This Caramel Apple Crisp is filled with the warm spices of apple pie and a rich, buttery caramel and is topped off with a thick layer of oat streusel to make this dessert irresistible! Serve it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of caramel sauce!
Apple season is in full swing and one of our favorite ways to showcase flavorful, fall apples in an easy batch of apple crisp!
The ingredients are simple and the process isn’t difficult. Plus, it comes together quickly so you don’t have to wait long to enjoy it!
Based off of our Apple Peanut Butter Crisp, this Caramel Apple Crisp skips the brown sugar and uses a rich, homemade caramel sauce as the sweetener!
Don’t let the homemade caramel sauce scare you away. It’s really quite simple and adds a lot of flavor!
And because all good apple crisp needs a generous layer of streusel, this one is no different.
We didn’t skimp on the thick, buttery streusel! Enough to get a good amount in each bite without overpowering the caramel apple filling.
Serve it while it’s still warm with a scoop of ice cream and an extra drizzle of caramel for a delicious fall dessert!
How To Make Caramel Apple Crisp
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 inch pie plate or an 8×8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
The first step in making this caramel apple crisp is to make the irresistible homemade caramel sauce. Don’t worry, it’s not difficult.
Start by whisking together the brown sugar and heavy cream (you could also use half and half) in a small saucepan until the brown sugar no longer has any clumps. Add in the butter.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. You want the mixture evenly boiling across the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow to boil for 7 minutes. Make sure to stir constantly to avoid scorching.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and carefully whisk in the vanilla extract. Set the caramel aside while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
In large bowl, add your chopped apples. We used SweeTango apples for this recipe, but any firm, flavorful baking apple would work well.
Toss the chopped apples with the cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Set aside while you prepare the topping.
In a medium bowl, stir together the quick oats, brown sugar, and salt until combined. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. I like to leave some bigger chunks, so you get some bigger bites of buttery streusel!
Spread the chopped apples into the bottom of your preferred prepared baking dish.
Drizzle 1/2 Cup of the caramel over the top of the apples.
If your house is on the cooler side, you may find that the caramel has thickened too much to drizzle. You can either return the saucepan to the the stovetop and gently heat over low heat until the caramel has thinned enough to drizzle, or you can transfer the caramel to a microwave-safe container and microwave the caramel at 15 second intervals until the caramel is thin enough to drizzle.
Top with the oat mixture. Place in the oven.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until crisp is golden and the caramel apple filling is bubbling up along the edges.
If you find that the crisp topping is browning too quickly, loosely cover the top with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time.
Remove the crisp from the oven to a wire rack, and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.
Spread the remaining caramel sauce over the top of the apple crisp, and serve (preferably with a big scoop of ice cream!). Or top with ice cream and then drizzle with caramel sauce. Whatever works best for you!
If there are any leftovers, store covered in the refrigerator.
Tips for Success
- You can make the caramel sauce ahead of time. Allow the caramel to cool slightly, and pour into a microwave-safe container. When you are ready to use it, microwave it at 15 second intervals to reach a thin enough consistency to drizzle.
- If it appears that the topping is browning too quickly, loosely cover the apple crisp with a piece of aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time.
- Like salted caramel? Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt into the caramel sauce for a bit of that salty sweet combo.
Love baking with apples? More apple recipes to try!
Caramel Apple Crisp
This Caramel Apple Crisp is filled with the warm spices of apple pie and a rich, buttery caramel and a thick layer of oat streusel tops off this irresistible dessert!
Ingredients
For the Caramel Sauce
- 3/4 Cup brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup heavy cream or half and half
- 5 Tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling
- 5 1/2 Cups chopped apples
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the Topping
- 1 1/2 Cups quick cooking oats
- 1/2 Cups all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
- 1/4 Cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 Cup butter, cold and cut into pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 inch pie plate or an 8x8x inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar and heavy cream. Add in the butter. Bring to a consistent boil over medium heat, making sure to stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, allow to boil until caramel starts to thicken, about 6-8 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat, and carefully stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the chopped apples. Toss the apples with the cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until the apples are coated. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the quick cooking oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Spread apples into the bottom of your prepared pie plate or baking dish. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of the caramel.** Top with the oat mixture.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until top is golden and filling bubbles up along the edges of the baking dish. If the top appears to be getting too brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time.
- Remove the apple crisp from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15-20 minutes before topping with the remainder of the caramel and serving.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
**If your house is on the cooler side, you may find that the caramel has thickened too much to drizzle. You can either return the saucepan to the the stovetop and gently heat over low heat until the caramel has thinned enough to drizzle, or you can transfer the caramel to a microwave-safe container and microwave the caramel at 15 second intervals until the caramel is thin enough to drizzle.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 460Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 561mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 7gSugar: 29gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and may not always be accurate. Nutrition values can vary greatly based on brand used. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.
