What makes this easy apple crisp recipe stand out from the crowd? Cozy chai spices, brown sugar baked apples, plus a crunchy oat topping! This apple crisp is truly the ultimate fall dessert! Serve with homemade caramel sauce, whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

Apple Crisp: The Iconic Fall Dessert

I don’t know about where you live, but here in the Hudson Valley, FALL IS IN THE AIR. The leaves are colorful, the sweaters have been unpacked, soup is simmering, and we’re making all the apple desserts! And I can’t think of a more easy & iconic fall dessert than APPLE CRISP!

But you know me, I couldn’t leave good enough alone, and had to make a chai spice apple crisp recipe! And oh my goodness, even if you don’t like chai tea, I think you’ll love this twist on apple crips. Chai spices are a totally different thing! And they’re are so cozy and warming, and elevate the flavors in the crisp!

I made this for a casual dinner party last weekend and it was a smash hit! I served it with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream on top of the crisp topping. And everyone ate it right from the baking dish. Sadly, no leftovers!

What are Chai Spices?

Chai Spice is not the same as Chai Tea. But the flavors are very similar! When it comes to chai spice mixture, I’ve found that the exact spices used vary from recipe to recipe. But my favorite combination is:

• Cardamom
• Allspice
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• and Black Pepper

This exciting combination of spices creates a warm, cozy, and slightly spicy flavor profile that works WONDERFUL in desserts! If you’re new to chai spice in baked goods, try Chai Spice Pumpkin Pie and Chai Spiced Carrot Cupcakes!

Apple Crisp Ingredients

• Apples: You’ll need 10 cups of apples, peeled, which is about 10 medium-sized apples. My favorite apples for baking are Jonagold, Granny Smith, golden delicious, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady. You’ll peel and core the apple, then dice them (or thinly slice).
• Lemon juice: Just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice keeps the apples from turning brown. And helps the spices coat the apples more evenly. In a pinch, you could use lime juice or orange juice.
• All-purpose Flour: A small amount of flour helps thicken the filling. No apple crumble soup here! In a pinch, whole wheat flour or a 1 for 1 gluten free flour could work.
• Sugars: Granulated sugar and brown sugar add sweetness.
• Chai Spices: Listed above! They spice things up and make this apple crisp extra cozy.
• Unsalted butter: You’ll want to cut the butter into butter cubes. Make sure your butter is at room temperature! Melted butter will NOT work. If you only have salted butter, that’ll work ok, too.
• Old fashioned Oats: AKA rolled oats for our crisp topping. Instant oats will not work!

How to Make Apple Crisp

1. Unlike many traditional baking recipes that have you preheat your oven to 350, for this apple crumble recipe we’ll preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
2. In a large bowl, combine the apples and lemon juice. In a medium bowl, combine the sugars, flour, and spices.
3. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples and toss well to coat.
4. Pour the apple mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside while you make the crumble topping.
5. Combine the oats, sugars, spices, and flour. Add the butter and cut the butter into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles a coarse meal.
6. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the apples. Then place the pan in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the apples are bubbling.
7. Serve warm! Preferably with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream.

So are you ready to spice up your life?! Because this Chai Spice Apple Crisp is ready for you! It tastes just like classic apple crisp… but a million times better thanks to the warm and cozy chai spices!!! Top with a ice cream and enjoy!

Serve Warm from The Baking Dish

Because apple crisp is a rustic dessert, I usually serve it straight from the baking dish! I like to add a few scoops of vanilla ice cream right on top of the crisp topping! If you don’t like vanilla ice cream, whipped cream is also a great idea!

If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll also drizzle it with salted caramel sauce. Then let my guests scoop their own portions! Such an easy fall dessert to keep in your back pocket this season!

More Apple Crisp Recipes

• Salted Caramel Apple Crisp
• The Best Apple Crisp Bars 
• Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Chai Spice Apple Crisp Recipe

Ashley Manila

What makes this easy apple crisp recipe stand out from the crowd? Cozy chai spices! Plus, a crunchy oat topping make this the ultimate fall dessert! Serve with homemade caramel sauce, whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

5 from 4 votes

PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 1 Pan (9×13)

Ingredients

 

For the Chai Spice Apple Filling:

• 10 cups apples (about 10 medium-sized apples) peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (113g) light brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Oatmeal Chai Crisp Topping:

• 8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
• 1 and 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

 

For the Chai Spice Apple Filling:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
• Place the sliced apples in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice. 
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and spices. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples and toss well to coat.
• Pour apple mixture into prepared baking dish and set aside while you make the crumb topping.

For the Oatmeal Chai Crisp Topping:

• In a large bowl, combine the oats, both sugars, spices, and flour. Add in the cubed butter and, using two forks or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles a coarse meal.
• Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. 
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 60 – 70 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the apples are bubbling. (You can tent with foil if the crumb gets too brown)
• Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Serve warm! Preferably with ice cream. 

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