This warm, comforting and healthy stovetop apple crisp takes a total of only 20 minutes to prepare and does not compromise on flavor. You cook the apples in a skillet and sprinkle them with a buttery and crunchy toasted oat, pecan and sesame seed topping. The recipe works equally well as a delicious dessert or a healthy after-school snack.
For more delicious stovetop desserts, check out these Egg-Free Tiramisu Cups and these 10-Minute Pumpkin Spice S’mores Trifles.
Jump to:
Why make this recipe:
- this apple crisp is easy to make and tastes delicious
- the recipe takes only 20 minutes to prepare
- you won’t need to fire up the oven
- you can easily make as many or as few servings as you want
Which apples are best for apple crisp?
I tested five different apple varieties for this apple crisp recipe (see table below) and the variety that worked best was Gala. Gala apples have a mild flavor and the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity for an apple crisp. Gala apples also require only a short cook time on the stovetop (7 minutes).
A good alternative if Gala apples are not available is Fuji. Fuji apples need a slightly longer cook time but have a nice flavor balance as well.
| Apple Variety: | Cook Time: | Flavor Characteristics: |
| Gala | 7 min. | Mild, pleasant flavor. A little acidity that balances the sweetness well. |
| Fuji | 9 min. | Good flavor and good balance between sweetness and acidity. A good choice if Gala apples are not available. |
| Red Delicious | 9 min. | Mild flavor, quite sweet and with practically no acidity. |
| Honeycrisp | 8 min. | Good flavor but the mild sweetness is not enough to balance the acidity. |
| Granny Smith | 14 min. | Very, very acidic and with almost no sweetness for balance. Not suitable for this recipe. |
Ingredients:
For the apples:
For the topping:
A note on the ingredients:
- rolled oats are sometimes also called old-fashioned oats
How to make it:
Step 1. Cut, core and peel 4 Gala apples, then cut them into ½-inch chunks.
Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a skillet, then add the apple chunks, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Mix everything around until well combined.
Step 2. Put on the lid and cook the apples until they’re soft (about 7 min.).
Step 3. Once the apples are done, prepare the topping. In a small pan, melt ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, then stir in:
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1 ½ teaspoons sesame seeds
Step 4. Toast the topping until it is crunchy.
RECIPE NOTE: One quick word of caution about the topping: it’s very easy to burn it, so don’t take your eyes off the pan. No texting while cooking for this one!
How to serve apple crisp:
To serve, add the warm cinnamon apples into individual serving bowls and sprinkle them with the toasty oat/nut/sesame mix. You can put a dollop of whipped cream (or ice cream) on top but I find that the crisp already tastes mighty delicious by itself and also makes a great (and healthy) snack.
Common Questions:
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.
Literally however many you need. Because you’re not locked into the volume of a baking dish, you can easily scale this recipe up or down to however many servings you like (one of the great advantages of stovetop desserts). The recipe card below is set to four servings but you can use the portion slider and easily adjust the number to your liking.
Yes, as long as you make sure to use rolled oats that have not been contaminated with gluten-containing ingredients during processing, this apple crisp is gluten-free.
More delicious apple desserts:
Made this recipe? It would be awesome if you could leave a rating. Either tap or click the stars in the recipe card or leave a comment below. Thanks!
Full Printable Recipe
Stovetop Apple Crisp
Ingredients
For the apples:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 Gala* apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
For the topping:
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ cup rolled oats**
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1 ½ teaspoons sesame seeds
- whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream (optional)
Instructions
For the apples:
- Melt the butter in a skillet.
- Add apples, cinnamon and brown sugar. Stir until well combined.
- Put the lid on and let the apples cook on medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft (about 7 minutes).
For the topping:
- Melt the butter in a small pan.
- 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.)
- Serve apples in a bowl and sprinkle the topping on.
- Top with ice cream or whipped cream (optional).
Karen D
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.
Nicole B.
That’s so wonderful to hear, Karen! Such a great idea to use nectarines, I’m going to have to try that! :)
Toni
Can I use quick oats to make the crisp topping?
Nicole B.
Yes, that will work fine.
Karla Grigsby
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?
Nicole B.
That is so great to hear, Karla! Thank you so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it! :)
Chandni
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!
Nicole B.
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. :)
Chandni
Please do! And you are most welcome Nicole. Please keep more such recipes coming. It’s very motivating for budding home chefs :)
Sian
Thanks for this recipe – I’ve used the no bake topping twice for a speedy dessert and my family loves it!
Nicole B.
That is SO GREAT to hear, Sian! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback, I really appreciate it. :)
Adam
Wow this sounds good because i need to make a desert for a boyscout trip im going on this weekend i think ill try this.
Nicole B.
That sounds great, I hope you like it, Adam! It’s my favorite dessert, I have made it countless times and could eat it everyday. :)
Michelle
Nicole, I love your recipe for a no bake crisp topping. It looks delicious and I will have to try it out!
Nicole B.
Glad you are intrigued, Michelle! Let me know how you like it. :)
Allyson
Yum! saw this on food gawker and now I am pinning! This looks so tasty and comforting!
Dina
sounds delish and easy!