Cast Iron Apple Crisp

This quick Cast Iron Apple Crisp is baked until golden brown and then topped with ice cream! Easier than a pie, this apple crisp skillet will become an easy fall or Thanksgiving staple dessert!

Jump to:

• Key Ingredients
• How to make a Cast Iron Apple Crisp
• Serving suggestions
• Make ahead tips
• 📖 Recipe

Key Ingredients

• Apples: you can use your favorite apple varietal, but I love the tart taste of granny smith apples for this recipe! It is also totally up to you if you want to peel the apples-- I personally prefer them peeled. I also like to roughly chop them, but thick slices also work.
• Lemon juice: The lemon juice will help add tartness and also keep the apples fresh.
• Cinnamon: just a hint of cinnamon makes this dessert perfect for fall!
• Brown Sugar: The molasses flavor of brown sugar pairs perfectly with this crisp. I only use brown sugar in this recipe, no white sugar. Light or dark brown sugar will both work-- use whatever you have on hand!
• Flour: The flour will help create the crumbly top and will also help thicken the apple filling. You can opt for 1:1 gluten-free flour, if you'd like!
• Oats: I use old-fashioned rolled oats. The oats make the topping perfectly crisp!
• Butter: I like using melted butter rather than dealing with the hassle of cutting cold butter into the topping.

How to make a Cast Iron Apple Crisp

1. Prepare the apples to your liking-- peeled vs. unpeeled and chopped vs. sliced.
2. Toss the apples with the lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Pour the apples into the skillet or baking dish.

3. In the same bowl (no need to dirty another dish!), combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and salt. Mix until all the ingredients are combined and clusters form. Pour the crisp topping evenly over the apples.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is just turning golden and the apples are hot.

5. Serve hot by scooping the crisp into bowls and topping with vanilla ice cream, if desired!

Serving suggestions

I love serving this crisp directly from the cast iron pan! It makes for a beautiful presentation.

This crisp fits perfectly in a 10.25 inch cast iron skillet (I have this one from Le Creuset!). While I love making this recipe in a cast iron skillet, you can bake this in a casserole dish instead! It should fit well in a 9x9 baking dish.

Double-check your cast-iron skillet, but most cast irons are safe up to 500 degrees. Because of this, you can pop this crisp on the grill! Cook it on indirect heat with the lid closed until the top is crispy and the apples are hot.

There are few things better than a warm baked dessert and ice cream! I love serving this crisp scooped into bowls with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Homemade whipped cream would also be delicious.

This would be the perfect way to end any cozy fall meal such as my Turkey and Vegetable Chili or my Roasted Chicken.

Make ahead tips

• This apple crisp can be made up to the day before and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
• Leftovers can be reheated in an oven-safe dish at 375 degrees until warm.
• To can also freeze this crisp! Before baking the crisp, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then tightly with foil. When ready to enjoy, either defrost in the fridge overnight or bake straight from frozen. If baking straight from frozen, bake it covered in foil (remove the plastic wrap first!), then remove the foil and bake it for another 20-25 minutes, or until golden and fully cooked. I'm planning on making this crisp weeks before Thanksgiving, freezing it, and enjoying it on Thanksgiving Day-- it is one less thing to cook that week!

If you give this cast iron apple crisp recipe a try, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!

📖 Recipe