A Taste of Tradition: Why This Apple Crisp is The Apron Journal’s Favorite

There are desserts, and then there are experience desserts. This Browned Butter Apple Crisp falls firmly into the latter category. It is the taste of every golden autumn afternoon, every cozy family gathering, and the simple joy of coming inside when the air turns crisp.

This recipe is steeped in the memories we make every year, whether we were trekking through the orchards of Apple Hill in California or gathering pumpkins near the Red Barn in Utah. The shared tradition is the secret ingredient, and this crisp is the perfect way to cap off those sweet, family-filled days.

The Secret to the Best Apple Crisp: Browned Butter

What takes this recipe from excellent to truly exceptional? The browned butter in the streusel topping.

If you’ve never used it before, browning butter is a simple technique that adds a deep, nutty, and almost caramel-like complexity that a regular melted butter simply can’t match. Combined with the oats and brown sugar, it creates an intensely flavorful, crumbly topping that is truly irresistible. Paired with a bright, zesty filling, this will quickly become your new go-to fall dessert recipe.

This recipe yields a deeply flavorful, warm, and bubbling fruit filling crowned with an incredible nutty-sweet, crunchy topping. Perfect for serving with vanilla ice cream!

Part I: The Browned Butter Topping

The foundation of this incredible crisp is the browned butter. Don’t skip this step!

How to Make Browned Butter

Place 1 cup of butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat.
Melt the butter completely, stirring constantly.
The butter will begin to foam. Continue stirring.
Once the foaming subsides, you will see tiny brown bits forming at the bottom of the pan and the butter will turn an amber color. It will smell nutty, like toasted hazelnuts. This is the moment!
Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter (including the browned bits at the bottom) into a heat-safe bowl to stop the cooking process. Allow it to cool slightly before using.

Topping Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup cooled browned butter (prepared above)

Topping Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and oats.
Pour the cooled (but still liquid) browned butter over the dry mixture.
Use a fork or your hands to mix until large, moist crumbles form. Set aside.

Part II: The Apple Filling

The lemon zest adds brightness to cut through the richness of the butter!

Filling Ingredients

5–6 medium apples (a mix of Granny Smith and Fuji works well), peeled and sliced
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice from 1/2 of the lemon
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Filling Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375.
In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Toss to coat.
In a small separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour.
Sprinkle the dry mixture over the apples and toss until the apples are evenly coated.
Pour the apple filling into a pie dish or 8×8 inch baking dish.

Part III: Bake and Serve

Spread the browned butter topping evenly over the apple filling.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling thickly around the edges.
Let the crisp cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to set up slightly.
Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream!

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