I love apple pie. I also don't particularly want to make apple pie.

Therein lies the problem.

Once fall arrives and apples start appearing everywhere, I want the warm, cinnamon-y dessert experience. What I don't necessarily want is to make pie dough, roll it out, worry about whether the bottom crust is soggy, or attempt anything decorative with pastry.

Apple crisp gives me everything I'm after with considerably less emotional involvement. And frankly, I think I like it better.

Apple Crisp Is Pie Without the Pressure

The beauty of an apple crisp is that it's supposed to look rustic. Slice some apples. Toss them with sugar and cinnamon. Cover the whole thing with a buttery oat topping and bake until it's bubbling around the edges.

If the topping looks slightly uneven, that’s even better. It has charm.

There's no crust to crimp, and no expectation that you have to create tiny pastry leaves for the top because you watched someone do it on Instagram.

Pick Apples That Can Handle the Heat

Not every apple loves being baked. I like using apples that hold their shape and have enough tartness to balance all that brown sugar and buttery topping. Granny Smith is an easy choice, but Honeycrisp and Pink Lady can work beautifully, too.

You can also mix different varieties. That makes life easier after an apple-picking trip when you come home with an ungodly amount of fruit. Whatever you use, slice the apples fairly evenly so they cook at roughly the same rate.

The Topping Is the Best Part

The fruit matters, obviously, but I'm here for the crunchy topping. Oats, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon turn into those golden little clusters that make cooked fruit taste like dessert.

I like enough topping that every spoonful gets some. A sad dusting will not do.

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe

Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 40-45 minutes
Oven: 350°F

For the Apples

• 6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

For the Crisp Topping

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Heat the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly butter or grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish.

2. Make the filling. Add the sliced apples to the baking dish. Toss with the granulated sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and flour until evenly coated.

3. Make the topping. In a separate bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until everything is moistened and crumbly.

4. Assemble and bake. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling around the edges.

5. Let it rest. Give the crisp about 10 minutes to cool before serving. This lets the filling thicken slightly and prevents you from removing a layer of skin from the roof of your mouth in the name of dessert.

Vanilla Ice Cream Is Not Optional

Legally, you may eat apple crisp without vanilla ice cream. But why would you?

The entire experience peaks when the crisp is still warm and a scoop of vanilla ice cream starts melting into all those buttery crumbs. If the crisp has cooled, warm your serving before adding the ice cream.

Apple Pie, I Still Love You

There will always be a place for apple pie, especially when someone else is making it.

But when I want an easy fall dessert that makes the whole house smell incredible and doesn't require me to locate a rolling pin, I'm making apple crisp.

It's warm, buttery, and extremely difficult to mess up. And there will absolutely be vanilla ice cream on top.