Apple Crisp with Oat Topping

Easy Fall Dessert

Get ready for some serious nostalgia with this apple crisp with oat topping recipe. Luckily it will all include the most helpful tips you need for making scrumptious apples pies and crisps every single time!!!

In second grade, my teacher created a book with every student’s favorite recipes. Mine? Apple crisp. 

I’m now well trenched into my 30s and the one dessert I crave and daydream about more than anything? Apple crisp. What can I say? Some things never change.

Thankfully my husband was easily sold on crisp as well. Besides my chocolate chip cookies (get my recipe for mini chocolate chip cookies too), it’s probably the dessert I bake the most in our home.

apple crisp with oat topping

Apple Crisp with Oat Topping

It’s not surprising then that I have a weakness for apple and pear desserts. If we’re out to dinner, my mom and husband always know I’ll opt for the crisp, cobbler, or tart! 

Besides the simple, rustic flavors being so satisfying, I love that it’s also really pretty easy to throw together. It doesn’t require any decorating skills; you can easily fudge the ingredient amounts and nobody will notice; and we’ve learned the secret to making it SCRUMPTIOUS!!

apple crisp with oat topping

How Thin to Slice Apples for Baking

So if you have any experience with baking apple pies or crisps, you know sometimes they’re better than other times. The secret, we’ve learned, is to slice the fruit thinly.

With thin slices, you can pack more fruit into the dish before cooking. Since the fruit softens and settles while cooking, you can get more fruit packed into the limited space!

How thin? About a ยผ”. It’s not microplane thin, but thin enough without losing your mind! I usually cut the four sides around the core. Then lay the flat side down and slice. Then it goes pretty quickly.

And besides slicing them thin, you totally need to try this double nut setup atop your apple crisp with oat topping! The mixture of pecans and walnuts is everything you can imagine. It adds the perfect crunchiness and delicious flavor profile!

You can use this in any kind of apple dessert recipe like this, including this crockpot apple cinnamon roll casserole!

Double Nut Pear Crisp

Crispy Apple Crisp with Oat Topping?

I’ve followed a few crisp recipes for apple and pear desserts online. I’ve learned that even beyond the difference of crumbles, crisps, and cobblers is the kind of topping on a crisp.

I’ve had crumbly topping (pictured here)- great, but not where my heart is. I like crunchy toppings on my crisps. I think the crunchiness just balances the soft fruit so wonderfully.

The difference in a crumbly versus a crunchy crisp topping? The butter. For a crumbly topping, you’ll want to use cold, cubed butter. For a crunchy topping, melt the butter to mix in with the ingredients.

If you want a spring or summer version of this dessert, try a strawberry cobbler!! You can also use this crisp topping over this scrumptious peach compote!

More Pear Recipes

Looking for more used for pears? Try this fall bulgur salad, pear muffins (so tasty!), this spiced pear martini, and this easy and delicious canned pear and yogurt dessert!

Get more fall recipes here!

Recipes with Oats

For more breakfast recipes with oats, try overnight yogurt and oatmeal, this delectable pumpkin seed granola, and of course toasted muesli with yogurt. If you can’t get enough homemade granola like me, then this cranberry granola is a must! It’s from a hotel in downtown Leavenworth in Washington State. It was so delicious at the hotel, I had to get the recipe.

And then there’s fried oatmeal – a Depression Era carryover my grandpa made. it’s just pan-seared and topped with syrup and fruit (or however you like). A funny name for a yummy recipe!

For a snack or your sweet tooth, these granola bites are yummy, quick to throw together, and just short of addictive. If you have extra muesli, try these muesli cookies.

Double Nut Apple Pear Crisp
Print Recipe
5 from 19 votes

APPLE CRISP WITH OAT TOPPING

If you love apple crisp, this apple crisp with oat topping will knock your socks off. Slicing the fruit very thin lets you pack more in the dish for a delectable moist, delicious dessert that will be your new favorite!!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: American, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dessert, fall, fruit, vegetarian, winter
Servings: 6
Calories: 481kcal
Author: Luci Petlack

Ingredients

  • 2 medium apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
  • 2 medium pears peeled, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ยผ cup sugar
  • ยฝ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ยผ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ยผ teaspoon fine sea salt

topping

  • ยฝ cup all-purpose flour
  • โ…“ cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • ยฝ cup light brown sugar
  • ยฝ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ยผ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ยผ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ยผ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ยฝ cup butter see note
  • ยฝ cup chopped raw pecans
  • ยฝ cup chopped raw walnuts

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF and spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Add the apples and pears to a medium bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to coat each piece of fruit. Transfer fruit to the prepared loaf pan and spread the slices evenly in the pan.
  • To make the topping, stir together the flour, oats, and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Add the butter and work the topping with a fork until well mixed. Stir in the nuts.
  • Pour the topping over the fruit and spread evenly in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the apples and pears are tender and the topping is browned. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

For a crumbly topping, use cold, cubed butter and use a fork or finger tips to work the butter into little pieces, dispersed throughout the topping.
For a crunchy topping, use melted butter. Use fork to mix thoroughly into dry ingredients.
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Nutrition

Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 528IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg

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15 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is an amazing fall dish using my pears and apples. Crisp desserts are a favorite and my go to dish for family gatherings.

  2. 5 stars
    This is the perfect dessert for fall!! I love the combination of apples and pears – it’s a nice twist on the traditional apple crisps I’m used to having this time of the year!

  3. 5 stars
    All of my favourite fall flavours in one dish! Bookmarked to make later, thanks for the recipe ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. 5 stars
    Your tip to slice the fruit thin was great. Our apple pear crisp was delicious. The fruit was tender and so flavorfull. The crisp toping was perfectly sweetened.

  5. 5 stars
    So scrumptious – I love the combo of apples and pears – genius idea! All these Fall flavors combined are just so perfect. And, my house smells amazing right now.

  6. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious dessert – I love a good crisp, and this recipe is superb. The combination of apple and pear is wonderful.

5 from 19 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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