Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Recipe (Easy Dessert)

Name: Salted Caramel Apple Crisp
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.2 kg (about 2.6 lb) baking apples, such as Braeburn or Granny Smith, peeled, cored and thinly sliced; 50 g (0.25 cup) granulated sugar; 50 g (0.25 cup) light brown sugar; 2 tbsp plain flour; 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 120 g (1 cup) plain flour; 100 g (1 cup) rolled oats; 100 g (0.5 cup) light brown sugar; 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.25 tsp fine sea salt; 115 g (0.5 cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed; 120 ml (0.5 cup) salted caramel sauce; Vanilla ice cream, to serve; Flaky sea salt, to sprinkle

This salted caramel apple crisp is autumn in a baking dish: tender cinnamon apples bubbling under a buttery oat crumble, finished with a generous drizzle of salted caramel.

The trick is to slice the apples thinly so they soften right through, and to bake until the juices are thick and bubbling at the edges. A crisp that comes out too early tastes starchy; one baked until golden tastes like the best part of a caramel apple, warm from the oven.

Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or cold cream, and let the caramel pool into the crumble. It is the easiest kind of seasonal dessert, and it feeds a crowd without any pastry skills.

Ingredients

For the apple filling

1.2 kg (about 2.6 lb) baking apples, such as Braeburn or Granny Smith, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
50 g (0.25 cup) granulated sugar
50 g (0.25 cup) light brown sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the oat crumble

120 g (1 cup) plain flour
100 g (1 cup) rolled oats
100 g (0.5 cup) light brown sugar
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.25 tsp fine sea salt
115 g (0.5 cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed

To serve

120 ml (0.5 cup) salted caramel sauce
Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Flaky sea salt, to sprinkle

Instructions

Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Lightly butter a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inch) baking dish.
Make the filling: Toss the sliced apples with both sugars, the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and vanilla until evenly coated. Tip into the prepared dish and spread into an even layer.
Make the crumble: In a bowl, mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture forms clumps ranging from pea-sized to walnut-sized. Some larger clumps are good; they bake into the crunchiest topping.
Assemble: Scatter the crumble evenly over the apples, right to the edges so the fruit is covered.
Bake: Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the topping is deep golden and the apple juices are thick and bubbling around the edges. If the top browns too fast, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Rest and serve: Rest for 15 minutes so the juices settle. Serve warm, drizzled with salted caramel sauce, with vanilla ice cream and a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt.

Tips for the best result

Use a mix of sweet and tart apples for the best flavour; all one variety can taste flat.
Slice the apples no thicker than 5 mm so they cook through in the baking time.
The crumble can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge, or frozen for up to a month.

Storing and reheating

Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes to re-crisp the topping, or warm gently in the microwave if crispness does not matter.