Apple Crisp Without Oats

This Apple Crisp Without Oats uses a topping you can make from your pantry tonight. It uses just flour, white and brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and you leave the skins on the apples.

I first made it at eight o’clock on a Saturday night, when I realized I’d signed up to bring food to church the next morning. I pulled together a whole spread to share from what I had in the house, and to my surprise, this was the dish people raved about.

If you want apple crisp you can call breakfast, my Granola Apple Crisp trades the streusel for granola and bakes in individual ramekins. This one’s the dessert version, though I have eaten the leftovers for breakfast, too.

If you want something on top, a drizzle of Salted Caramel Sauce or a spoonful of Cinnamon Whipped Cream works with the warm apples.

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Why This Apple Crisp Has No Oats

The topping is flour, sugar, spices, and butter cut in until you have little pea-sized lumps. There are no oats and no nuts, so there’s nothing you’ll have to run to the store to pick up.

Without oats, the topping is finer than most crisp toppings, so some of it sifts down between the apples. That flour and sugar mix with the apple juice as it bakes and thicken it, which is why the filling doesn’t need cornstarch or any sugar of its own.

You Don’t Need to Peel Apples for Apple Crisp

I wash the apples well and leave the skins on. The skins help the pieces hold together instead of falling apart, and they keep the fiber in the apples.

They soften while it bakes, so the texture still works. You also skip peeling three pounds of apples, which is the slowest part of most apple crisp recipes.

If someone at your table won’t eat apple peel, go ahead and peel them. Nothing else about the recipe changes.

If you do choose to peel them, I recommend my favorite electric potato/apple/anything peeler. This thing is magic, and it’s so quick and easy to use.

How to Make Apple Crisp Without Oats

Quarter each apple and cut out the core before you cut it any further. The core is much easier to reach on a quarter, and then each quarter becomes six chunks of about the same size.

If you have a tool that cores the apple at the same time, that works well. I use my apple slicer, then cut each section in half, and then into three chunks.

Squeeze the lemon over the apples as soon as they’re in the dish. It keeps them from browning while you make the topping.

Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender until the biggest lumps are the size of peas. Check the bottom of the bowl before you stop, because loose flour hiding there turns into powdery white patches on the finished crisp.

Sprinkle the topping over the apples, then pick up the dish and bang it (gently) on the counter a few times. You’ll see the topping settle into the gaps between the apples.

Bake it at 375 degrees for about an hour, until the juice bubbles up through the topping and the top is nicely browned. A knife should slide into a piece of apple in the center without any resistance.

Serve it slightly warm. If dinner runs long, turn off the oven and leave the crisp inside until you’re ready for dessert.

What Are the Best Apples for Apple Crisp?

I always use about half Granny Smith apples and half another type. Granny Smith hold their shape and stay a little tart, which balances the sweet topping.

For the other half, I use whatever apples I have, anything from Fuji to McIntosh. Softer apples like McIntosh break down into a sauce around the firmer Granny Smith pieces, and a mix gives you better flavor than any single apple does.

Skip Red Delicious apples. They’re not good for baking, because the flesh turns mealy in the oven instead of holding its shape.

Is Apple Crisp Without Oats Still a Crisp?

Technically, it’s closer to a crumble. American usage generally puts oats in a crisp topping, and a crumble topping skips them, but I don’t get picky.

I’ve called this apple crisp since I first posted it in 2009, and the topping bakes up crisp, so the name stays. If you grew up calling it an apple crumble without oats, you’re not wrong either.

Can You Make Apple Crisp Ahead of Time?

You can. The first time I made this, I baked it the night before and served it the next morning, and the whole pan disappeared.

I serve it at room temperature the next day rather than reheating it. If you want it warm, the reheating directions are below.

How Do You Store Leftover Apple Crisp?

Let it cool completely before you cover it. Covering it while it’s warm traps the steam, and the topping turns soft.

If you’ll finish it in a day or two, it’s fine on the counter. Lay a couple of paper towels over the leftovers to soak up moisture, then seal it in an airtight container or cover the pan tightly with foil.

If you have more self control than my family does, cover it and refrigerate it for three to five days. The topping softens a little in the fridge, but it crisps back up when you reheat it.

The leftovers make a great breakfast, too, and I won’t judge if you dip into them in the morning.

How Do You Reheat Apple Crisp?

For the whole pan, heat the oven to 350 degrees and cover the pan loosely with foil so the topping doesn’t burn. Bake it for 15 to 20 minutes if it’s been on the counter or 25 to 30 minutes if it’s been in the fridge.

Take the foil off for the last five minutes either way. The oven is the best way to reheat a whole pan, and it keeps the topping crisp.

For a single serving, microwave it in a bowl for 30 to 45 seconds from the counter or 50 to 60 seconds from the fridge. Stir it halfway through so the center warms up, too. The topping will be softer, but it’s quick and easy.

Can You Reheat Apple Crisp in the Air Fryer?

You can, and it’s my favorite way to heat up enough for me. Put your serving in a ramekin or on a piece of foil, because your standard kitchen bowl isn’t designed for air fryer heat.

Heat it at 320 degrees for four to five minutes if it’s been on the counter or six to eight minutes if it’s been in the fridge. It’s the best of both worlds, as it’s faster than the oven, and you still get that crisp streusel topping.

Can You Freeze Apple Crisp?

I haven’t frozen this one myself because it never lasts that long in my house, but apple crisp generally freezes well. Let it cool completely, then wrap the dish tightly or move the crisp to a freezer-safe container.

Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then reheat it in the oven using the directions above so the topping crisps back up.

Can You Add Dried Cherries or Raisins to Apple Crisp?

You can, and I sometimes do. Stir a handful into the apples before you add the topping.

They’ll plump up and absorb some of the apple juice. The cherries especially also provide a great bit of a flavor contrast to the apples that I love.

Keep them under the topping instead of scattering them on top. Dried fruit left exposed in the oven for an hour scorches and turns bitter.

Can You Make Apple Crisp Without a Pastry Blender?

You can. Two forks work, or you can rub the butter into the flour with your very clean fingertips.

Work quickly if you use your hands. Warm fingers soften the butter, and soft butter smears into a paste instead of staying in lumps.

Apple Crisp Troubleshooting

Your topping has powdery white patches. You stopped cutting in the butter before it reached all the flour, so the dry flour sat on top and never absorbed the moisture. Next time, check the bottom of the bowl, and give the dish a few turns to combine it all.

Your top looks done, but the apples in the center are still firm. You cut some chunks bigger than the rest, or you used mostly very firm apples. Lay a sheet of foil loosely over the dish so the top doesn’t burn, and keep baking until a knife slides into the center pieces easily.

There’s a pool of thin juice in the bottom of your dish. You used mostly soft apples, which release more liquid and collapse, or you served it straight from the oven. Keep at least half of your apples Granny Smith, and let the crisp sit before you serve it, since the juice thickens as it cools.

Your leftover topping went soft in the fridge. You covered it and refrigerated it, and the topping absorbed moisture from the apples overnight. Reheat it in the oven or air fryer instead of the microwave, and it crisps back up.

Besides apple crisp, what do you make when you’ve overbought apples?

• Easy Instant Pot Cinnamon Apples
• Homemade Apple Cake
• Apple Pie Bread Pudding
• Apple Scones with Maple Glaze
• Double Caramel Apple Pie Parfait
• Baked Apple Cider Donuts
• Caramelized Apple Oatmeal
• Easy Apple Puff Pancake

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