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Dutch Oven Apple Crisp

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Calling all apple lovers! If you’d like a little more fruit than brown sugar-oat topping then this Dutch oven apple crisp is for you!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
A bowl of apple crisp topped with ice cream in a speckled bowl.

You really can’t go wrong with apple desserts in any shape or form, and that holds true with this Dutch oven apple crisp. Besides being easy to make, fruit crisps are pretty much foolproof!

I chose a cast iron Dutch oven for this version because I wanted a bit more apple filling than a standard square baking dish can handle. I also find Dutch ovens distribute heat more evenly than any other cooking or baking dish in my kitchen. Check out the notes & tips section below for more information, as well as a list of substitutions!

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Overhead shot of Dutch oven apple crisp.

Ingredients

For The Apple Filling

  • apples
  • lemon juice
  • raw organic cane sugar
  • whole wheat flour
  • cinnamon

For The Oat Topping

  • whole wheat flour
  • brown sugar
  • large flake oats
  • cinnamon
  • salt
  • butter
Ingredients to make Dutch oven apple crisp.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven and have a cast iron Dutch oven ready.

Place the peeled, chopped apples directly into the Dutch oven. Add the lemon juice and stir the apples to combine. Add the cane sugar, whole wheat flour, and cinnamon.

Cubes apples, cinnamon, sugar and flour in a pot.

Stir everything together until the apples are well coated. Set aside.

Apple chnk coated with flour and cinnamon in a pot.

Next, make the oat topping. Combine the whole wheat flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir well to combine.

Add the butter to the brown sugar-oat mixture.

A bowl of flour and oats with a large chunk of butter sitting on top in a glass bowl.

Using your hands or a fork, mix the butter into the brown sugar and oats until it is evenly distributed. If your butter is fairly soft, the mixture will be quite smooth, like a soft dough.

A bowl of butter mixed with flour, brown sugar, and oats.

Scatter all of the oat topping, evenly in chunks, over the top of the apples in the Dutch oven.

An unbaked fruit crisp in a blue enamel pot.

Place the Dutch oven in the preheated oven, with the lid off, and bake until the top is golden and apple filling is bubbling. Cool the Dutch oven apple crisp on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes & Tips

If you don’t own a Dutch oven, any oven-safe baking dish that will hold all of the apples comfortably will do. Just keep your eye on the crisp in the oven. When the topping is golden, and the apple filling is bubbling, it’s done.

Choose apples that will hold their structure during baking. I like SweeTango, Honeycrisp, Red Prince, Jonagold, or Northern Spy. That being said, a balance of firmer and softer apples can also be nice. If you like a mix of both, use a softer apple like the classic MacIntosh for half of the apples in the Dutch oven apple crisp.

Use fresh or bottled lemon juice.

Substitutions

You can use regular white sugar in place of the cane sugar.

All-purpose flour can be substituted for the whole wheat flour. You can also use buckwheat flour to make a gluten-free Dutch oven apple crisp.

Instant oats can be swapped in for large flake, however, they don’t have the same texture or chew as large flake rolled oats.

Consider substituting 2 cups (200 g) of fresh or frozen cranberries for 2 cups of apple for a more sweet-tart dessert.

A little homemade chai spice makes a great substitute for some of the cinnamon in Dutch oven apple crisp.

Substitute non-dairy butter to make this recipe dairy-free.

Two servings of Dutch oven apple crisp with ice cream in bowl on a stone surface next to the pot.

More Fantastic Apple Recipes!

Apple Loaf Cake With Apple Cider Glaze Easy to make, and ready in about an hour.

Apple Crumble A simple and tasty British dessert that takes only one hour to make with five ingredients.

Overnight Slow Cooker Apple Butter Fill your house with the scents of fall!

Apple Walnut Crumble Cake This cake features a hint of spicy ginger, and a nutty crumb topping for a simple, seasonal coffee cake

Printable Recipe Card

Dutch Oven Apple Crisp

Author: Kelly Neil
Calling all apple lovers! If you’d like a little more fruit than brown sugar-oat topping then this Dutch oven apple crisp is for you!
4.64 from 11 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American / Canadian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 235 kcal

Special Equipment

  • 1 4 to 6 quart cast iron Dutch oven
  • Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
  • Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Wire cooling rack
Need Metric Measurements?Use the button options below to toggle between US cups and Metric grams.

Ingredients
 
 

For The Apple Filling

  • 6 cups apples , peeled and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

For The Oat Topping

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup large flake rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter, room temperature

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and have a 4 to 6 quart (4 to 6 L) cast iron Dutch oven ready.
  • Place the chopped apples directly into the Dutch oven. Add the lemon juice and stir. Add the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Stir everything together until the apples are well coated. Set aside.
  • Next, make the oat topping. Combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir well to combine.
  • Add the butter to the oat mixture. Using your hands or a fork, mix the butter into the brown sugar and oats until it is evenly distributed. If your butter is fairly soft, the mixture will be quite smooth, like a soft dough.
  • Scatter the oat topping, evenly in chunks, over the top of the apples in the Dutch oven. Place the Dutch oven in the preheated oven, with the lid off, and bake until the top is golden and the apple filling is bubbling, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cool the apple crisp on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Recipe Notes

If you don’t own a Dutch oven, any oven-safe baking dish that will hold all of the apples comfortably will do. Just keep your eye on the crisp in the oven. When the topping is golden, and the fruit filling is bubbling, it’s done.
Choose apples that will hold their structure after baking. I like SweeTango, Honeycrisp, Red Prince, Jonagold, or Northern Spy. That being said, a balance of firmer and softer apples can also be nice. If you like a mix of both, use a softer apple like the classic MacIntosh for half of the apples in the recipe.
Use fresh or bottled lemon juice.

Substitutions

You can use regular white sugar in place of the cane sugar.
All-purpose flour can be substitutes for the whole wheat flour. You can also use buckwheat flour to make a gluten-free apple crisp.
Instant oats can be swapped in for large flake, however, they don’t have the same texture or chew as large flake rolled oats.
Consider substituting 2 cups (200 g) of fresh or frozen cranberries for 2 cups of apple for a sweet-tart dessert.
A little homemade chai spice makes a great substitute for some of the cinnamon in Dutch oven apple crisp.
Substitute non-dairy butter to make this recipe dairy-free.

Nutrition

Serving: 175gCalories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 59mgPotassium: 183mgFiber: 4gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 81IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Let me know on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or tag #kellyneil!

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24 Comments

  1. Dear Kelly, you are so courageous! I think storytelling is so crucial to how recipes tie themselves to us and are woven into the past and present. Thank you for continuing a blogging traditional that holds dear the important things: creativity, honesty, and emotion. If it was only a recipe, that truly would be a sad, lonely thing. I treasure this space you’ve created. So, so deeply sorry for this profound loss you’ve had! Sending a big hug to you, Kris

  2. You’re right, Gail would be profoundly proud and happy you are seeking comfort in your child and your passion for baking and photography and writing. In doing so, you honour Gail and her love for you and Elodie. and all that love is bound to be continued and multiplied many many times over. Thank you for sharing with us all your creativity.

  3. 5 stars
    I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss. I’m glad you shared the story. I’m glad you wrote the story. I’m glad there are bloggers who still write. After all, blog isn’t a recipe site. Blog is a personal log!! Thank you. And keep strong!

    1. Yes exactly Julia, and thank you so much! I hate the trend of creating posts that do nothing more than answer basic questions about the recipe. I’m trying to find the balance between consistent, user-friendly recipe instructions, and soul!

  4. Beautiful photos, recipe and heartfelt sentiment. Your mother would definitely have been proud of this post, Kelly. Thank you for opening up and sharing with us. We’re here for you. xox

  5. I cried reading this post. Not because I have experienced this kind of loss, but because one day I will. Thank you for sharing, storytelling, and being vulnerable. The internet and blogging world needs more of this. Your mom must have been a wonderful person – this fact radiates out from your words about her. Your recipe also looks delicious!

    1. My Mum was a sweet and kind soul who was dealt a lot of shitty hands throughout her life. One the one hand I am heartbroken. On the other hand I find peace that her mental and physical struggles are over. Thanks so much for stopping by Rebecca!

  6. 5 stars
    Losing a family member who cared for and inspired you has got to be the hardest thing in the world to cope with. To this day whenever I have a soft ginger biscuit, I think of my grandmother, and when I grab a buster bar from DQ my grandfather (who while a doctor, had an amazing sweet tooth he shared with his grandkids and tried to hide from his own kids). It was very brave of you to share such a personal story but lovely to hear about the people who inspire you.

    1. Yes exactly Matt! I am hoping to cook my way through the recipes in my Mum’s falling-apart food-splattered Purity cookbook this winter, which is FILLED with her handwritten notes. I am also going to pick up her recipe box this week and I am SO excited. It makes me feel like she’s still here you know?

  7. I can relate to all this! My mums last moments seem like they will never vacate my brain! But I too continue because she would go crazy if I crumbled in sorrow every day. Her life was for living and she showed me exactly that from childhood to adulthood. My life is too. And I’ll show my kids the same as will you with Elodie.
    I’m so happy you are sharing as I feel like I no longer need therapy (well, not so much😉), as I have someone else going through similar with equally as much pain and determination. We are in this together….over social media? Heck yes!!

    1. I’m so sorry Rachael. 🙁

      My Mum would absolutely DETEST if I didn’t pick up and carry on. She was my #1 fan ALWAYS.I don’t know if I would give up therapy – I think I may need some myself! lol See you soon! (on Insta, FB, etc)

  8. I notice that there is flour in the ingredients but not in the steps. Just wondering where it fits in?

    A very beautiful post with lots of emotion. I’d much prefer this kind of post than just a recipe. ❤️❤️

    1. OMG COLLEEN! Yes! Fixed!! Thank you for pointing that out!!

      Thank you so much for reading. See you soon I hope. xo.

  9. We made this last night for a family gathering. Oh my goodness – now added to my favorite recipe collection! It was SO good and everyone loved it. Need I say there were no leftovers – gone in 60 seconds.

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