Caramel Apple Crisp
This Caramel Apple Crisp tastes like Autumn in a bowl!
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Caramel apple really gets the short end of the stick. Or branch. Or whatever caramel apples grow on. (On a side note, if you guys know where I can get a caramel apple tree, please share. I’d love to plant one of those bad boys in my backyard!) So why are caramel apples so unlucky, you ask? Well, caramel apples have the misfortune of arriving just before pumpkin spice season. And we all know that pumpkin spice season has gotten a bit insane lately! Pumpkin spiced salmon, anyone? Or pumpkin spiced fish bait? Because the fish need to enjoy pumpkin spice, too.
Caramel apples might be overshadowed by the pumpkin spice monster, but that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying this tasty combo. Pumpkin spice, you just need to wait until October. September is caramel apple season!
We recently celebrated the season with this amazing Caramel Apple Crisp. It’s really quite easy to make thanks to a little shortcut involving caramel candy. Yup, those individually wrapped caramels in the candy aisle? Melt ’em down and they become a great topping for this Caramel Apple Crisp! (Feel free to make your own caramel apple sauce if you’re so inspired, though. I used to do stuff like that. Then we had Robbie.)
One of my favorite parts of this Caramel Apple Crisp is actually not the caramel or the apples. Imagine that. It’s the topping. The combination of oats, pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon is amazing! It gets nice and crispy as it bakes, and it provides the perfect bite when combined with the apple-caramel filling. It’s like Fall on a spoon…or a fork…or your hands…or however you choose to eat your crisp! Add in a scoop of melty vanilla ice cream, and you’ve got a treat that will have everyone (including yourself) wanting more!
So here’s to leaves crunching underfoot, bright Autumn reds and oranges, the first sweater of the season and of course caramel apples. Make this Caramel Apple Crisp for this weekend, and spend the evening with friends next to a firepit. Pumpkin spice season is coming soon, so we need to enjoy caramel apple season before it’s too late! (For the record, I happen to love pumpkin spice season. But I also happen to love caramel apple season, too!) Enjoy!
Caramel Apple Crisp
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1½ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, diced
For the Apples
- 5 medium green apples peeled, cored and diced
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 14 oz. individually wrapped caramels unwrapped
- 1 5-oz. can evaporated milk
For the Streusel
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- ¾ cup pecans chopped
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- {optional but recommended} vanilla ice cream
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour (or spray with nonstick spray) a 9”x13” baking dish; set aside.
- Using a large bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla; stir until well combined.
- Add cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or two table knives, cut butter in until cubes are size of small peas.
- Press mixture evenly into bottom of prepared baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, or until edges begin to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
For the Apples
- Using a large bowl, add diced apples, sugar and cinnamon; toss until apples are well coated. Set aside.
- Using a medium saucepan, add caramels and evaporated milk. Place over low heat and cook, stirring often, until mixture is smooth.
- Pour caramel mixture into bowl with apples; stir until well combined. Transfer apples into baking dish on top of the crust.
For the Streusel
- Using a medium mixing bowl, add all streusel ingredients; stir until well combined.
- Sprinkle streusel on top of apple mixture in baking dish.
- Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, or until streusel begins to turn golden brown.
- Let cool for at least 30-40 minutes before serving.
- {Optional} Serve with scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
If you’re looking for another fun Fall recipe, give these traditional Caramel Apples or this Caramel Apple Cheesecake a shot!
Wouldn’t that be fun if there was such a thing as a caramel apple tree? I think everyone would have one in their back yard. Caramel apple crisp sound like a great dessert for the fall.
Haha! As I writing this post, I was thinking the exact same thing, Dawn! A caramel apple tree…now there’s an idea for the gardeners out there to invent. And then a candy apple tree would be next on the list! 🙂 But until that happens, we can stick to this delicious caramel apple crisp…it’s SO darned good and perfect for the season! Thanks, my friend!
Hi David! Apple crisp is one of my favorite desserts (or breakfast)! Apple cider doughnuts, apple fritters, apple pie…my list goes on and on. And caramel only makes things better. I just picked up apples yesterday and I have everything else on hand, except caramels. However, I do have a can of Dulce de leche. I don’t get into pumpkin mode until November.
Apple crisp for breakfast? Now there’s an idea I can get behind! You and I both share a love for all things baked apple…and this is the time of the year for it! In fact, we just went apple picking with Robbie last weekend. We may have picked about ~45 pounds of Honeycrisps. Oops. Haha! You could totally make that can of dulce de leche into caramel and then have this crisp bubbling away in the oven. But make sure to have some vanilla ice cream for the top! 🙂 Thanks so much, my friend. And it sounds like the weather might be turning down there since you just went apple picking? I hope so!
Wow!! I was literally drooling over those pictures! Who doesn’t love a good caramelly apple crisp! It’s legit fall comfort food :).I can just imagine how the oaty sweet crunchy streusel gives away to that gooey apple filling! Yummy! And since you blamed Robbie for not making the caramel from the scratch, hence the credit for this great recipe goes to Robbie 😀
Wow, thank you so much, Deepika! Caramel apples and Fall just totally go together. In fact, baking with apples is one of my favorite things about September! hahaha…I like the logic of how Robbie gets credit for this recipe. You crack me up! But in a way, you’re totally right. Man, that Robbie knows how to make some tasty desserts. 😉 Now if I could just get him to make them for me…
We’ve officially jumped the shark on the whole pumpkin spice thing. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pumpkin spice dessert but salmon? NO THANK YOU! I also love a good caramel apple. I used to be addicted to the caramel apple dip they sell at the grocery store, but I haven’t seen it recently. And this crips looks like a much better way to get my caramel apple fix anyway. Have a great afternoon, David!
Tell me about it! I love pumpkin spice, too, and I will be all about some pumpkin spice desserts and drinks here in another month or so. But apples deserve more credit than they get! Although I did hear someone on tv the other day predicting that apple spice will be the new pumpkin spice. It might not be possible to knock pumpkin spice from it’s #1 spot, but I’m ok if we tone it back some. I mean pumpkin spiced salmon? Uhhh…no. Anyhoo, this caramel apple crisp is nothing short of delicious, Kelsie! Make a batch this weekend…and then sit in your kitchen with the freezer door open so it feels a bit like Fall? I think the craft stores sell fake leaves in reds and oranges, too! *Just kidding, my friend!*
Pumpkin spiced salmon? Seriously? Wow. It sounds even stranger than my lavender and chocolate pasta dishes. That’s sad to hear I’m not the only one food weirdo:) Talking about caramel apple trees – yes, I know such kind. Unfortunately, beards and bunnies do love these apples so there’s no a chance you can cultivate it in your garden (Unless you’ve got a winter garden in you home hah). Anyway, crisps and crumbles are my favorite kind of cakes! Easy to make and so delicious. I’ve made apple maple crumble so I definitely know your version is scrumptious, David!
Haha…I thought you’d be all about the pumpkin spice salmon, Ben! 😉 Wait, you’re telling me they do make a caramel apple tree…but then you’re telling me I’m not allowed to have one? That is nothing short of cruel, my friend! Haha! That apple maple crumble you speak of sounds delicious. Even though maple is harvested in the spring, I always think of maple flavors in the Fall. I might have to experiment with some maple syrup in this crisp next time I make it. Great idea, my friend!
Hooray for autumn!!! We just bought our first apples yesterday and now I know exactly what to do with them! Thank you, David.
Yes! This apple crisp is an excellent way to use the first apples of the season, Marissa! We just went apple picking with Robbie last weekend, and we may or may not have brought back 40+ pounds of apples. Oops. Looks like we have a lot of crisps in our future here. Haha! Enjoy the season, my friend!
Doesn’t fall just scream apple crisps?? I know it does for me. I don’t eat ice cream much anymore but this post as me craving a big scoop of vanilla. I remember you talking about apple picking last year. Am I right or am I imagining that? I’ve never had a caramel apple crisp, the Caramel makes everything a little bit better. This recipe gets 2 thumbs up 🙂
Fall totally screams all things apple! And you know what? I realized we don’t eat near as much ice cream as we used to either. I think it’s because our freezer space is seriously limited since it’s just the 2 of us here, and I’m always cooking. But that’s ok. We occasionally treat ourselves…like with this crisp. Vanilla ice cream is a requirement for apple crisps!
And you definitely remember me talking about picking apples last year. We go every year, and it’s always one of my favorite things to do come September. We just went last weekend for the first time this season, and we might have picked way too many apples. Haha! But no fear, they will get eaten around this house! Thanks, Mary…enjoy the season, my friend!
I say apple is the new pumpkin spice. Anyone with me? By the way, you just shove an apple seed into one of those caramel candies, and push it deep into the soil under the first full moon of spring…
So the local weatherman was talking about apples the other day on tv, and he made the same prediction, Jeff. He said apple spice is the new pumpkin spice. Either you are both onto something here…or you’ve been moonlighting as the weather guy in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Also, great tip about planting a caramel apple tree. But why on a full moon??
Čaramel apple trees are magical, so you need a bit of full moon mojo. Glad to know the weather man is on my side!
Ha ha, my colleagues in the UK don’t understand your pumpkin spice season craziness, but I actually quite enjoy getting involved! But anyway as you say it’s still apple season for now and I say “woohoo” to that. Especially when you have that ingenious idea of melting down those caramels into this delicious looking dessert. I’m drooling! 🙂
Hah! I don’t quite understand the pumpkin spice insanity over here, either, Neil! Although, to be fair, pumpkin spice is seriously one awesome combination of spices…but pumpkin spice salmon? Eh. No thanks. So we just went apple picking again (!) this weekend, and we have a countertop literally overflowing with apples. I’m thinking another one of these crisps needs to happen soon! Thanks, my friend! I hope you guys had a great weekend!
If you ever find out where you can get a caramel apple tree please let me know! I have two apple trees in the garden but unfortunately, they don’t produce anything like that but I am always happy to get new ideas on what to do with all of those apples! Did you know that a mature apple tree can produce up to 200 kg (440 pounds) of apples in just one season? Yep, I googled that recently to understand why I have difficulties coping with all of those apples 🙂 Caramel & apples are such a beautiful match, it looks absolutely delicious! Completely agree with you – let’s wait until October for everything pumpkin. Have a great weekend, David!
Haha! I will absolutely let you know when I stumble across the secrets of the caramel apple tree. 😉 We also have 2 apple trees in our yard, but like yours, ours don’t produce much. We don’t spray them or anything, so we end up with a couple of funky looking apples each year…nothing like the orchards! Wait, 440 pounds per tree!? By that count, we’ve picked 2 trees’ worth so far this year. Haha…kidding! (Although we have picked a LOT of apples so far, and we’re only halfway through apple season here in New York!) Thanks so much, Miriam! I hope you guys had a great weekend over there!
The caramel apple tree is the best comment ever! Great recipe!
Haha…thanks, Joanne! But wouldn’t it be fun if they actually did have a caramel apple tree? And then we’d need to plant a candy apple tree right next to it…hah! 🙂
This treat is truly palatable, David! My mouth is watering right now!
Why thank you very much, Agness! I’ve gotta say that this caramel apple crisp is quite a tasty Fall treat. I’m about ready to make another one as we went apple picking this weekend, and now we have a counter full of apples! 🙂
Oh this is totally autumn in a bowl! I just got a big delivery of apples and I know exactly what I am going to do with them. It’s fruit, so it has to be healthy, right?!
Dannii! Great to hear from you, my friend! 🙂 So I’m not so sure about the whole healthy side of this one, but it sure is a fun Fall treat. We just went apple picking this past weekend, and we have SO MANY apples in our kitchen now. I’m thinking we’ll need to make another one of these crisps soon. I hope you and Dave are doing well!
This apple crisp looks so delicious. Apples do get overshadowed by pumpkin, but truth be told, I don’t forget about em myself! I’m all about apples year round, but especially this time of the year. Speaking of which, I think I’m going to make apple banana bread this week!
We definitely don’t forget about apples around here…heck, it’s almost impossible when we have so many orchards all around us! We just went apple picking again this weekend, and we have SO many apples in the kitchen now. Apple banana bread sounds like an amazing treat…especially when toasted for breakfast. I’ll have to keep an eye out for that recipe! 🙂
I totally agree – September needs to officially be “caramel Apple season”, although I prefer this crisp to any caramel-covered apple. This looks and sounds divine, and I can almost smell it baking. Yum!