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Slow Cooker Apple Crisp is an easy variation of the classic dessert that everyone loves!
There’s nothing better than coming home after long, cold, winter’s day – and smelling the amazing aroma of this apple crisp in your crockpot as you open the door!
This easy recipe is a great option for any wintertime gathering. Because this apple crisp is made in the slow cooker, it won’t take up oven space as you prepare other dishes for your meal.
And this Slow Cooker Apple Crisp serves a crowd – eight to ten servings – so it’s a perfect warm dessert option for a party or when guests are visiting for the holidays.
How do you make Slow Cooker Apple Crisp?
Toss peeled, cored and sliced Granny Smith apples with melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, a little bit of water, and some flour in the bowl of your slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for four hours.
While the apples cook (or even a day ahead of time) prepare the topping. In a food processor, mix all-purpose flour, both granulated and brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add pats of butter and pulse until the mixture is pea-sized crumbs. Then add in some rolled oats – pulsing just a few times to incorporate.
Pour this mixture out onto a parchment lined baking sheet, then bake until golden and crisp – stirring the mixture a few times as it bakes to ensure even baking and browning.
Remove the topping from the oven and allow it to cool. Then pour it into a small serving bowl.
How do I serve Slow Cooker Apple Crisp?
Once the apples are cooked and fork tender, give them a quick stir – then spoon into bowls right out of the slow cooker so it stays nice and warm.
Sprinkle with the crumb topping and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side – then dig in.
Can I just add the topping to the apples while it cooks in the slow cooker?
We don’t recommend it. Here’s why.
- If you were making a traditional apple crisp in the oven, the topping on the apples would caramelize, brown, and crisp-up from the circulating, dry heat of the oven.
- In a slow cooker, it’s a moist and steamy heat, and that topping will cook, but it will never crisp up – so you’ll basically have sweetened oatmeal on top of apples.
In our recipe, the apples get nice and tender in the slow cooker. The topping remains crisp and light and sweet – and it is a wonderful complement to the soft, luscious apples. (Of course, the cold and creamy ice cream is fantastic too!)
What kind of apples can I use for Slow Cooker Apple Crisp?
We choose Granny Smith apples for this recipe – in part, because we had a bunch of then on hand! But Granny Smiths are also a great cooking/baking apple because they retain their shape even when tender and cooked through. Plus, Granny Smith’s are slightly tart – so it balances the other sweet flavors in this apple crisp recipe.
Some other good apple options for this recipe are Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Cortland, or Gravenstein.
Just avoid apples that get mushy when cooked – such as Macintosh. Those are better suited for an applesauce recipe.
More Apple recipes:
- Apple Crisp
- Bourbon Apple Butter
- Torta di Mele (Apple Cake)
- Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
- Apple Custard Pie
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Slow Cooker Apple Crisp
Slow Cooker Apple Crisp is an easy variation of the classic dessert that everyone loves!
Ingredients
1/2 cup melted butter, 1 stick
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 large Granny Smith Apples
Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick), cut into pats
1 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
Vanilla Ice Cream, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium slow cooker (4-5 quart), add butter, both sugars, cinnamon, water and flour and stir to combine.
- Peel and core apples and working quickly cut them in half and slice into quarter inch slices.
- Add apples to butter mixture, stir, cover and cook on high for four hours.
- While apples are cooking, make topping.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, mix flour, both sugars, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until combined.
- Add cold butter pats and pulse a few times until they are pea sized.
- Add oats and pulse a few times just to incorporate, or add in by hand.
- Pour onto prepared sheet tray and bake five minutes. Remove, toss with a spatula and bake 10 minutes. Remove toss and bake just to crisp, another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove and cool and store in an air tight container until service.
- After four hours, portion hot apple mixture into bowls, sprinkle on topping and serve with vanilla ice cream.
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Hi Martha,
I only have 6 small to medium granny smith apples. How should I adjust the recipe to accommodate?
I have been looking for something to make with these that wasn’t a bread, cake, or muffin- this looks perfect!
I also can’t have oats & was just going to omit all together.
If you have a better suggestion, I am open to ideas- both for the apples & the oats!
Thank-you.
Sincerely,
Amy
Hi Amy – I’d guess that 6 small apples is somewhere between 1/2 to 2/3rds the amount of 8 large apples, so just to make it easier, I’d make the recipe cutting the amounts in half. The oats give the topping some texture…you could swap in your favorite granola or some crushed cereal, or maybe add some nuts instead? Hope that helps!
Hello Martha and Jack! As always , some of the best recipes on the web are from your site. If I chose to make this in the over, rather than slow cooker, what would be the temperature and how long to bake .. with the topping or without the topping? Hope that you and your family have a joyous holiday season.
Thank you Doris! If you want to make an apple crisp in the oven, I’d follow this recipe instead: https://www.afamilyfeast.com/apple-crisp/ (it has been my go-to apple crisp recipe for years!)
Happy holidays to you too! Martha