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Home / Recipes / Desserts / Instant Pot Apple Crisp + Video

Instant Pot Apple Crisp + Video

October 29, 2019 By Jill Selkowitz / 20 Comments Updated March 30, 2021 / As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs I earn from qualifying purchases; see all disclosures.

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Instant Pot Apple Crisp with the warm sweet fall scents of cinnamon, ginger and fresh Granny Smith apples can be in your belly in under 30 minutes.

Instant Pot Apple Crisp

Instant Pot Apple Crisp

Warm, sweet, aromatic and crunchy Slow Cooker Apple Crisp has been one of our long time favorite desserts to assemble shortly before a dinner party.so as the guests are enjoying a wonderful dinner, they’ll get to enjoy the fabulous aroma.

I’ve now converted my world famous Apple Crisp recipe to be made in the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker. The house will still fill with the fantastic aroma and since it cooks in under 20 minutes, it is ready to eat right after dinner.

Jump to Section

  • Ingredients for Instant Pot Apple Crisp
  • Why Use Granny Smith Apples?
  • Preventing Apples from Turning Brown
  • What is Crystallized Ginger?
  • Is Water/Liquid Needed?
  • Spice Options for Streusel Topping
  • Frozen Butter for Apple Crisp
  • What are Grapenut Nuggets?
  • Difference Between a Crisp, a Crumble and a Cobbler
  • Tips and Tricks for Instant Pot Apple Crisp
  • Instant Pot Apple Crisp

Ingredients for Instant Pot Apple Crisp

Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot Apple Crisp

Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot Apple Crisp

  • Apples, Cinnamon, Sugar, Crystallized Ginger
  • All Purpose Flour and Bisquick Baking Mix
  • Rolled Oats, Grapenuts Nuggets
  • Brown Sugar, Cornstarch and Butter

Preparation for Instant Pot Apple Crisp is only about 10 minutes. (The pressure up and down takes around 15 minutes and is all hands off.) It is such an easy recipe and something you will enjoy any time of the year.

 

Lemon Juice Keeps the Apples From Turning Brown

Lemon Juice Keeps the Apples From Turning Brown

Why Use Granny Smith Apples?

  • Granny Smith apples hold up well and won’t get mushy after spending a minute under pressure. They are also great to use for pies and crisps, as they will remain intact and not turn into applesauce during baking.
  • You certainly do not want to make applesauce instead of apple crisp! With the Granny Smith apples, you can rest assured that your Instant Pot Apple Crisp will have nice chucks of soft apples to sink your teeth into.
  • This type of apple is quite tart and have a wonderful flavor. The sugar and other ingredients will make them taste so incredible.

My incredible Cast Iron Blue Ribbon Caramel Apple Pie is another recipe made with Granny Smith apples.

Preventing Apples from Turning Brown

  • As you are peeling and cutting the apples into chucks, place them in a bowl of water with lemon juice or vinegar.
  • Lemon juice and vinegar are both acidic will help to prevent the apples from turning brown.
  • If shooting a video and you have to walk away for a minute, make sure you squeeze in the lemon juice first, as that minute might turn into 10. 😉

Pro Tip: After draining the apples from the water, make sure to squeeze in some lemon juice immediately. 

 

Mix in Filling Spices

Mix in Filling Spices

What is Crystallized Ginger?

  • It is slices of ginger root, which have been dried/candied with sugar.
  • The flavor of the crystallized ginger is wonderful and the texture is divine. I love the chewy pieces. It kind of reminds me of a Boba drink. A delicious drink with chewy pieces, yum.

If you cannot get your hands on the crystallized ginger, try using fresh grated ginger and a teaspoon more sugar. However, crystallized is so wonderful and you can sprinkle it on ice cream, Cheesecake Salad, Instant Pot Bhapa Doi {Steamed Yogurt Pudding} and much more. Even add a 1/4 teaspoon to a delicious Holiday Raspberry Cranberry Spritzer.

 

Sprinkle Cornstarch over Apples

Sprinkle Cornstarch over Apples

Is Water/Liquid Needed?

  • Nope. As the apples sit with the sugar and filling, they will start to release their juice. This is good as this juice which is falling to the bottom is the liquid that will allow the pot to come to pressure. It is similar to making my Pressure Cooker Fresh Berry Compote (Stewed Fruit). You will notice that after a few minutes, the pot is full of liquid before cooking.

For this reason, no water or other actual liquid is needed, so take your time preparing the topping and the filling.

Can I Mix the Cornstarch with the Filling?

  • Oh gosh, no, no, no, no, goodness no. 🙂 Cornstarch is a thickener. As the apples cook, juice will be released. That juice will then allow the pot to begin to come to pressure. As the apples release more liquid, the pot will come up to pressure.
  • During pressure cooking, the cornstarch will automatically mix in with the apples and the filling to make a nice, thick filling. Unlike recipes such as Instant Pot Chinese Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce, Pressure Cooker Salisbury Steak w/Onion Mushroom Gravy, where the meat is coated in order to not only to protect the meat, but will also thicken the sauce or gravy and keep the juices in the meat, here the starch is on top and will move through the filling as it is cooking.
  • So, for this Instant Pot Apple Crisp recipe, you don’t want to coat the apples in the cornstarch. We want the juices to easily release from the apples and cause the pot to come to pressure. With the sugar helping to release liquid and the heat releasing juice/water, no additional liquid needs to be added and just water down the apple crisp dessert.

Pro Tip: If the cornstarch was mixed in with the filling and not sprinkled on top, you would risk the starch sticking to the bottom of the pot before pressure was reached and you would get a burn notice.

 

Prepare the Streusel Topping

Prepare the Streusel Topping

I like to use freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon, but you can flavor the topping however you like.

Spice Options for Streusel Topping

  • Orange Zest, Orange Peel or Ginger Orange
  • Pumpkin Spice
  • Cloves
  • Allspice

This streusel topping can be used on all kinds of fillings and even on top of muffins and cakes. It can be layered on top and even used as a filling in the middle of cakes and muffins. Check out my Pressure Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole to see how I used a similar streusel as a filling.

 

Grate up Frozen Butter

Grate up Frozen Butter

Watch the video below to see Ed quickly and easily grate up an entire stick of frozen butter. He is using a microplane ribbon grater and grating the butter by hand.

Frozen Butter for Apple Crisp

  • Frozen butter and a microplane is my wonderful trick for making crumbled toppings, as well as my incredible Southern Style Old Fashion Buttermilk Biscuits.
  • Rather than cutting the butter into pieces and incorporating it into the flour, keep sticks of butter in your freezer and when ready to make the topping, pull it out.
  • Using a frozen stick of butter and a microplane grater is super easy and is super quick. The butter grates like, well….butter. It forms little ribbons and strands and is easily coated by the flour without actually melding or combining into the flour and causing huge clumps and uneven incorporation.

Pro Tip: Keep several sticks of butter in the freezer for recipes like this Instant Pot Apple Crisp and also my very famous Best Ever Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake recipe.

 

Use a Fork to Mix the Topping

Use a Fork to Mix the Topping

Why a Fork?

  • I don’t know, why a duck? How many are old enough to remember this reference?
  • The butter should be coated by the flour and other ingredients and not incorporated or combined with them. You want crumbles, not a paste or batter. 

Pro Tip: Always use a fork to mix a streusel topping.

What are Grapenut Nuggets?

  • Grapenuts Nuggets are a fiber filled cereal. They add a nice crunch and texture to the crisp. 
  • We started using them in place of nuts, so that we don’t have to worry about nut allergies and ended up enjoying the apple crisp more with the nuggets than with nuts.

Pro Tip: Chopped walnuts or pecans can be used in place of the Grapenuts Nuggets to get that nice crunch.

 

Gently and Evenly Spread the Topping

Gently and Evenly Spread the Topping

Difference Between a Crisp, a Crumble and a Cobbler

  • All three start with a fruit base and are baked with some type of topping.
  • They contain flour, butter and sugar, but the proportions will vary depending on the type of fruit dessert.

Crisp

  • A crisp is basically a streusel topping, and usually oats is one of the ingredients. Various spices can be mixed in for flavoring. The topping will crisp up during baking and it is not as dense as a crumble.

Crumble

  • A crumble also starts out as a streusel topping but in different proportions, so that the topping will be more de. The crumble may include nuts, but generally does not include oats, like a crisp. The crumble is more cakey and dense than a crisp.

 

Great Texture on the Topping

Great Texture on the Topping

Cobbler

  • Another baked fruit dessert with topping is called a cobbler. The topping on a cobbler starts with flour, sugar and butter too, but, it is more of a batter or biscuit like dough and is dropped by spoonful right on top of the fruit mixture. As the cobbler cooks, the batter puffs up and looks like cobblestone streets. This dessert got its name because back in the 1850’s the paved streets were mostly cobblestone. A cobbler close cousin would be a pie.

I’ll tell you about Betties, Grunts, Slumps, Buckles and Pandowdys in another recipe post.

With my slow cooker apple crisp recipe, the lid is vented for about 30 minutes after cooking, which allows the top of the crisp to harden. With this Instant Pot Apple Crisp recipe the crisp is ready to eat right away.

Pro Tip: While you can eat apple crisp right away, it is best to let it cool for about 10 minutes, so that the filling firms up.

 
Place the CrispLid on top of the Instant Pot

Place the CrispLid on top of the Instant Pot

However if you want a very crispy topping, this is what you can do. Pop your crisping lid right on top of the apple crisp and set the temp to 350 and the time to 4-5 minutes.

That will remove the rest of the moisture from the top and nicely crisp up the streusel. Frankly, we love the texture of the topping as is as it is a bit chewy and a bit crunchy!

Instant Pot Crisping Lid and Mealthy CrispLid

  • Mealthy CrispLid (buy from Mealthy) / Mealthy CrispLid (buy from Amazon)
  • Instant Pot Crisping Lid (buy from Instant Pot) / Instant Pot Crisping Lid (buy from Amazon)

Watch the video below as I walk you through every step and detail of this recipe. I’ve given you a ton of information above, but sometimes a live visual of the process helps so you can follow along. I have my own cooking show on my YouTube Channel, so be sure to check it out and subscribe!


Watch my video and then scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card.

Tips and Tricks for Instant Pot Apple Crisp

  1. Use frozen butter in the topping and keep it in the freezer until ready to use.
  2. Let the apples sit in the sugar for 10 minutes to allow some juice to release.
  3. Allow the top to harden by waiting 10 minutes with the lid off before serving.

 

Delicious Apple Crisp Dessert

Delicious Apple Crisp Dessert

So, I know it looks like my hair is right on the plate, but it is not. There is not depth of perception here and my body and hair is not touching the plate at all. I promise.

 

Instant Pot Apple Crisp

Instant Pot Apple Crisp

A scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of my Simple Dulce de Leche Recipe {Pressure or Slow Cooker} recipe is fantastic on top of the apple crisp.

I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as we do. As I said above, this is Ed’s favorite dessert and I’ve been making it for him for over 10 years. He can’t get enough.

More Instant Pot Fall Apple Recipes to Make:

  • Apple Pie Enchiladas with Caramel Sauce
  • Pressure Cooker Dannon Dutch Apple Yogurt Compote {Instant Pot}
  • Pressure Cooker Balsamic Spiced Apple Pork Tenderloin
  • Pressure Cooker Pumpkin Apple Butter

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

  • Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
  • Mealthy CrispLid (buy from Mealthy) / Mealthy CrispLid (buy from Amazon)
  • J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
  • di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
  • Microplane Artisan Ribbon Grater

Caring is sharing! If you would like to support This Old Gal, please share this recipe on Social Media, so that I can continue to bring you more wonderful recipes! 

If you share a picture of something you make from our blog, tag it with #thisoldgalcooks so we can see it. We might feature it on Instagram! It makes my day when I see you’ve made one of our recipes!

Here is the handy printable recipe:

Instant Pot Apple Crisp

Instant Pot Apple Crisp

Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: All types, American, Southern
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours hours
Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 424.84kcal
Author: Jill Selkowitz

Ingredients

  • 6 large Granny Smith Apples peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 4 Tablespoons Lemon Juice divided

Filling

  • ½ cup White Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Crystallized Ginger
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons Cornstarch

Topping

  • ¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
  • ¼ cup Bisquick Baking Mix
  • ½ cup Light Brown Sugar
  • ¼ cup White Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon Whole Nutmeg freshly ground
  • Pinch Sea Salt
  • 4 oz Butter cut into pieces
  • ½ cup Rolled Oats not the instant kind
  • ¾ cup Grapenuts Nuggets they are a fiber cereal
US Customary - Metric

Recommended Products

Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef's Knife
J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef's Knife
High Heat Resistant Spatula
High Heat Resistant Spatula
Microplane Artisan Ribbon Grater
Microplane Artisan Ribbon Grater
Mealthy Crisplid
Mealthy Crisplid

Instructions

  • Peel apples, remove the seeds and cut apples into large chunks, about 1.5 inches.
  • Place the chunks in a bowl of water and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice to keep the apples from turning brown.
  • Once all apples are chopped, place the apples into pressure cooker cooking pot.
  • Mix in 2 Tablespoons lemon juice and sugar over apples and mix through.
  • Let the apples sit for 10 minutes so that they will release juice.
  • Sprinkle crystallized ginger and cinnamon over the top of the apples. Do not mix through.
  • There should be some liquid in the bottom of the pot. If no liquid released from the apples, add 1/4 cup of water or apple juice and mix through.
  • After mixing, make sure the apples are evenly layered so you cannot see the bottom of the pot.
  • Carefully sprinkle cornstarch over apples being careful not to let the cornstarch fall through to the bottom of the cooking pot. Do not mix through.
  • In a medium bowl with a fork, whisk together flour, Bisquick, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  • Using a microplane, grate frozen butter into the flour mixture.
  • Gently with the fork, mix the butter into the flour mixture, just enough to coat. Do not overmix. You just want crumbles and not for the butter to be combined with the flour, just coated.
  • Still using a fork, gently mix the Grapenut Nuggets and rolled oats into the topping mixture.
  • With a light hand, sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples so that you can't see any apples through the topping. Try not to let the topping drop to the bottom of the pot.
  • Lock on lid and close pressure valve. Cook at high pressure (most machines default to high) for 4 minutes. If you hear or see steam coming from the Instant Pot or pressure cooker and the pressure pin has not popped up, push firmly down on the lid to establish a tight seal. The pressure pin should then pop up.
  • When beep sounds wait 5 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
  • Turn off pot and remove lid and let the apple crisp sit for 10 minutes before serving.
  • For a crisper top, use the Mealthy Crisplid at 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes.

Video

Notes

Potato starch or tapioca flour can be used in place of cornstarch.

Frozen Butter

  • It is best to keep the butter frozen until ready to use. Frozen butter grates very easily with a microplane grater and will incorporate with the flour mixture perfectly without causing large clumps.

Use a Fork

  • Use a fork to mix the topping. This way, the tiny pieces of butter will be coated with flour and keep them separate, rather than incorporating with the flour and other ingredients in the topping.

Nuts v Grapenuts

  • If you like nuts such as walnuts or pecansn (and do not have a nut allegery), they can be used in place of the Grapenuts Nuggets. The Grapenut Nuggets add a crunch to the recipe.

For a Hardened Topping

  • Wait at least 10 minutes prior to serving the apple crisp will allow the topping to harden on its own.
Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream, if desired. A drizzle of Dulce de Leche Recipe {Pressure or Slow Cooker} is wonderful over the crisp.
I like to use freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon, but you can flavor the topping however you like.

Flavor Options for Apple Crisp Streusel Topping

  • Orange Zest, Orange Peel or Ginger Orange
  • Pumpkin Spice
  • Cloves
  • Allspice

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Apple Crisp
Amount Per Serving (0 g)
Calories 424.84 Calories from Fat 112
% Daily Value*
Fat 12.49g19%
Saturated Fat 7.47g47%
Cholesterol 30.48mg10%
Sodium 162.98mg7%
Potassium 271.61mg8%
Carbohydrates 79.04g26%
Fiber 6.06g25%
Sugar 51.98g58%
Protein 3.85g8%
Vitamin A 636.92IU13%
Vitamin C 9.14mg11%
Calcium 38.49mg4%
Iron 5.2mg29%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About Jill Selkowitz

Hi, I'm Jill. I'm a mom to Tonkinese cats and enjoy sharing restaurant quality meals, easily made at home. With my easy step by step photos and directions, new cooks will be able to follow along and cook like rock stars.

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