Skillet Apple Crisp

Jump to:

• What is apple crisp
• Recipe ingredients:
• How to make Skillet Apple Crisp
• Adaptations and variations
• Recipe FAQs
• Other Related Cast Iron Dessert Recipes
• Get the Recipe
• Adaptations and variations

What is apple crisp

Apple crisp is one of the most quintessential American desserts that's a fall favorite. Sliced apples tossed in warm spices and sugar then baked with a topping made with more spices, brown sugar, and old fashioned oats. Once baked, the apples are soft in a sweet buttery sauce with a crunchy top.

What is the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble?

For some, they're the same and the names interchangeable. But when combing through old cookbooks while they are quite similar but different in one major way, crumble doesn't use oats. A crumble's topping is more like a streusel topping, a crumbly mixture of flour, sugar, and butter.

Recipe ingredients:

• Apples — we used a mixture of granny smith apples, honey crisp, gala, and fuji apples.
• Sugar — brown sugar is used in the oat topping and granulated sugar is tossed with the apples. We used dark brown sugar but you can use light brown sugar.
• Dry goods — baking soda, baking powder, and flour. The flour will be divided between both the filling and the topping mixture.
• Spices — salt, apple pie spice, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Butter — you'll need at least one stick of butter, but if you want a more buttery sauce at the bottom, go with two. I used salted butter, but unsalted butter is perfect too.
• Oat — we used quick cooking old fashioned rolled oats.

How to make Skillet Apple Crisp

Step 1 — Preheat the oven to 350°F. Core, peel, and slice apples into bite size pieces. Using an apple-core-peeler tool will make quick work of this process, then slice the rings into quarters and place them in a large bowl. If doing the apples by hand, toss them with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.

Step 2 — Toss the apples with the salt, apple pie spice blend, a tablespoon of flour, and granulated white sugar. Once the apples have been coated press the apple mixture into a cast iron skillet, smoothing it out as much as possible.

Step 3 — Add brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a medium bowl and mix it all together.

Step 4 — Slowly pour the melted butter and moisten the oat mixture. Alternatively, using a pastry cutter, a solid stick of butter can be incorporated into the oat mixture.

Step 5 — Spoon the buttery oats over the apples in the skillet, filling any nooks and crannies. If an extra buttery crisp is desired, place slices of butter all over the top of the crisp.

Step 6 — Bake the cast iron apple crisp uncovered for 40 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples have soften. The cooking time may take less time or longer depending on how thick or thin the apple slices were cut. Once baked, remove from the oven and serve immediately, as it is best served warm.

TIP — For camp oven, outdoor cooking, see recipe card.

Adaptations and variations

Apples — with so many apple varieties available, there are so many wonderful options. Having a nice mixture of both tart apples and sweet apples is important. Granny smith and honeycrisp are favorites. Pink lady apples are also good.

Nuts — add some chopped walnuts or pecans to the oat mixture for extra crunch.

Fruit — decrease the amount of apples and add in pears, peaches, or plums.

Serving — Vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and/or whipped cream are delicious toppings for this apple crisp.

Recipe FAQs

Get the Recipe