already cover the entire apple mixture about an inch thick! Like anything else, I’d suggest you make it as I’ve written it the first time you try, and then adjust it as needed for next time.

Any Other Tips?

Just one! When you’re making the topping, do not melt your butter! Soften it in the microwave, but not to the point that it begins melting. Then you can cut the sticks of butter into the oat mixture using a pastry cutter, knives, forks, or even your (clean!) hands. Your butter should be down to small clumps by the time you spread it over the apples- this will help the topping stay a bit, well, crispy after baking!

Let’s get baking!