Dutch Oven Apple Crisp Recipe (2024)

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Enjoy this Dutch Oven Apple Crisp recipe at home on your next camping trip. It is the perfect taste of fall in one bite!

Dutch Oven Apple Crisp Recipe (1)

Last month, we attended a fall camping rally, and our friends, Peggy and Paul, were there. Peggy is a fantastic cook and is always eager to have us taste her camping food and have it shared here on the blog.

Peggy submitted her Rhubarb Crunch Recipe to be featured in the spring, and now she has another tremendous Dutch oven dessert. Enjoy her Dutch Oven Apple Cobbler version, which she adapted from the King Arthur Flour Cookbook.

Dutch Oven Apple Crisp Recipe (2)

Top Dutch Oven Accessories

Dutch Oven Apple Crisp Recipe

This recipe has several steps, including prep, that can be done at home. Make sure to read through the entire post so that your dessert turns out. You should also check out our Dutch Oven Cranberry Apple Dump Cake.

Recipe Prep at Home Before Camping

The topping can be made ahead and kept chilled until ready to use. I do this before each camping trip.

In a food processor or with a pastry blender (which is easier for prep while camping), cut flour and butter pieces together until crumbly.

Add the rest of the ingredients except for the oats. When all the ingredientsare combined evenly, stir in the oats. Store in a covered container or a plastic zipper storage bag.

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Apple Crumble in Dutch Oven Directions

It is time to start baking at the campground. Prep the charcoal briquettes using a charcoal chimney. You will need 8 for the bottom and 16 for the top, but adding a few extra for backup is a good idea.

Preheat your Dutch oven over the campfire to speed up the backing process.

Peel and slice the apples. I used an apple peeler/corer/slicer device to speed up the process. This device is also handy for cutting apples for this Dutch Oven Caramel Apple Monkey Bread,

Mix the sliced apples with the rest of the apple mixture ingredients in a large bowl, stirring gently to keep the apples from breaking.

Line the Dutch oven with a homemade parchment liner. Pour the apple mixture into the Dutch oven.

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Top the apples with the crumbly mixture.

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Sprinkle some chopped nuts on top of this camping apple crisp if desired.

Apple Dessert Baking Instructions

Place the eight coals in an even circular pattern in the bottom of a foil pan and put the Dutch oven on top. We like using a foil pan the same size as the cast-iron pot. We keep this and reuse it on each camping trip.

Place the lid on the Dutch oven and put 16 coals around the rim and middle of the lid.

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Bake for 40- 45 minutes, rotating the lid and Dutch oven in opposite directions every 10-15 minutes to ensure even baking.

Remove the lid and check if the campfire apple crisp is bubbly and brown around the 35-40 minute mark. You can leave it a few more minutes, but remember that the oatmeal crisp topping will keep baking in a hot Dutch oven. Do not overbake!

When fully baked as you like, allow this camping apple dessertto sit for at least 10 minutes with no coals before serving.

Dutch Oven Apple Crisp Recipe (10)

Doesn’t this camping apple crumble look fantastic? It was amazing!

Thank you to Peggy for sharing this recipe with us. She is a fantastic cook, and we look forward to featuring more recipes from her again.

Do you have a camping recipe or hack that you would like to see featured here at Let’s Camp S’more? Check out how and become a member of our Mod Squad.

More Fall Favorites:

  • Pumpkin Pie Cake
  • Pumpkin Angel Food Cake
Dutch Oven Apple Crisp Recipe (11)

Yield: 12 Servings

Dutch Oven Apple Crisp Recipe (12)

Create this delicious Apple Crisp Dutch Oven recipe while camping or at home.

Prep Time30 minutes

Cook Time45 minutes

Additional Time15 minutes

Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Apple filling:

  • 8-10 Granny Smith apples plus 4 more of a different variety- Gala, etc.
  • 4 oz. of apple juice or cider
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 4-5 Tbsp flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Topping:

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 stick COLD butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 - 1 cup old fashion oats

Instructions

  1. For best results read through the details in the post above.
  2. Prepare the topping ahead of time and kept chilled until ready to use. I did this before the camping trip. Store the topping in a covered container or a plastic zipper storage bag.
  3. In a food processor at home or with a pastry blender (which is easier while camping), cut flour and butter pieces together until crumbly. Add the rest of the topping ingredients except for the oats. When all the ingredientsare combined evenly, stir in the oats.
  4. Prepare the charcoal for baking in a charcoal chimney. You will need 8 for the bottom and 16 for the top, but add a few extra for backup.
  5. Peel and slice the apples. I used an apple peeler/corer/slicer device to speed up the process. Mix the sliced apples with the rest of apple filling ingredients in a large bowl, stirring gently to keep apples from breaking.
  6. Place apple mixture into a lined Dutch oven and top with the crumbly mixture. You can sprinkle with some chopped nuts if desired.
  7. Put the lid on the Dutch oven.
  8. Place the 8 coals in an even circular pattern and put the Dutch oven on top. Arrange 16 coals on the top around the rim and middle of the lid.
  9. Bake for approximately 40- 45 minutes, Rotating the lid and Dutch oven in opposite directions every 10-15 minutes to ensure even baking. Add or remove coals as needed.
  10. Around the 35-40 minute mark, check to see if the dessert is bubbly and brown. Allow for more time if needed, but be aware that the crumble can easily burn.
  11. Allow the Dutch oven to sit for at least 10 minutes with no coals before serving.

Notes

Add other seasonal fruit such as pears or cranberries to the filling.

Please rate this recipe, leave a comment below, or share a photo of how it turned out for you on this pin on Pinterest.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 400Total Fat: 15g

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Dutch Oven Apple Crisp Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble? ›

Like an apple crisp, an apple crumble is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping. But unlike the crisp, the crumble topping rarely includes oats or nuts. Instead, a crumble's topping is more like streusel, made with flour, sugar and butter.

Why is my apple crisp not crunchy? ›

The main reason your crumble topping isn't crunchy is probably because you haven't used Demerara sugar. Although, it could also be that you've got your topping ingredient quantities wrong: either too much or not enough flour and butter alongside the sugar.

What kind of apples are best for apple crisp? ›

What Makes A Good Apple For Apple Crisp? The best apples for baking keep their structure under heat, which prevents the chunks of fruit from turning into mush after baking. The firm and crisp Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties are popular apples to use in apple pies and apple crisps.

How do you keep apple crisp from getting soggy? ›

Add cornstarch to the fruit to prevent sogginess

One of the easiest ways to avoid wet apple crisp is to use a thickener to bind the apple juices together. The most common thickener is a cornstarch slurry, mixed with the apples before being added to a baking dish.

Why is it called Brown Betty? ›

This has led some historians to believe that Betty was the name of the cook and creator of the recipe and that brown was in reference to her skin color.

What's the difference between brown betty and apple crisp? ›

Both are very similar apple desserts, but the difference mainly comes down to the crumble topping: Instead of the flour and oat mixture used in an apple crisp, an apple brown betty uses breadcrumbs for its crumbly, delicious topping.

What is the secret to crunchy crumble? ›

A pastry chef friend shared the technique. Instead of sprinkling the raw crumbs on top of the fruit, where they absorb the juices and turn a little mushy on their undersides, he spread them out in a pan and baked them separately, until crisp and cookielike.

What is the crispiest crunchiest apple? ›

SweeTango: SweeTango apples naturally have larger cells giving them an extraordinary crunch and perfect fracture, in fact, it won the Guinness World Record for the World's loudest crunch ever!

Why do you put lemon juice over the apples when making an apple crisp? ›

Many recipes for apple pie and apple cobbler will call for tossing your sliced apples in a little bit of lemon juice before putting them into your dish. Lemon juice prevents oxidation of the apples, which means that it stops the slices from turning brown by providing a barrier between the apple's flesh and the air.

How do you make Martha Stewart apple crumble? ›

In a large bowl, toss together apples, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; transfer to prepared dish. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in 1 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt until large pieces form. Scatter over filling.

Which apples are not crisp? ›

Golden Delicious – The Golden Delicious sits at the bottom of the crunch list with soft skin and mellow, yellow apple flavors.

Are Gala apples good for baking apple crisp? ›

Under the simple butter-sugar-flour-and-oat topping is the apple filling scented with cinnamon. Our test kitchen says baking apples, like Rome or Cortland, are the best varieties to use for apple crisp, but Empire, Gala, or Braeburn apples are also good in this recipe.

Why add flour to apple crisp? ›

Flour- Flour helps to create the perfect topping and bind it all together. I used all-purpose. You can definitely substitute with gluten-free flour but I'm not sure how oat flour, coconut flour or almond flour would work. Butter- The butter gives the best flavor and texture and holds together the dry ingredients.

Can I cut apples the night before for apple crisp? ›

I prefer slicing the apples the day I plan to bake the crisp as they start to oxidize once they're sliced and turn brown in color. Add a little extra fresh lemon juice to help prevent the apples from turning super brown. Prepare the entire apple crisp, cover well, and refrigerate the night before baking.

Should you refrigerate apple crisp before baking? ›

You can prepare the crisp through step 3, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day before baking. You can also freeze the unbaked crisp for up to 3 months.

What is the difference between crumble and crisp? ›

So what's a crumble vs. a crisp? A crumble is just a crisp without oats in the streusel. It may feature nuts, but the streusel topping is usually a simple combination of butter, flour, and sugar that is more clumpy than that of a crisp.

What is the difference between apple crisp cobbler and crumble? ›

Whereas crisps and crumbles are topped with a streusel-like mixture, cobblers are topped with a cake-like batter or a biscuit-like dough.

What is apple crumble called in America? ›

Apple crisp is a dessert made with a streusel topping. In the US, it is also called apple crumble, a word which refers to a different dessert in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Ingredients usually include cooked apples, butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and often oats and brown sugar, ginger, and/or nutmeg.

What is the American version of crumble? ›

A crisp is “a type of dessert consisting of fruit baked with a crumble topping,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary's definition, citing an early use in a 1916 recipe for an apple crisp with a topping of butter, sugar, and flour that's mixed together by rubbing your fingertips “*ntil crumbly.” Often, at least ...

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