Apple Crisp Recipe Without Oatmeal

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Are you wondering if you can make an Apple Crisp Recipe Without Oatmeal? Let me just say, yes you can, and it is absolutely delicious, but it is actually more commonly referred to as an apple crumble. It is a classic fall dessert that needs to be enjoyed even outside the season.

This favorite fall dessert is made with simple ingredients, most of which are pantry staples.

If apples are your thing, let me share a few other recipes from the blog. Apple blueberry pie is a twist on the classic apple pie recipe and a yummy homemade apple pie. Layered Apple Cinnamon Bread is a tasty sweet bread full of fall flavor! Apple Slaw is one of my very favorite side dishes! It is healthy and full of flavor.

Baked apple crumble in a white ceramic pie pan.

Best apples for making apple crisp

With all the hybrid varieties of apples now, the options for apples to use are almost endless! Let me share a few of my favorites to use in baking.

Granny Smith Apples- these are the apples I have been using forever in my baked goods. They are tart apples when they are raw, but have a delicious flavor and texture when they are baked.
Pink lady- These are new apples to me, but they are really good baking apples. If you haven't tried them yet, you need to!
Honeycrisp- This is another more recent addition to my baking arsenal and they are GOOD. In my area, they are more expensive but worth it.
Jonagold- these are also tart apples, but sweeter than Granny Smith apples.

Ingredients

Apples of choice- I used a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp for mine. You can use any combination of the 4 apples I recommended above.
Granulated sugar (white sugar)- You will need this to sweeten the apples. Coconut sugar can also be used. I have also seen people use maple syrup, but it just doesn't taste the same.
Brown sugar- this is used in the crumble topping. I do not recommend anything else for this, brown sugar really is the best.
Flour- I like to use a blend of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. The wheat flour lends itself so well to this easy apple crisp. This is for thickening the apple filling and also for making the crumble on top.
Butter- You can use regular butter or vegan butter. Both will work in this recipe.
Salt- Only a little is needed, but don't leave it out!
Cinnamon- the perfect spice to go with apples and crumbles.
Nutmeg- I almost always use cinnamon and nutmeg together.

How to make

This is an easy recipe, let me walk you through the steps:

Start by peeling and slicing the apples. You can see in the photos how thick I sliced my apples. I recommend this size.

Place the sliced apples in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the granulated sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour this mixture into your prepared baking dish.

Now add the brown sugar, all-purpose flour, wheat flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a medium bowl. Pour the melted butter over this and mix well.

Add the brown sugar mixture over the apple filling and move it to the oven.

Bake until the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown.

Granny Smith apples peeled on a surface.

Sliced apples in a stainless steel bowl.

Apples with flour mixture in a stainless steel bowl.

Unbaked apple crisp without oats in a white ceramic pie pan.

What is the difference between apple crisp, cobbler, and crumble?

Apple crisp- this is usually made with oats in the topping. The crisp topping is a tasty topping for the apple mixture.

Crumble- which is actually what I consider this recipe. The topping is a blend of butter, sugar, and flour. The topping is "crumbled" over the top of the apple filling. This is a crunchy topping just like the one you see in my photos.

Apple Cobbler- is very different from the other 2 as it is topped with a sweet biscuit topping.

How to serve this delicious apple dessert

If you ask my husband, his favorite way is to eat it with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. He is even more specific than the apple dessert needs to be warm and the ice cream slightly softened!

While my husband loves warm apple crisp, I actually love it when it is chilled and I eat it for breakfast!

I know some people love to serve theirs with caramel sauce. For me, that is just too much sugar. But apples and caramel are a match made in heaven, so you decide.

The best way to serve this apple crumble is the way you like it served!

Apple crisp without oats on a white plate.

Top Tips

While tart green apples are delicious in this dessert, I really recommend a blend of apples. It gives the best flavor and texture!
I love using a pretty casserole dish or pie pan for this recipe. It isn't necessary, but I love it for serving.
You can either use butter, vegan butter, or coconut oil. My personal preference of the 3 is regular butter, but again, you have options.
Some recipes you see will call for lemon juice. This is only used when you are concerned about the discoloring of your apples and this is not an issue with apple crumble or crisp.

FAQ apple crisp without oatmeal

What is crumble mix made of?

It is a simple mix made of flour, sugar, and butter. Only 3 ingredients!

Does crumble need baking powder?

It does not, and you can see in my recipe you don't need it. However, you can include 1 teaspoon of baking soda in your brown sugar mixture for a more tender.

Do you use plain or self-rising flour for crumble?

I prefer using plain (all-purpose flour) or whole wheat flour in my crumble.

What happens if you use self-rising flour in a crumble?

It is not a big deal if you use self-rising flour for your crumble mixture. It will rise a little and have a little more of a lift, but the results will be pretty close to the same.

Do you have to peel your apples for apple crumble?

I would highly recommend peeling your apples for apple crumble. While the apple peels soften as they are baked, they add a weird texture I have never liked. I recommend peeling them before using them.