Toffee Apple Crisp
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.
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.