Let’s be real here for a minute.
Apple Crisp is good stuff. It’s easy to make. It screams Fall. You only need a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes of hands on time.
The problem? Everyone knows this.
Everyone looks at your apple crisp and they think, hmm, she’s a slacker. She made a crisp instead of a pie. She took the easy route.
Basically, what I’m saying is, everyone is a jerk. A stupid jerk that thinks apple crisps are inferior to stupid apple pies.
So, I like to play a little trick on those stupid jerks. I like to bake my apple crisp in a cast iron skillet.
No, I have no idea why this instantly transforms the humble apple crisp into something fancier and unforgettable. I don’t care about the why. I just care about the fact that it works.
I used my big mama 12 inch cast iron skillet for this, but a 9 or 10 inch would have been better. Honestly, though, it’s about impossible to mess this recipe up. Adjust and tinker with it as needed. Maybe add some ice cream on top? Drizzle with some caramel sauce? Or just be like me and call this simple recipe perfection.
Apple Crisp {Baked in a Cast Iron Skillet}
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 6 apples (I used a mix of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Dash of salt
For the topping:
- 1 cup oats
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 5 tablespoons cold butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- Dash of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Wash, peel, and thinly slice the apples.
- Place a 9-12 inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. (The size doesn't really matter, but your filling will be thicker or thinner depending on size, and bake time will need adjusted accordingly.) Add the butter to the pan and melt. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
- Add the apples to the pan and stir to coat. Cook over medium heat until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat.
- Add all of the topping ingredients to a medium sized bowl and work them together with a pastry cutter. Alternately, add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and process them for 30-60 seconds.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, depending on the size of your pan, or until the apples are tender and cooked through.
safe playground says
Love watching sunset !
Paul Hughes says
I bought my cast iron skillet at the Flemarket about 5yrs ago.i love it.
Paul Hughes says
I agree with you about the cast iron skillet. I don’t know why but the taste is alltoghter different when you use a cast iron. I’ve baked apple cobbler in a glass dish and it didn’t taste as good.
Kerin A. Donnino says
Hi Karly,
I was wondering if this could be made without the oats?
Thank you!
Kerin
Cherie says
Love my cast iron skilletskillet, have several in all different sizes. The more you use them the easier they are to clean. If something sticks in mine I clean with a little kosher salt and a little oil and wipe out very easy. Will be making this recipe tomorro
sounds wonderful.
Donna says
I am making this today for an event I have tonight, I want to bring it warm. OMG! Sounds so yummy. I am using a 12 inch skillet…how long do you think it should bake? I think I will double the topping…lots of crumble…right??
Christy says
I have this in the oven as I type this, and oh my, it smells good! My husband and I picked a truck load of apples recently and i have been making apple butter, and pies, and cobblers and applesauce….and now I have this great Apple Crisp in a skillet baking away in the oven….I love the idea of using a cast iron skillet! Can’t wait to spoon it out and put some ice cream on it tonight. Hubby is going to love this. (By the way, I just found your recipes and I signed up for the newsletter)
Liz says
Thank you so much for the wonderful apple crisp recipe. It’s simple and perfect and I loved using my cast iron. I made it for breakfast this morning and the family loved it.
Ashley @PeaceLoveYumminess says
I am always looking for new recipes using my skillet. LOVE THIS! Pinning it now!