I really love walnuts. I think it’s the buttery texture, and the crunchy warmth that it adds to so many dishes. I added walnuts to some incredibly flavorful and easy hand pies and decided that they would serve as a lovely addition to the crumble topping of my version of a cozy apple walnut crisp.
Now the apples are albeit the most important part as far as ingredients go. I mean, we all love the crumble topping. It’s obviously the best part, and there’s a super generous helping of it in this dish! But apples: they make it complete. Using a good baking apple is ideal, though in a pinch you can absolutely use any apples that you have on hand.
Choosing the Best Apples
Growing up, we had a Granny Smith apple tree in our yard. My mom would bake amazing apple desserts using these apples, and I’ve come to find out through the years that they are a top apple for baking. Honey crisp Fuji, gala, and golden delicious are among my favorites too, and all great for baking. You want a firm apple that can bake up well and retain strong apple flavor through the cooking process.
This apple crisp is heavy on flavor! It packs a buttery brown sugar topping {that is wrought with fall spices!}, and melds it perfectly together with the softened apples. Adding a drizzle of my homemade caramel sauce takes this dessert to a whole new level.
Make it Gluten Free
You can easily make this crisp gluten free by replacing the all purpose flour with bobs red mill 1:1 gluten free baking flour, and dairy free by replacing the butter with a plant based alternative. Replacing the butter would also make this vegan as there is no egg present {just omit the caramel drizzle}.
I hope you love this recipe! Apple walnut crisp is a dessert that I grew up on, and it was so fun to put my own spin on a classic apple dish. Enjoy, bakers!
XO,
Heather
Apple Crisp with Walnuts and Caramel Drizzle
Ingredients
- 5 medium apples 1 cup pack dark brown sugar ¾ cup all purpose flour 1 cup old-fashioned oats ½ cup salted butter softened 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ cup chopped walnuts {optional}
- Caramel Sauce for Drizzle
- Whipped Cream (optional)
Instructions
- Peel, core, and thinly slice apples.
- Place in a medium buttered baking dish {round or 8×8 if you have a square pan}.
- Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Using a fork, gently mash until fully mixed and crumbly. Pour mixture over apples.
- Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes, or until apples are soft and top is golden brown.
- Serve with warm caramel drizzle and vanilla ice cream. Beak kept covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Enjoy!
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