Sourdough Apple Crisp Recipe {The Perfect Fall Treat}
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My Sourdough Apple Crisp Recipe is a perfect discard dessert recipe with fresh apples, brown sugar, rolled oats, and a buttery crisp topping that bakes golden brown.
This sourdough apple crisp is a great way to use extra sourdough discard during apple season, and I serve this apple dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or alongside Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins.
Quick Look: Sourdough Apple Crisp
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Servings: 6 servings
- Calories: ~376 kcal per serving (based on nutritional panel)
- Cook Method: Baked
- Flavor Profile: Tender, tart apples with warm cinnamon and nutmeg, topped with a buttery, golden oat crumble. Best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
- Difficulty: Easy — Simple ingredients, quick to assemble, and ready in just 1 hour!
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Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Apple Crisp Recipe
- Easy, cozy apple dessert: This delicious recipe has the familiar flavor of an apple crumble without pastry dough, making it a relaxed choice for apple picking season. For another rustic apple dessert, I make Sourdough Apple Galette.
- Crunchy oat topping and tender fruit: Rolled oats, cold butter, brown sugar, and warm spices create a crisp topping with a bit of crunch over juicy apples. For a handheld fall dessert with a fruit filling, try my Salted Caramel Apple Sourdough Hand Pies.
- A useful discard bake: The sourdough discard adds a subtle tang, turning excess discard into a crowd pleasing treat without a long sourdough bread schedule. When I want the same apple season flavor in a loaf, I make Apple Cider Sourdough Donut Quick Bread.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Apples: Granny Smith apples and Honeycrisp are my go-to apples for apple crisp! Their slight tartness pairs perfectly with the sugar and warm spices, and they stay tender without getting mushy. You can also try Pink Lady, Gala, or even mix your favorites.
- Sourdough Discard: I used fresh, room-temperature sourdough discard. I suggest using discard that’s no more than 1-2 days old. If you use discard straight from the fridge, it’ll give the filling and topping a stronger tangy flavor. And you definitely can swap in the same amount of bubbly sourdough starter (grams).
- Oats: This recipe calls for rolled oats. I don’t recommend substituting with instant oats, and there’s a reason for that. They’re far too thin, turn mushy, and don’t keep their texture after baking.
- Brown Sugar: I like using brown sugar because it makes the topping nice and crispy. I’ve also tested it with regular granulated sugar and it worked well. White sugar or coconut sugar should work too, but the topping may not crisp up the same way.
- Salt: Just a pinch helps cut the sweetness and makes the flavor of the apples and spices pop.
- Cinnamon: Just a pinch gives the crisp that cozy, classic spice and fills the kitchen with a warm, inviting smell.
- Butter: Cold butter makes the topping crumbly and crisp. Pro tip: If you’re using salted butter, skip the extra pinch of salt.
How to Make Sourdough Apple Crisp
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 8×8 inch baking dish. Set to the side.
- Add all the apple filling ingredients to a large bowl and mix until evenly distributed. Pour the apple filling into the greased baking dish and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, then whisk until combined. With a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until the butter is crumbly and in small pieces. Finally, pour in the sourdough discard and mix until incorporated. It will be a thick batter.
- With clean fingers, dollop small pieces of the oat mixture to create an evenly layer on top of the apple filling
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly and the apples are tender.
- Cool for a few minutes before slicing. Serve with homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Choose apples that keep some shape: Use a tart apple such as Granny Smith or blend it with a sweet/tart apple to keep the filling from tasting flat. I use a similar apple choice in Sourdough Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls.
- Start with cold butter: Keep the butter cold until you combine it with the dry ingredients so the finished topping has a more distinct, buttery oat crumble. You can use the same cold butter approach for Flakey Maple and Pecan Sourdough Scones.
- Let the crisp settle before storing: I allow the baking dish to cool before covering leftovers with plastic wrap or moving them to an airtight container. The same cool before storing habit works best with my Apple Cider Sourdough Donut Quick Bread as well.
How to Store
After baking this sourdough apple crisp, let it cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 325°F for about 10 minutes to restore the crisp topping.
For longer storage, freeze individual portions or the whole crisp for up to 2 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. While freezing works, this crisp is best fresh from the oven, so consider making only what you plan to eat.
Sourdough Apple Crisp FAQs
Yes. You can use 5-minute oats, but expect the topping to be softer and less textured than it is with old-fashioned rolled oats. For another recipe built around oats and sourdough discard, try my Sourdough Oatmeal Quick Bread.
Yes. Use the same weight in grams of bubbly active starter in place of the sourdough discard to keep the recipe balanced. For another apple season bake that accepts active starter or discard by weight, try Homemade Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts.
You can use a mix of apples or replace part of the apple filling with pears, strawberries, blueberries, or peaches, keeping in mind that juicy fruit can change the texture. For another apple breakfast using tender apple pieces, try these Sourdough Apple Pancakes.
Let the crisp cool completely, then keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. I reheat it at 325°F for about ten minutes to restore the crisp topping, and I freeze well wrapped portions for up to two months. For another make-ahead apple dessert, give this Sourdough Apple Cake a try.
If you tried this Sourdough Apple Crisp recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sourdough Apple Crisp Recipe
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Equipment
- pastry cutter
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 5-6 apples peeled, 1/4 – 1/2 inch slices or cubes
- 30 grams fresh lemon juice 2 Tablespoons
- 55 grams brown sugar 1/4 cup
- 3 grams ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 1 gram nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon
- 20 grams sourdough discard heaping Tablespoon
- pinch of salt
Sourdough Topping
- 100 grams sourdough discard 1/3 cup
- 45 grams rolled oats 1/2 cup
- 140 grams all-purpose flour 1/2 cup
- 110 grams brown sugar 1/2 cup
- 1 grams ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon
- 1 gram salt 1/4 teaspoon
- 72 grams unsalted butter, cold + cubed 6 Tablespoons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 8×8 inch baking dish. Set to the side.
- Add all of the apple filling ingredients to a large bowl and mix until evenly distributed. Pour into the greased baking dish and set aside.5-6 apples, 30 grams fresh lemon juice, 55 grams brown sugar, 3 grams ground cinnamon, 1 gram nutmeg, 20 grams sourdough discard, pinch of salt
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until combined. With a pasty cutter, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until the butter is crumbly and in small pieces. Finally, pour and mix in the sourdough discard.100 grams sourdough discard, 45 grams rolled oats, 140 grams all-purpose flour, 110 grams brown sugar, 1 grams ground cinnamon, 1 gram salt, 72 grams unsalted butter, cold + cubed
- Dollop pieces of the oat mixture on top of the apples to create an evenly layer.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
- Cool for a few minutes before slicing. Serve withe a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream and enjoy!
Notes
Ingredients & Substitutions
-
- Apples: Granny Smith apples and Honeycrisp are my go-to apples for apple crisp! Their slight tartness pairs perfectly with the sugar and warm spices, and they stay tender without getting mushy. You can also try Pink Lady, Gala, or even mix your favorites.
-
- Sourdough Discard: I used fresh, room-temperature sourdough discard. I suggest using discard that’s no more than 1-2 days old. If you use discard straight from the fridge, it’ll give the filling and topping a stronger tangy flavor. And you definitely can swap in the same amount of bubbly sourdough starter (grams).
-
- Oats: This recipe calls for rolled oats. I don’t recommend substituting with instant oats, and there’s a reason for that. They’re far too thin, turn mushy, and don’t keep their texture after baking.
-
- Brown Sugar: I like using brown sugar because it makes the topping nice and crispy. I’ve also tested it with regular granulated sugar and it worked well. White sugar or coconut sugar should work too, but the topping may not crisp up the same way.
-
- Salt: Just a pinch helps cut the sweetness and makes the flavor of the apples and spices pop.
-
- Cinnamon: Just a pinch gives the crisp that cozy, classic spice and fills the kitchen with a warm, inviting smell.
-
- Butter: Cold butter makes the topping crumbly and crisp. Pro tip: If you’re using salted butter, skip the extra pinch of salt.
Tips
- I love using this apple peeler! Not only does it peeler apples in a flash, but it will also slice them – two-for-one!
- Slice or cube the apple pieces no thinner than 1/4 inch, otherwise the apples with become mushy. Instead, slice/cube them as evenly as possible for even baking.
- If you prefer additional crunch, you could add 30 grams (1/4 cup) of chopped pecans or walnuts to the oat topping. Add with the dry ingredients.
Super excited to try this but two questions! 1. Is there anyway to prepare it ahead of time? Or can it be reheated in the oven later?
2. How should it be stored if it’s not all eaten right away?
Great questions! You can assemble the apple crisp ahead of time, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to a day before baking. You can also bake it ahead and reheat it in the oven until warmed through. If you have leftovers, cover them and store them in the refrigerator. I like to reheat individual portions in the microwave or pop the whole dish back in the oven to help crisp the topping back up.
Can I use 5 minute oats?
You can use 5-minute oats, but the topping may be a bit softer and less textured compared to old-fashioned oats. If you give it a try, I would love to know how it turns out!
Delicious (and not too sweet)! Added one extra apple, but it made plenty to fill a 9×13 baking pan. Will definitely make again!
So thrilled to hear that you loved this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing, Sara!
This sourdough fall dessert recipe couldn’t be easier! Love serving it warm with vanilla ice cream.