This grilled apple crisp is made in your cast iron skillet with a few basic ingredients including apples, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon, and an ample splash of bourbon. The combination of sweetly spiced apples covered with the crispiest oat topping imaginable will have you devouring it directly from the skillet.
If you’ve come to dinner at my house, chances are I’ve probably served you apple crisp for dessert. It's ridiculously easy to make, can be made ahead, tucked in the freezer, and cooked up at a moment's notice. Plus, everyone likes it.
Not only that, since crisps are made with fruit and oats, it’s practically breakfast. Or, at least that’s what we tell ourselves the next morning as we linger over the leftovers, sneaking spoonfuls.
A few days after moving into our new house last year, one of our kind neighbours appeared at the door with an apple crisp. It was the most beautiful (yes, it’s a thing!) apple crisp I’d ever seen. Not an oat out of place. And then there was the taste. Every one I’d ever made paled in comparison. I knew I needed to up my game.
That’s exactly what I did. I can honestly say that this is the best apple crisp I’ve tried. One that I’d be proud to offer to my neighbour. The apple are sweetly spiced and drizzled with bourbon, then topped with buttery oats, and the whole thing is grilled (yes, grilled!) to toasted perfection. Not to worry, you can make it in the oven, too.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It requires only a few basic ingredients to make.
- It's prepared in a cast iron skillet on the grill, so you can make it at home or on your next camping trip.
- It's an easy dessert that smells and tastes amazing.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Apples--Use good baking apples that will hold up during cooking and won't become mushy. I recommend Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples.
- Brown sugar--This recipe uses less sugar than most apple crisps, but relies on the rich molasses undertones of the brown sugar to deliver just as much sweetness.
- Butter--If you use salted butter, don't add the salt to the oat topping.
- Oats--You can use regular or quick oats here, but not steel-cut oats.
- Bourbon--This adds incredible flavor to the dessert, but you can skip it if you are feeding those who need to avoid alcohol.
Important Steps
- Combine the apples, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and bourbon in a bowl and toss to coat.
- Arrange them in an even layer in a cast iron skillet.
- Mix the oats, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl.
- Work the butter into the oat topping until the butter is pea-sized and evenly dispersed.
- Scatter the oat topping over the apples.
- Grill over indirect heat until the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown.
FAQs
The even heat that cast iron provides allows the apples to cook gently and evenly so that they soften without turning mushy. You can also use it in the oven or on the grill, and can even serve it directly from the skillet. The natural nonstick coating of cast iron means that it will be easy to serve and easy to clean up.
Definitely. Prepare the crisp as directed, then transfer it to a 350°F oven and cook until the edges are bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 1 ¼ hours.
You want to use a good baking apple that will withstand the slow cooking process and will soften but won't turn mushy. I recommend Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples. You can also use Granny Smith, however, you may want to increase the brown sugar slightly.
This is practically begging for a big scoop of ice cream or a drizzle of heavy cream on top. If you've got a sweet tooth, you could also add a little caramel sauce on top.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Keep your skillet over indirect heat the entire time to avoid burning the apples.
- Leftover apple crisp can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat on the grill or stovetop over low heat until warmed through.
The Most Important Thing to Remember
The most helpful piece of advice I can give you when making this recipe is to use indirect heat for grilling the apple crisp. Placing it over direct heat on your grill will cause the apples to break down and caramelize before the topping crisps. Indirect heat will allow the apples to cook slowly and soften, without creating a burnt, sticky mess on your skillet.
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Recipe
Skillet Bourbon Apple Crisp
Equipment
- 12-inch Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
For the apple filling
- 3 large apples (26 oz | 740 g) peeled, cored, and sliced ¼-inch thick
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the oat topping
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small cubes
Instructions
Make the apple filling
- Prepare a grill for indirect cooking over medium-low heat (350°F | 180°C).
- In a large bowl, combine the apples, brown sugar, flour, bourbon, and cinnamon. Toss well to combine.
- Arrange the apples in an even layer in a 12-inch (30-cm) cast iron skillet.
Make the oat topping
- In the same bowl used for the apples (no need to wash!) combine the oats, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
- Toss in the butter cubes and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the oat mixture until the butter is pea-sized and evenly dispersed.
- Scatter the oat topping over the apples.
- Place the skillet over indirect heat and grill until the apples are tender, the edges are bubbling, and the topping is golden brown and crisp, about 1 ¼ hours.
- Cool slightly before serving.
Notes
-
- Keep your skillet over indirect heat the entire time to avoid burning the apples.
- Serve the crisp with ice cream, heavy cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
- Leftover apple crisp can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat on the grill or stovetop over low heat until warmed through.
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