Easy Apple Crisp

Two nights ago, I hosted what has become one of my favorite annual traditions — Neighborsgiving!

And thanks to my wonderful neighbors — it was awesome.

And thanks to a few super easy recipes — my prep for the party was amazingly stress-free. Which was doubly awesome.

The theme of the night was a Thanksgiving-ish potluck. And since we had nearly 40 people who had rsvp-ed that they were coming, I knew from experience with this group that there would be more than enough food to go around. And since most people had volunteered to bring some sort of side dishes, I decided to just set out a few BotaBoxes for drinks, make a batch of homemade apple cider, assemble some super-easy cranberry baked brie bites as an appetizer to pass out as everyone arrived (recipe coming soon!), and then make one of my all-time favorite autumn classics for dessert.

Because you can never go wrong with a homemade apple crisp. :)

Last week, I actually had a surprise box of apples show up in the mail from Harry & David, which I had to quickly snatch from our mail room before our building manager devoured them all. (I think I win the award for the most temptingly-delicious mail in our building!)  And of course, I immediately knew what I wanted to do with them.

Crisp time!!!

Usually I just throw in a little-of-this and a little-of-that when making fruit crisps. But this time, I decided to do an apple-ish spin on my Easy Blueberry Crisp recipe, since it’s naturally gluten-free and delicious.  It can also naturally be vegan, but I decided to sub in melted butter for coconut oil for a little treat because it was Friendsgiving. ;)

Making the crisp was easy! I just chopped up a bunch of apples with the skin on (which I think is pretty, but you can peel the apples if you’d like). Then tossed them with a bunch of cinnamon and a little lemon juice.

And then whipped up this tasty oatmeal-nut topping, which is sweetened with maple syrup and a hint of extra cinnamon, and made with gluten-free almond meal. (Or you can also sub in any kind of flour if you’re not making it gluten-free.)

Then I baked it up until the top was extra crispy and the apples were extra soft…

…and then we dove in. I mean, just look at that red deliciousness! (<– Hehe, food humor!)

Really, this recipe was everything I love about a good, comforting apple crisp. It was blissfully easy to make (you could even chop the apples and assemble the topping in advance), it was cinnamon-spiced (but not so much so that you couldn’t taste the apples), it was the perfect mix of super-crispy and super-soft, and it was a hit at the party. :)

We went a little indulgent and served it with ice cream and caramel sauce for drizzling. But if you’re going a healthier route, I can assure you that this recipe tastes just as delicious on its own. :)

So a big cheers to easy recipes and easy entertaining, made all the better by my amazing neighbors. It’s easy to be thankful this month for good nights like these. :)

Easy Apple Crisp

4.67 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Makes: 8 -10 servings

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This Easy Apple Crisp recipe is made with simple ingredients, it’s naturally gluten free (and vegan, if desired), and it’s absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

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• 1 cup old-fashioned oats (use certified gluten-free oats if making this recipe GF)
• 1/2 cup almond meal*
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup melted butter (or coconut oil, if making this recipe vegan)
• 4 apples, cored and diced (about 5-6 cups)
• 2 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

• ▢
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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  Add oats, almond meal, nuts, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt to a mixing bowl, and toss until combined.  Add maple syrup and melted butter (or coconut oil), then toss until combined.  Set aside.
• ▢
  In a separate bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and toss until combined.  Spread the apple mixture evenly into a greased 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch pan, then sprinkle the oat mixture evenly on top of the apples.
• ▢
  Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is crisp and golden and the apples are soft and cooked through.  Serve immediately.  (I served mine with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.)
• ▢
  Or let the apple crisp cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Notes

*If you can’t find almond meal at the store, you can pulse almonds in a food processor until fine to make almond meal.  OR, you can substitute in white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour) in place of the almond meal.

Recipe adapted from Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!