Dutch Oven Apple Crisp (2024)

You really can’t go wrong with apple desserts in any shape or form, and that holds true with this Dutch oven apple crisp. Besides being easy to make, fruit crisps are pretty much foolproof!

I chose a cast iron Dutch oven for this version because I wanted a bit more apple filling than a standard square baking dish can handle. I also find Dutch ovens distribute heat more evenly than any other cooking or baking dish in my kitchen. Check out the notes & tips section below for more information, as well as a list of substitutions!

Ingredients

For The Apple Filling

• apples
• lemon juice
• raw organic cane sugar
• whole wheat flour
• cinnamon

For The Oat Topping

• whole wheat flour
• brown sugar
• large flake oats
• cinnamon
• salt
• butter

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven and have a cast iron Dutch oven ready.

Place the peeled, chopped apples directly into the Dutch oven. Add the lemon juice and stir the apples to combine. Add the cane sugar, whole wheat flour, and cinnamon.

Stir everything together until the apples are well coated. Set aside.

Next, make the oat topping. Combine the whole wheat flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir well to combine.

Add the butter to the brown sugar-oat mixture.

Using your hands or a fork, mix the butter into the brown sugar and oats until it is evenly distributed. If your butter is fairly soft, the mixture will be quite smooth, like a soft dough.

Scatter all of the oat topping, evenly in chunks, over the top of the apples in the Dutch oven.

Place the Dutch oven in the preheated oven, with the lid off, and bake until the top is golden and apple filling is bubbling. Cool the Dutch oven apple crisp on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes & Tips

If you don’t own a Dutch oven, any oven-safe baking dish that will hold all of the apples comfortably will do. Just keep your eye on the crisp in the oven. When the topping is golden, and the apple filling is bubbling, it’s done.

Choose apples that will hold their structure during baking. I like SweeTango, Honeycrisp, Red Prince, Jonagold, or Northern Spy. That being said, a balance of firmer and softer apples can also be nice. If you like a mix of both, use a softer apple like the classic MacIntosh for half of the apples in the Dutch oven apple crisp.

Use fresh or bottled lemon juice.

Substitutions

You can use regular white sugar in place of the cane sugar.

All-purpose flour can be substituted for the whole wheat flour. You can also use buckwheat flour to make a gluten-free Dutch oven apple crisp.

Instant oats can be swapped in for large flake, however, they don’t have the same texture or chew as large flake rolled oats.

Consider substituting 2 cups (200 g) of fresh or frozen cranberries for 2 cups of apple for a more sweet-tart dessert.

A little homemade chai spice makes a great substitute for some of the cinnamon in Dutch oven apple crisp.

Substitute non-dairy butter to make this recipe dairy-free.

More Fantastic Apple Recipes!

Apple Loaf Cake With Apple Cider Glaze Easy to make, and ready in about an hour.

Apple Crumble A simple and tasty British dessert that takes only one hour to make with five ingredients.

Overnight Slow Cooker Apple Butter Fill your house with the scents of fall!

Apple Walnut Crumble Cake This cake features a hint of spicy ginger, and a nutty crumb topping for a simple, seasonal coffee cake

Printable Recipe Card

Dutch Oven Apple Crisp

Author: Kelly Neil

Calling all apple lovers! If you’d like a little more fruit than brown sugar-oat topping then this Dutch oven apple crisp is for you!

4.64 from 11 votes

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See Also

If You Only Bake One Thing This Year, Let It Be This

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American / Canadian

Servings 8 servings

Calories 235 kcal

Special Equipment

• ▢

  1 4 to 6 quart cast iron Dutch oven

• ▢

  Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale

• ▢

  Rubber spatula or wooden spoon

• ▢

  Large mixing bowl

• ▢

  Wire cooling rack

Need Metric Measurements?Use the button options below to toggle between US cups and Metric grams.

Ingredients

For The Apple Filling

• ▢ 6 cups apples , peeled and chopped
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon

For The Oat Topping

• ▢ ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ cup brown sugar
• ▢ ½ cup large flake rolled oats
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ cup butter, room temperature

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and have a 4 to 6 quart (4 to 6 L) cast iron Dutch oven ready.

• Place the chopped apples directly into the Dutch oven. Add the lemon juice and stir. Add the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Stir everything together until the apples are well coated. Set aside.

• Next, make the oat topping. Combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir well to combine.

• Add the butter to the oat mixture. Using your hands or a fork, mix the butter into the brown sugar and oats until it is evenly distributed. If your butter is fairly soft, the mixture will be quite smooth, like a soft dough.

• Scatter the oat topping, evenly in chunks, over the top of the apples in the Dutch oven. Place the Dutch oven in the preheated oven, with the lid off, and bake until the top is golden and the apple filling is bubbling, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cool the apple crisp on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Recipe Notes

If you don’t own a Dutch oven, any oven-safe baking dish that will hold all of the apples comfortably will do. Just keep your eye on the crisp in the oven. When the topping is golden, and the fruit filling is bubbling, it’s done.

Choose apples that will hold their structure after baking. I like SweeTango, Honeycrisp, Red Prince, Jonagold, or Northern Spy. That being said, a balance of firmer and softer apples can also be nice. If you like a mix of both, use a softer apple like the classic MacIntosh for half of the apples in the recipe.

Use fresh or bottled lemon juice.

Substitutions

You can use regular white sugar in place of the cane sugar.

All-purpose flour can be substitutes for the whole wheat flour. You can also use buckwheat flour to make a gluten-free apple crisp.

Instant oats can be swapped in for large flake, however, they don’t have the same texture or chew as large flake rolled oats.

Consider substituting 2 cups (200 g) of fresh or frozen cranberries for 2 cups of apple for a sweet-tart dessert.

A little homemade chai spice makes a great substitute for some of the cinnamon in Dutch oven apple crisp.

Substitute non-dairy butter to make this recipe dairy-free.

Nutrition

Serving: 175gCalories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 59mgPotassium: 183mgFiber: 4gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 81IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Let me know on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or tag #kellyneil!