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Ina Garten Apple Crisp

Ina Garten apple crisp with a thick, cinnamon-spiced apple filling and a golden oat-and-butter crumble topping. Bakes until the topping forms crunchy pea-sized clumps and the apples bubble at the edges for a cozy dessert.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For apple filling
  • 5 lb Macintosh or Braeburn apples Peeled and thickly sliced.
  • 1 tsp orange zest Grated.
  • 1 tsp lemon zest Grated.
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
For the generous crumble topping
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.75 cup light brown sugar Packed.
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 0.5 lb cold unsalted butter Diced and cold (2 sticks).

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and position a rack in the center so the crisp bakes evenly.
Make the apple filling
  1. Toss the apples with both citrus zests, both juices, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then spread them in a 14x9x2 inch baking dish.
Make the oat-and-butter crumble
  1. Combine all-purpose flour, both sugars, kosher salt, and old-fashioned oats, then add cold diced butter and work with your fingers until pea-sized clumps form.
Assemble and bake
  1. Scatter the crumble topping over the apples, covering every inch generously.
  2. Bake 55-60 minutes at 350F until the top is golden brown and the apples are tender and bubbling.
Serve
  1. Let the apple crisp cool briefly, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

Pro tip: Use very cold diced butter and stop mixing once you see pea-sized clumps—this keeps the topping from turning sandy. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat in a 350F oven for 10–15 minutes to re-crisp. Freezing is yes for baked leftovers (cool completely, wrap tightly, freeze up to 2 months) and reheat from frozen. For a lighter swap, use half the butter by weight with an equal amount of cold coconut oil or a plant-based butter substitute (choose one that browns well).