This Caramel Apple Crisp with oatmeal topping is the most amazing fall dessert. It’s made with fresh apples and caramel sauce and has a crunchy and chewy oat crumble topping.

If your love for caramel apples runs deep like me, here’s a guide to the Best Caramel Apples. And if you’re looking for more crisp recipes, be sure to try our Berry Crisp, Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, and Blackberry Crisp with Oat Topping.

Caramel Apple Crisp with Oat Topping

Caramel Apple Crisp With Oatmeal Topping

This caramel apple crisp reminds me of the Betty Crocker apple crisp that I grew up making.  It was one of the recipes I used often when I was learning how to bake. This apple caramel dessert is a little different than that one. Most of the sweetness comes from caramel apple sauce but the idea is the same—warm apples in a gooey caramel sauce with an oat crumble topping. 

Apple crisp with oatmeal topping in a large round baking dish ready to bake.

The oat and caramel crunch topping is crumbly, sweet, and has a fantastic texture. It’s the perfect combo to tart and sweet apples. I highly recommend serving with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.  Seriously, drool-worthy!

A hand pouring a jar of caramel sauce of diced apples.

If caramel’s your thing, these Caramel Peanut Butter Cookies bars, Homemade Caramel, and Easy Caramel Popcorn are incredible too! Everyone loves them and they’re so easy to make. 

Caramel Apple Crisp Video Tutorial

 

Key Ingredients

  • Apples- You can use any crisp apple variety. Gala, Honey crisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Fuji are all great apple options.  A fun way to get some variance in your apples is to use a variety of apples.  You can use really crisp, fresh apples or even apples that are getting a little old and just need to be used up.
  • Lemon Juice- This will add a little tartness to your apple crisp and keep the apples from turning brown while preparing the apple crisp topping.
  • Flour: A little flour on the fresh apples will keep the apple crisp from being too runny.
  • Cinnamon- adds the perfect amount of warm fall flavors.
  • Caramel Sauce- I used a Smucker’s brand caramel apple sauce.  You can use just about any flavor you have.  However, I wouldn’t use something as runny as the Hershey’s in the apple crisp with caramel sauce. It’s just too runny and will make your crisp watery. You’ll be happier with a thick caramel sauce. You can also make your own caramel sauce. It’s pretty easy and is perfect as an ice cream topping too. And if you’re have some caramel candy on hand, you can also melt caramels too.

Oatmeal Crumble

  • Oats- Use regular rolled oats.  This gives it a hearty structure and helps give the apple crisp the chewy, crumbly texture we all love.
  • Flour- Regular, all-purpose flour works great.  This will help bind everything together.
  • Brown Sugar- Use light or dark brown sugar.  Either works great.
  • Cinnamon- This gives it that rich, warm flavor that is the perfect combination with warm apples
  • Nutmeg- Another great flavor addition in this apple crisp recipe.
Apples covered in caramel sauce for making this apple crisp with oats.

How to Make Apple Crisp with Oats

  1. Prep the apples. Peel and slice the apples into 1/2″ chunks.
  2. Mix together the filling. In a bowl, combine the apples and lemon juice and stir to coat the apples. Sprinkle the flour and cinnamon on the apples and toss until the apples are well coated.
  3. Transfer to a pie plate. Place the apple mixture into a 9″ pie plate. Drizzle about a 1/2 cup of the caramel topping over the apple mixture.
  4. Make the oat crumble. In a large bowl, mix the softened butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Add in the oats and mix until well combined. You can use your hands to mix this – you want the mixture well combined and in small 1/2″ crumbles.
  5. Add the topping. Using your fingers, sprinkle the oat topping over the apple mixture.
  6. Bake. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden.
  7. Finish. Remove from the oven to cool slightly before drizzling a little more caramel on top to garnish. Enjoy!
ingredients for oat topping for apple crisp in a mixing bowl.

Recipe Variations

Enjoy the combination of sweet caramel, tender apples, and a buttery crumble in in a variety of different ways with these easy variations.

  • For a salted caramel apple crisp, sprinkle a generous amount of flaky sea salt into the caramel sauce before drizzling it over the apples.
  • Try adding chopped pecans to the crumble topping for a little extra crunch and nutty flavor.
  • Replace the caramel with a rich and flavorful maple syrup. The distinct taste of maple adds a delightful depth to the dessert while keeping it naturally sweet.
  • For a unique presentation, create individual apple crisp parfaits by layering caramelized apples with crumbled topping and whipped cream in tall glasses.
  • Create a vegan-friendly version by substituting butter with coconut oil and using a dairy-free caramel sauce. Serve this plant-based dessert with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I bake this apple crisp?

If you bake your caramelized apple crisp in a preheated oven at 400 degrees, it should take between 35-45 minutes for the topping to become golden brown and the apple mixture to be bubbly. If you make individual portions in small ramekins, the bake time will be a little shorter.

What’s the difference between a cobbler and a crisp?

Both cobblers and crisps involve baked fruit filling – the difference is in the topping. Crisps usually have an oat crumble topping while cobblers have a topping that more resembles sweet biscuits. 

Can you make an apple crisp without oats?

You can make an apple crisp without oats by replacing the oats with an equal amount of almond flour.

How to keep apple crisp from getting soggy?

The added flour to the fresh apples will keep it from having a lot of apple juice and in turn, keep it from being soggy. 

Also, different apple varieties cook a little differently.  If your apples are baked and soft but your topping isn’t as crisp as you’d like it, just broil the top of the crisp on low for a couple of minutes.  Be careful though.  There’s a lot of sugar in this dessert and it could really burn easily.

warm apple crisp with vanilla ice cream on top.

Storing and Reheating

  • Room Temperature: cover any leftover Apple Crisp with aluminum foil and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • Refrigerator: you can also cover and refrigerate your crisp for up to 5 days.
  • To reheat: you can microwave a small portion or reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
  • Freezing: if you want to freeze, I recommend freezing the oat topping and apple mixture separately in airtight containers for up to 2 months. When you want to bake your crisp, pull from the freezer and transfer to a baking dish before baking as directed.
Caramel Apple Crisp with Oat Topping recipe
5 from 4 votes

Caramel Apple Crisp Recipe

Author The Carefree Kitchen
This caramel apple crisp with oat topping is the most amazing fall dessert. It’s made with fresh apples and caramel sauce and has a crunchy and chewy oat crumble topping. It's best served with a dollop of fresh whipping cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Yields10 people

Ingredients

Caramel Apple Mixture

  • 6 granny smith apples, cut into 1/2" pieces
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup caramel sauce,

Oat Topping

  • 8 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • In a bowl, combine the diced apples and lemon juice and stir to coat the apples. Sprinkle the flour and cinnamon on the apples and toss until the apples are well coated, then place the mixture into a 9" pie plate.
  • Drizzle about a 1/2 cup of the caramel topping over the apple mixture and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the softened butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and oats. Mix, using your hands or a spatula, until well combined and it has formed approximately 1/2" crumbles. Sprinkle the oat topping over the apple mixture.
  • Bake in your preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden.
  • Remove from the oven and cool slightly before drizzling a little more caramel on top to garnish. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Storing leftovers: cover any leftover apple crisp with aluminum foil and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, store the oat topping and the apple mixture separately in airtight containers for up to 2 months in the freezer. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight and then bake as directed.
Reheating: to reheat, either microwave a small portion or reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes,

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 241mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 349IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
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This Caramel Apple Crisp With Oat Topping is the most amazing caramel apple crisp recipe.  It’s made with fresh apples and caramel sauce and has a crunchy and chewy oat crumble topping. 

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Welcome! I'm so glad you're here!! My name is Jill Baird at The Carefree Kitchen. I love food, nearly all food, and love to celebrate every day with food and the people I love! I love being creative in the kitchen and discovering new ways to switch up old favorites and coming up with new favorites. My hope is that you will find recipes you love on my site and maybe even find some inspiration to create something new! Have fun in the kitchen!

5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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