This salted caramel apple crisp is a decadent version of the original we love so much. It’s great with a scoop of ice cream on top.
» You may like these 25 Delicious Fall Apple Desserts and Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies.
When fall descends upon us and all the apples start to be picked, that’s when this salted caramel apple crisp recipe gets brought out. It’s one of my favorite things to eat when the weather cools. It made it onto our list of 41 delicious Thanksgiving desserts.
I’ve tried so many different apple crisp recipes. At some point, they all seem to blur together. Until I worked out this version, I never had one go-to recipe. I’d just use whatever recipe I found on Google that day.
Now I never make other versions. It’s mostly because once you add caramel and salt to this recipe, it’s the only one you want.
Ingredients
This recipe is very easy to make and only has 9 ingredients. The most important is the apples. You’ll also need:
- Apples – Granny Smith apples are my favorite to use in this recipe. They offer the perfect balance or tartness and firmness. Other apples you can use in this recipe are Golden Delicious and Pink Lady. If you want to get creative, use a combination of apples for a variety of flavors and textures in your crisp.
- Sugar – Regular granulated sugar.
- Brown sugar – I usually always use light brown sugar when cooking. You could use dark as well. It has a deeper flavor.
- Cinnamon
- Butter – Most baking recipes call for unsalted butter. I have used both. Use what you have.
- Oats – Old-fashioned oats.
- Flour
- Salted caramel sauce – I love this salted caramel sauce but you can use what you have. If you want to try making it from scratch follow this recipe.
- (Optional) Flake salt
What Apples to Use?
Since there is a lot of sugar in this dessert, you don’t need to add sweet apples to the mix. In fact, the more tart the apple, the better. It adds a much needed acid that helps cut through the decadent caramel sauce.
Granny Smith apples are my favorite to use in this recipe. They offer the perfect balance or tartness and firmness. They won’t break down under the heat, so they have enough bite.
Red delicious and gala apples, which are two of the easiest to find, don’t do particularly well in this recipe. They tend to disintegrate under the heat and become too mushy. Honeycrisp apples are too sweet and the crunch doesn’t stick around after baked.
Other apples you can use in this recipe are Golden Delicious and Pink Lady. If you want to get creative, use a combination of apples for a variety of flavors and textures in your crisp.
How to Make Apple Crisp
First, set your oven to 350° F. Prepare an 8×8″ baking dish by lightly spraying it with cooking oil.
Start by peeling and coring the apples. Then cut them into chunks. I usually use small to medium apples, so I’ll cut them into halves, then make 4 slices and half those, for 8 pieces.
The size you want to end up with is about the size of one bite. If the apple chunk is too big for one bite, cut it into two. You don’t want them to be too small either, or they’ll just melt away once cooked.
Mix the apples with the granulated sugar and half the cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Then add that mixture to the baking dish.
Using the same mixing bowl, combine the remaining cinnamon, brown sugar, oats, flour and softened butter. Stir it up until it forms a crumble.
A note about the butter: it’s best not to completely melt it. Just soften it so you’re able to work it into the mixture. This will lead to a crumble, rather than a spread.
Add the crumble evenly over the top of the apples.
The last step is to drizzle on the salted caramel sauce. If your caramel sauce comes in a squeeze contain, just drizzle it along the top. If it’s in a jar, use a spoon to drizzle it. There’s no need to stir it in.
Bake the dish for 40-50 minutes until it’s nice and bubbly and browned on top.
I like to add a tiny bit of flake salt to each serving. The large flakes of salt are a great garnish and give just a little bit of extra flavoring, elevating the sweetness of the apples.
This fall dessert is one of our favorites. If you are looking for more fall flavors you might try this no bake pumpkin cheesecake mousse dessert or these caramel apple cupcakes. Both will delight!
Tips and Notes
- This crispy is best served warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, the same day that you bake it. The longer you keep it the soggier it will get. Store covered, in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Try using a variety of different apples to change the texture and taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I cover the apple crispy while baking?
Since you want the top of the apple crisp to get brown and crispy we don’t recommend that you cover it.
What is the difference between crisp and crumble?
While very similar there is one differences. A crumble top usually doesn’t contain oats or nuts. It is more of a streusel topping of flour, sugar and butter.
What is the best apple to use?
Granny Smith apples are my favorite to use in this recipe. They offer the perfect balance or tartness and firmness. They won’t break down under the heat, so they have enough bite. Other apples you can use in this recipe are Golden Delicious and Pink Lady. If you want to get creative, use a combination of apples for a variety of flavors and textures in your crisp.
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Salted Caramel Apple Crisp
Ingredients
- 6 Granny Smith apples peeled and thickly sliced
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon divided
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup salted butter melted
- 3 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon flake salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and half the cinnamon. Stir to mix. Add the chopped apples to the bowl and toss to coat with the cinnamon sugar. Pour the apples into the baking dish.
- To the mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, oats, flour, remaining cinnamon, and melted butter. Stir to combine. Spread the crumble over the apples. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the top of the apple crisp.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
- Serve with a light sprinkle of flake salt, if desired.
Nutrition
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Laura is a home cook who loves making new recipes and finding new favorite things to eat, whether at home or abroad. She also runs a popular travel blog and spends a lot of her time traveling for food.
Great recipe, I made it with the apples from my tree. I needed something quick as they were going bad. This recipe is now the family favorite.
I love apple crisp in the fall but adding salted caramel to this one made it even better!! So delicious!
I love salted caramel anything, and it goes perfectly with apples. This looks delicious.
Love the salted caramel in this recipe! This dessert is perfect for fall!
Such an amazing apple treat! My family loved it!