Deep Dish Apple Crisp

 

🍎 Deep Dish Apple Crisp

This is the quintessential fall dessert, a harmony of warm spices, sweet-tart apples, and a buttery oat topping that bakes up golden and crisp. Served warm with a melting scoop of vanilla ice cream, it's the ultimate comfort in every bite.

Yields: 8-10 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 45-50 minutes

For the Apple Filling:

• 6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Crisp Topping:

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup packed brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Prep for Baking
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.

2. Create the Spiced Apple Filling
In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples with the granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle with the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Toss everything together until the apple slices are evenly and thoroughly coated. This ensures every bite is perfectly sweet and spiced.

3. Assemble the Base
Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it into a uniform, even layer.

4. Make the Buttery Crumb Topping
In a separate bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter. Using your fingertips, a pastry cutter, or two forks, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse pebbles, with no large lumps of butter remaining.

5. Bake to Perfection
Sprinkle the oat topping evenly over the apple filling, covering it completely. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the topping is a deep golden brown and the filling is bubbly and fragrant.

6. Serve & Enjoy
Let the crisp cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. This allows the juicy filling to set slightly. Serve warm, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Chef's Tip: For the best texture, be sure your butter is cold! This is the secret to achieving a perfectly crisp, crumbly topping that doesn't melt flat in the oven.