Name: Skillet Apple Crisp
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 3 granny smith or gala apples (cored and thinly sliced); 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; pinch of sea salt; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3/4 cup rolled oats; 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed); 1/4 teaspoon sea salt; 5 tablespoons cold butter (cut into cubes); 1/2 cup regular or candied pecans (chopped); 1/2 cup of vanilla gelato or ice cream; caramel sauce

Apple crisp is an absolute must as the leaves start to turn - it just screams fall! Easy enough for a weeknight, this classic dessert combines fragrant cinnamon and nutmeg-infused apples with a crisp, crumbly oat mixture that gives you the ideal crunch in every bite!

Apple crisp in a mini cast iron skillet with ice cream on tope

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I've always loved apple pie, but let's be honest, most of us don't have time to make and roll pie dough on a weeknight so if you still want a cozy dessert for a midweek treat, this apple crisp gives you all of the taste of an apple pie with much less work! The lack of complicated steps means it only requires 15 minutes of hands-on time, making it the ideal dessert for any day of the week.

If you can get to an apple orchard and pick fresh apples for this crisp even better, but these days most grocery stores carry a ton of apple varieties, so take your pick and use your favorite when making this crisp.

This is the perfect recipe to add to your everyday recipe collection. Read on to learn more about how to make this Cast Iron Skillet Apple Crisp, or jump straight to the recipe to start cooking!

Ingredient Notes

The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.

Apples: I prefer using granny smith or gala apples when I bake, but really any variety works for this recipe.
Butter: I almost always recommend using unsalted butter when you are baking. The recipe has some added salt so you don't want to impact the taste by using salted butter.
Lemon juice: I suggest using fresh squeezed lemon juice though for this recipe you can substitute bottled lemon juice.
Oats: You are looking for old-fashioned rolled oats. They can generally be found in the cereal aisle or in some stores you may be able to find them in the bulk foods section.
Pecans: You can use regular pecans, ideally halves or even smaller pieces as they will mix best with the topping. If you want to get a little fancy, you can use candied pecans instead. You can either make your own or see if your local grocery store carries them.
Vanilla gelato: I say gelato because that's what I prefer, but vanilla ice cream works just as well.
Caramel sauce: This is optional but I think it really adds to the crisp. You can purchase pre-made sauce or make your favorite recipe.

Apple crisp served on a cream plate and drizzled with caramel sauce

Pro Tips

I've experimented with this quite a bit and I find that sautéing the apples just for a bit before you bake the crisp ensures they are all well cooked and that the top of the crisp doesn't end up getting too brown while you are waiting for the apples to finish cooking. I also think it gives them a little more depth of flavor so I really encourage you not to skip this step.

You'll notice I use a separate skillet to sauté them. That's mostly because sautéing them in the mini skillets would be difficult. I like transferring the apples to the mini skillets because, well who doesn't love cute mini desserts?!

If you don't have mini skillets or just don't want to dirty multiple pans you can cook the apples in a 9-10" cast iron skillet and then add the topping directly on top and pop the whole thing in the oven without dirtying an extra pan!

How to make this recipe

Step 1 | Slice the apples. I like to slice the apples relatively thin so they are easy to eat once cooked. I know some people who insist on taking the skin off of the apples, which is fine. I happen to like it on so I just leave it - this cuts down on prep time and if you use a red-skinned apple like Galas you get a nice pop of color in your crisp.

Sliced apples and filling ingredients on a brown cutting board

Sauteed apples in skillet for apple crisp

Step 2 | Sauté the apples. Add the butter to a pan over medium heat and let it melt. Add the sliced apples and saute until they begin to soften. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix until the apple slices are evenly coated.

Two small cast iron skillets with apple crisp filling

Step 3 | Fill the skillets. Divide the sauteed apples between the two small cast iron skillets. Spread them out into an even layer in each skillet.

Step 4 | Make the topping. Add the oats, flour, brown sugar and sea salt to a large mixing bowl and stir the mixture until everything is combined. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter or a fork to mix everything together until a coarse meal forms. Stir in the pecans. Divide the topping between the two skillets.

This step can also be accomplished using a food processor but be sure not to overprocess the mixture. You want a nice crumbly topping.

Mixing butter, flour and sugar for apple crisp topping.

Step 5 | Bake the crisps. Bake in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes or until the topping starts to turn golden brown.

Step 6 | Top and serve. Add a big scoop of vanilla gelato and drizzle with some caramel sauce. Serve immediately.

Recommended Tools

Mini cast iron skillets – These mini skillets are great for smaller households. They can be used for making smaller versions of baked desserts as well as for small-scale baked pasta dishes.

Pastry cutter - While this is a kitchen tool that is not used all that often, if you bake and like to make pies it's an essential one to have around!

Serving Suggestions

This dessert is best served warm. Let it cool for about 10 minutes so the skillets are safe. To finish it off, I like to top the entire thing with a big scoop of vanilla gelato and drizzle it with a little bit of caramel sauce while it's still warm from the oven. You can either make your own caramel sauce or buy your favorite version at the grocery store. It's also great after it cools off a bit and then is served at room temperature.

More dessert recipes

If you are looking for more dessert ideas, check out these reader favorites:

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Skillet Apple Crisp

Author: Kathryn | Urban Foodie Kitchen

Apple crisp is an absolute must as the leaves start to turn - it just screams fall! Easy enough for a weeknight, this classic dessert combines fragrant cinnamon and nutmeg infused apples with a crisp, crumbly oat mixture that gives you the ideal crunch in every bite!

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Cooling Time 10

Total Time 55

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings mini crisps

Ingredients

For the apple filling:

3 granny smith or gala apples, cored and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:

¾ cup rolled oats
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ teaspoon sea salt
5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
½ cup regular or candied pecans, chopped
½ cup of vanilla gelato or ice cream
caramel sauce

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 375°F.
Sauté the apples. Melt the butter in a large sauteé pan. Add the apples and cook for 5 minutes until the apples begin to soften.
Make the filling. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Stir until the apples are well coated. Divide the apples between two mini (6-inch) cast iron skillets.
Make the topping. Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter or a fork to mix everything together until a coarse meal forms. Stir in the pecans. Divide the topping between the two skillets.
Bake. Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
Cool. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Top with gelato and caramel sauce before serving.

Notes

If you don't have mini skillets or prefer to make this a one-pan recipe cook the apples in a 9-10 inch cast iron or other oven-safe skillet and bake the crisp in the same skillet.

Keywords : fall desserts, skillet baking

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This post was originally published in May 2017. It was updated in September 2023 with some new information and photos. No changes were made to the original recipe.