Apple Crisp The Chunky Chef

Apple Crisp The Chunky Chef -Apple crisp is one of the best desserts around. With this recipe, you can make a delicious apple crisp by following a few simple steps, and with minimal ingredients! Thanks to all these steps, you don’t have to worry about burning yourself as you cook on your Apple Crisp The Chunky Chef Have you ever wondered the health benefits of eating apples ?

Well, I have. And I’m here to break down how apples can improve your physical and mental health. Apple crisp is one of the most quintessential desserts in America. People love it. It can be served warm, cold, room temperature, or right out of the fridge. It’s sweet and savory at the same time, which means that you can eat it for breakfast (You know who you are). But what is apple crisp?

Apple Crisp is a unique dessert recipe. Its name suggests a crisp, but that is not what it is. This apple dessert is very moist and when topped with the oatmeal crumble, it becomes a wonderful treat. Once chilled overnight it sets up in a very smooth yet chunky way. Apple Crisp is my ode to traditional cooking. Traditional cooking of a modern day twist in a healthy way.

Apple Crisp The Chunky Chef

This EASY Apple Crisp the chunky chef recipe is made in the slow cooker, so it’s perfect for serving a large crowd. It’s autumn. The sun is dropping lower in the sky, evenings are cooler than days, and there’s a scurry of activity as many trees shed their leaves. It’s apple season! Today, I want to share with you my recipe for Apple Crisp. Unlike what you might think, this dessert isn’t just a bunch of apples thrown into some dry oats with a little brown sugar…and then topped with ice cream. No, no, no.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Calories: 301
• Servings:6

This easy apple crisp is made the old fashioned way like Grandma used to make, and is perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce!

Ingredients

• 6 golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped (other varieties can be used, can also be sliced)
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
• pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Butter an 8×8 baking dish, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, add chopped apples, granulated sugar, 3/4 tsp of the cinnamon and lemon juice.  Stir to combine, then transfer to prepared baking dish.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, add topping ingredients (brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, salt, and diced cold butter).  Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the oat mixture, using a slight downward twisting motion, until mixture resembled pea-sized crumbs.  Alternatively, you can use two forks or even your hands to cut butter into the mixture.
4. Spread topping over apples in baking dish, and gently pat to even it out.  Bake 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
5. Serve warm and enjoy!

Chef Tips

Note that all ovens bake differently, so yours may take a little less or a little more time to bake.  

Apple Crisp Recipe

This is a basic recipe for an Apple Crisp recipe. The beauty of this recipe comes in the top layer that you make out of oats, flour, brown sugar, a little cinnamon and butter. You can use any type of apple with this recipe including pre-cored peaches, plums or pears. All you do is take the fruit and make sure to pat it dry with some paper towels so that it doesn’t give you too much extra juice when baking.

This season, channel your inner pastry chef and bake up a delicious apple crisp with buttery oat topping. For maximum flavor, saute the apples first to ensure each piece is tender and caramelized before hitting the oven.

The moment a piping hot apple crisp comes out of the oven, your kitchen will fill with amazing aromas. This sweet treat may not be as fancy as classic apple pie, but it’s just as tasty and easier to prepare when the craving hits. The caramel glaze, warm spices, and rustic oat topping are a winning combination. It’s one of my favorite fall desserts, especially when served warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The key to a great apple filling is making sure the fruit is cooked thoroughly preventing a runny sauce. Undercooking commonly happens when tart apples are tossed raw with a flour-dusting, then baked. The topping cooks faster, so the filling never softens, and the juices don’t thicken up. The good news, this is easy to avoid by pre-cooking the apples.

What kind of apples do you use?

The best kind of apple to use is Honeycrisp. This juicy, tart and sweet fruit is my top pick when fall rolls around until the end of spring. They are great for cooking because they hold their shape and don’t become mealy like Red Delicious apples.

You can use other types of apples, such as Fuji or McIntosh. Fuji is closest to the flavor profile with a slightly more flower blossom taste. Granny Smith apples offer a more tart flavor profile, or you can use a combination with the sweeter varieties for a balanced taste.

Pre-cook the apples

To make a fork-tender filling with a syrupy glaze, you’ll need to pre-cook the apples. Slice them to a uniform 1/2-inch thickness to ensure even cooking and faster softening. To quick-start flavor development, toss the apples with sugar, a pinch of salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and zest to balance the sweetness. 

Saute the apples until crisp-tender and coat with the sticky cinnamon sauce. I notice that the apples reduce to about half their volume. Even though 3 pounds of apples seems like a lot, don’t forget the shrinking factor as the moisture releases from their flesh. Do not overcook, since the apples will still have more heat exposure when baked with the topping.

The crunchy oat topping

After experimenting with the crisp topping, I found just the proper ratio of flour, brown sugar, butter, oats, and sweet spices. I use old-fashioned rolled oats because the flakes maintain their shape and stay chewy once cooked.

Be sure to cut the butter into dime-sized pieces before adding to the flour mixture. You can try including larger chunks for a more interesting texture.

Add the topping then bake

Evenly coat the surface of the apples with the oat mixture. Once baked, the proteins in the flour deepen in color and harden while the sugar creates a wonderful caramel flavor. Once the topping is golden brown, the outside will be brittle with a slight chew in the center.

If you can imagine tiny bites of oatmeal cookie crumbles, that’s what you’ll experience. The result is a lightly sweet but crunchy texture.

Serve this with

• Homemade whipped cream
• Caramel sauce
• A big scoop of vanilla ice cream or no-churn ice cream

Gently pre-cook the apples for better texture

Don’t be tempted to crank up the heat to cook the apples in a shorter time. In this case, a little patience, constant stirring, and moderate heat prevent the apples from becoming too soft and mealy. Gentle heat helps retain the fruit’s internal structure, so it keeps its shape once baked. We want intact apples, not applesauce filling.

Apple Crisp

• Level: Easy

• Total: 1 hr 10 min
• Active: 25 min
• Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Fruit Filling:

• 6 baking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour

Topping:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup nuts, coarsely chopped and toasted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the fruit filling:
3. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the apples, lemon juice, sugar, and flour. Pour the apple mixture into a buttered 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
4. For the topping:
5. In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. With a food processor, a pastry blender, or your fingers work the butter into the flour mixture just until it comes together and large clumps form. Fold nuts into mixture.
6. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake the apple crisp until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown and crisp, about 45 minutes.
7. Serve the crisps warm with vanilla bean ice cream or fresh whipped cream, if desired.

Anyone can make a good apple crisp. Even if they “hate to bake.” Apple crisp is so much easier to make than an apple pie. There’s no fussy pie crust to make or roll out. The topping gets simply sprinkled on top for a beautiful, buttery crisp top that more even more addicting. You’ll have more time to dream up your next fall baking project with all that extra time. 
Follow our top tips below, and you’ll be making this stunner of a recipe all fall long.

 

1. Use the right kind of apples. In our opinion, granny smith, pink lady, Cortland, and Braeburn are the best for baking. If you can find Mutsu apples (they’re common at East Coast orchards), you can use them here too!

2. Don’t peel them. It’s time-consuming and not at all necessary. In fact, we like the rustic look of the skin-on apples. 

3. Use your hands. Cold butter makes for a flakier, more pastry-like topping, but incorporating it into the other dry ingredients is slightly annoying. You could use a pastry cutter, but we always find that the butter starts to build up. We much prefer using our hands. The mixture is easy to control, and it’s faster. When working with cold butter, it is best to work quickly. Cut your butter into chunks first thing, then place it back in the refrigerator while you get the rest of the ingredients out. You don’t need to frantically rush while making the topping, but it’s best to work efficiently. Don’t overwork it to keep the butter from getting too hot. It’s better to have some bigger chunks in the topping than have melty butter by the time you are done mixing. 

4. Add water + lemon juice. The combo of them both helps the apples get nice and jammy. 

5. Don’t stop at apples! Experiment with your favorite crisp-friendly fruits (pears, peaches, berries!) or add your favorite nuts to the topping. 

Make it ahead of time. 

If you want to get some prep work done ahead of time, you definitely can! Make the topping ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, make the filling and top with the cold topping! 
You can also assemble the whole crisp unbaked, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake 55-60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. 

How to store leftovers?

If you happen to end up with leftovers, this keeps well! You can store tightly wrapped at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers in the oven to re-crisp the topping!  

Test Kitchen Notes:

—You don’t need to cook this in a skillet—we just love the rustic look. A medium deep-dish baking pan, or even a 9″ cake pan, will work too. 

—Oats get added to the topping last minute. If they’re not in your cabinet already, feel free to skip them. You’ll technically have an apple crumble! Crisp and crumble are close cousins, with their only difference being that a crisp typically has oats or nuts in the topping. 

Health Benefits Of Eating Apples

There are a myriad of health benefits of eating apples and you will be surprised to learn all of them. There are many healthy benefits of eating apples and apple products, which include: disease prevention, weight loss (if eaten in moderation and combined with exercise), energy booster, cholesterol reduction, antioxidant properties and reducing the risk of macular degeneration.

1. The Medium Apple’s Nutritional Facts

A medium apple is a simple but perfect snack loaded with nutrients. A three-inch diameter apple will yield about one and a half cups of sweet, yummy fruit chunks or slices. Nutrition wise, it is clocking in at 95 calories, 25 grams of carbohydrates, a whopping 4 grams of fiber, 14% of the RDI (Reference Daily Intake) of Vitamin C, 6% of the RDI for Potassium, and 5% of the RDI for Vitamin K.

This little round fruit’s plant compounds offer major health benefits. Apples are also rich in polyphenols, resveratrol, and other healthy compounds to get your cholesterol levels, blood sugar, and fiber intake under control.

One study shows that by adding apples to your diet regularly may contribute to lower risk of mortality. Who doesn’t want to lower their risk of kicking the bucket too early!

2. Apples Can Aid In Weight Control

We all know fruit packs a powerful punch in the nutrition department. High fiber foods can aid in the fight against weight gain and help us lose excess weight. Apples are filling and researchers have found that when they are eaten regularly, apples contribute to weight loss.

Apples have a low calorie density, meaning they are mostly water. A medium apple has about an 86% water content. The high water content paired with the high fiber content helps you feel full. When you fell full, you are less likely to over eat, which helps you feel more confident. When you feel more confident, you make better choices, like eating apples. It is a wonderful, healthy cycle to fall into and can take you to weight control places you have never been.

Eating foods with a high fiber content may slow down the digestive process. This, in turn, helps you feel more full and eat less. It is best to eat your apples in their whole state. If you opt for apple juice, which can be high in sugar, it may not be as filling and will deliver more calories than you need. Bottom line, stick to whole foods in their natural state.

Getting to and maintaining a healthy weight is the one key thing you can do to help your body ward off a plethora of diseases and complications. The added bonus apples nutrients add to your weight control plan is a win/win.

3. Reduce Acid Reflux

Love pepperoni pizza and beer on Friday night, hate what it does to your body on Saturday – acid reflux is no joke.

Acid reflux happens when food seeps back into the esophagus and causes pain and irritation. The resulting burning sensation is typically heartburn and/or an unpleasant sour-tasting fluid appearing in your throat. Not a fun way to relive a pizza and beer meal.

According to WebMD, adding fiber-rich foods like apples to your diet can help keep acid reflux under control. Eating your way to health is a much better solution than adding unnecessary prescription and over-the-counter anti-reflux medications to your system.

Eat more apples and enjoy an occasional pepperoni pizza with a brew and have a happy, heartburn free Saturday.

3. Fighting Asthma

Fighting asthma and trying to catch your breath is scary and life threatening.

Oxidative stress can lead to asthma. Quercetin, a flavonoid found in apple skin has been shown to help regulate the immune system and reduce inflammation which can lead to asthma.

A study on children whose mother ate apples while pregnant showed a 27% lower risk of wheezing. The researchers believe that phytochemicals in apples may be linked to this healthy outcome

Another study by the Nutrition Journal found that “apple and pear intake was associated with a decreased risk of asthma and in bronchial hypersensitivity”. The study found that participants who ate at least two apples a week, showed a marked inverse relationship with asthma.

4. Love Your Pancreas

The antioxidants in apples can protect the cells in your pancreas which can lower your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Red apples have resveratrol in their skin, much like that in red wine. Although researchers are still in the study phase, resveratrol is an antioxidant-like compound that may be beneficial to your blood pressure, brain, joints, and pancreas.

Looking for a way to adding the plant compounds found in apples to your diet healthfully. How about adding these super healthful and yummy Apple Butternut Squash Pancakes from Pancan.org. They are a delicious snack for everyone and especially helpful if you suffer from nausea or upset stomach issues.

5. Keep Cardiovascular Disease At Bay

The benefits of eating apples frequently is directly related to it’s soluble fiber content. This ever so popular fruit is super healthy and high on the soluble fiber chart. Soluble fiber dissolves in water when it enters the body and maintains a gel-like consistency. The fiber sticks to the bad cholesterol and flushes it out of the body.

A study in the Journal of Functional Foods, as reported by Prevention, found that eating an apple a day can cut your risk of developing heart disease by almost in half. The daily apple lowered participants blood oxidation of the bad cholesterol, LDL by 40 percent.

The polyphenol antioxidants in apples is most likely the leader in reducing the oxidative damage that can lead lower your LDL which may reduce your risk of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is when your arteries harden which can lead you down the path to a stroke or heart attack.

Eating a balanced diet, including apples is the best heart health diet for a long life.

FAQ

What’s the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble?

They both have streusel-style toppings made of butter, sugar, and flour as the base. However, crisps have oats, and crumbles do not.

How do you make apple crisp not soggy?

Pre-cooking the apples first evaporates some of the internal moisture that would otherwise cause steam inside the oven and beneath the crisp topping. The result is a crunchy texture with a sauce that clings to the fruit.

Can you make it in advance?

You can saute then chill the apples 3 days before assembling and baking. You can make the topping 5 days ahead of time and refrigerate, or freeze for up to 30 days.