Sourdough Apple Crisp Recipe {The Perfect Fall Treat}
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My Sourdough Apple Crisp Recipe pairs fresh apples and warm spices with a buttery oat crumble for a cozy fall sourdough baking dessert.
I use extra sourdough discard for a subtle tang and serve this apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Another great option for an apple-season bake, I make 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
- A relaxed apple dessert: You get the cozy flavor of apple pie without making pastry dough. If you do want a rustic crust, turn to Easy Apple Galette with a Sourdough Pie Crust.
- Juicy fruit under a crisp topping: Rolled oats, cold butter, and brown sugar give you a crunchy contrast to the tender apple pie filling. For another great way to enjoy spiced apples, make Salted Caramel Apple Sourdough Hand Pies.
- An easy use for discard: You can turn extra leftover starter into a crowd-pleasing dessert without waiting for a bread dough to rise. Reach for Apple Cider Sourdough Donut Quick Bread if you want those fall flavors in a loaf.
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 dry flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, then whisk until combined. With a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the all purpose 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
- Cut the crisp apples into similar-sized pieces so the filling softens evenly, and mix tart and sweet varieties for more balanced flavor. We also reach for Granny Smith apples in Sourdough Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls.
- Keep the butter cold until you need it so the oat topping stays crumbly instead of turning greasy. The cold-butter approach helps the texture of Flaky Maple and Pecan Sourdough Scones too.
- Let the dish cool before covering leftovers, which keeps trapped steam from softening the topping. Follow a similar cool-before-wrapping routine with Apple Cider Sourdough Donut Quick Bread.
How to Store
After baking this sourdough apple crisp, let it cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container kind of seal 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
You can use 5-minute oats, though the topping will be softer and less textured than it is with old-fashioned rolled oats. I prefer rolled oats when I want a bit of crunch. For another sweet bake that features oats and discard, make Sourdough Oatmeal Quick Bread.
You can assemble it, cover the baking sheet, and refrigerate it for up to one day before baking. You can also bake it ahead and warm the whole dish in the oven until heated through; for another apple dessert to make in advance, turn to Sourdough Apple Cake.
You can replace the discard with the same weight in grams of bubbly active starter. Use fresh, room-temperature discard when you want a milder tang. For another apple-season recipe that accepts either starter or discard by weight, make Homemade Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts.
The best apples for me are tart apples like Granny Smith apples mixed with Honeycrisp for a filling that balances sweetness and keeps some shape. Pink Lady or Gala also work when I want to vary the mix. We also use fresh apples in Fluffy Sourdough Apple Pancakes for another fall breakfast.
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.