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The Best Salted Caramel Apple Crisp for Dinner Parties

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This salted caramel apple crisp features a deep, toffee-like flavor from dark brown sugar and salted butter, topped with a crunchy oat topping and finished with flaky sea salt. It’s a stress-free, make-ahead dessert perfect for dinner parties.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 medium apples (about 2.5 pounds or 1.1 kg), a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed (70 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (16 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh squeezed, about half a lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (90 grams)
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (95 grams)
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed (105 grams)
  • 1/2 cup salted butter, cold and cut into small cubes (113 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1–2 tablespoons flaky sea salt (like Maldon or Fleur de Sel)
  • Optional: 1/4 cup store-bought or homemade caramel sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven.
  2. Peel, core, and slice the apples into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Place them in a medium bowl.
  3. To the sliced apples, add the dark brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Toss until every apple slice is coated. Let sit while making the topping.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together.
  5. Add the cold, cubed salted butter. Use a pastry cutter or fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
  6. Spread the apple mixture evenly into a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  7. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Do not press it down.
  8. Place the dish on a baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. If the topping browns too fast after 30 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
  9. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes.
  10. While still warm, sprinkle the flaky sea salt evenly over the top.
  11. Serve warm, optionally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

For best results, use cold butter for the topping and let the crisp rest for 15 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set. The flavors deepen after a day in the fridge. To make ahead, assemble without the flaky salt, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours; add 10 minutes to baking time.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple crisp, salted caramel, dessert, dinner party, fall, apple dessert, caramel apple crisp

Find it online: https://goldensimmer.com/the-best-salted-caramel-apple-crisp-for-dinner-parties/