How to Make Oatmeal Apple Crisp

Brown sugar, oats and flour top this simple yet tasty dessert.

A fruit crisp is made by placing a crumb topping on top of a fruit mixture. The topping can be made of flour, nuts or oats, which are usually combined with sugar or butter until crumbly. The fruit crisp was introduced in America by the early settlers; the term "apple crisp" first appeared in the early 20th century. Before this time, recipes of this type were called apple slump or brown betty.

Things You'll Need

• 8-inch square baking dish
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cups apples
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Peel the apples using a fruit and vegetable peeler. Cut the peeled apples into bite-sized pieces and set aside. If they are being prepped ahead of time, sprinkle with a dash of lemon juice to keep them from turning brown too quickly.

2. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray so the dessert will not stick to the bottom of the pan while baking. You can also grease the pan with butter or shortening. Preheat your oven to 350 F.

3. Mix brown sugar, oats, flour and butter with a fork until they resemble course crumbs. You can also use your hands to blend the ingredients until crumbs form.

4. Spread half of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon the apples on top and sprinkle them with sugar and cinnamon. Spread the remaining half of the crumb mixture on top of the apple layer.

5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. It is ready when the oat mixture on top is golden brown and the apple layer is bubbling.

6. Take the crisp out of the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving. Top each portion with your choice of whip cream or vanilla ice cream.

Tips & Warnings

• Use an apple peeler-corer-slicer tool to make the task of cutting the apples easier and faster.

• Apples may be sliced and placed in the dish instead of chopped.

• Substitute your favorite fruit in place of the apples for variety.

References

• Food Timeline: FAQs: Pie & Pastry
• What's Cooking America: History: Cobbler History
• Allrecipes.com: Apple Oatmeal Crisp