Slow Cooker Apple Crisp
This Slow Cooker Apple Crisp is cooked entirely in the crock pot! This easy dessert is bursting with juicy apples, brown sugar, and a buttery oat crumble topping.
My slow cooker has been working overtime lately. On Tuesday, I used it to make my third batch (in two weeks!) of this Slow Cooker Apple Crisp. As soon as that was done, I washed out my slow cooker insert and immediately got started on a batch of Turkey Chili. Tuesday was a day full of delicious food, with lots of leftovers to get us through the rest of the week! I’m embracing fall flavors in my kitchen, even though the fall weather I’ve requested hasn’t arrived quite yet.
I’m always amazed at the variety of foods that can be made in the slow cooker. If this slow cooker apple crisp looks good to you, be sure to check out my Slow Cooker PUMPKIN Apple Crisp recipe. My classic apple pie recipe is another fall favorite.
I’ve been inspired lately to create new slow cooker recipes because, let’s face it, we can all use some convenience in our lives when it comes to preparing food for our families! I love a good apple crisp and this slow cooker version just might become your new favorite apple dessert. I also have a classic oven-baked apple crisp recipe.
While the apple crisp cooks low and slow, the apples become soft and juicy. The liquid released from the apples combines with the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to coat the apples in a sweet, spiced caramel sauce. The topping crisps up and is crumbly, buttery, and spiced with cinnamon. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.
Those of you who know me well, know that I make healthy substitutions in recipes whenever possible. Even dessert recipes. In this apple crisp, I’ve used white whole wheat flour and oats in the crisp topping. I’ve also tested this recipe with different amounts of sugar and have used the minimal amount that still gave the crisp enough sweetness to taste like a crave-worthy dessert. If you’ve trained your sweet tooth to crave less sugar, you could get away with decreasing the sugar even more. And let’s not forget that this apple crisp is full of fresh apples!
This Slow Cooker Apple Crisp is perfect for entertaining, since you can prep it earlier in the day and then start it cooking a few hours before dessert time. If you aren’t ready to cook it right away, prepare the apple mixture and crisp topping in two separate bowls and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook your apple crisp. Then transfer the apples and topping to your crock pot when you’re ready to start it cooking. That way, your slow cooker insert won’t be cold from the refrigerator when you turn it on.
This apple season, treat yourself to a warm bowl of this Slow Cooker Apple Crisp topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’ve even been known to enjoy this for breakfast, minus the ice cream. 😉
You’ll also love my:
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Apple Crisp
Slow Cooker Blueberry Peach Cobbler
Slow Cooker Apple Crisp
Ingredients
For the apple mixture:
- 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the crisp topping:
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- ¾ cup white whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Ice cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Make the apple mixture:
- Place sliced apples in the slow cooker. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir. (Be sure to use a non-metal spoon so as not to scratch your slow cooker insert.) Let sit while you prepare the crisp topping.
Make the crisp topping:
- Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until well combined. Using your fingertips, work the butter into the oat mixture until the mixture starts to clump together.
- Stir the apple mixture one more time and then spread apples out into an even layer. Sprinkle on the crisp topping.
Cook the apple crisp:
- Cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 3-3 1/2 hours, until apples are soft. Turn off heat and let stand for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before serving (keeping the lid on). Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Mmm you had me at slow cooker apple crisp, Kristine! I wish this was my breakfast right now! Apple crisp is a favorite of mine, but I’ve never thought to make it in the slow cooker. I love this and I bet your house smelled amazing! Pinned!
Thank you, Gayle! Wish I could send some your way! 🙂
Oh my goodness, where to start! First of all I LOVE apple crisps! But made in the slow cooker?! YES! I would have never thought to do that! Lucky for me, I have you to come up with creative ideas! This is absolutely genius and it looks crazy delicious! I can totally see why you have made this three times! I say make it four and send some my way! 😉 pinned! Cheers, lovely!
You are too sweet, Cheyanne! Thank you!!!
In the slow cooker? This is such a great idea Kristine! I bet your house smells amazing while this is cooking away.
Yes, it does! Thanks, Natalie!
This looks so delicious! Love the way the apples cook down 🙂
Thank you, Medha!
Dear Kristine, I am tempted to make this right now! What a simple, delightful treat. I love fruit crisps and this one is right up my alley! xo, Catherine
Thank you, Catherine! This one is quickly becoming a family favorite. 🙂
I love apple crisp, and using a slow cooker to make it is such a great idea! It looks just perfect! 🙂
Thank you, Marcie! My slow cooker is one of my favorite kitchen appliances, right behind my stand mixer. 🙂
I never thought to make Apple Crisp in a slow cooker but it makes perfect sense! Do you think it would work to pop it under the broiler for a bit to make the topping crisp just before serving?
Thanks for the great question, Nagi! I’d check the manufacturer’s directions for your slow cooker to see if it’s oven-safe. Depending on the brand, some are oven-safe up to 400 degrees F. I’d be wary of putting it under the broiler. The topping does get crisp in the slow cooker, although not quite as much as if it was baked in the oven. I promise you this is delicious cooked entirely in the slow cooker!
I’m just wondering if anyone has tried a gluten free substitution for the whole wheat flour and what the result has been or might be? Thanks!
Although I haven’t tested it myself, your gluten free flour of choice (such as GF Bisquick) should work. If you try it, let us know!
I can’t wait to try this for Thanksgiving. Thanks so much for sharing. Do you think it’s possible to double the recipe and still fit it in one standard crockpot? i would love to make this for more than 6 people. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you!
Yes! There is plenty of room in a standard crockpot for double the amount. I hope you love this apple crisp!
Kristine, I MUST try this apple crisp, but do I put the topping in the slow cooker too and for how long-am an newbie, but would love to try this for Turkey Day! Thanks-x
Hi Andrea! Yes, you put everything in the slow cooker at the same time and then cook. See the recipe for cooking times. Happy Thanksgiving!
Can I use apple pie filling instead of fresh apples? I don’t want my apple crisp tart. Also what can I use instead of whole wheat flour?
I haven’t tried this with apple pie filling but I think that would work ok. You can use all purpose flour instead of whole wheat.
I had a bag of green apples and needed a recipe. Yours was the first to pop up on the internet! It sounded great but alas, I had no cinnamon, nutmeg, or flour in the house so I had to improvise a little.
I cored the apples and sliced them but was too lazy to peel them. Plus, everyone tells me I should eat peels for more fiber! I have a large crockpot so I think I used about 10 apples and added brown sugar until it looked like your photograph – enough to gently cover the slices. Then, I opened a box of Nature’s Path Organic Blueberry and Cinnamon Flax (packets of “instant oatmeal”) and mixed that with one stick of butter as you described with the flour. I covered the apples with a layer of this and finally, I took one pumpkin “scone” that I had. This “scone” wasn’t really a scone but more like a dense, dry, pumpkin bread shaped like a small scone. I crumbled this up to a flour like consistency and sprinkled this on top of the mixture and turned it on. Yes, the apartment smelled wonderful. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting the 30-60 minutes before diving in:)) It was really nice, very simple, and a healthier dessert than I would ordinarily go for:)
The next time I make it (and I will), I think instead of ice cream I will opt for yogurt or, are you ready for this? Softened camembert cheese.
Is it okay if I don’t use nutmeg? I’m
Completely wiped out but figured it would still taste delicious (;
Yes, I think this will be just as delicious without the nutmeg. Enjoy! 🙂
I love your recipe, desire to substitute lower calorie ingredients, essay, and photos Kristine!
I also really appreciate Tom Harrison saying:
“I had a bag of green apples and needed a recipe. Yours was the first to pop up on the internet! It sounded great but alas, I had no cinnamon, nutmeg, or flour in the house so I had to improvise a little.”
Because my kitchen is packed up for reconstruction, I also need to improvise – they took away my baking dishes, hence the crock pot. They took my flower sugar and brown sugar – I think I can use maple syrup and oatmeal packets like Tom did (bet it tastes even better that way!).
For substitutions, I think I’ll substitute Coconut butter for cow-butter, and I’ll add some stevia powder to help sweeten it up with fewer calories since I am actively releasing excess poundage.
Thank you all for your great ideas and enthusiasm for one of my very favorite foods! When I exercise hard it really fits well in my plan. (: <3
After cooking, do you think you can freeze into 1 serving bowls (like ziplock containers), its just me and as MUCH as I love apple crisp I was hoping to divide it up into 4 to 6 serving containers and freeze for later eating!
Hi Amanda! I haven’t tried freezing this, but I think it would work. Let me know! Enjoy. 🙂
This really is a wonderful recipe! makes me want to take a trip to the apple orchard for some cider and donuts! YUM!
SCRUMPTIOUS!!!!! I made this last night, it is every bit of amazing as you said it would be. I was skeptical of the topping not being crunchy enough but it was very crunchy. I believe by letting it sit for up to an hour after it cooks is the trick. Kristine, thank you so much for coming up with this recipe, it’s easy to prepare, the house smelled wonderful and my family loved it and I loved it!
Hi Mary! Your comment just made my day! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. If you like pumpkin as well as apples, I think you will love the recipe I’m sharing tomorrow. 😉
I have a similar recipe but upped the sweetness by adding half a bag of skor bits on top of the apples…….every tooth in my head is a sweet tooth!
Can I use Large gala apples in this? it’s all I have on hand.
I think so! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
On the Betty Crocker site, someone suggested putting paper towels under the lid to catch the condensation and keep the topping crisp.
Just made your recipe for the first time for Thanksgiving. Worked out perfectly!! A fantastic recipe in so many ways – it was super quick to assemble, easy to travel with, and was no fuss – I just plugged it in when I got there, never did a thing and it was ready in time for dessert. The timing seems to be really flexible and forgiving. Also a great recipe to do with kids, my 3 year old used the “apple corer peeler slicer” and loved measuring and adding the sugars. I had to use a mix of apples and it was fine. I think just using granny smith as directed would have yielded a better texture but everyone was all smiles eating this. Thanks for the recipe! I am adding this to my “go-to” list!
Yay! I’m so glad that you and your kids had fun with this recipe! I made this one for Thanksgiving this year, too. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and let me know it was a hit!
Hi there,
I made this last night and it was delicious!! However I had an issue with the topping… my slow cooker has 4hr 6hr on high and 8hr 10hr on low. So I cooked it for 2 hrs on high like you said but the topping didn’t look cooked at all….kept cooking it for 4 hrs and it still didn’t really looked cooked. Is this just the way it’s supposed to be? Please let me know what you think is the issue 🙂 Thank you!!
I’m not sure what the problem could be. Is your slow cooker an older one? It sounds like it cooks at a lower temperature than mine. I’m glad it was still delicious!
No my slow cooker is brand new! First time I used it actually. It should of cooked fine.. I’ll have to try another recipe that isn’t a dessert to see if the top cooks good. Thanks anyways!
Hi Kristen
I’m using 14 apples instead of 8 could you please help me by adjusting the recipe to 14 apples?
Thank you
Diana
Hi Diana, you should double the rest of the recipe ingredients. Your crisp will take a little longer to cook. I would plan for an extra 30-60 minutes on high or 1-2 more hours on low.
Thank you
Well, I had a lunch to go to after church, found this recipe on the ‘net, and started to make it (first google hit by the way). Didn’t have enough brown sugar, so had to pick some up on the way to church, and just set it in the kitchen while we went to service. WOW did we ever get the congregation salivating! It smelled sooooooo good, and I got sooooo many compliments!!! When we finally got to the persons house for lunch, again, everyone was going crazy over how good it smelled and how delicious it looked sitting there in the crockpot. (To be truthful, I was feeling a bit proud . . . okay a lot proud) When we finally got to eating it after a delicious lasagne lunch, we all almost spit it out because it was too cinnamon-y. Guess I should have used teaspoons of cinnamon and not tablespoons. Pride before the downfall – should have seen it coming. I will try it again some day, but following the recipe this time. Maybe a little less pride too! 🙂
That would be pretty cinnamon-y! At least you have a story to tell, right? 😉 I hope you will make this again, with less cinnamon, because I think you’d love it. Happy Holidays!
I need to make the Apple Crisp for about 30 people. Do you know if I could use my large roaster to do the job?
Hi Kim, I’m not sure what you mean by a large roaster. This recipe will work in a regular oven, with a much shorter cooking time of course.
Hi!
Could I use regular flour? Instead of the weat flour? If so would it be the same amount?Â
Thank you!Â
I’m excited to try this out!
Yes, you can substitute all purpose flour in an equal amount. Enjoy!
I need to make this tonight for about 18 people but need to double the recipe. Do you layer the the apples and the crisp if doubling? I have never made a crisp before. I have a 5 or 6 qt slow cooker.
Thanks!
I’d just put all of the apples (doubled) in the bottom and then the crisp on top. You can double the topping if you like a lot or just double the apples. Let me know how it turns out!
Well the apples cooked in 2.5 hours but the crisp is still not very crispy. It smells great, but I think next time I will bake the crisp then add it after apples are cooked, and then let it heat a little bit in the crockpot.
Awesome I’m gonna try this! I bet it will be great tasting! I love my crock pot and I use it a lot so this will be perfect!
I am going to try this recipe today. Â I saw a idea to keep the crisp from getting soggy. Â It is suggested that I drape a paper towel over the top of the crockpot before covering it with the lid to absorb any condensation that develops on the lid.
Hi, was just wondering if you made this and how the paper towel trick worked!! Thanks in advanced!!
Hi Sarah, I usually tip the slow cooker to the side once or twice during the cooking process to allow the condensation to run down the side of the slow cooker and this works well. I’ve never had a problem with it dripping on top of the crisp. 🙂
This recipe smelled wonderful while it was cooking. It reminded me of cold nights and even the holidays. However, it tasted too sour, so I added 1 cup granulated sugar + 1/4 cup more brown sugar + 2 more tablespoons of butter. This made it really good for my family and me.
I’m glad you were able to adapt this to your tastes. It does smell wonderful as it cooks! 🙂
Hey KristineÂ
Looks good – want to make for my tennis match Thursday. Question though – why does it have to sit for so long? (Thinking it will be hard to keep
Ppl from digging in). Thx
Hi Stephanie, You can skip the rest period if you want, that extra time just allows the filling to firm up a bit. Enjoy!
I have a 3 quart slow cooker. Would the recipe still be the same or would I have to cut it in half?? What size was your slow cooker/crock pot?
Mine is a 5 quart, and it has plenty of extra room when I make this. I think it would fit in a 3 quart.
I made this tonight and it was so delicious. We loved the topping , so crunchy . Topped with vanilla ice cream. I kept the crockpot on warm until ready to serve. Would not change a thing in the recipe.
Can I double this recipe? If so how kind should I cook it for?Â
You can double the recipe, and the cook time will be the same.
Excellent recipe. Easy to follow and easy to make. I look forward to trying more from your site.
Delicious!! I made this for our family today to celebrate a Church feast day. What a treat! I am usually not much of a dessert person, but I had thirds, as did my kids, enthusiastically. My husband also really enjoyed it and wants us to make it again. Thanks so much for another keeper slow cooker recipe! I’m looking forward to making this again. 😀
I’m so happy that you enjoyed this! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂
I love this recipe and am making it again right now. It smells incredible in my house while it cooks.
Can I prep this the night before and cook it the next day? I was going to make it for a potluck but don’t want my apples to be brown.
I have not tried prepping this the day before. If you try it, let me know how it goes.