CROCK POT APPLE CRISP

Confession time…I’m a lazy cook. I like recipes with short ingredient lists but never at the expense of flavor.

This one checks both of those boxes. It’s full of sweet and cinnamon-y apples topped with a golden, buttery layer of yellow cake mix.

It’s perfect for any occasion and takes less than 5 minutes to make.

WHY THE SLOW COOKER WINS HERE

Right now it’s still warm enough here in Iowa where I don’t want to turn the oven on. That makes the slow cooker my best friend.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Serve the apple crisp right out of the slow cooker, drizzled with additional caramel sauce if desired and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, some whipped cream or a dollop of Cool Whip.

STORAGE AND REHEATING

Any leftovers will store for 3-4 days in an air-tight container or bowl (covered) in the refrigerator. To reheat, place an individual portion in the microwave and nuke for about 45-60 seconds.

The topping gets softer in the refrigerator, so for the crispiest topping, do the broil thing the first day.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW DO I KEEP THE TOPPING CRISPY?

This recipe has two tricks for ensuring the topping stays as crispy as possible. The first is to follow the instructions and lay a paper towel over the top of the dish, under the lid.

This will absorb any condensation so it doesn’t drip down onto the topping, keeping it crispy. The second step is broiling the apple crisp after it comes out of the slow cooker.

Follow the directions and broil for 1-2 minutes for a super-crispy, extra-golden topping.

DOES THIS HAVE OATS?

There are no oats in this recipe but if you prefer a more traditional crisp you can add 1/2 cup of quick oats to the yellow cake mix before adding it to the dish. Just follow the directions and add the mixture to the dish after spreading out the apples.

How is this different than a dump cake?

Well, this is built like a dump cake…meaning, the process of putting it together is very similar. It’s kinda like an apple crisp meets a dump cake.

The cake is drier and more crumbly than a typical dump cake.

Can I make it with fresh apples?

Yes, you can! Take 6-8 medium apples (I prefer Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peel, slice and mix with 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

However, it should be noted that using fresh apples will result in a lot more liquid which makes using the paper towel trick very beneficial. You might also need to cook this an additional 30-60 minutes on high depending on how much liquid your apples produce.

That said, I’m not sure how much better this recipe would be using fresh apples. It will be brighter, for sure, but canned apples make it easier and they’re pretty foolproof.

What if I don’t like caramel sauce?

You can leave it out…but, trust me when I say you should give this recipe a chance with caramel sauce. It makes this taste like caramel apples.

Leave it out and it’ll be a more traditional apple crisp flavor. Or try a couple of tablespoons instead of the full amount.

What other kinds of cake mix can I use?

Try them all. Butter pecan would be deliciously nutty, spice cake will add some cinnamon and clove flavors that go great with apples and yellow cake would be a nice, neutral flavor that would be good with any of the toppings I’ve suggested.

If you only plan to try one, I’d make it the spice cake.

• two 21 oz cans of apple pie filling
• ¼ to ½ cup caramel ice cream topping
• one 15.25 oz box dry yellow cake mix
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Spray a 4 to 6 quart crock pot with cooking spray. Spread apple pie filling over the bottom of the prepared slow cooker.

Drizzle with caramel sauce, sprinkle on cake mix. Do not stir.

Drizzle on the butter trying to get it to cover as much of cake mix as possible. Top with one or two paper towels then the lid.

Cook on high for 1.5 to 2 hours or on low for 3 to 4 hours until topping is set and edges are beginning to get golden. Remove paper towels.

Optional: Place on broil (on low) for 1 to 2 minutes to get a little crispier. Watch closely.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cool whip.

RELATED RECIPES

• Crockpot Lava Cake is another easy crock pot dessert.
• Looking for something fruity to serve alongside this recipe? Try our Easy 3-Ingredient Strawberry Dip.
• Funeral Potatoes are always a hit with the crowd. Great to have on hand to go along with a fun crock pot recipe.
• Crockpot Ravioli Casserole is one more hands-free crock pot dinner to go with this dessert.