Toffee Apple Crisp is a cozy fall dessert made with juicy apples in a buttery, toffee flavoured sauce, all baked under the most delicious oat topping that tastes just like a toffee oatmeal cookie. It's faster and easier to make than apple pie, with no crust to roll out and no fussy lattice, just a simple oat topping that's sprinkled over the apples. Baked in a 9" cast iron skillet, the apples turn tender and bubbly while the topping turns golden and crisp. This apple crisp is a classic baked apple dessert, with a rich toffee twist, and its easy to make with simple ingredients. Don't have a 9" cast iron skillet? No problem. This Toffee Apple Crisp bakes up just as beautifully in a deep 9"x9" baking dish. Serve this apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipping cream for ultimate comfort food dessert.
This Toffee Apple Crisp is a true pantry recipe, which is one of the reasons you'll love it. Most of what you need is probably already in your kitchen: oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon and a few other staples. The only things you may need to pick up is a bag of toffee bits, usually found in the baking aisle, and a big bag of fresh fall apples. It's quick to make and beginner-friendly, with no pie crust, no special techniques, and fewer dishes to wash. As it bakes, the warm scent of apples, cinnamon and toffee fills your home and makes it smell like fall - a welcoming, homey aroma that makes this easy dessert even more worth making. This is sure to become a favourite recipe for fall and through the cold winter months, whether you're feeding a crowd on a chilly weekend or just want a warm and comforting dessert on a dark winter night.
Why Granny Smith Apples work best
Granny Smith are my favourite baking apple for many reasons, but here's why I like them best in this Toffee Apple Crisp:
Granny Smith apples are a great baking apple that holds its shape in the oven, leaving distinct, tender pieces of apple after baking, unlike some other varieties that breakdown into an applesauce texture. In this recipe, the toffee sauce is sweet, so the tart flavour of these green apples is the perfect counterpoint. You get tender pieces of apple throughout this dessert, and a rich apple flavour in a rich toffee sauce - all without being cloyingly sweet.
What goes in Toffee Apple Crisp?
Here's what you need to make this easy Toffee Apple Crisp. Gather these simple ingredients along with a 9" cast iron pan (or 9x9" baking dish) to make this easy dessert.
- Granny Smith Apples: You will need about 8 of these tart green apples for this apple crisp. Peel, core and chop the apples into 1" pieces for chunks of tender apple in every bite.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar gives this Toffee Apple Crisp its deep, toffee-like flavour. The natural molasses in brown sugar adds a rich, caramel-y sweetness that white sugar can't match, and it helps the toffee sauce turn glossy and buttery around the apples. In the oat topping, the brown sugar bakes into golden, slightly chewy edges, which is a big part of why the topping tastes like a giant toffee oatmeal cookie. Light or dark brown sugar both work. Dark brown sugar gives a deeper, more molasses-forward flavour, while light brown sugar keeps things a little milder.
- Granulated Sugar: Granulated, or white sugar, is what makes the topping crisp. It melts and sets as it bakes, creating a crunchy crust, while brown sugar adds the deep toffee flavour.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is all you need for this Toffee Apple Crisp, so there's no need to buy anything special. In the toffee sauce, the flour thickens the juices from the apples so you get a luscious, spoonable sauce instead of a runny one. In the topping, it holds the oats, butter and sugar together so you get golden, crispy clusters instead of loose crumbs.
- Butter: Butter is used in both the toffee sauce and the topping for rich, buttery flavour and a golden, crisp finish. Since butter is a prominent flavour in this dessert, be sure to use real butter, instead of margarine or other butter substitutes.
- Oats: Rolled Oats (sometimes sold as large flake or Old Fashioned oats) give the topping its chewy, hearty texture and nutty flavour. They hold their shape as they as they bake, so you get crisp, golden clusters instead of of a pasty topping. Quick oats are too fine and can turn mushy, so stick with large flake oats for the best crisp.
- Toffee Bits: Toffee bits are are small, crunchy pieces of buttery toffee candy, made from butter and sugar cooked until golden. The toffee flavours in this crisp are what set this recipe apart from a standard apple crisp. Toffee bits are sold in the baking aisle of most grocery stores (look for the Chipits, Skor or Heath brands). As the apple crisp bakes, they melt into the oat topping and caramelize, adding rich buttery toffee flavour and pockets of crunch that you won't get from sugar alone.
- Cinnamon and Ginger: Ground cinnamon and ginger are classic apple spices, and they're what makes this Toffee Apple Crisp taste like fall. Bonus: They make the house smell incredible as this dessert bakes.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract appears twice in the recipe for this Toffee Apple Crisp, once in the filling and once in the topping. In the topping it adds a cookie dough richness that makes it taste like a toffee oatmeal cookie. Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavour since it holds up to the heat of baking.
- Kosher Salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt in my recipes for its pure taste and lower amount of sodium per volume compared to other brands of Kosher salt.
HOW TO SERVE TOFFEE APPLE CRISP
HOW TO SERVE TOFFEE APPLE CRISP
Serve this Toffee Apple Crisp warm from the oven (let it rest for 30 minutes so it cools enough to eat and the topping has a chance to crisp up). It's a charming dessert served straight from the skillet, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top. The contrast of warm, juicy apples and cold, creamy ice cream is hard to beat. Softly whipped cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce also work well, and a sprinkle of extra toffee bits adds a little more crunch. It's an easy fall dessert for Thanksgiving, holiday gatherings, Après Ski parties and cozy Sunday dinners. This Toffee Apple Crisp is best served shortly after it has been made while the topping is nice and crisp, but leftovers reheat nicely in the oven or the microwave for a quick breakfast-style treat with a spoonful of yogurt.
WHAT TO DRINK WITH TOFFEE APPLE CRISP
WHAT TO DRINK WITH TOFFEE APPLE CRISPThe best drinks to serve with Toffee Apple Crisp are ones that match its warm spice and buttery toffee flavour. For a non-alcoholic option, I love a steaming mug of chai tea. The cinnamon, ginger and cardamom in the tea echo the flavours in the apple crisp perfectly. Hot spiced apple cider, coffee or a creamy vanilla steamer also work well. For an adult pairing, try a small glass of Canadian icewine or a late-harvest Riesling, whose honeyed sweetness and bright acidity complement the tart Granny Smith apples. A tawny port, a pour of bourbon, or a crisp, sparkling hard cider are also lovely alongside a warm bowl of toffee apple crisp topped with cream.
Why bake Toffee Apple Crisp in a cast iron skillet?
A cast iron skillet is a great choice for this Toffee Apple Crisp. It heats evenly and holds the heat well, so the apples cook through and the toffee sauce bubbles up around the edges while the topping turns golden and crisp. With it's charming appearance, it goes straight from the oven to the table and because cast iron retains heat, the dessert will still be warm even after it has been set aside for 30 minutes for the topping to crisp up and the sauce to thicken. A well-cared for cast iron skillet also lasts for decades and it's just as useful for cornbread, skillet cookies and searing steaks. If you don't have one yet, this 9" cast iron skillet is the size I used for this recipe.
Looking for another recipe to put that cast iron skillet to good use? Try my Giant Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie, which is just as easy and also a crowd pleaser.
Toffee Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 3 lbs /1.36Kg Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut in 1” chunks (about 8 apples)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup butter, melted - plus more butter for greasing the skillet
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Crisp Topping
- 3/4 cup rolled oats (also known as large flake oats and old fashioned oats)
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 3 Tbsp toffee bits
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup cold butter, diced
Instructions
- Place a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 350F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9” cast iron skillet (or 9”x9” baking pan) with butter and set aside.
Make the apple filling
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped apples, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3 Tbsp flour, cinnamon, ginger, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, melted butter and 2 tsp vanilla and toss to coat evenly. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared skillet, spooning any sauce that remains in the bottom of the bowl over the top of the apples. Use a spatula to gently press the apples into a flat even layer so the topping bakes evenly and crisps up.
Make the crisp topping
- In a medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, toffee bits, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Add the diced cold butter and work it in with your fingers to make a crumbly mixture.
- Sprinkle the oat mixture evenly over the top of the apples in the skillet. Place the skillet on a foil lined baking sheet to catch any drips, and bake the apple crisp for 45-50 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden. Remove the crisp from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. The topping may be less crisp while the dish is still warm but will crisp up as it cools.
Notes
- Be sure to cut apples into even-size pieces (about 1”) for even baking.
- After transferring the filling to the skillet, smooth the apples into a flat, even layer with a spatula to create a flat surface for the topping. A flat surface lets the topping bake evenly and get crisper, so take a moment with this step.
- Feel free to add to add 1/2 cup (or more) chopped nuts to the topping for extra crunch. Pecans and walnuts work particularly well.
- Bake this crisp in a deep, 9” cast iron skillet. A 10” cast iron skillet will work as well, if that’s what you have, but don’t use a smaller skillet as the dessert will spill over. A deep 9x9 baking dish (or a baking dish of a similar size) will also work for this recipe. I recommend placing a foil-lined baking sheet under all of these pans while the dessert bakes, to catch any drips.
FAQ's for Toffee Apple Crisp
What if I can’t find toffee bits?
If you can't find toffee bits in the baking aisle, chop up toffee candy bars such as Skor or Heath and use them in the same amount. Look for the bags of toffee bits near the chocolate chips, or in the seasonal baking section in the fall. You can use butterscotch chips for a similar sweet, buttery flavour, though the topping wont have the same crunchy texture. For best results, chop the toffee candy bars into small, even pieces.
What are the best apples for Toffee Apple Crisp?
Granny Smith apples are definitely the best choice for this recipe, but you can use other firm apples if you prefer. Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Pink Lady all hold their shape well in the oven. Because the toffee sauce is already sweet, choose tart or balanced apples when you can and skip softer varieties, such as McIntosh or Red Delicious that break down into applesauce and won't leave distinct pieces of apple. Dice any variety of apple into 1" pieces so they bake evenly.
Is it better to chop the apples or slice them?
Chopping is better for this apple crisp recipe. Dice the apples into 1" chunks so every bite has consistent, juicy pieces throughout. Chunks also hold their shape well as they bake in the toffee sauce, and they're much easier to scoop with a spoon than long slices which can tangle and slide apart when you serve the dessert. Sliced apples can work if that's what you have, but chunks of apple give you a neater, more evenly cooked apple crisp that's easy to serve and eat.
Are rolled oats the same as large flake oats and old-fashioned oats?
Yes. Rolled oats, large flake oats and old-fashioned oats are all the same thing: whole oat groats that have been steamed and rolled flat into thick flakes. In Canada, the package usually says "Large Flake Oats", though in some regions they maybe labelled as "Old Fashioned Oats". American recipes usually call them "Rolled Oats" or "Old Fashioned Oats". Any of them work well for this Toffee Apple Crisp. Quick oats are rolled thinner and can turn mushy, and steel cut oats are chopped rather than rolled and won't soften enough, so skip both for this recipe.
Can I make Toffee Apple Crisp in a baking pan instead of a skillet?
Yes, a 9" cast iron skillet (or 10" cast iron skillet if that's what you have) is perfect for this recipe, but a regular oven-safe baking dish of a similar size also works well.
Can I make this Toffee Apple Crisp ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble it a few hours ahead and bake it just before serving, or bake it fully and reheat in the oven so the topping crisps back up.
How do I store and reheat leftovers?
This Toffee Apple Crisp is best shortly after it is made while the topping is nice and crispy. As it sits, especially in a covered container, the topping will soften. The apple crisp will still be delicious the next day, even if it looses some of its "crispness". Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the oven to bring back some of the crispness, or warm it in the microwave for softer results.
