Apples tossed with brown sugar and cinnamon are drizzled with homemade caramel sauce and finished with a crunchy oat crumb topping for a cozy Caramel Apple Crisp. This caramel twist on a classic fall favorite is sure to get seconds.
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Here in Ohio the mornings have that cool, crisp edge that makes me reach for fall candles and pull out the seasonal decor. I know the calendar still lists summer, but I’m ready for everything pumpkin, apple and cozy.
Apples and Caramel: Fall’s Favorite Combo
One of my top picks for autumn treats is the combination of tart apples and buttery caramel. When farm stands and grocery displays start offering caramel apples, I know the season has truly begun.
Over the years I’ve enjoyed apple-and-caramel pairings in many forms — from caramel apple poke cake to caramel apple cinnamon rolls and caramel apple blondies. When I recently set out to make my favorite apple crisp, it made sense to add caramel for extra depth and sweetness.
How to Make Caramel Apple Crisp
To give the filling a richer, caramel-like flavor, I swap part of the granulated sugar for brown sugar. The molasses in brown sugar deepens the taste and complements the apples beautifully. I also drizzle the fruit with salted caramel sauce before adding the oat topping for an extra layer of flavor.
You can use store-bought caramel, but homemade salted caramel lifts this dessert to another level. Once you learn to make caramel sauce at home, it’s easy to keep a batch on hand for ice cream, dipping apples, or drizzling over crisps.
For the crisp topping I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats. I like knowing the ingredients in my desserts are high quality — whole-grain, all-natural and non-GMO — and these oats give the topping great texture and nutty flavor.
My family devoured this Caramel Apple Crisp, and I loved hearing requests for seconds. When a dessert disappears that quickly, you know it’s a winner.
Desserts like this feel indulgent, but using quality ingredients — like homemade caramel and good rolled oats — makes them feel worth it. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of caramel for an easy fall crowd-pleaser.
Whip up this Caramel Apple Crisp for family dinners, potlucks or holiday gatherings — it will vanish fast.
Caramel Apple Crisp
Equipment
- Mixing bowl set
- 9 x 13-inch baking pan
Ingredients
For the Apple Filling
- 10 cups peeled, cored and sliced Granny Smith apples (about 6–8 large apples)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the Caramel
- 1 batch homemade caramel sauce, room temperature (divided use)
For the Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
- Prepare the apple filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and 1½ teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples and toss to coat.
- Drizzle ⅓ cup of the homemade caramel sauce over the apples.
- Prepare the topping: In a large bowl combine 1 cup flour, ¾ cup light brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the rolled oats. Stir in the melted butter until evenly incorporated. Crumble the topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling.
- Serve warm with an extra drizzle of caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
Calories: 396 kcal; Carbohydrates: 69 g; Protein: 3 g; Fat: 14 g; Sugar: 52 g. Nutrition information is an estimate and should be used as a guide.