Mrs. Clay’s Apple Crisp

🍎 Our Family Apple Tradition 🍎
Easy Apple Crisp

The last apples have been picked from our little backyard trees — a sure sign that cooler weather has arrived. We planted those two apple trees years ago, and they’ve been faithfully producing the sweetest fruit ever since.

When my oldest was just a baby, my grandfather had apple trees of his own. Each fall, he would lovingly pick apples for me, and I’d turn them into homemade baby applesauce — my son’s very first taste of food. It was extra special because my son carries my grandfather’s name. 🍏

A few years later, when my grandfather mentioned that his trees were dying and would soon have to be cut down, I couldn’t bear to see the tradition fade away. My sweet husband, Mr. Clay, planted two little apple trees for us — a gesture that means the world to me. Every autumn since, we’ve enjoyed the fruits of those trees, always thinking of how it all began.

Through the years, I’ve made countless batches of baby applesauce and rich, spiced apple butter from those apples. But there’s one special treat I always save for the very last picking — a warm, comforting from-scratch Apple Crisp. The aroma that fills the kitchen as it bakes is nothing short of heavenly. It’s one of those simple, cozy pleasures that feels like a hug from home.

🍎 Easy Apple Crisp Recipe

Ingredients

6 large tart apples – peeled, cored, and diced
½ cup orange juice
1 cup sugar (divided)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a baking dish.
Place apples in the dish and pour orange juice over them.
Combine ½ cup sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the apples.
In another bowl, mix flour, remaining sugar, and salt.
Cut in butter until crumbly, then spoon the topping over the apples.
Sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top for good measure.
Bake for 45–60 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust is golden brown.

Serve warm and enjoy the cozy flavors of fall. 🍂

A Little Tip

Don’t toss those apple scraps! Save them for apple butter. If you’re not ready to make it now, just keep the scraps in a freezer bag and add to it as you go. When you’re ready, use my Apple Butter Recipe — it’s the perfect way to make the most of every apple.