The Spice Train

  • Recipe Index
  • About:
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
×
Home » Recipes » Dessert Recipes

Stovetop Apple Crisp

Updated: May 15, 2024 · Published: Sep 6, 2019 by Nicole B. · 21 Comments

4.45 from 36 votes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe

This easy stovetop apple crisp takes only 20 minutes to make and does not compromise on flavor. You cook the apples in a skillet, then sprinkle them with a buttery and crunchy toasted topping. It's a delicious dessert and you can easily make as many or as few servings as you want.

Apple crisp with whipped cream in a bowl.

Reader comment: "Made this for breakfast with plain greek yogurt on the side and it was sooo so good!! I used pink lady apples and it turned out great. Love it."

Recipe ingredients and notes:

  • I tested different apples for this recipe and the variety that worked best for me was Gala. A good alternative if Gala apples are not available is Fuji.
  • In addition to the usual apple crisp topping ingredients (rolled oats, brown sugar, butter, pecans) I also added sesame seeds to this recipe. The seeds add a unique flavor that works amazingly well in this dessert.

For the apple crisp base:

Apples, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

For the topping:

Butter, rolled oats, sesame seeds, brown sugar and pecans.

How to make it:

See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below!

Apple crisp ingredients in a cast iron skillet.
  1. Cut, core and peel the apples, then cut into ½-inch chunks. Melt butter, then add the apple chunks, brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
Cooked apple crisp filling in a cast iron skillet.
  1. Put on the lid and cook the apples until soft (about 7 minutes).
Apple crisp topping ingredients in a pan.
  1. To make the topping, melt butter in a small pan. Stir in brown sugar, rolled oats, chopped pecans and sesame seeds.
Cooked apple crisp topping ingredients in a pan.
  1. Cook the topping on low heat until crunchy.

How to serve it:

Add the warm cinnamon apples into individual serving bowls, then sprinkle with the toasty oat/nut/sesame mix. You can put a dollop of whipped cream (or ice cream) on top, if you like.

Full Recipe

Apple crisp with whipped cream in a bowl.
Author: Nicole B.

Stovetop Apple Crisp

4.45 from 36 votes
For this easy stovetop apple crisp you cook apples in a skillet with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. The crisp is topped with a butter-toasted mix of rolled oats, brown sugar, pecans and sesame seeds and has incredible flavor.
Print Version (does not include images) Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 20 minutes mins
Servings: 4
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 226
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients:
  

For the apples:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 Gala* apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch chunks
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
For the topping:
  • ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup rolled oats (also called old-fashioned oats)
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sesame seeds
  • whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream (optional)

Equipment:

  • measuring cups and spoons
  • knife and cutting board
  • skillet with lid
  • rubber spatula
  • small pan
  • wooden spoon
Prevent your screen from going dark

Method:
 

For the apples:
  1. Melt the butter in a skillet.
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  2. Add apples, cinnamon and brown sugar. Stir until well combined.
    4 Gala* apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch chunks, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  3. Put on the lid. Let the apples cook on medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft (about 7 minutes).
For the topping:
  1. Melt the butter in a small pan.
    ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
  2. Add sugar, oats, pecans and sesame seeds and brown for a few minutes until crunchy. (Do this on relatively low heat and watch closely, it will burn easily.)
    1 teaspoon light brown sugar, ¼ cup rolled oats (also called old-fashioned oats), ¼ cup chopped pecans, 1 ½ teaspoons sesame seeds
  3. Serve apples in a bowl and sprinkle the topping on.
  4. Top with ice cream or whipped cream (optional).

Recipe notes:

*I recommend Gala apples for this recipe. A good second choice if Gala is not available is Fuji.
Storage instructions:
Store any leftover apples and topping separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 1 day. Reheat both components separately on the stovetop.
Did you make this recipe?Please consider leaving a review- THANK YOU!

Nutrition (estimate only):

Calories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 24.2gProtein: 2gFat: 14.1gSaturated Fat: 5.3gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 52mgPotassium: 184mgFiber: 3.8gSugar: 17.3gCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg

Comments

  1. Tiffani Williams says

    February 19, 2023 at 6:34 pm

    Excellent

    Reply
    • Nicole B. says

      February 19, 2023 at 6:40 pm

      Thanks! So glad you like it!

      Reply
    • Deanne Evans says

      July 15, 2023 at 5:42 pm

      I put the toppings in on top of apples, cinnamon, brown sugar and butter. Cooked for a couple minutes then let it sit for 5 minutes. Ate it with Greek vanilla yogurt on the side. Very yummy and healthier. Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Nicole B. says

        July 16, 2023 at 6:00 am

        You're welcome, Deanne! I'm so happy to hear that you liked this recipe. Thanks so much for making it and sharing your review!

  2. Jim W. says

    February 14, 2023 at 6:17 pm

    Wow, this is fantastic! I had some sliced apples simmering with a little water in a skillet and then added cinnamon and some maple syrup. I googled ‘apple crisp’ and found your topping recipe, which I modified based on what I had. It was Quaker Oats, brown sugar, some pecan pieces, and maple syrup; toasted this in a pan on the stove. Mixed the toasted topping with the cooked apples and put a serving in a bowl with some soy milk on top, it’s like the greatest granola ever! Fast and easy! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nicole B. says

      February 14, 2023 at 6:53 pm

      Thank you so much for your wonderful comment, Jim!! I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply
    • Jacey says

      January 04, 2024 at 1:46 pm

      Made this for breakfast with plain greek yogurt on the side and it was sooo so good!! I used pink lady apples and it turned out great. Love it.

      Reply
      • Nicole B. says

        January 04, 2024 at 1:49 pm

        I'm thrilled to hear that, Jacey! Thanks so much for coming back and leaving a review, I appreciate that!!

  3. Orion says

    May 17, 2022 at 3:20 am

    This was absolutely incredible! I didn't have the pecans and so I meant to double the oats but forgot, and it genuinely tasted like kettle corn. I highly recommend trying it with half the nuts/oats or double the butter and sugar! Even the apples alone were delicious though. I topped it with canned whipped cream and this is definitely one of the best desserts I've had in a while. I look forward to trying it with the nuts!

    Reply
    • Nicole B. says

      May 17, 2022 at 7:14 am

      That's wonderful to hear, so glad you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  4. Karen D says

    August 13, 2019 at 9:33 am

    I substituted nectarines from a friends tree and threw in some fresh blueberries for color. I topped it off with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.Everyone raved about how good this recipe tasted! I will definitely use this recipe again.

    Reply
    • Nicole B. says

      August 13, 2019 at 11:57 am

      That's so wonderful to hear, Karen! Such a great idea to use nectarines, I'm going to have to try that! :)

      Reply
  5. Toni says

    May 04, 2019 at 9:14 pm

    Can I use quick oats to make the crisp topping?

    Reply
    • Nicole B. says

      May 04, 2019 at 9:35 pm

      Yes, that will work fine.

      Reply
  6. Karla Grigsby says

    April 27, 2019 at 5:02 am

    Needed a healthy snack/dessert for my 2yr old son.tried this recipe he absolutely loved the no bake topping. not only did he love it so did my husband and I.Thx for this one!

    Reply
    • Nicole B. says

      April 27, 2019 at 8:33 am

      That is so great to hear, Karla! Thank you so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it! :)

      Reply
  7. Chandni says

    September 25, 2017 at 11:48 am

    Hi! Tried this recipe today and it was really good :) Was in a hurry so replaced the nuts and seeds with museli with nuts. Thanks for this one!

    Reply
    • Nicole B. says

      September 25, 2017 at 11:55 am

      That's so great to hear, Chandni! Thanks for leaving such a nice comment, I really appreciate it! Such a great idea to substitute muesli, I have to try that. :)

      Reply
      • Chandni says

        September 25, 2017 at 1:51 pm

        Please do! And you are most welcome Nicole. Please keep more such recipes coming. It's very motivating for budding home chefs :)

  8. Sian says

    January 01, 2017 at 11:30 am

    Thanks for this recipe - I've used the no bake topping twice for a speedy dessert and my family loves it!

    Reply
    • Nicole B. says

      January 02, 2017 at 8:15 am

      That is SO GREAT to hear, Sian! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback, I really appreciate it. :)

      Reply
4.45 from 36 votes (30 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Photo of the website owner.

Hi there!

I'm Nicole, the cook and photographer behind this website. You'll find lots of delicious recipes here, all centered around spices.

More about me

Popular Recipes & Guides:

  • Two slabs of raw baby back ribs with mustard rub in a baking dish.
    Mustard Rib Rub
  • Yellow chicken curry in a bowl on a wooden coaster.
    Thai Pineapple Yellow Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
  • Smoked paprika rub in a glass jar.
    Smoked Paprika Chicken Rub
  • A yellow, a red and a white onion on a table.
    Onion to cups conversion (sliced, chopped, medium-diced, minced)

Footer

^ back to top

About

  • Contact

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 The Spice Train

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.