Salted Caramel Apple Crisp with Pecan Oat Crumble
The best easy apple crisp for fall: tender cinnamon apples baked under a crunchy brown sugar pecan oat crumble, with a quick homemade salted caramel drizzled in and on top. Made in a 9x13 pan to feed a crowd.
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Ingredients
Serves 12
- 3 1/2 lb firm applesabout 7 medium; a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith is best, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugarfor the filling
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flourfor the filling
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamonfor the filling
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugarfor the salted caramel
- 4 tbsp unsalted butterfor the salted caramel
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp flaky sea saltor 1/4 tsp fine salt, plus a pinch for serving
- 1 cup all-purpose flourfor the topping
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugarfor the topping
- 3/4 cup pecanschopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamonfor the topping
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter1 1/2 sticks, melted, for the topping
- whipped cream or vanilla ice creamfor serving
The method
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the middle. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish and set it on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch drips.
2 minMake the salted caramel: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the 4 tbsp butter with the 1/2 cup brown sugar, stirring, until smooth and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Carefully whisk in the cream (it will bubble up), simmer 2 minutes more until slightly thickened, then take it off the heat and stir in the flaky salt. Set aside.
5 minIn a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp flour, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla until evenly coated. Spread in the baking dish and drizzle about half of the salted caramel over the apples. Save the rest for serving.
15 minMake the crumble: in the same bowl, stir together the 1 cup flour, oats, 3/4 cup brown sugar, pecans, 1 tsp cinnamon and kosher salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork until it forms moist clumps. Scatter the crumble evenly over the apples, leaving some larger clumps for crunch.
5 minBake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and the filling is bubbling thickly at the edges and the apples are tender when poked with a knife. If the topping browns too fast before the apples are soft, loosely tent with foil for the last 15 minutes.
48 minLet the crisp cool for at least 15 minutes so the juices thicken. Gently rewarm the reserved caramel if it has firmed up. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of caramel and a tiny pinch of flaky salt.
15 min
Timings are a guide. Use the instruction and your own judgment as you cook.
Why this apple crisp works
Apple crisp is the easiest fall dessert there is, and this version makes it taste like a caramel apple. A quick 5-minute salted caramel goes half into the filling and half over the top when you serve it, and a pecan-oat crumble made with melted butter bakes up crunchy without any pastry cutting. A 9x13 pan feeds a crowd, so it’s perfect for a Halloween party, a game-day spread or Thanksgiving dessert.
Pick the right apples
Use firm baking apples so the filling holds its shape. Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Jonagold, Pink Lady and SweeTango all work well; mixing a tart apple with a sweet one gives the best flavor. Softer apples like McIntosh and Golden Delicious tend to turn mushy, so pair them with Granny Smith if that’s what you have.
Make ahead and storage
- Make ahead: Mix the crumble and caramel up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate separately. Slice and assemble the apples right before baking so they don’t brown.
- Leftovers: Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days. Rewarm portions in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes to re-crisp the topping (the microwave works but softens it).
- Freeze: Freeze the unbaked crumble in a bag for up to 3 months and sprinkle it straight from frozen over fresh apples; add about 5 minutes to the bake.
Swaps
- Smaller batch: Halve everything and bake in an 8x8-inch dish for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Nut-free: Leave out the pecans and add 1/4 cup more oats.
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and oats labeled gluten-free. Check labels on oats and other packaged ingredients if you’re cooking for someone with celiac disease.
- Shortcut caramel: Use 1/2 cup store-bought caramel sauce mixed with 1/2 tsp flaky salt.
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