It's an apple season favorite. This Easy Cast Iron Apple Crisp is one of the simplest apple desserts that you can make with all of the classic apple crisp flavors!
Welcome to apple season, friends! Is there anything more classic than an apple crisp? Ok enough with your pie talk. You know what a crisp has that a pie doesn't? The ease of not having to make a pie crust, that's what! Enter my Easy Cast Iron Apple Crisp!
7 Simple Ingredients
Classic flavors. Nothing crazy, nothing too fancy, just like the apple crisp that your grandma made. And again, no pie crust to make! 😉
- Apples - See below my notes about our favorites to use.
- Oats - You want Old Fashioned Oats, not instant.
- Brown Sugar - I use light but you could also use dark which will give it a richer and deeper flavor.
- Unsalted Butter - You could also use salted butter, just adjust your pinch of salt.
- Flour - For the crumble
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt
The Best Apples to Use
The best apples for baking are ones that are a little bit more tart in flavor and also ones that keep their structure best so that when you bake them they don't turn into a mushy mess.
For this recipe, I used an apple called Akane or Tokyo Rose. Not readily available in grocery stores, but if you find them at your local orchard, I thought it was an excellent choice because they're a little tart, and fragrant, and kept their structure beautifully.
Our favorites that can be readily found in a grocery store: Granny Smith, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Ladys.
How Easy is it to Make?
Easy as 1. Cook apples; 2. Add crumble on top; 3. Bake!
Honestly, the "hardest" part is peeling and slicing the apples. If you want to really make your life even easier - here's an apple peeler and corer in one!
Although most crisps are baked in a baking dish, I personally love it in a Cast Iron Skillet. Not only does it just add a lil' touch of fancy but there are also some additional benefits.
Benefits of Baking with a Cast Iron
- Control. Instead of a traditional Apple Crisp which is baked in a baking pan, with a cast iron you can cook the apples first on the stovetop to ensure that they are all soft before being baked - without messing up another pan!
- Even Cooking. One of the top benefits of a cast iron is that it provides an even, steady heat which results in even, steady cooking.
- Style Points. Let's be honest, which looks better on a table? A baking pan or a cast iron? Exactly.
The cast iron that we love is a local Portland, OR brand, Finex.
Topped with a super easy crumble and baked to perfection!
To make the crumble, you can use either a pastry cutter, (like this one) or a food processor. Personally, if you have a food processor and don't have a pastry cutter, get yourself a pastry cutter. It's so much less cleaning! This is our favorite:
Tip: We love prepping this in advance so that it all can be thrown together fast so that it can be baked during dinner so that it's fresh for dessert! To do this, see recipe notes.
Serve This With:
Ice Cream. Like our No Churn Caramelized White Chocolate and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream)
Caramel Sauce. Like our Super Easy Caramel Sauce From Scratch.
Our favorite is ice cream!
Our Other Apple Recipes
- Easy Homemade Apple Fritters
- Maple Walnut Baked Apples
- Pumpkin Pie Apple Crisps
- German Apple Pancake
- Apple Fennell Chicken Salad
FAQs
You don't have to. But I prefer this recipe with them peeled. If you don't, then just make sure that your apples are cooked completely, which may take a little bit longer with the skins on.
Yes! I often do this when I know I want to throw this together to be fresh out of the oven after dinner. To prep them in advance, add the apples to a large bowl, pour 1/4 cup of lemon juice on them and then fill the bowl with water so that it covers the apples.
Absolutely. We use a 12-inch but you could definitely use a smaller one, it will just make a thicker crisp.
Enjoy, friends! As we continue on into the "new normal" that is absolutely crazy and stressful time, just remember, there's always Apple Crisp.
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
If you want to see more, be sure to sign up for my 5 Easy Ways to Start Cooking From Scratch!
Easy Cast Iron Apple Crisp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 apples peeled and sliced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch salt
Topping
- 1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prep apples by washing, peeling, and slicing them.
- Heat cast iron over medium low heat. In a small bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add to butter and stir. Add apples and coat with butter and cook for 5 minutes until apples are softened.
- In a medium bowl, add oats, cinnamon, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt and mix well. Add cubed cool butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or pulse with a food processor.
- Sprinkle on top of apples in cast iron.
- Place in center rack in oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Serve with ice cream or caramel sauce!
This is a really quick and delicious recipe and i cant wait to make it. I love any dessert with apples, its always the best. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
This dessert looks super delicious and is perfect for the approaching fall season. Looking forward to trying it.
Thanks! Enjoy!
What a great idea making the apple crisp in a cast iron pan. It turned out so good! Thanks for such a delicious and easy recipe that my family loved.
Thanks so much, Dennis!
I love apple season so that I can make all of the apple crisp! This recipe was great, will be making it all through the fall.
So great to hear, Tristin! Thanks so much for sharing!
We just love a warm apple crisp, I found your recipe simple and delicious and really enjoyed using my cast iron to make it.
This is my all-time favorite dessert! I will try this apple crisp recipe next time in cast iron.
I hope you enjoy it!
I had some extra apples on hand, so decided to make this recipe. Delicious! Was great right out of the oven with a spoonful of ice cream on top!
Apple season is just around the corner. I love cooking in cast iron. This will be a great dessert for the Fall.
This is a really easy recipe and so tasty. I use apples that are on hand, so I've used 4 or 5 and usually use Granny Smiths. Try it!
That's great, thanks Cate!!