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Amish Apple Crisp

Amish apple crisp with a deeply spiced apple filling and a thick, clumpy brown sugar oat crumble baked until deeply golden. Bubbles around the edges and a rest time give the filling a set, then it’s finished with vanilla ice cream and cold cream.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
resting 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For apple filling
  • 8 large apples
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
For Amish-style crumble
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cup rolled oats
  • 1.5 cup brown sugar packed
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 lb unsalted butter cold, cubed (2 sticks)
  • 0.5 cup lard or additional butter (traditional Amish method)
  • 0.5 cup vanilla ice cream for serving
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a large 10x15 roasting pan or 9x13 baking dish, coating the bottom and sides lightly so the crisp releases cleanly.
Make the spiced apple filling
  1. Toss the apple slices with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, all-purpose flour, and lemon juice until the fruit looks evenly coated.
  2. Spread the seasoned apples in the prepared pan in a deep, even layer so they bake uniformly.
Make the Amish-style crumble
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, rolled oats, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt.
  2. Cut in the cold cubed butter (and lard if using) with your hands until you get large crumbly clumps that hold together when pinched.
Assemble and bake
  1. Spread the crumble thickly over the apples and press very gently so the topping stays lumpy rather than compacted.
  2. Bake for 50-55 minutes at 350F until the topping is deeply golden and the apple filling bubbles all around the edges.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the crisp for 15 minutes so the juices thicken before serving.
  2. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and pour cold heavy cream over each portion.

Notes

For the classic thick topping, keep the butter and optional lard cold and aim for chunky clumps rather than fine crumbs. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; rewarm in a 325F oven until heated through. Freezing is okay for up to 2 months, though the topping softens slightly after thawing. If you want a less traditional option, swap the lard for an equal amount of extra butter.