Easy Individual Apple Crisp Recipe
This easy apple crisp recipe has all the warm, cozy flavors you want in a fall dessert!
Juicy, vanilla-laced apples sweeten with maple syrup are topped with a thick layer of buttery, cinnamon-scented oat almond topping. Serve warm with a big dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and perhaps a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
It’s a great dessert to make when you are entertaining. Prepare it early in the day, refrigerate, and bake it while you are eating dinner. Bonus: it will make your kitchen smell amazing!
Want more individual dessert recipes? Try my Strawberry Eaton Mess, Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse, or Apple Pie Yogurt Parfait.
IN THIS POST
Mini apple crisp with oats
You know those moments when you’re craving something sweet, but the last thing you want is to have lots of leftovers? That’s where small-batch desserts come in handy.
Apple crisp is my favorite fall treat because it’s so easy to make. You can use any fruit you want, and it only takes a few minutes to prepare. Plus, it makes enough for three people.
Apple crisp ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy recipe:
- Apples – I used Pink Lady, but you can use your favorite ones. You need about 3 or 4 medium apples, peeled and chopped into cubes. Feel free to slice the apples, but chopped pieces tend to work better in ramekins. See below for the best variety to use in this crumble.
- Maple syrup – you need it for both the filling and the topping. Use real maple syrup, not maple-flavored pancake syrup.
- Cinnamon & vanilla extract – use vanilla extract in the apple layer and cinnamon in the topping to kick the taste up a notch.
- Salt – balances out all the sweetness.
- All-purpose flour – bonds the crumbs together.
- Rolled oats – it gives a nutty, chewy texture. Rolled oats are the same as old-fashioned oats.
- Butter – melted butter makes for a crunchier crisp.
- Sliced almonds – for added crunch and flavor.
How to make fruit crisp with oat topping
- Prepare the apple filling – in a medium bowl, toss together peeled, cored, and cubed apples along with maple syrup and vanilla extract. Divide the filling among 3 ramekins.
- Make the crumb topping – in another bowl, toss together old-fashioned oats, flour, salt, sliced almonds, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Next, add the melted butter and stir until the butter is well incorporated.
- Assemble – top the apples with the cinnamon oat topping.
- Bake – bake until the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown.
- Serve – once it’s ready, let it cool for about 5-10 minutes, then serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or with a dollop of homemade whipped cream. It’s also perfectly delicious on its own.
Recipe Variations
Feel free to experiment and have fun customizing the recipe. Here are some suggestions:
- Fruit – the beauty of a crisp is that it works with practically any fruit. Replace the apples with pears, add cranberries, use berries or stone fruits in the summer, and rhubarb in spring.
- Spices – try pumpkin spice or apple pie spice instead of cinnamon.
- Sweetener – substitute the maple syrup with brown sugar, granulated sugar, coconut sugar, or honey.
- Nuts – I used sliced almonds to add some crunchy texture to the topping. You can replace them with chopped pecans, walnuts, or omit the nuts entirely.
- Make it vegan and/or dairy-free – use vegan butter or coconut oil instead of butter.
- Make it gluten-free – swap the flour for a gluten-free flour blend or almond flour. Make sure the oats are gluten-free too.
How to store, make ahead, and freeze
To store – cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Gently rewarm in the oven or microwave. The crumble topping will continue to absorb moisture from the apples as it refrigerates, so it won’t stay crispy. But it will still be delicious!
Make ahead – this is a great dessert to prepare when you are entertaining. Assemble the apple crisps a few hours in advance and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them.
To freeze – cover tightly and freeze for up to three months. You can freeze apple crisp either before or after baking. Allow to thaw first in the fridge before reheating in the oven or microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Look for apples with a firm texture so they don’t turn to mush when baked.
For a sweeter crisp, use Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady.
If you’d like a tarter crisp, Granny Smith apples are the best. You could also use different kinds for even more flavor!
It’s up to you! I find apple crisp has the best texture when it’s made with peeled apples.
If you choose to leave the skins on, be sure to wash the apples thoroughly.
The ingredients are very similar, both desserts include baked fresh fruit. The main difference is in the topping: crisps have oats and crumbles don’t. However, these days the names are used interchangeably.
These apple recipes are a must-try!
- Fall Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Low-Fat Apple Cake
- Roasted Pumpkin Apple Soup
- Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Cider
Easy Individual Apple Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
For the apple filling
- 3 medium apples peeled, cored, and cubed
- 2 tablespoons (40 ml) maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the crumble topping
- ½ cup (45 g) rolled oats
- ¼ cup + ½ tablespoon (35 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (18 g) sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons (40 ml) maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place 3 ramekins on a baking sheet.
Make the fruit filling
- In a medium bowl, toss the cubed apples with maple syrup and vanilla extract. Divide the apple mixture evenly between the ramekins. (You can fill them all the way to the top – they will sink down when baking)
Make the crisp topping
- Place the oats, almonds, cinnamon, flour, salt, and maple syrup in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and mix well to combine.Spoon the crumble topping onto the fruit, making sure it’s even.
Bake and serve
- Bake for 25/30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the apples are soft and easily pierced with a skewer.
- Serve them warm with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
Notes
- Ramekins – I used 8-ounce ramekins for these apple crisps. They are the perfect size for this recipe. If you use 6-ounce ones, I guess you can get 4 portions (and each portion will have fewer calories – 306 calories instead of 409 ). Keep also in mind that if your ramekins are smaller than 8 ounces, the baking time should be reduced. If they are larger, they’ll need additional baking time.
- Apples – for a sweeter crisp, use Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady. If you’d like a tarter crisp, use a tart apple like Granny Smith.
- Make it gluten-free –swap the flour for a gluten-free flour blend or almond flour. Make sure you use gluten-free oats too.
- Make it dairy-free/vegan -substitute the butter with coconut oil.
- Storage – store any leftover covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Gently rewarm in the oven or microwave.
- To freeze – you can freeze apple crisp either before or after baking. Cover tightly and freeze for up to three months.
- Scaling the recipe – to double or triple the recipe, simply click on the number of servings in the recipe card and slide the toggle that appears to the number of servings you want to make. The ingredient amounts will change accordingly.
