Stovetop Apple Crisp (with Bourbon Cornflake Crunch!)

Buttery, cinnamon-scented, and laced with the ever-so-slight back-note of smoky bourbon, this dessert has the effect of something tres’ fancy. But actually? It’s the easiest thing on this site so far as sweet treats go. You don’t even need to turn on your oven, y’all. Yes, this whole gorgeous skillet comes together right on the stovetop in one pan.

Apple Crisp Tips

Okay, it’s certainly no secret that I love an apple. I feel strongly about their nearly unparalleled ability to walk the line between sweet and savory things so perfectly, with such balance, that I use them all the time. I put them in drinks, on sandwiches, in salads here, there and everywhere. I tuck them in pies and in breads. I slump them and fritter them. I sneak them under pork chops.

They’re the best aren’t they? So today, we’re going down the sweet road with apples again, and whipping up a (really really ridiculously great) Stovetop Apple Crisp. Yes! An apple crisp that you can make on the stovetop is a thing, and a good thing indeed. Not that I have anything against ovens (obviously I do not). But it’s nice to be able to just whip something up, lickety split, without the preamble of a preheat or the whole housewarming effect that can happen with a long oven bake. Not that I’d mind that in February. But this recipe is an all-year-round superstar, and will bring smiles to faces from sun-up to sundown.

Have your ingredients ready before you start

To make a quick-fix recipe even quicker, I like to read through the whole thing first and then go about doing the little things I can knock out before the actual recipe gets underway. So, with this one, I’ll slice all of the apples and set out a big plate or platter to receive the crunchy cornflake topping once I’ve made that.

Have a large sheet pan at the ready

Yes, you don’t want to go to the effort, minimal though it may be, of making the yummy cornflake topping only to have it slump and sog up on you. To keep it nice and crunchy while you saute the apples, Just make sure you hold them on a platter or sheet pan large enough so that you can spread them out in a big layer. The heat will cause things to steam and wilt if the cornflakes don’t have room to spread out. Small tips, big impact. That’s what we deal in here at MKL.

Stovetop Apple Crisp for Breakfast!

Let’s see here … we’ve got a whole heap of fresh fruit topped in toasted cornflakes. Yup. This thing was made to be a weekend breakfast or brunch superstar if ever a recipe was. I topped mine with vanilla ice cream (what you see in the photos), but you could so easily use vanilla yogurt or a honey-sweetened creme fraiche and it would be a knockout all the same.

How to store your stovetop apple crisp

So, once all of the bites have been taken, and the drips and drops and puddles of buttery caramel-apple goodness have been dragged around the pan, it’s time to store all that remains, yes? I do love to make my skillet desserts (and mains, for that matter) in my big, gorgeous iron pans. But I don’t ever store them in those pans. The iron and its flavor will leech into the food over time as things sit and, well, gross.

So, just transfer the remnant crisp to a nice storage container or a plate and you’ll be good to go. Or, if you cooked yours in a smaller, non-iron pan, then go right ahead and store it in that, in the fridge. All good!

How to reheat an Apple Crisp

You can get things warm again by microwaving a serving, sure. But that won’t re-crisp your crisp (which really is at least half of the point here. So, into the oven we shall go. This is when the whole “stovetop” part of the name is sort of diminished. We can’t re-heat the crisp on the stovetop easily and maintain the actual crunchiness of the cornflake topping. You can get things hot that way, absolutely.

But, your best bet for reviving your crispy confection is via the oven. It will both warm your dessert and re-crisp the top.

What you’ll need to make this easy Stovetop Dessert

This is a 6-ingredient recipes that, I suppose, could be whittle down to 5 if you decide to just forgo the bourbon. But that really is what gives everything a nice depth of flavor and makes it seem like there’s more in there than there really is. Ah, behold the power of whiskey. You could also sub a big glug of vanilla extract. Oh! Or bourbon vanilla specifically. That is just vanilla extract that has been made with bourbon instead of vodka.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 tablespoons salted butter, divided
• 2 ounces bourbon or whiskey (can sub vanilla extract)
• 1 cup brown sugar, divided
• 4 to 6 cups crushed corn flakes cereal (amount does not need to be exact)
• 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
• 4 to 5 large apples, sliced (peeling optional, mixed and matched varieties encouraged)

How to make this easy apple crisp

We’ll start by making the bourbon cornflakes, which is nothing more than tossing them in a hot skillet with butter, bourbon, brown sugar, and a little cinnamon. They’ll sort of candy n that gooey caramel and pick up a nice tawny color. It’s truly delicious, I honestly can’t wait for you to try this.

Next, we’ll transfer the cornflakes to a big platter to crisp up and then in go the apples (to the same pan, which we won’t bother to wipe out). Saute them for a while until they slump and collapse all over one another; about 10 minutes. We’ll sweeten them up with some brown sugar and cinnamon and then top them with the cornflake mixture.

Boom! Done and done.

DIRECTIONS

Add 4 tablespoons of the salty butter to a large skillet set over medium heat. When it has fully melted, add the bourbon and a half cup of the brown sugar. Stirring, allow the mixture to melt and fully combine.

Add the cornflakes and stir to fully coat. Let them toast up in the buttery caramel for 3 to 4 minutes until sticky and golden brown. Transfer to a sheet pan for now, and don’t bother to wipe out the pan.

Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar to the pan. When the butter is just melted, add the apples and cinnamon and sauté until tender, stirring frequently. This takes about 8 to 10 minutes.

When the apples are where do you want them to be, texture wise, and everything is nice and bubbly, turn off the heat. Top them with the cornflake mixture, which should be very sticky and clumpy by now.

Serve with either vanilla ice cream or a lightly sweetened crème fraîche or even vanilla yogurt, and enjoy.

If you like the looks of this Stovetop Apple Crisp with Cinnamon-Bourbon Toasted Cornflakes, you might also enjoy:

Apple Butter Apple Pie with Cream Cheese Crust

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