Easy Apple Crisp with Oats and Ceylon Cinnamon

This apple crisp bakes in one 9-inch square dish at 375°F (190°C) for 45 to 55 minutes: about 3 pounds of apples (7 medium), sliced, under a crunchy brown-sugar oat topping. It uses 1 tablespoon of Ceylon cinnamon split between the fruit and the topping, which is more than most recipes call for, because Ceylon is milder than cassia. If your cinnamon is cassia, use half.

Why Ceylon cinnamon works in apple crisp

King Arthur Baking describes Ceylon cinnamon as mild and delicate, and quotes food scientist Harold McGee calling it subtler and more complex than cassia, with floral and clove notes, where cassia reads as bitter and somewhat harsh¹. A peer-reviewed study of Ceylon cinnamon labelling also notes that cassia has a much stronger pungency². Apples, butter and brown sugar carry most of the flavor in a crisp, and a milder, floral cinnamon suits them well.

Widely published apple crisp recipes call for between 1/2 teaspoon and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon in total³⁴⁵. This recipe uses 1 tablespoon across the whole dish, which is our own guidance. If you are using supermarket cinnamon that does not say Ceylon or Cinnamomum verum on the label, start with 1 1/2 teaspoons in total. Our explainer on what true Ceylon cinnamon is covers how the species differ.

Ingredients

Apple filling

• 3 pounds (1.35 kg) firm baking apples, about 7 medium
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup (70 g) packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (16 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Ceylon cinnamon powder
• Pinch of fine salt

Oat topping

• 3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (65 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2/3 cup (140 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Ceylon cinnamon powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup (55 g) chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

To serve

• Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, and a pinch of Ceylon cinnamon, optional

Method

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the middle. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish and set it on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment.
2. Peel and core the apples, then slice them about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Toss the slices with the lemon juice in a large bowl as you go so they do not brown.
3. Mix the filling brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt, sprinkle it over the apples and toss until no dry streaks remain. Spread the apples evenly in the dish.
4. For the topping, whisk the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mix looks like damp sand with some pea-size lumps, then stir in the nuts if using.
5. Scatter the topping over the apples right to the edges, without pressing it down.
6. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is deep golden, thick juices bubble at the edges and a knife slides into the center apples with little resistance. If the top browns before the apples are tender, lay foil loosely over it for the last 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Cool for at least 20 minutes so the juices thicken. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon on top.

Which apples to use

Pick firm apples that hold their shape. Food Network lists Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp as widely available baking apples and says Jonagold keeps its shape well. It warns that Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious tend to turn watery and mushy in the oven, and that McIntosh does not hold its shape⁶. Mixing a tart apple with a sweeter one, such as Granny Smith with Jonagold, balances the filling, and an all-Granny Smith filling may need a little more sugar⁶.

If something goes wrong

• Soupy filling: the apples were soft or juicy varieties, or the crisp was cut while hot. King Arthur notes that a crisp served hot can be quite soft and firms up as it cools⁵.
• Pale, sandy topping: the butter was too warm when you mixed it, or the crisp came out early. Keep the butter cold and bake until the top is deep golden.
• Apples still firm when the top is done: tent with foil and keep baking, checking every 5 minutes. Next time slice thinner.

Substitutions

• Cassia cinnamon: use 3/4 teaspoon in each layer instead of 1 1/2 teaspoons. It will taste hotter and sharper.
• Salted butter: leave out the salt in the topping.
• Gluten-free: use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and oats labelled gluten-free.
• No nuts: leave them out; nothing else changes.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate leftovers, covered, within 2 hours of baking. USDA guidance for cooked leftovers is to refrigerate them within that window and use them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months for best quality⁷. To reheat, uncover and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until hot all the way through; USDA's general rule for reheated leftovers is 165°F (74°C)⁷. The oven keeps the topping crisp; a microwave softens it.

FAQ

Can I use regular cinnamon instead of Ceylon?

Yes. Use about half as much, 1 1/2 teaspoons in total, because cassia is stronger and hotter.

What is the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble?

The names overlap in US kitchens. A crisp topping usually includes oats, while a crumble topping often does not.

Can I make apple crisp ahead?

Yes. Bake it, cool it and refrigerate it within 2 hours, then reheat it uncovered in the oven so the topping crisps again.

Do I have to peel the apples?

No. Peeling gives a smoother filling; if you leave the skins on, expect a little chew from them.