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Caramel Apple Crisp

Caramel apple crisp with a buttery oat crumble topping and bubbling caramel-spiced apple filling. Baked until deeply golden, then finished with extra caramel for a glossy, warm dessert.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For caramel apple filling
  • 6 apples large, peeled and sliced
  • 0.333 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.333 cup caramel sauce plus more for serving
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 0.5 tsp sea salt
For oat crumble
  • 1.5 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter cold, cubed
  • 1 vanilla ice cream for serving
  • 1 extra caramel for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prepare and assemble
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Keep the dish ready so the apples bake right after assembly.
  2. Toss the apple slices with granulated sugar, caramel sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, lemon juice, and sea salt, then spread them in the dish. The mixture should look evenly coated.
  3. Combine rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the crumble. Mix until the dry ingredients are uniform.
  4. Cut cold unsalted butter into the crumble mixture until chunky clumps form. You should see uneven oat-butter clusters rather than a fine powder.
  5. Scatter the crumble over the caramel apples so the apples are covered. Aim for an even layer for consistent browning.
Bake and finish
  1. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 375F until the topping is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Watch for active caramel bubbles during the last few minutes.
  2. Drizzle extra caramel sauce over the top during the last 5 minutes of baking. Finish when the caramel looks glossy and lightly set on the crumble.
  3. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and more caramel. The contrast of melting ice cream with the bubbling apples gives the best texture.

Notes

Pro tip: to get thick, scoopable filling, make sure the apple slices are evenly coated with cornstarch and the crumble fully covers the top so it browns without drying out. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days; reheat in a 325F oven until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended due to texture changes in the apples, but you can freeze unbaked assembled crisp and bake from frozen, adding about 10 extra minutes. For a lighter version, use reduced-sugar caramel sauce and reduce the brown sugar in the crumble by 2 tablespoons.