If warm apples, buttery crumble, and homemade caramel sound like your kind of dessert, this sheet pan caramel apple crisp will be a favorite. Tart Granny Smith apples are tossed with cinnamon, ginger, and lemon juice, covered in rich homemade caramel sauce, and finished with a buttery oatmeal crumb topping.
And because everything is spread out on a sheet pan instead of piled into a deep baking dish, you get plenty of golden crumble and caramelized edges in every serving. That’s definitely a win if the crispy topping is your favorite part of apple crisp.
Serve this dessert warm right from the oven or add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and let it melt into all that bubbling caramel. It’s simple enough for a weekend dessert but delicious enough to bring out for Thanksgiving, fall parties, or family gatherings.
If you love fall treats like this, be sure to try my apple spice cake and apple pie cookies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made with tart Granny Smith apples
- Covered in homemade caramel sauce
- Buttery oatmeal crumb topping
- Plenty of golden, crispy edges
- Warm cinnamon and ginger flavor
- Perfect for fall and holiday gatherings
- Easier to serve than traditional apple pie
- Delicious warm or at room temperature
- Even better with vanilla ice cream
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients and their exact amounts at the bottom of the post.
- Granny Smith Apples: Their tart flavor balances the sweet caramel, and they hold their shape nicely as they bake.
- Homemade Caramel Sauce: This is where the rich, gooey sweetness comes from. Sugar, butter, and heavy cream cook together into a buttery caramel that coats the apples as they bake.
- Cinnamon & Ginger: Add a warm, cozy spice to the apples without taking over their fresh, tart flavor.
- Oatmeal: Adds that classic hearty texture to the crumb topping and helps it bake up deliciously crisp.
- Brown Sugar: Gives the crumble a deeper, caramel-like sweetness that works perfectly with the homemade caramel sauce.
- Salted Butter: Makes the crumb topping rich and buttery, while the touch of salt helps balance the sweetness.
Variations
- Apples: Try a combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples for a sweeter filling.
- Nuts: Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the crumb topping.
- Extra spice: Add nutmeg, cardamom, or apple pie spice to the apples.
- Salted caramel: Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt over the caramel before adding the crumble.
- Vanilla: Vanilla bean paste can be used in the caramel sauce instead of vanilla extract.
- Oats: Old-fashioned oats will give the topping a heartier texture.
- More caramel: Save a little caramel sauce and drizzle it over each serving.
- Ice cream: Top warm portions with vanilla, butter pecan, or cinnamon ice cream.
How to Make Sheet Pan Caramel Apple Crisp
Step 1: Bring the sugar and water to a boil over low heat. Then, continue cooking until a deep toffee color.
Step 2: Remove from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream and salted butter until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and cool.
Step 3: Mix the dry crumb ingredients. Then, cut in the cold butter until coarse and crumbly. Set aside.
Step 4: Toss the apple slices, lemon juice, and spices in a large bowl.
Step 5: Arrange the apples in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Then, pour the caramel over them. Sprinkle with the crumb topping.
Step 6: Bake until bubbly and the top is golden. Serve warm.
Expert Tips
- Use a rimmed sheet pan. The caramel and apple juices will bubble while baking, so you need raised edges.
- Slice the apples evenly. Consistent slices cook at the same rate.
- Watch the caramel closely. Once the sugar begins changing color, it can go from caramelized to burned quickly.
- Be careful when adding cream. The hot caramel may bubble vigorously when the cream is added.
- Don’t overcrowd the apples. A relatively even layer helps create those caramelized edges.
- Keep the crumb mixture coarse. Bigger crumbs create a more interesting crispy texture.
- Let it rest before serving. The caramel will be extremely hot straight from the oven and will thicken slightly as it cools.
Sheet Pan Caramel Apple Crisp FAQs
Yes. You can prepare the caramel sauce, crumb topping, and apples ahead of time, but it’s best to assemble and bake the crisp closer to serving. This helps keep the oatmeal topping golden and crisp rather than allowing it to absorb moisture from the apples.
Granny Smith apples are an excellent choice because their tart flavor balances the sweetness of the caramel and brown sugar topping. Their firm texture also helps them hold their shape during baking. For a sweeter filling, combine Granny Smith apples with Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Braeburn apples.
No. You can leave the peels on if you prefer the added texture and want to save some prep time. Peeling the apples, however, creates a softer filling and gives the dessert a more traditional apple crisp texture.
Yes. A thick store-bought caramel sauce can be used as a substitute when you want to save time. Homemade caramel gives the crisp its especially rich flavor, but a good-quality prepared caramel will also work.
Yes, although the baking time may need to be adjusted. A deeper baking dish will create thicker layers of apples and may require additional time for the fruit to become tender. You also won’t get quite as many crispy edges as you do with the sheet pan method.
The crisp is ready when the apples are tender enough to pierce with a fork, the oatmeal topping is golden brown, and the caramel is bubbling around the edges. The apples should be soft without completely falling apart.
Yes. Old-fashioned oats are a great choice if you prefer a heartier, more textured crumble topping. They add extra chew and crunch to the finished crisp.
More Delicious Fall Desserts
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Sheet Pan Caramel Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 6 Granny Smith apples
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅓ cup salted butter, cubed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ cup oats
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup salted butter, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Caramel Sauce
- Add sugar and water to a heavy bottom sauce pan, and cook over low heat. Stirring occasionally.
- Once sugar has dissolved and is boiling, increase heat to medium.
- Swirl the pan gently a few times, carefully not creating too much sauce on the sides of the pan.
- Continue cooking for 5-8 minutes or until sugar has caramelized and is toffee colored.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the heavy cream, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
Crumb Topping
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix flour, oatmeal, and brown sugar together.
- Using two forks or your fingers, mix together the butter and flour mixture until you have coarse crumbs.
Apple Filling
- Peel, core, and slice the apples into ½ slices.
- In a large bowl, add the apple slices, cinnamon, ginger, and lemon juice.
- Add to the prepared sheet pan in a single layer.
- Cover with caramel sauce.
- Top with the crumb topping.
- Bake at 425° for 25-30 minutes or until crisp has browned and caramel is bubbling.
Notes
- Use a rimmed sheet pan. The caramel and apple juices will bubble while baking, so you need raised edges.
- Slice the apples evenly. Consistent slices cook at the same rate.
- Watch the caramel closely. Once the sugar begins changing color, it can go from caramelized to burned quickly.
- Be careful when adding cream. The hot caramel may bubble vigorously when the cream is added.
- Don’t overcrowd the apples. A relatively even layer helps create those caramelized edges.
- Keep the crumb mixture coarse. Bigger crumbs create a more interesting crispy texture.
- Let it rest before serving. The caramel will be extremely hot straight from the oven and will thicken slightly as it cools.
Nutrition
I baked this for a family dessert and the caramelized apples smelled amazing. The crunchy topping made every warm bite even better!
This caramel apple crisp came out beautifully golden and full of warm apple flavor. It was even better served warm with a scoop of ice cream!
I’m a big, BIG fan of tasty eats like this that are easy and convenient. This is great!
I love the texture that baking on a sheet pan gives this crisp. It’s so yummy!