Bake up an easy skillet apple crisp topped with caramel and ice cream
Looking for an easy apple skillet dessert? Whip up this skillet apple crisp made with oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. This dessert wouldn't be complete without a heavy drizzle of salted caramel and some vanilla ice cream. Enjoy this fall dessert all season long!
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While apples are around almost all year long, they are especially delicious in the fall! It's basically a non-negotiable to whip up an easy apple dessert during the fall season. And of course, don't forget to add this recipe to your Thanksgiving menu.
This skillet apple crisp is so easy - anyone can make it! All you do is place a layer of apples in a cast iron skillet, then top it with a delicious crumble.
Another great thing about this apple skillet dessert is that it's super simple to transport. This would be a great dish to bring over for a fall bonfire or Thanksgiving dinner.
What You'll Learn In This Recipe
From this recipe, you'll learn a few tricks that you can use over and over again in the kitchen including:
- Tips for taking care of your cast iron skillet
- How to elevate a simple apple crisp
- A quick way to soften butter if you forgot to take out of the fridge before baking
P.S. If you want to learn many more baking secrets, download my free guide with 10 secrets to instantly become a better baker.
Ingredient Notes
The great thing about this recipe is that many of the ingredients are pantry staples! Here's everything you'll need to make the skillet apple crisp:
- All purpose flour: Feel free to substitute for a gluten free flour if your diet requires it.
- Brown sugar: This gives sweetness to the whole dish!
- Old fashioned oats: Some people prefer apple crisp without oats. However, I think they add in an amazing texture and bite. Make sure to use old fashioned oats instead of quick oats.
Feel free to subsitute for gluten free old fashioned oats if your diet requires it. - Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon is the best fall spice that pairs perfectly with apples.
- Fine sea salt: I like using fine sea salt becuase it incorporates well with the other dry ingredients.
- Unsalted butter: It's best to bake with unsalted butter so you can control the salt level.
Be sure the butter is at room temperature. If you're impatient, like me, and need to quickly get the butter to room temperature, use this simple trick. - Honeycrisp apples: It's important to choose an apple that withstands the heat of the oven. Honeycrisp are perfect for this!
- Granny smith apples: I love adding in granny smith apples for a nice, tart bite.
- Caramel topping: You can opt for a store bought verison or try my homemade recipe.
- Vanilla ice ream: What's an apple crisp without ice cream?! This is totally optional, but very deliciuos!
Tools & Equipment
There are just a few tools you'll need for this dish:
- 12 inch cast iron skillet: You'll make the whole apple crisp within the cast iron skillet. Be sure, if you're investing in a quality cast iron, that you learn how to properly take care of it. You can wash the cast iron with soap. Just be sure not to let it soak in water or soap. The main thing is to ensure your skillet is properly dried so it doesn't rust. Here's a short tutorial that shows you everything you need to know.
- Mixing bowls: You'll just need one large bowl.
- Whisk/Spatula: This will help you mix up the crisp topping.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this dish ahead of time and reheat it. Simply bake the apple crisp in the skillet as directed. Once the apple crisp has completely cooled, cover with aluminum foil and refridgerate.
To reheat, heat oven to 350°F. Place the skillet covered with foil into the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes until warmed.
Sure! It's a personal preference if you like to leave the skin on the apples. It tends to make the dessert a bit chewier, but you're welcome to leave the skin on for the nutrients.
Yes! If you have a smaller skillet, try scaling the recipe down so it can all fit.
Good call! I love using homemade caramel! It's so much richer than the store-bought version. You can use the caramel recipe included in this cookie recipe.
Other Recipes To Try
If you need some more fall baking inspiration, check out these recipes:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐rating in the recipe card below. Don't forget to follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest for more recipes.
Easy Skillet Apple Crisp with Salted Caramel
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cups (1 ½ sticks) room temperature unsalted butter cut into one tablespoon chuncks
- 3 large honeycrisp apples peeled, cored, sliced ¼ inch thick (about 3 ½ cups)
- 2 large granny smith apples peeled, cored, sliced ¼ inch thick (about 3 cups)
- caramel topping for serving
- vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Whisk together flour, brown sugar, oats, ground cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add in room temperature butter (save the wrappers for later). Using clean hands, gently press the butter into the dry ingredients until all the butter has been worked into pea-sized clumps or smaller.
- Use the leftover butter wrappers to grease a 12 inch cast iron skillet.
- Layer the apples on the bottom of the skillet, alternating between the honeycrisp and granny smith. Evenly sprinkle the oat and sugar topping over the apples.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until the top has slightly browned and the apples are fork-tender. Serve with a heavy drizzle of caramel topping and vanilla ice cream.
Kelly
Wow this was delicious! I loved that it was good warm or cold or room temp! The blend of different apples is such a good idea and tasted better than other recipes I’ve tried with just one. Best part is a one skillet easy recipe so there’s no reason not to try it!
Joanna Lizarraga
By far the best skillet recipe I have tried. The right combination of delicious and convenient in one of the worlds most love flavors. Thanks for this one!!!