Single Serving Apple Crisp

Name: Single Serving Apple Crisp
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 Gala apple (peeled and thinly sliced); 2 teaspoons light brown sugar; 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon; 2 tablespoons old fashioned rolled oats; 2 tablespoons light brown sugar; 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purposed flour; 1 tablespoon butter (softened); 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon; Pinch each nutmeg and allspice

Modified: Apr 16, 2025. Published: Sep 16, 2021 by Lindsay Moe.

Single serving apple crisp is a quick apple dessert recipe that you won't need to share! Just 10 minutes of prep will give you a warm and comforting fall treat.

individual apple crisp in a red pie plate with apple, cinnamon stick, and ice cream

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely live for quick and easy desserts, and this time of year I know everyone is starting to crave quick apple desserts too!

To add to my collection of single serving desserts I created this mini apple crisp that is one seriously easy recipe with lots of flavor and fun. If you can slice an apple you can make this quick apple dessert!

The apples get sliced super thin so they get nice and soft in the oven. Then they get topped with what is basically a spiced oatmeal cookie topping.

an individual apple crisp on a wood table with a striped napkin

It all gets warm and bubbly in the oven, and that cinnamon aroma fills the house giving you all the fall feels! Seriously, if there's anyone in your house who might smell this you should probably go ahead and make two or plan to share because the smell of apple crisp cooking will bring everyone running to the kitchen!

Individual apple crisp ingredients

ingredients for single serving apple crisp

Apple
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Oatmeal
Flour
Butter
Nutmeg
Allspice

How to make single serving apple crisp

Peel and thinly slice the apple.
In a small bowl, combine apple slices with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Transfer the apple slices to an 8-12 ounce ramekin or pie plate (I used a 5 inch pie plate) and spread in an even layer.
In the same bowl you mixed the apples, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice using a fork or your hands.
Scatter the topping over the apples.
Bake 35 minutes at 375ºF or until bubbly, brown, and the apples are soft.

individual apple crisp on a wood table with a striped napkin

Top tips and questions

What is the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble?

An apple crisp has a nice crunchy layer baked on top of the apple filling. An apple crumble topping would be softer and likely not include oatmeal or nuts.

What size baking dish should I use for mini apple crisp?

My pie plate was 5 inches (affiliate link) and holds about 12 fluid ounces. You could go a little smaller than that, but I did find my little 6 ounce ramekin to be too small for the entire recipe.

If you only have small ramekins (less than 8 ounces), split this recipe between two of them (I still give you permission to eat both!).

a fork grabbing some single serving apple crisp from a red pie plate

Can I make this individual apple crisp in the microwave?

Yes, make sure your baking dish is microwave safe and you can microwave this for 3 ½ minutes.

What kind of apples should I use for apple crisp?

It is my opinion that you can't really go wrong picking an apple for a crisp, but you probably want to pick something that won't get too mushy. I tested with recipe with Gala apples, but Fuji, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp would be a delicious swap.

Should I peel the apple for apple crisp?

I peeled my apple because I prefer the texture, but it is ok to leave your apple unpeeled if you prefer.

a fork grabbing some apple crisp out of a mini pie plate

Can I use less sugar?

If you prefer a less sweet dessert you can cut down the sugar a bit in this recipe. I would recommend cutting down the sugar that gets mixed with the apples first, and if it's still too sweet you could cut down the sugar in crisp topping. If you cut it down too much the topping won't have that same great cookie texture, so proceed with caution.

How much is a pinch?

I recommend adding a pinch each of nutmeg and allspice. That's because this is a small scale dessert and you probably don't have a measuring spoon for 1/16th of a teaspoon.

To measure a pinch, simply use a clean finger and thumb to pinch a small amount of spice out of the jar and add it to your recipe. Just grab whatever naturally fits between those fingers, you don't need to try grab too little or too much.

Tips for customizing

Split this recipe between two small ramekins to make it an apple crisp for two
Top with a scoop of high quality vanilla or caramel ice cream
Use vegan butter and sugar to make this vegan
Use gluten free oats and flour to make this gluten-free
Add 1 tablespoon of chopped pecans to the topping
Drizzle the finished crisp with warm caramel sauce
Swap the apple for a thinly sliced pear to make pear crisp
Add more cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice if you prefer more spices