How do you keep apples from getting mushy in apple crisp?

Softer apples like Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, or Macintosh break down too much in the heat of the oven, basically turning into applesauce. So avoid those, and opt for a variety that's firm and crisp like Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp . They'll turn velvety soft while still retaining their shape.

What's the difference between apple crumble and apple crisp?

Like an apple crisp, an apple crumble is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping. But unlike the crisp, the crumble topping rarely includes oats or nuts . Instead, a crumble's topping is more like streusel, made with flour, sugar and butter.

Why is my apple crisp not crunchy?

The main reason your crumble topping isn't crunchy is probably because you haven't used Demerara sugar . Although, it could also be that you've got your topping ingredient quantities wrong: either too much or not enough flour and butter alongside the sugar.

Why does my apple crisp get soggy?

How do you keep Apple crisp from getting soggy? You need enough butter in your topping, try both melted or cold cut into the dry ingredients . Also, there needs to be enough texture to keep it from just flattening into the fruit below.

What's the difference between brown betty and apple crisp?

Both are very similar apple desserts, but the difference mainly comes down to the crumble topping: Instead of the flour and oat mixture used in an apple crisp, an apple brown betty uses breadcrumbs for its crumbly, delicious topping .

What are the best apples to use for an apple crisp?

What Makes A Good Apple For Apple Crisp? The best apples for baking keep their structure under heat, which prevents the chunks of fruit from turning into mush after baking. The firm and crisp Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties are popular apples to use in apple pies and apple crisps.

Should I cover my apple crisp while baking?

Baking: Start baking the apple crisp covered with foil . This allows the apples to soften without any risk of the topping over-browning. After about 20 minutes, remove the foil and let the crisp finish cooking uncovered. Once the juices are bubbling, the topping is golden brown, and the apples are tender, it is done!

Is it better to crumble with cold or melted butter?

Frequently Asked Questions. Is melted butter better than cold butter for crumb topping? No, our crumb topping recipe uses cold butter , which is mixed into the sugar and flour mixture.

What is the difference between crumble and crisp?

So what's a crumble vs. a crisp? A crumble is just a crisp without oats in the streusel . It may feature nuts, but the streusel topping is usually a simple combination of butter, flour, and sugar that is more clumpy than that of a crisp.

What is the difference between a crumble and a crisp and a cobbler?

Cobbler: A fruit dessert made with a top crust of pie dough or biscuit dough but no bottom crust. Crisp/crumble: In Alberta, the terms are mostly interchangeable . Both refer to fruit desserts similar to cobbler but made with a brown sugar streusel topping sometimes containing old-fashioned rolled oats.

What is apple crumble called in America?

Apple crisp is a dessert made with a streusel topping. In the US, it is also called apple crumble, a word which refers to a different dessert in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Ingredients usually include cooked apples, butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and often oats and brown sugar, ginger, and/or nutmeg.

Is apple Betty the same as apple crumble?

A brown betty is similar to a crisp or crumble, except the topping is layered into the fruit mixture before baking for an intensely crunchy effect .

Apple Crisp Recipe with Bourbon - Striped Spatula (2024)

A bowl of homemade Apple Crisp is one of my favorite fall treats! This easy-to-make recipe is filled with warm spices, a crunchy oat topping, and a splash of bourbon.

Apple Crisp Recipe with Bourbon - Striped Spatula (1)

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) from qualifying purchases made by clicking these links. As always, all recommendations and opinions expressed are my own.

What is Apple Crisp?

Apple Crisp is a classic dessert, where sliced or diced apples are baked with a buttery oat streusel topping. Today, the terms crisp and crumble are often used interchangeably, but a crumble’s topping traditionally does not contain oats.

Both Apple Crisp and Crumble are one of my favorite ways to use my haul of apples after a trip to the orchard in the fall. It’s a rustic, cozy, and nostalgic.

Recipes for Apple Crisp vary; some don’t add sugar or thickening agents to the apple filling, while others are more reminiscent of a Dutch Apple Pie (sans bottom crust).

My favorite Apple Crisp has a self-saucing filling with brown sugar, warm spices, and a splash of bourbon. It’s topped with a plentiful oat topping that just begs to mingle with the sauce from the filling and a scoop of ice cream. So good.

Apple Crisp Recipe with Bourbon - Striped Spatula (2)

What You’ll Need

My Apple Crisp recipe is lightly spiced with a balanced sweetness. You’ll need:

Apples. More on the variety, below.
Sugar. Both granulated and brown (I use dark brown, but light is fine).
Oats. We love for our crisp topping to have a rustic texture, so I use rolled/old fashioned oats. For a less rustic topping, you can use quick cooking oats, but I don’t recommend using instant.
All-purpose flour. Note that I have not tested this recipe with whole wheat flour or gluten free flour alternatives.
Unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
Baking powder
Lemon Juice
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Kosher Salt
Bourbon – the secret ingredient. This apple crisp doesn’t taste “boozy,” but the bourbon gives the filling a warm, round flavor that complements the apples and spices beautifully.

For baking this crisp, you’ll need a 9-inch square baking dish, at least 2-¼ inches deep. The pan shown in this post is one of my favorites; the Staub Ceramics Square Covered Baking Dish.

Apple Crisp Recipe with Bourbon - Striped Spatula (3)

What Kind of Apples Should I Use for Crisp?

I like to go with varieties that are balanced between sweetness and tartness, and that hold their shape when cooked. There’s nothing worse than apple crisp with the texture of applesauce!

My favorite variety, pictured here, is Honeycrisp. (From my visit to Terhune Orchards in Princeton, New Jersey!) They have a subtle tartness that works well with the sweet and crunchy topping. They also bake to tender without turning mushy.

Over the years, I’ve also used Fuji apples, Jonagold, and Golden Delicious with good results. Honestly, just about any baking apple can be used for crisp, and you can adjust the sugar quantity to suit the sweetness of the fruit and your family’s preferences.

For instance, if you’re using a very sweet apple variety, you might want to reduce the total sugar you add to the filling (not the topping) to ¼ cup. If you’re using tart Granny Smith and like a sweet crisp, you can increase the total sugar to ⅔ cup.

Want to learn more about the types of apples you’ll find at the market and orchard? Check out this Apple Varieties guide from the Washington Apple Commission.

Apple Crisp Recipe with Bourbon - Striped Spatula (4)

Making Apple Crisp

The Oat Topping

I always start my apple crisp by making the topping. After whisking together the dry ingredients, work in softened butter until it creates a crumbly texture that clumps when you press it together.

Some crisp recipes call for using melted butter, but I’ve found the topping a little too crunchy and on the tough side when I’ve done so. Softened butter yields a crumb that’s crisp, but still tender.

You can work the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork, a pastry blender, or your clean fingertips. I usually start out with a pastry blender, and then switch to my fingers so I can feel that the streusel is holding together correctly.

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The Apple Filling

When making Apple Crisp, the peeled, cored apples should be sliced to a fairly uniform size and thickness. (That said, it’s a rustic dessert, and you don’t have to be totally precise here.) ¼-inch thick slices are my preference to ensure that the apples cook down without losing their shape.

Tips for Baking the Crisp

For the best texture and sauce, the Apple Crisp needs to bake until the filling is bubbling not only in the corners of the pan, but in the center as well. Test the apples with a fork or the tip of a paring knife as they cook. They should be tender, but not mushy.

Depending on your pan and oven, the crisp topping might start to brown before the apples are ready. I start keeping an eye on the topping around the 30-minute mark.

If the topping is browning faster than the apples are cooking, loosely cover the baking dish with a piece of foil. I like to remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking so the topping is perfectly crisp.

For easy cleanup, place the baking dish on a foil-lined pan in case any of the filling bubbles over in the oven.

Apple Crisp Recipe with Bourbon - Striped Spatula (7)

Serving Apple Crisp

As difficult as it is to wait, Apple Crisp needs some time to settle after it comes out of the oven. If you serve it piping hot, the sauce will be runny.

I typically let mine cool at least 20-25 minutes. It’ll still be quite warm and the juices will have had a chance to thicken up.

As is classic, we love to serve Apple Crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. If you love extra sweetness, a drizzle of caramel sauce (such as my Apple Cider Caramel) is a great finish.

While this recipe’s leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated the next day, I never find it quite as good as it is on Day 1. I recommend enjoying this crisp fresh!

More Apple Desserts

Our Favorite Apple Pie
Caramel Apple Hand Pies
Miniature Apple-Raspberry Pies
Homemade Caramel Apples

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📖 Recipe

Bourbon Apple Crisp

This cozy, easy-to-make apple crisp is one of my family's favorite fall desserts. With a self-saucing apple filling and plenty of sweet crisp topping, this recipe is autumn comfort food at its best.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Resting Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Estimated Calories: 489kcal

Author: Amanda Biddle

Ingredients

Crisp Topping

▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour 126 g, measured using a spoon and level method
▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
▢ ¾ cup brown sugar (light or dark), lightly-packed
▢ ⅔ cup old fashioned (rolled) oats
▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter , cubed and softened (plus additional for greasing the pan)

Filling

▢ 2-½ pounds Honeycrisp apples *
▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
▢ 3 tablespoons bourbon
▢ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢ ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
▢ pinch kosher salt
▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
▢ ¼ cup brown sugar , lightly-packed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9×9 inch baking dish with at least 2-¼ inch sides. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Make the Crisp Topping

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar, and oats. Using a fork, pastry blender, work the butter into the dry ingredients until a crumbly mixture forms. The topping should hold together in clumps when pressed. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

Prep the Filling

Peel, core, and slice apples ¼-inch thick. In a large bowl, toss apple slices with lemon juice, bourbon, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until evenly coated.

Assemble and Bake the Crisp

Evenly spread the apples into the prepared baking dish. Top with the oat streusel. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until apples are tender, the topping is browned, and the filling is bubbling both in the corners and the center of the pan. (Baking time will depend on the apples you used, the pan, and your oven.)
Watch the crisp while it's baking to ensure that the topping isn't browning faster than the apples are cooking. I like to start checking around the 30-minute mark. If you see that the topping is browning quickly, loosely cover the pan with a piece of foil, uncovering during the last 5-8 minutes of baking.
Let the crisp cool for at least 20-25 minutes before serving so the juices thicken. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream, and a drizzle of caramel sauce, if desired.

Notes

See the “Apple Varieties” section in the article above for alternate apple recommendations.

If you’re using a sweeter apple variety than Honeycrisp, or prefer a less sweet crisp, you might enjoy reducing the sugar in the filling to 2 tablespoons granulated and 2 tablespoons brown.

If you’re using a very tart baking apple, or prefer a very sweet crisp, you might enjoy increasing the sugar in the filling to ⅓ cup granulated and ⅓ cup brown.

Nutrition Estimate

Keyword: apple crisp recipe, easy apple crisp

About our Recipes:Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.

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