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Easy Brown Butter Apple Crisp with Oat Streusel

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A simple yet irresistible apple crisp featuring nutty brown butter and a crunchy oat streusel topping. This forgiving dessert comes together in about an hour and tastes like you spent hours fussing.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 medium apples (about 2 pounds or 900g), peeled, cored, and sliced into ¼-inch thick wedges (mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp recommended)
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon (8g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup (90g) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ¾ cup (95g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly grease your baking dish with a little butter or non-stick spray.
  2. Brown the butter: Place the ½ cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt completely, then continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally. The butter will foam up, then subside. Watch for the color to turn from pale yellow to a golden amber, and you’ll start to see tiny brown specks forming at the bottom of the pan. This takes about 5-7 minutes. The moment it smells nutty and looks like the color of a penny, remove it from the heat immediately. Pour it in…
  3. Prepare the apples: While the butter cools, peel, core, and slice your apples into ¼-inch thick wedges. Place the sliced apples in a medium mixing bowl. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Toss everything together until the apples are well coated. Let them sit for about 5 minutes.
  4. Make the oat streusel: In a large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir with a fork or whisk to break up any lumps. Pour the slightly cooled brown butter over the dry ingredients. Use a fork or your fingers to mix until the mixture looks crumbly and all the dry bits are moistened. It should hold together when you squeeze a handful, but still break apart easily.
  5. Assemble the crisp: Spread the apple mixture evenly in your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the oat streusel evenly over the top, covering the apples completely. Don’t press it down.
  6. Bake: Place the dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly around the edges. If the topping is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes. The apples should be tender when pierced with a fork.
  7. Cool slightly before serving: Let the crisp sit on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Watch the butter carefully when browning—it can go from perfect to burnt quickly. Use a mix of apple varieties for best flavor and texture. Let the crisp rest for 15 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set. The crisp can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated before baking. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter apple crisp, apple crisp, oat streusel, easy apple dessert, fall dessert, apple crisp recipe

Find it online: https://cravemila.com/easy-brown-butter-apple-crisp-with-oat-streusel/