American
Cinnamon Apple Crisp with Oat-Walnut Streusel
Tart apples bake beneath a craggy brown-sugar, cinnamon, oat, and walnut streusel, yielding bubbling cider-bright fruit under crisp buttery clusters rather than a cakey topping.
8 servings · 25 minutes prep · 55 minutes cook
Ingredients
Cider-Bright Apple Filling
- 3 pounds tart baking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon softened unsalted butter, for the baking dish
Oat-Walnut Streusel
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Directions
Build and Chill the Streusel
- Combine the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, kosher salt, and walnuts. Rub in the cold butter until moist clusters range from pea to almond size; visible dry flour should disappear.
- Refrigerate for 15 minutes while heating the oven to 375°F / 190°C. Cold clusters spread less and stay craggy.
Season the Apples Evenly
- Toss the apples with the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon juice, and kosher salt until no white cornstarch remains. Coat a 9-inch square or 2-quart shallow baking dish with the softened butter, then spread in the apples.
Top Without Compacting
- Scatter the chilled streusel loosely from edge to edge. Leave the clusters irregular and do not press them into a solid lid, which would trap steam and make the underside pasty. Set the dish on a baking sheet.
Bake Until the Center Bubbles
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the topping is deep golden, juices bubble through the center, and a thin knife slides into the apples with only slight resistance. Tent loosely with foil if the walnuts darken before the center bubbles.
- Cool for at least 30 minutes before spooning. Serve warm; the filling will be runny if opened straight from the oven and gummy if cornstarch was not fully boiled. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. Reheat uncovered at 300°F / 150°C for 10 to 20 minutes until warm and re-crisped; microwave only when a softer topping is acceptable.
