Grilled Apple Crisp

Smoky undertones and a flavorful almost caramel apple like filling make this Grilled Apple Crisp one of a kind! With flavors from butter, bourbon, and cinnamon this apple crisp on the grill is a great way to bake outside in the warmth of summer or fall. Top it with vanilla ice cream for an unforgettable dessert people will ask for again and again!

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Stop heating up your kitchen, Let’s Make Apple Crisp on the Grill!

Apple crisp is such a classic dessert. In the summer and fall it so often gets brought out warm after a family dinner with a big bucket of vanilla ice. It brings me cozy feelings.

The only problem about apple crisp is that if you are making it in the heat of summer having the oven on for a long period of time can make your kitchen hot, and that is usually the last thing you want! So I designed mine to be made on the grill outside!

Super easy to prep ahead of dinner I like to throw mine on the grill to cook just as I take off our grilled dinner and we sit down to eat so it is perfectly warm and ready for us to eat as we finish our meal!

Now if grilling your desserts isn’t really your thing you could try this Easy Apple Crisp that is made in the oven instead.

This grilled apple crisp is made up of two parts.

1. The crumb topping, or the ‘crisp’. The crispy topping is made up of mostly oats, flour, sugar, and butter. It is what sets an apple crisp apart from other desserts like a cobbler where you would use more of a batter on the top instead.
2. The apple filling. Similar to an apple pie but a little saucier, mine has plenty of flavorings like bourbon, vanilla, and cinnamon!

Now the idea of grilling the crisp can seem daunting at first but I promise it really isn’t difficult!

How to Make Apple Crisp on the Grill

This recipe is fairly easy but like I said before there are two parts to get ready so it does take a couple of minutes to finish prepping both.

First off you will round up the ingredients:

• Granny Smith Apples
• All-Purpose Flour
• Oats (old fashioned oats/rolled oats works best, quick oats may also be used)
• Brown Sugar
• Baking Powder
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Butter
• Bourbon
• Vanilla Extract

Luckily most of these are common baking items so you should have most of them at home already!

I will note that yes I know that not everyone likes/uses bourbon and alcohol in cooking. First off I will point out that the alcohol does burn off in this recipe just leaving the flavor so it is safe to serve to everyone. Second, if bourbon is not available you can use any kind of whiskey or subsitite any variety of dark color liquor. If you want a non-alcoholic substitute I recommend subbing apple juice/cider for the bourbon!

Now that you have the ingredients you will need 2 specific kitchen tools beyond the basic tools.

A cast-iron pan. If you don’t have one of these I will tell you, get one! My cast-iron is a work-horse in my kitchen and probably on my list of kitchen items I couldn’t live without. They are relatively cheap considering that these beauties last forever! They can be a little intimidating at first yes I know but once you learn how to use them you will be absolutely smitten! (You can order a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet off of Amazon)

Next a grill. I highly recommend this recipe on a gas grill where you are able to control the temperature easily! Not saying you couldn’t make this on a charcoal grill but you will want to keep a very close on on the temperature the whole time if you did.

I recommend a gas grill because you will want consistent temperature the whole time if possible. Once you think about baking this apple crisp from a purely temperature stand point it actually makes quite a bit of sense to make it on the grill.

A standard gas grill when on low heat will hover somewhere between 375ºF and 425ºF, around the temperature you would likely bake it in the oven. See when you think about it that way doesn’t the whole thing seem way less intimidating!?

So now we have our ingredients, cast iron, and grill all ready let’s get making.

Instructions

If baking immediately pre-heat your gas grill to low heat, you will want to keep the heat between 375ºF to 425ºF while cooking. (It also can be put on after other food has been grilled just ensure that the heat is switched to low before cooking.)

You will start by making the crumb topping. Cut your cold butter into small pieces.

Add the cold butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to a medium mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter/two forks to mix the ingredients into a crumb topping. Breaking up the butter into small chunks using the pastry cutter/using the forks in a scissor cutting motion to mix everything into crumbles a little bigger than the size of peas.

Trasfer to a cool area (the fridge if possible) while making the filling.

To make the filling start by peeling, coring, and slicing the apples. (I found that cutting each apple into 16 slices was the perfect size).

Next in a medium mixing bowl add the flour, bourbon, cinnamon, vanilla extract, brown sugar, dash salt, and melted butter. Whisk ingredients together until combined.

Combine the filling mixture and the apples, toss to coat entirely. 

Add the apple filling to a clean cast iron pan spread out into an even layer. Gently sprinkle the crumb topping over the apples in an even layer. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Transfer the skillet to the grill. Grill covered for 20 minutes. 

Uncover the pan and grill another 10 minutes or until cooked through and top is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Best served with vanilla ice cream!

Looking for something to make for dinner on the grill before making this? Try these:

• Panzanella Salad with Grilled Chicken
• Grilled Teriyaki Chicken and Green Beans
• Homemade Pizza on the Grill
• Grilled Chicken Shawarma
• Grilled Greek Chicken Kabobs

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