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Ina Garten Apple Crisp

Ina Garten apple crisp with a thick, golden oat-and-butter crumble topping and bubbling caramelized apple filling. Baked until the top is brown and the apples are tender, with warm spice flavor from cinnamon and nutmeg.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apple filling
  • 5 lb Macintosh or Braeburn apples
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
Crumble topping
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.75 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 0.5 lb unsalted butter cold, diced (2 sticks)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Set out a 14x9x2 inch baking dish for assembling the crisp.
Make the apple filling
  1. Toss the sliced apples with orange zest, lemon zest, orange juice, lemon juice, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then spread them evenly in the baking dish. Make sure the spices coat every slice for even bubbling.
Make the oat-and-butter crumble
  1. Combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, kosher salt, and old-fashioned oats. Add the cold diced butter and work with your fingers until the mixture forms pea-sized clumps.
Assemble and bake
  1. Scatter the crumble topping over the apples, covering every inch generously. Press lightly so some clumps adhere, but keep the topping crumbly.
  2. Bake for 55-60 minutes until the top is golden brown and the apples are tender and bubbling. If needed, rotate the pan once for an even color.
Serve
  1. Serve the apple crisp warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Let it rest for 5 minutes so the juices thicken slightly before scooping.

Notes

Pro tip: use cold butter and stop mixing as soon as the crumble looks like pea-sized clumps—this helps the topping stay crisp in the oven. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat individual portions in a 350F oven for 10 minutes. Freeze baked apple crisp up to 2 months (cool completely first). For a lower-sugar option, substitute a portion of the granulated and brown sugar with an equal amount of a granulated sugar substitute suited for baking, and consider reducing the overall topping sweetness to taste.