This is the best tasting freezable apple crisp you’ll ever eat! So easy to make, this simple dessert captures all the amazing flavors of fall in one delicious dish. Plus, we use double the crisp topping (which is the best part of apple crisp anyways, am I right?)
It’s time you knew the truth. I actually created this recipe because I wanted extra crisp on my apple crisp.
I had found myself several times scooping my own portion of apple crisp out, then taking some extra crisp out of the pan, possibly leaving someone with only apples when no one was looking.
But you all are with me … right? The crisp is the best part‼‼
I mean, apple crisp topping is life. It’s gotta be sweet, buttery and baked until perfectly golden brown. And there needs to be a LOT of it.
If I get a bite of apples without the crisp… party’s over, ya know what I’m sayin’?
I mean, don’t get me wrong, the apples are great too. I’ve gotta have the tartness of the fruit to balance out the sweetness of the crisp for sure (along with the creaminess of melting vanilla ice-cream over the hot apple crisp….drooool).
But the crisp is the real star of the show here.
CAN YOU FREEZE APPLE CRISP?
Making ahead and freezing apple crisp is as easy as simply adding your apples to your baking pan, covering them with your apple crisp topping, covering with several layers of plastic wrap and covering with a piece of aluminum foil before placing into the freezer. For best results bake from frozen within 6-9 months.
How to reheat apple crisp? Well, I prefer to bake it from frozen. Simply place your frozen apple crisp into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes with foil on it. Then, remove the foil and let it cook until crumb topping is golden brown and apples are bubbling underneath. This can take another 25-45 minutes depending on how cold your freezer temperature is.
Some other great apple recipes to freeze include these freezable make ahead campfire foil-pack apple crisp pouches as well as you could freeze ahead apples for smoothies.
WHAT ARE THE BEST APPLES FOR APPLE CRISP?
The secret to making perfect apple crisp is to use great quality fresh apples that stay firm after baking and have a great balance of flavor like Golden Delicious, Cosmic Crisp or Braeburn. You can also go with a tart variety if you prefer like Granny Smith, Jonathan, Fuji Crimson Crisp apple or SweeTango.
Any apple you choose will make delicious apple crisp, however, choosing apples that retain their firmness after baking provide the best results for texture. Avoid Red Delicious and Gala as they break down and turn a little mushy after baking.
APPLES PEELED OR NOT PEELED?
It’s totally up to you! I’ve made this recipe with and without peeling the apples, and both ways are delicious. My kids prefer it without skins so I usually peel them most of the time.
INGREDIENTS – WHAT YOU NEED.
This easy apple crisp recipe is made with basic ingredients; flour, (no, you can’t use wheat flour! Don’t make me come over there….), brown sugar, butter, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and apples (any kind will do, see my favorites below). See the photo below that shows all the ingredients you need!
HOW TO MAKE APPLE CRISP – STEP BY STEP
- First mix the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl.
- Then pour in the melted butter and stir until it comes together and starts crumbling into smaller pieces.
- Slice apples (I like using my trusty apple-peeler-corer-slicer machine) but a knife will work too. You can keep the peels on if you don’t mind them, but my kids prefer no peels so that’s what method I use most of the time.
4. Lightly grease your 8×8 pan using cooking spray or butter. Pour apples into the pan.
5. Sprinkle topping evenly over the top of the apples. Then place into the oven uncovered and bake away!
WATCH MY VIDEO ON HOW TO MAKE FREEZER APPLE CRISP
DOES APPLE CRISP NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED AFTER BAKING?
You can leave apple crisp out for up to 2 days without refrigeration after baking. After two days cooked apples and oats can grow bacteria and become unsafe after that. If you plan to keep your apple crisp longer than 2 days, simply cover it with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge. Apple crisp will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
PRO TIPS/ RECIPE NOTES
- Stick with golden delicious, Cosmic Crisp or Braeburn for the best flavored and textured apple crisp.
- If you plan on making a lot of apple crisp at once, you’ll want to keep your apples from browning when slicing. The best method I’ve found is to make a solution of salt water (1/2 tsp salt to every cup of water). I tend to mix 8 cups cold water with 4 tsp salt. Let them sit while you slice your apples and when you’re ready to compile the crisps, simply drain and add to your pans.
- Slice your apples nice and thin so they get really tender when baking, if they are too thickly sliced they might end up not getting fully cooked & tender after baking.
- Grease the pan using the outside of the butter wrapper.
- Serve this homemade apple crisp freshly baked and warm. It will be okay to reheat in the microwave for a couple of days, but the topping will start to get softer so it’s best to enjoy it fresh.
- If you’d like to make this vegan simply sub the butter for a vegan butter.
- We like to serve this with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and/or homemade caramel sauce.
- How to store baked apple crisp? Let it cool down, cover it with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. To reheat, simply scoop some on a plate and microwave it until warmed through again.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO WITH APPLES?
- Dip them into 3-Ingredient Easy Apple Dip.
- Make this Vintage Apple Brown Betty recipe.
- Make a batch of Homemade Caramel Sauce and Gift it with an Apple.
- Dip them this fall and enjoy Caramel Apples.
- Make Canned Applesauce.
If you make a batch of this apple crisp, I would love to see it! Snap a picture of it and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver!
Here is the printable recipe:
Old Fashioned Freezable Apple Crisp
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup butter melted
- 3 cups Golden Delicious, GrannySmith or other apples thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg together until well combined.
- Pour in the melted butter and stir using a spoon (or your hands) until it comes together and starts crumbling into smaller pieces. Set aside.
- Thinly slice your apples (I like using my trusty apple-peeler-corer-slicer device, but a knife will work too). You can keep the peels on or remove them, either way works.
- Lightly grease your 8×8 pan using cooking spray or butter.
- Place apples in pan then sprinkle toppings over apples. It will seem like there is too much crumb topping as it can heap over the top, however it will bake down and be just perfect.
Make It Now
- Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes, or until crisp topping is golden brown and you can see or hear the cooked apples bubbling inside. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes then serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and optionally some salted caramel sauce.
Freeze It
- After adding the apple crisp topping over apples, cover with several layers of plastic wrap. Then cover with foil. Write the cooking directions on the foil and freeze.
To Cook From Frozen
- Simply remove frozen apple crisp from freezer, remove plastic wrap and foil, replace foil.
- Bake covered in 350°F oven for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for remaining time of 40-55 minutes or until crisp topping is golden brown and you can see or hear the cooked apples bubbling inside. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes then serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and optionally some salted caramel sauce.
Notes
- Slice your apples nice and thin so they get really tender when baking, if they are too thickly sliced they might end up not getting fully cooked & tender after baking.
- Feel free to add in a 2 teaspoons of sugar and a 1/4 tsp cinnamon to the apples if you like. It’s not necessary but some people prefer the apples with a little more sugar & spice.
- My favorite apples to use for this recipe are Golden Delicious, Cosmic Crisp or Braeburn. You can also go with a tart variety if you prefer like Granny Smith, Jonathan, Fuji Crimson Crisp apple or SweeTango.
- A pound of apples is about 3 cups of sliced apples depending on their size. So for this recipe I would use about one pound of apples.
- I love to add a big scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream to my apple crisp. You could add salted caramel sauce and cool whip too. You could also sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top.
Nutrition
Loved this recipe?
Make sure to follow on Instagram @happymoneysaver and on Pinterest @happymoneysaver for more money savin’ recipes!
This recipe was first posted July 2015, but was recently updated with new photos and better detailed instructions & tips on October 31, 2020.
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
Bonnie says
Very delicious, best apple crisp I have ever had.
Rachel says
Overall this was good, but mine turned out oily. I used 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter as stated in the recipe, but I’m wondering if that is an error and it should say 1 stick of butter instead of 1 cup?
Frances Summerville says
Could this be made with other fruit? I have a lot of blueberries.
Karrie says
Absolutetly! I’ve used pears, peaches, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries!
Patti says
This was yummy! It was also quick and easy to make! Thank you!
Hope Vermeer says
Can you refreeze apple crisp?
Hope Vermeer says
I’m wondering if it’s possible to refreeze apple crisp. I froze it once and took it out for a gathering but never ate it and wondering if it could be refrozen again?
Karrie says
Hi, you can refreeze it again, yes. It will be good to eat still, however the first time you bake it will be the best possible flavor and freshest tasting version.
Darlene says
I want to try this recipe and freeze in smaller pans for 2.
Do you think the baking time will still be the same?
Karrie says
It will be close to the same time, yes. But keep an eye on it still!
Adrienne says
How long can I leave this in the fridge before baking? I’m making this for Thanksgiving and I’d like to make it a day or so ahead.
Karrie says
Hi! If you want to keep it in the fridge, after you slice the apples I’d recommend soaking them with some water and fruit fresh to keep them from browning. But I’d say you can keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Jean Feasel says
Can I use quick oats for this recipe?
Mary Stacey says
The picture with instructions says to thaw, but you replied to someone to cook frozen. If frozen is 30 minutes enough.
Karrie says
If you want to go from freezer to oven directly, cover in foil, then place in oven and bake for 20 minutes with foil on it. Then remove foil and let it cook until crumb topping is golden brown and apples are bubbling underneath. This can take another 25-45 minutes depending on how cold/your freezer temperature is. So no, 30 minutes won’t be long enough from frozen.
Linda says
Made this tonight. It seemed like way too much topping (particularly the sugar) and not enough ripples. I think when I make it next time I will use 4 cups of apples and half the topping.
Melissa says
Question!!!! One person asked if you thaw first or just bake it? You said just bake it but yet the finished photo with tinfoil over top with baking instructions says thaw and then bake?
Karrie says
Hi, you can do either, if you thaw it first it will cook faster. But if you want to go from freezer to oven here’s what you do:
Place frozen apple crisp in oven and bake for 20 minutes with foil on it. Then remove foil and let it cook until crumb topping is golden brown and apples are bubbling underneath. This can take another 25-45 minutes depending on how cold/freezer temperature is.
Kathleen C. Gaylord says
do you thaw before baking
Karrie says
No, I don’t thaw before baking.
Bunny says
When you Freeze this do you freeze it with the topping on it, or have to put the topping on right before you take it out of the freezer to bake?
Karrie says
Freeze with the topping on it. 🙂
Kristin says
How long is this good for in the freezer
Karrie says
I’d say best used up in 4-5 months, but it never will go bad, just start having greater risk of freezer burn or taste changes.
Cathy says
Do you thaw this overnight in the fridge before cooking or just bake frozen?
Karrie says
You can do either! If you want to go from freezer to oven directly, cover in foil, then place in oven and bake for 20 minutes with foil on it. Then remove foil and let it cook until crumb topping is golden brown and apples are bubbling underneath. This can take another 25-45 minutes depending on how cold/freezer temperature is.
joanna says
my husband loved this so much that when i suggested he bring one of the two i made to share with co-workers, he refused. he is generally all about sharing! this year, i made four so we can share.
Donna says
I ran out of old fashioned oats will quick oats work just as well?
Karrie says
You can use quick oats but I’m not sure exactly how much you’d need to substitute for them. Feel free to try and let me know how it goes.
Jennifer says
Is the flour all purpose or self rising?
Karrie says
all purpose.
Monica says
I followed the recipe measurements but somehow got 2 8×8 disposable pans worth. Anyone else have this experience? Still delicious though and a recipe I’ll use again!
Donna porter says
I wasn’t sure where to post this.. so I thought I’d try here. If I don’t have foil containers for freezer would Tupperware work for the apple crisp? Many thanks.
Karrie says
It would to freeze, but not obviously to go from freezer to oven. 🙂
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep in the freezer long?
Suzanne says
This looks so good! This would be nice to have in the freezer in case company comes over!
Linda Miller-Hunhoff says
Used a healthy 4 cups of apples and doubled the topping ingredients. Used a pan larger than 9 x 13. Turned out beautifully. Especially loved the thicker topping. Will use often!!