Small Batch Apple Crisp is the easy dessert you’ll want when cooking for two or a few. Warm cinnamon apples and a buttery crumb topping make it cozy, old-fashioned, and beginner-friendly. You only need a few apples, simple pantry staples, and about 40 minutes in the oven.
🍏 Quick Answer: The Best Apples for Apple Crisp
Suggested varieties: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady, or your favorite. I suggest avoiding soft apples like Red Delicious or Macintosh—they can turn mushy when baked.
You’ll need about 2 large, 3 medium, or 4 smaller apples to get roughly 2½ to 3 cups of apple slices for a small-batch 8×8 crisp.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🧡 Why You’ll Love This Apple Crisp
- 🍎 Ingredients for Small Batch Apple Crisp
- 👨🍳 Quick Overview: Making Apple Crisp
- 🍏 The Best Apples to Use for Apple Crisp
- 🍏 Apple Crisp for Two (with Leftovers) and How to Scale Up
- 📋 More Easy Apple Recipes
- 🍽️ Serving Apple Crisp
- ❄️ How to store leftover apple crisp
- ❓ FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card
Featured Comment by Terry:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "It's a wonderful recipe and tastes just like my Grandmother's and Mother's when they made it."
🧡 Why You’ll Love This Apple Crisp
- Flexible batch size – Make a smaller crisp for two people with leftovers. It scales easily down for fewer leftovers or up for a crowd.
- Uses just a few apples – You’ll only need 2–3 apples, making it perfect for smaller households.
- Pantry ingredients – No oats, no extras—just butter, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Beginner-friendly – No peeling required (unless you want) and no special tools.
- Cozy and classic – Warm cinnamon apples with a buttery crumb topping—comfort food at its best.
🍎 Ingredients for Small Batch Apple Crisp
Here’s what you’ll need—just pantry staples and a few apples:
- Apples – For the recipe as written, use 2–3 apples (about 2½ to 3 cups sliced). Granny Smith is the classic choice, but most varieties work fine — see 🍏 Best Apples to Use below.
- All-purpose flour – For the crumb topping.
- Sugar – White sugar is standard, but brown sugar adds a deeper, caramel-like flavor.
- Cinnamon – Gives that warm, old-fashioned flavor.
- Salt – Just a pinch to balance sweetness.
- Butter – Cold, salted butter works best for a crisp, crumbly topping.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Making Apple Crisp
1. Prepare apples and topping
Peel (optional), then slice or cube 2½ to 3 cups of apples; toss with a pinch of cinnamon.
✅ Pro Tip: You’ll need about 2 large or 3 medium apples (≈1 to 1¼ pounds) to get 2½ to 3 cups..
2. Prepare the topping
In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold butter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
🤔 Tip: For extra crunch, stir ¼ cup rolled oats or chopped nuts into the topping.
3. Assemble
Spread apples in a buttered 8×8-inch dish (or similar). Cover evenly with the crumb topping—don’t pack it down.
🤔 Tip: A 9×9 pan works too, but bakes a bit thinner and may finish a few minutes faster.
4. Bake
Bake at 375°F for about 40 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Cool 10–15 minutes before serving.
👇 For full step-by-step instructions, scroll to the printable recipe card—or keep reading for tips, flavor options, and serving ideas.
🍏 The Best Apples to Use for Apple Crisp
This recipe is a great way to use up extra apples—especially if they’re a little soft, old, or have been hanging out in the fruit bowl too long.
Suggested varieties:
- Granny Smith – Tart and firm; holds shape and balances the sweet topping.
- Honeycrisp – Juicy with a sweet-tart flavor and keeps its texture when baked.
- Braeburn – Slightly spicy flavor that pairs well with cinnamon and sugar.
- Pink Lady – Firm, tangy, and adds brightness and color.
- Your favorite or a mixture
Firmer, slightly tart apples work best. They hold their shape and balance the sweetness of the topping.
I suggest avoiding soft apples like Red Delicious or Macintosh—they can turn mushy when baked.
✅Pro Tip: Adjust the sugar according to the tartness or sweetness of your apples.
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🍏 Apple Crisp for Two (with Leftovers) and How to Scale Up
A full recipe makes about 8–9 smallish servings. A half recipe makes 4 servings—perfect for two people to enjoy with fewer leftovers. You can bake a half batch in two ramekins, but it’s usually better in a small square or round dish for more even cooking.
- A half recipe fits in:
- Two 8–10 oz ramekins (about 4 inches wide)
- A 5-inch square
- 6-inch round baking dish
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes
- A full recipe fits in:
- 8x8 square
- 6x9 oblong
- 9-inch round
- Bake for about 40 minutes
- A double batch fits in:
- A standard 9x13 cake or casserole dish
- Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes
No matter the size, bake until the top is browned, the filling is bubbling, and the apples are tender.
✅ Pro Tip: Use the serving # to scale your amounts—the written instructions below in the card don’t adjust when you change servings.
📋 More Easy Apple Recipes
If you’ve got extra apples, try one of these simple favorites:
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins – Moist, fluffy, and great for breakfast or snacks
- Easy Apple Crumb Pie – Classic flavor with a sweet crumb topping
- Crock Pot Apple Cobbler – Set it and forget it—warm and cozy
- Apple Bread – Soft, spiced quick bread loaded with apple flavor
🍽️ Serving Apple Crisp
Apple crisp isn’t just dessert—it’s a cozy snack or even a sweet brunch side. This small-batch version is perfect for two people to enjoy warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce. You’ll even have a little leftover for later.
If you’re feeding more, double the recipe and bring it to a potluck—it disappears fast.
❄️ How to store leftover apple crisp
- Refrigerate: Up to 4 days, tightly covered.
- Freeze: Up to 3 months, wrapped in plastic and foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat: Warm briefly in the microwave or 350°F oven until heated through and crisp on top.
❓ FAQs
Nope — it’s up to you. I usually peel them (that’s what you’ll see in the photos), but the skins soften during baking and are fine to leave on.
Yes. Just swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free blend. Everything else stays the same.
Toss them with a little lemon juice — about ½ teaspoon per 2–3 apples — if you’re prepping ahead.
Cobblers have a biscuit or cake-like topping.
Crisps have a buttery crumb topping, usually without oats.
Crumbles are similar to crisps but often include oats.
Many people use “crumble” and “crisp” interchangeably — but in my kitchen, this recipe is definitely a crisp.
Yes! This recipe is written for 2–3 medium apples (about 2½ to 3 cups sliced). That makes it perfect when you only have a few apples left in the fruit bowl—even the older ones work fine once they’re baked with cinnamon and a buttery crumb topping.
📖The Recipe Card
Small Batch Apple Crisp (Easy Fall Dessert for Two or More)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 2½ to 3 cups apples - sliced about 2 large or 3 medium
- 1 cup flour
- ¾ to 1 cup sugar - depending on the sweetness of the apples
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon - divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter - ½ cup
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Butter an 8-inch square baking dish or a similar-sized pan.
Prepare the apples
- Peel (optional) and cube or slice 2½ to 3 cups of apples—about two larger or three medium apples. Use Granny Smith, Ida Red, or other firm varieties, but avoid Red Delicious and Macintosh apples. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.
Prepare the topping
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, sugar (use ¾ cup for sweet apples, up to 1 cup for tart ones), ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cut in 8 tablespoons of cold butter using a fork or pie crust cutter.
Assemble
- Spread the apples evenly in the prepared dish. Top with the crumble mixture.
Bake
- Bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Let cool slightly before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This fits nicely in an 8x8 pan, but a 9X6 or 9-inch round will work. A 9x9 will be thinner and not suggested.
- This is an easy recipe to adjust up or down. A double recipe fits nicely in a standard 9 by 13 cake or casserole pan. Various pan sizes are discussed in the post.
- Granny Smith or Ida Red apples are recommended. You can use the apples you love, but I suggest avoiding Red Delicious and Macintosh.
- Reduce the sugar to ¾ cup if the apples are particularly sweet.
- Brown sugar may be used for a slightly different flavor. Or use a mixture.
- The amount of apple slices can vary slightly up or down.
- A bit of cooling before serving helps it hold together.
- Store refrigerated airtight for 4 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheats nicely in the microwave.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Publisher Note: Originally Published October 25, 2014, It is a great simple recipe. It was updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Bobbie says
Perfect!! I didn't change a thing. I prefer the flour vs oatmeal in a crisp topping. The recipe did state what type of butter, so I use salted. I will make this again!!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Bobbie,
Welcome to the blog. On my blog, salt means salted butter. Most home cooks don't stock unsalted butter. If you have unsalted, you can always add a pinch of salt. Unsalted becomes important when butter is a primary ingredient, like butter cookies. Otherwise, use what you have.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Terry Getchell says
Dr. Dan, You suggest to NOT use Macintosh but not why. I've had this apple crisp for 60 years and it was ALWAYS made with Macintosh apples. Is it because they break down that you don't suggest them? I was born and raised in the north and for that reason I assume it's why I like the soft apples in this crisp. It's an wonderful recipe and tastes just like my Grandmother's and Mother's when they made it.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Terry,
Macintosh apples, somewhat like red delicious apples, will breakdown rapidly during cooking although more so with the red delicious apples (not the golden). So it is a texture thing with Macs. Having said that, my favorite apples are cortlands which are similar to macintosh but just a little firmer and hold up well during cooking—but are harder to find.
Have said all that, use what you love, you love macs, use them.
Dan
Karen says
Way too sweet! Only used 3/4 c sugar. Stitch sweet.
Brenda M. says
I made this Apple Crisp today! Followed the recipe except used half brown sugar. It was so easy and turned out perfect! So yummy!