Toffee Apple Crisp
It finally feels like fall! We’ve got that crispy air going, sweaters on, leaves turning red, orange, and yellow…that means it’s time for all things APPLE. Apple pie, applesauce, apple cake, apple donuts…and, of course, apple crisp. This recipe is a slight twist on a classic apple crisp, with little bits of homemade toffee mixed into the crumble topping. Sound good? Let’s make some Toffee Apple Crisp!
Classic Apple Crisp: Updated
There’s not really much to an apple crisp. This classic, easy treat typically has a filling made of apples, white or brown sugar, cinnamon, and maybe a little flour and salt. That gets piled into a pan, and topped with a crumble topping, usually made with oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Pop it in the oven, and soon you have a fantastic apple treat (and your house smells amazing).
This recipe is more or less the same as the classic version, with two additions. First, I added a little freshly ground nutmeg to the filling, because I LOVE nutmeg in apple desserts. You could omit it if you don’t like it, or swap it out for another spice like ginger or cloves. But nutmeg is my jam.
I also added homemade toffee bits to the crumble topping. I was going for an apple crisp with a crunch of buttery toffee in every bite, and let me tell you — it was a GOOD idea. It turned out just as I had hoped.
I mean, just look at it! 🥰
Making Your Own Toffee Bits
Making homemade toffee bits might sound a little over the top, and maybe it is, but boy is it worth it.
You can certainly buy a bag of toffee bits at the store if you want, but making your own isn’t difficult at all (though you will need either a candy thermometer or an instant-read thermometer), and the result is so much tastier than store bought.
I used Handle the Heat’s Homemade Toffee Bits recipe (why reinvent the wheel when this recipe is already so great?). It’s simple to make — you essentially just cook butter, brown sugar, and salt together until it reaches around 300°F on a candy thermometer. Then you pour it in a big blob onto a lined baking sheet, let it cool, and break or cut it into pieces. (That part’s a lot of fun.) And voilà, you have homemade toffee bits!
How To Use Up Extra Toffee Bits
The amounts in this recipe make more toffee than you’ll need for your Toffee Apple Crisp, but if you like toffee as much as I do, you’ll be glad to have the leftovers. In case you’re not sure what to do with them, here are a few ideas:
- Add them to chocolate chip cookies. Try my Milk Chocolate Toffee Cookies or just stir them into your favorite cookie recipe.
- Sprinkle them on cakes or cupcakes. A handful of toffee bits on top of your favorite cake? I mean, YUM.
- Serve them over ice cream. Sprinkle some toffee bits on your vanilla ice cream, add some chocolate sauce, and go to town.
- Stir them into granola or trail mix. Elevate your favorite granola or trail mix!
Or, of course, you can just snack on them. 🙂 However you decide to use them, I have no doubt you’ll enjoy them! (Note: store leftover toffee bits in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. If it’s especially hot out, you can pop them in the fridge.)
Want More Apple Desserts? Try These
If you love a good apple dessert and need more inspiration, check out these tasty fall treats:
- Cranberry Apple Crumble Pie
- Mini Apple Crumble Pies
- Spiced Apple Cake
- Caramel Apple Galette
- Apple Slab Pie With Chai Spices and Lemon Drizzle
Happy fall baking everyone!
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Toffee Apple Crisp
Equipment
- 9×9 square baking pan
- candy thermometer
- heavy-bottomed saucepan
- cookie sheet
- parchment paper or silicone baking sheet
Ingredients
Homemade Toffee Bits
- 1/2 c butter
- 1 c light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp salt
Toffee Crumble Topping
- 3/4 c all-purpose flour
- 1 c old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 c COLD butter, cut into 1/4" pieces
- 3/4 c chopped toffee bits
Apple Filling
- 6 c peeled, cubed tart* apples (3/4-1" pieces), about 6-8 medium apples
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 2 T all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch salt
Instructions
Homemade Toffee Bits
- (Note: If you're using store-bought toffee bits, you can skip this section.)First, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Next, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then add brown sugar and salt. Whisk vigorously for about a minute, until everything is well-combined and the sugar has melted. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture reaches right around 300°F on a candy thermometer. Note: if it separates at any point, don't panic! Just remove the pan from the heat and whisk vigorously until it's combined again, then return it to the heat and continue cooking.1/2 c butter, 1 c light brown sugar,, 1/2 tsp salt
- Once the mixture reaches 300℉, immediately pour it onto your prepared baking sheet and let it spread out (you can spread it out further for thinner toffee bits if you want, using a heat-proof spatula).Let the toffee cool for about 20 minutes, then break it into bits, either by tapping it with a wooden spoon (watch for flying shards!) or by moving it to a cutting board and chopping it up with a knife.
- Once you have your toffee in bits, measure out 3/4 of your bits for the Toffee Crumble Topping.The remainder can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge a week or more. They're great on ice cream, as a cake topping, mixed into cookies, or just for snacking!
Toffee Crumble Topping
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Toss in the cold butter chunks, and, using your fingers, rub the cold butter pieces into the flour mixture until they are pea-sized pieces.3/4 c all-purpose flour, 1 c old-fashioned oats, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 c COLD butter,
- Stir in the toffee pieces. Set aside until you've made the apple filling.3/4 c chopped toffee bits
Apple Filling
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9×9 square baking pan (an 8×8 pan or a 9" pie pan will work as well).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped apple pieces with the lemon juice.6 c peeled, cubed tart* apples (3/4-1" pieces),, 1 tsp lemon juice
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples and stir to combine.1/2 c granulated sugar, 2 T all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, pinch salt
- Pour your apple filling into the prepared pan, and spread it out evenly. Then sprinkle the Toffee Crumble Topping evenly over the top.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the filling is starting to bubble up through the sides of the crumble topping and the topping is beginning to brown. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.Cover any leftovers and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
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2 Comments
DARCI BANDI
Loved how easy this was. I made as written but next time I will add more apples and reduce the sugar in the topping. Adding to regular rotation for fall treats.
Jamie
So glad you enjoyed it! Happy fall baking! 🍁