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Caramel Apple Crisp

Caramel apple crisp with a buttery oat crumble topping baked until deeply golden and bubbling. Apple slices are tossed in caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch for a thick, glossy filling.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For caramel apple filling:
  • 6 apples Peeled and sliced.
  • 0.3333333333 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.3333333333 cup caramel sauce Plus more for serving.
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 0.5 tsp sea salt
For oat crumble:
  • 1.5 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar Packed.
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter Cold, cubed.
  • 1 vanilla ice cream For serving.
  • 1 extra caramel For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Preheat and prep the dish
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Set the dish aside for the fruit and crumble to go in next (visual cue: lightly coated surface).
Make the caramel apple filling
  1. Toss the apple slices with granulated sugar, caramel sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, lemon juice, and sea salt, then spread them evenly in the prepared dish. Make sure the apples look glossy and evenly coated (visual cue: caramel-speckled juices settling around the slices).
Make the oat crumble
  1. Combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, then cut in the cold cubed butter until chunky clumps form. Keep mixing until you see wet sand-like clumps rather than smooth dough (visual cue: irregular crumb clusters).
Assemble and bake
  1. Scatter the crumble over the caramel apples so the top is evenly covered. Leave small gaps for bubbling filling to show through (visual cue: golden dry crumb layer on top).
  2. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 375F until deeply golden and bubbling around the edges. If needed, rotate once for even browning (visual cue: thick caramel bubbling and crisping crumbs).
Finish with extra caramel and serve
  1. Drizzle extra caramel sauce over the top during the last 5 minutes of baking. Watch for it to melt and gloss over the crumble (visual cue: shiny caramel sheen on the surface).
  2. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and more caramel. The filling should look thick and glossy where it bubbles (visual cue: caramel puddles at the edges with a cool scoop of ice cream beside).

Notes

For best texture, let the crisp rest 10 minutes after baking so the caramel filling thickens and slices cleanly. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat in the oven at 350F until warmed through. Freeze leftovers for up to 2 months (reheat from frozen at 350F until hot). If you want a dairy-light option, use dairy-free butter and coconut- or oat-based vanilla ice cream.