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!
This post may contain sales affiliate links. Please see my full Disclosure Policy for details.
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!
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 bounty of apple varieties, so take your pick and use your favorite when making this crisp.
Contents:
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Apples are the quintessential fall dessert and the combo of apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and crisp oat topping will give you the perfect dessert for the season.
- It uses a short list of fairly basic ingredients, many of which you probably already have at home.
- 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.
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!
Recipe ingredients + substitutions
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.
- Spices: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, sea salt
- Pantry staples: Brown sugar, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract
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 easy to eat once cooked.
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.
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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
I think this is a personal preference. I know some people that insist on taking the skin off, 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.
Both are similar desserts but the topping for a crisp always includes oats and almost always includes nuts.
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:
Click here to subscribe to Urban Foodie Kitchen's Newsletter for free and fresh recipes right to your inbox!
If you try this recipe, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below.
You can also take a photo & tag @urbanfoodiekitchen on Instagram.
Skillet Apple Crisp
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
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.
Julie says
I love little individual desserts and these apple crisps look perfect for fall holiday gatherings. So much better than a traditional fall pie!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
I am the biggest sucker for anything served in a skillet, especially desserts. This looks so good and I can only imagine how lovely the house smells as it bakes!
Gloria says
I know for sure if I show this to my husband, he would want this for dessert tonight. I love cooking with my cast iron skillets...so maybe I will surprise him on the weekend.
Heather says
I love making apple crisp this time of year! Never tried it in a skillet though..going to have to give that a whirl!
Kelly Anthony says
So perfect and comforting for the fall! Anything apple is my go to! Can't wait to attempt a crisp! YUM!
Jenni LeBaron says
Apple crisp is one of my all-time favorite dessert recipes and this version looks killer! I love that it's made in a skillet because I think that helps everything get caramelized and crisp perfectly!
Marisa Franca says
We used to go apple picking when we had little ones at home. That was so much fun. And I would imagine you sauté the apples first to bring out the flavor. Just like roasting enhances the flavor of the vegetable I would think the apples have a more intense flavor. Apple Crisp is a big favorite of ours -- you've just inspired me to make it tonight.
Shelley says
You're so right - as much as I love to imagine myself as someone who has time to be happily making pie dough mid-week (or ... let's be real ... even on the weekend!), that's just not usually in the cards! This gorgeous apple crisp is a terrific alternative!
Leslie Haasch says
Apple crisp is one of my all time favorite fall desserts, and making them in mini skillets is just so cute!
Kitty says
Goodness, how I love apple season! I've got a huge number of baking apples in the fridge and coming up with ways to use them is so much fun! Trying this next. Thanks!
lauren says
Perfect for fall! The skillet must get all sorts of good crispiness! The pecans sounds awesome in the topping too.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
YUMM, this looks like the perfect fall treat! Just what I was craving. Pinning to try this week!
Eileen Kelly says
I think this is just a perfect dessert! Since we have a semi-empty nest, the hubs and I are alone a lot more for dinner. This is the type of dessert he loves! I have the same small skillets and I think everyone should have them too! The apple crisp is easy , tasty and delicious!
FoodieGirlChicago says
I love those little skillets - so many great ways to use them!
Andrea says
This is definitely one of my favorite apple recipes! I love that you added pecans in the crumble, I usually add toasted hazelnuts, but I'm curious to try it with pecans, will give it a go soon 🙂
FoodieGirlChicago says
It would be great with toasted hazelnuts too. Or maybe a combo of both! 🙂
Noel Lizotte says
I love apple crisp ... it's time to make a batch or two. This recipe looks so close to my family's recipe ... I'd bet we were related LOL !!
FoodieGirlChicago says
I love family recipes!
Jess says
I have those mini skillets and when I have made apple crisp in them they have given the dessert a v strong iron taste which was quite unpleasant, have u ghad that experience before? Wondering what I can do to my skillets to stop that happening??
Urban Foodie Kitchen says
Hi Jess - As long as you season your cast iron skillets well you shouldn't get a strong cast iron taste when cooking. I don't recommend storing leftovers of the crisp or anything for that matter, in a cast-iron skillet as that can cause an after taste to develop.