Cracker Barrel Apple Crisp Recipe

Get ready for the best of Southern comfort! This Cracker Barrel Apple Crisp copycat recreates the restaurant’s famous warm, cinnamon-spiced baked apple dessert, featuring tender apples underneath a perfectly buttery, crisp topping. It’s the ultimate homestyle dessert that comes together easily for a comforting treat any time of year.

If you love the simple, comforting desserts found at your favorite Southern restaurant, this Cracker Barrel Apple Crisp copycat is about to become your new go-to.

This recipe perfectly recreates the warm, cinnamon-spiced goodness of their famous baked apple dish, featuring tender, perfectly cooked apples smothered under a buttery, sweet, and crisp oat topping.

It comes together easily with minimal effort and delivers maximum cozy flavor, making it the ideal homestyle treat for any family dinner or holiday gathering.

Why You Will Love This Recipe!

• Ultimate Comfort Flavor: It delivers the perfect blend of warm cinnamon spice and tender baked apples that defines classic homestyle comfort food.
• Best Served Warm: Just like the restaurant version, it’s heavenly when served piping hot, especially topped with a scoop of melting vanilla ice cream.
• Simple Ingredients: The entire dessert uses common pantry staples, making it incredibly easy to whip up anytime a craving hits.
• Buttery, Crisp Topping: You get the ideal texture contrast between the soft, sweet apples and a perfectly golden, crumbly, buttery oat crisp topping.
• Easy Weeknight Dessert: It’s straightforward and quick to assemble, making it a stress-free dessert for any casual family dinner.

Cracker Barrel Apple Crisp Ingredients

• Apples (Recommended Varieties): Core ingredient; sliced for that perfect, tender, spiced filling.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the apples and creates a syrup base.
• All-Purpose Flour: Thickens the apple juices into a lovely sauce.
• Ground Cinnamon: Provides essential warm, cozy, classic fall spice flavor.
• Nutmeg: Adds depth and traditional warmth to the apple mixture.
• Lemon Juice: Keeps the apples from browning and brightens the flavor.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall sweet and comforting aroma.
• All-Purpose Flour: Creates the structure for the buttery, crumbly topping.
• Rolled Oats: Adds necessary texture and homestyle chewiness to the crisp.
• Brown Sugar: Provides deep, molasses flavor and chewy moisture.
• Cinnamon: Extra spice to ensure a warm, fragrant crust.
• Cold Butter (Cubed): Essential fat, holds the topping together and promotes crispness.

How To Make Easy Cracker Barrel Apple Crisp

Step 1: To start, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Next, peel, core, and thinly slice your apples, placing them directly into a 9×13 inch baking dish. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle this dry mixture evenly over the sliced apples, then add the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Toss everything gently until the apples are thoroughly coated in the spiced mixture, and finally, spread the apples into an even layer in the bottom of the baking dish.

Step Two: Mix Dry Ingredients: In the same bowl (no need to wash!), combine the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Stir them together well. Cut in Butter: Add the cubed cold butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers, cut the butter into the mixture until coarse, pea-sized crumbs form. Do not overmix; you want the topping to remain crumbly.

Step Three: Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the apple filling, ensuring the apples are mostly covered. Bake in the preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling thickly around the edges. Let the crisp cool for about 10 minutes to allow the filling to set slightly. Serve immediately, while still warm, topped with vanilla ice cream for the classic experience!

Cracker Barrel Apple Crisp Recipe Tips

• Choose the Right Apples: Use a mix of crisp, tart, and sweet apples for the best flavor balance, such as Granny Smith mixed with Honeycrisp or Gala. Tart apples hold their shape better during baking.
• Don’t Overmix the Topping: When combining the cold butter with the dry ingredients, stop mixing once the clumps are about the size of coarse peas. This ensures the topping remains crumbly and gets wonderfully crisp, rather than forming a dense crust.
• Use Cold Butter: Always use cold, cubed butter for the topping. Cold butter melts slower in the oven, creating pockets of air that result in that desired flaky, crisp texture.

• Preheat is Key: Make sure your oven is fully preheated to 375°F (190°C). Baking at the correct temperature ensures the topping crisps quickly while the apples underneath tenderize completely.
• Look for Bubbles: You know the crisp is finished not just when the top is golden, but when the apple filling is visibly bubbling thickly around the edges of the dish. This means the flour has cooked and thickened the sauce properly.
• Serve Warm: For the authentic Cracker Barrel experience, serve the crisp immediately while it’s still warm, topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Storing, Freezing & Reheating Instructions

• Storing: Cover any leftover crisp tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Ensure it is completely cooled before refrigerating to prevent condensation from making the topping soggy.
• Freezing: You can freeze the baked crisp (covered tightly) for up to 3 months, or freeze the unbaked crisp (covered with two layers of foil) before baking. If frozen unbaked, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
• Reheating: To reheat, place the crisp uncovered in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15-20 minutes, which restores the warmth and helps re-crisp the topping. Individual servings can be quickly reheated in the microwave, though the topping may soften.

Cracker Barrel Apple Crisp Recipe Faqs

What are the best apples to use for this recipe? We recommend using a mix of tart and sweet apples. Combining a firm, tart apple like Granny Smith with a sweet variety like Honeycrisp or Gala offers the best balance of flavor and ensures the apples hold their shape well during baking.

Can I make this apple crisp ahead of time? Yes! You can assemble the entire crisp (both the apple filling and the topping) and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, add about 5-10 minutes to the total baking time since it will be going into the oven cold.

How do I prevent the topping from getting soggy? To keep the crisp topping crunchy, make sure the apple filling is cool or at room temperature if you are preparing it ahead. Also, do not cover the crisp while it bakes, and ensure you let the crisp cool for about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven before covering any leftovers.

Can I use melted butter instead of cold butter for the topping? No, always use cold, cubed butter. Cold butter is essential because it melts slowly during baking, creating air pockets that result in the classic flaky, crisp, and crumbly texture. Using melted butter would result in a dense, cake-like crust.

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