This delicious caramel apple pecan raisin crisp is warm and comforting with tender apples, pecans, and raisins, covered in caramel sauce. And it's absolutely delicious with or without ice cream!
Caramel Apple Pecan Raisin Crisp
My late friend Marcel was an awesome human being, and I was grateful to have had her in my life. She knew a thing or two about baking, and her version of apple crisp was outstanding. In my opinion, it was better than apple pie and that was saying something!
She was generous in sharing this apple crisp recipe with me, and I proudly share it with you in honor of her. With its sweet, tarty apples, spices, pecans, and raisins, this is one fabulous dessert!
When I make apple crisp, it never disappoints. As a matter of fact, family and friends alike get excited when I serve this apple crisp.
I call it our favorite caramel apple crisp because my husband and I make it together. It's a team effort, and the reward is so satisfying. As we top this apple crisp with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, we kind of become like little kids again. We never dreamed it would turn out as good as it did.
It was one of the first desserts we made together. So it brings back a lot of warm memories. And as we savor each bite, we recall old memories and create new ones.
From the time our son, Patrick was a toddler, he enjoyed this dessert with gusto and still does to this day. Enjoying apple crisp is a family affair. So we make it a lot.
Follow this best apple crisp recipe, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Satisfaction guaranteed!
Baked Apple Crisp
As far as I'm concerned, baked apple crisp is a year-round dessert. No need to wait for apple season. Whether it's spring, summer, winter, or fall, this dish is always a welcome sight. And tasting it is even better!
The best time to make apple crisp is when you're in the mood for it. Or when you're family is asking for it. Or when you're expecting company. It's sure to wow a crowd.
When it comes to making this caramel apple crisp, Granny Smiths are my all-time favorite. They're my go-to in many of my apple recipes. Their tartness balances out beautifully with the sugar and spices.
Feel free to use your favorites apples though. Every type of apple is unique in its own way. Some are sweeter than others. Some are fruitier and more crispier. It all depends on your taste. No matter what kind you use, this apple crisp is going to turn out great every single time!
Caramel Apple Crisp
My newfound, upbeat, and taste-tester friend, Enzo, was up for giving our apple crisp a try. He's always been a huge fruit lover, especially apples. Before he even tasted it, Enzo knew he was going to like this dessert. In fact, he fell head over heels for this caramel apple crisp and asked for a second helping!
I would be remiss if I didn't mention, Renate. She's my adorable and amateur food critic who's been testing my recipes for quite a while now. There's not much Renate doesn't like. Her tastes are far and wide. And so it will come as no surprise, she too fell in love with this caramel apple crisp. The only difference is that she preferred whipped cream instead of ice cream. No argument there. I'm all for that!
Topped with creamy ice cream or fluffy whipped cream and smooth caramel sauce, who could say no to this wonderful dessert? The toppings give this apple crisp added texture and sweetness, making it even more rich and decadent!
Apple Crumble vs. Apple Crisp
Sometimes this dessert is referred to as apple crumble. Apple crumble and apple crisp are very much alike. Both have a streusel topping, but the difference is that apple crisp contains oats and apple crumble does not.
Although both crisp up beautifully, it's the oats in apple crisp that do the trick. If you're a fan of oats, you're going to fall in love with this dish.
My apple crisp recipe also calls for added ingredients like butter, raisins, pecans or walnuts, making it just that much richer.
What's the difference between Apple Crisp and Apple Cobbler?
Now that we've established the similarities and differences between apple crisp and apple crumble, some people may confuse apple crisp with apple cobbler. Instead of a streusel, cobblers have a biscuit topping. The batter is laid on top in round batches. Once baked, it looks like a cobbled street. Kind of nice to look at it that way.
While apple cobbler is delightful, it's the oat mixture in apple crisp that gets me every time, not to mention the pecans, raisins, and spices. And there's something about adding ice cream and caramel sauce on top of apple crisp that makes it top quality. I know I'm not alone in thinking this.
In fact, I love it so much, I even make oatmeal for breakfast with diced apples, raisins, pecans, and a little granola to give me an apple crisp feel to start the day. What can I say? I have a sweet tooth!
Below are the ingredients to create an apple crisp that's pure perfection!
Caramel Apple Pecan Raisin Crisp Ingredients
It only takes a few ingredients to make this delicious caramel apple pecan raisin crisp. The best part is that if you do any amount of baking at all, you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry right this second. In fact, the only things you'll probably have to buy are apples and apple juice or cider. Everything else here is pretty much standard pantry stuff.
- apples
- quick oats
- flour
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- cloves
- butter
- apple juice or cider
- caramel sauce or caramels
- pecans or walnuts (optional)
- raisins (optional)
Making Caramel Apple Pecan Raisin Crisp
Making this delicious apple crisp is just as easy as shopping for it. As we all know, crisps are simple to make, and this one is no exception. The most time-intensive part of the entire recipe is preparing the apples. After that, it's mostly a matter of mixing, layering, and baking. That's all there is to it. You'll find the complete recipe along with amounts and times in the recipe card below, but this outline will give you a good idea of what you'll be doing and how simple it will be.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a cake or baking pan (8x8 or 9x9) with butter or cooking spray. Set aside.
- Peel and thinly slice apples and sprinkle with a light dusting of cinnamon, if desired.
- In a large bowl combine oats, flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.
- Once mixed, cut in the cold butter until crumbly.
- Add pecans or walnuts, if using.
- Press one-third of the oat mixture into a prepared pan, all across the bottom of it.
- Top with half of the sliced apples and sprinkle in the raisins (if using), and half of the caramel sauce or caramels.
- Add another third of the oat mixture on top of the apples.
- Next, layer the remaining apples, raisins, the rest of the caramel sauce or caramels, and remaining oats.
- Press mixture down with a cup or a plate. Pour ¼ cup of the apple juice or cider all across the top.
- And bake.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, topped with more caramel sauce.
Warm, comforting, and absolutely divine!
Caramel Apple Pecan Raisin Crisp Variations
Although we're talking about an apple crisp recipe, this dessert is not limited to apples. Instead of apples, there are other fruit crisps that I wouldn't say no to. Almost any fruits used in pies or cobblers will work wonderfully with this caramel apple pecan raisin crisp.
Think about using fruits like:
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Cranberries
- Peaches
- Nectarines
- Rhubarb
- Pears
- Cranberries
Consider mixing the berries if you're a real berries fan. I've also mixed half cranberries and half pears and it turned out great! Experiment with mixing different kinds of fruit and see what happens. I'm pretty sure it will be a fantastic crisp just the same. Or even better. Who knows? So I say go for it! And don't forget to let me know the results.
Make This Caramel Apple Pecan Raisin Crisp Today
This recipe is absolutely delicious, and while most of us think of apple crisps as a fall dessert, I think it's perfect all year long! With its delicious flavors and ease of cooking, it's one recipe that you need to try. So whip out your ingredients and get ready to bake up a dessert that will have your family begging for more. It's so simple and so delicious, I'm sure it will end up in heavy rotation in your dessert menu.
Other Delicious Apple Recipes to Try
For the love of apples, here are several apple dishes you might be interested in trying. From pancakes to bread and even pudding, all of these apple recipes are absolutely delicious. Truly, I love them all, and I think you will, too!
Have your say by leaving me a comment about this caramel apple crisp or any of the other apple recipes below.
The Best Apple Upside Down Cake
Our Favorite Caramel Apple Crisp
Equipment
- 11 x 7 inch cake pan or dish
Ingredients
- 6 apples apples, granny smith or your favorite apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground + extra to sprinkle on apples if desired
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ½ cup butter, cold, cubed
- 1 cup caramel sauce, store-bought or 10-20 caramels, quartered
- ¼ cup apple juice or cider
- ½ cup raisins (optional)
- ½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)
- butter or cooking spray
Instructions
- Pull out and measure all of your ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a cake or baking pan (11 x 7) with butter or cooking spray. Set aside.
- Peel, core and thinly slice apples.
- Sprinkle apples with a light dusting of cinnamon if desired. I always do.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.
- Stir until blended.
- Cut in the cold butter until crumbly by using two forks or your fingers to do it.
- Add pecans or walnuts, if desired.
- Add about one third of the oat mixture across the bottom of the pan.
- Top with half of the sliced apples.
- Sprinkle with raisins, if using.
- Half of the caramels or caramel sauce.
- Add oat mixture.
- Layer the remaining apples.
- Add raisins and remaining caramel sauce or caramels.
- Top with remaining oats and pour a ¼ cup of apple juice or cider all across the top of the apple crisp.
- Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until apples are tender.
- The thinner the apples are sliced the better and quicker this will cook. Depending on the apples and the time of year, this apple crisp may take 10 minutes longer to cook.
- Remove from the oven and serve on individual plates or in bowls.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or more caramel sauce. Enjoy every bite!
Notes
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