Microwave Apple Crisp — 🍎🍏🍁 It’s hard to believe something SO GOOD can be made in the microwave – and in just 5 minutes but it’s true! This microwave apple crisp comes together in just 5 minutes and generously serves one person, or very shareable for two. Top it with a scoop or ice cream, whipped cream, or caramel sauce for the ultimate FAST and EASY treat!
Table of Contents
Quick Microwave Apple Crisp
This microwave apple crisp is the best and easiest thing to make with all those apples you bought because they were on sale. You don’t need to turn on your oven and it’s ready in 5 minutes.
I’m a big fan of crumbles, crisps, and anything with a crumbly or streusel topping. Those buttery, brown sugary nuggets with texture from oats get me every time.
But while I like baking crumbles, usually I don’t need or want a whole pan. It’s the type of dessert that’s really best served warm, with a big dollop of whipped cream or ice cream on top, and after the first, warm juicy piece, the leftovers just don’t measure up.
This quick apple crisp serves one generously, or two more modestly if you feel like sharing.
The apple base layer, comprised of apples, tossed with butter, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and a pinch of cornstarch cooks in just a couple minutes after adding the topping mixture. The cinnamon, brown sugar, and oatmeal topping is tossed together in a minute.
You get all the scent benefits that waft through the house as if you’d baked a traditional apple crisp, except you don’t have to heat up your house and it’s ready in 5 minutes.
Breakfast, snack, dessert, a midnight snack for one. So many ways to go with this microwave baked apples dessert.
Ingredients for Microwave Apple Crisp
To make this single serving apple crisp, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Old-fashioned oats
- All-purpose flour
- Spices
- Salt
- Apple
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Microwave Apple Crisp
Making apple crisp in microwave is fast, easy, and delicious! Here are the basic steps:
- Make the apple crisp topping by stirring the ingredients together until they resemble the texture of fine sand.
- Lay the diced apple in a microwave-safe bowl and top with butter. Microwave 1 minute to soften the apples.
- Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir in the remaining apple crisp ingredients.
- Sprinkle the crisp topping over the apple mixture.
- Return to the microwave for another 2 minutes and cook until done. (Done means juicy, bubbly, rich, and caramely.)
Recipe Tip
Make sure to use a microwave-safe bowl or baking dish that’s got enough room for expansion. The apples release a fair amount of juice, the butter melts, and the whole thing puffs and rises as it cooks. Take that into account so you don’t have an overflow situation.
Recipe FAQs
You can use really any apple variety you’d like for this microwave apple crisp recipe. I used a Fuji apple, but Gala, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Jonagold would all work too.
No, this quick apple dessert won’t turn out right if you skip the cornstarch.
I’ve only made this recipe with old-fashioned rolled oats before, so I’m not sure if quick oats will work here. They’re not as chewy as rolled oats and might make the apple crisp topping too dry.
I’m not sure! I’ve only ever made this microwave apple crisp with fresh apples. You may be able to substitute fresh pears, but I can’t say for certain.
I used a fair amount of both cinnamon (2 teaspoons) and nutmeg (1 teaspoon) because I’m fond them, and like things more boldly spiced. If you don’t like as much pop from cinnamon or are more sensitive to nutmeg, dial down the spices, to taste. You could also work in pinches of pumpkin pie spice, ginger, cloves, allspice, or other warming spices you enjoy.
This is a question that I get frequently for this particular recipe and I only make it as it’s written. It’s a sweet treat and to keep it as such, I use the sugar quantities as indicated in the recipe. You could perhaps reduce 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar (in whichever section you’d like, base layer or apple layer) but I personally would not do more. Not only does sugar provide flavor, it adds structure and stability to desserts, too.
Storage Instructions
In the fridge or at room temp: Crumble is best warm and fresh, but leftover portion will keep airtight for up to 3-4 days.
In the freezer: Let cool to room temp, then seal inside an airtight freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.
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5-Minute Microwave Apple Crisp for One
Ingredients
Crisp Topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (or vegan butter substitute)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons old-fashioned whole rolled oats, use Certified Gluten Free Whole Rolled Oats if necessary
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or Certified All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Blend
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
Apple Base Layer
- 1 medium apple, diced in about 1/4-inch cubes (I did not peel mine, peel if you wish; I used Fuji, use any variety you like)
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, or vegan butter substitute
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- optionally add pinches ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, allspice based on taste preference
Instructions
- Make the Crumble Topping
- In a small bowl, combine all crumble topping ingredients and stir together with a fork until small pebbles and sandy crumbs form; set aside.
- Make the Apple Base Layer
- In a small to medium-sized microwave-safe bowl or baking dish, add apples and top with butter. Don’t use an overly shallow dish because the apples will release juices, the butter melts, and it will rise and puff in the microwave, and it will overflow if bowl is too shallow.
- Cook for 1 minute on high power to soften apples.
- Remove bowl from micro and add the sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, optional salt, optional other spices, and stir to combine and coat evenly.
- Evenly sprinkle with the crumble topping.
- Cook for about 2 minutes on high power, until juicy, bubbly, and topping is set. Due to variance in microwaves, climate, apples and their variable moisture content, cooking times could range from 1 1/2 minutes to slightly over 2 minutes. Start watching it carefully at 1 1/2 minutes and stop cooking when done; don’t overcook.
- Serve immediately. Optionally serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Caramel Apple Crumble Foil Packs – EASY, zero cleanup, made on the grill (or oven) in record time, and tastes amazing!
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Carrot Apple Cream Cheese Tunnel Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – If you like carrot cake, you’re going to LOVE this version that includes apples and a tunnel of cream cheese that runs through the center!
Sugar Cookie Apple Crumble Cheesecake Pie – A buttery sugar cookie crust, tangy cream cheese filling, tender juicy apples, and a crumble topping make this pie a total SHOWSTOPPER!! EASY and THE BEST apple pie!
Apple Fritter Bread — The bread tastes as decadent as the apple fritters of my childhood, no deep frying required and it’s more like cake disguised as bread.
Originally published September 12, 2013 and republished with updated text August 14, 2020.
so, YUM! I made this tonight (even though I had a mini panic attack upon finding my cupboard completely devoid of brown sugar!) and it was absolutely a little piece of heaven. Real butter, my goodness, soooo decadent. White sugar did fine in place of the brown, although not nearly as pretty after being cooked. Topped with some vanilla chip ice cream, this made my soul sing with delight. Thank you SO much!
That’s awesome your soul was singing from a relatively simple little treat and glad that the white sugar worked out okay and next time with the brown, you’ll really be loving it!
The only fruit I had was frozen bananas but I did have a can of cherry pie filling so I thought I’d give that a whirl. Nope! It definitely needs the fresh fruit juices to turn the top into a crumble. Next time I’m holding out for the real deal.
Yeah bananas and canned cherry pie pilling probably aren’t going to be a great substitution for fresh apples. Hold out til you have the right ingredients for sure.
I tried making this and it’s so delicious!! But I had trouble with the topping. Mine didn’t turn into small pebbles and sandy crumbs. It was all just kind of one butter blob. But it was still good!! Is there any way you could post a picture of what the crumble topping should look like before putting it on the apples? Thank you for this recipe!
If it was just one big blog and not crumbly, just work it a little longer until it breaks down (butter will eventually do that) and you’ll be set for next time!
Oh, this sounds like heaven! I will definitely have to try it sometime soon :D
This was heavenly! I couldn’t even wait to put whipped cream on it, straight from the microwave to the fork!
Glad you loved it, Cassie! Thanks for trying it! :)
I missed this recipe when I was out of town and am just now seeing it. I am definitely going to try this tonight!!
Hope your trip was amazing (as Im sure it was!) and enjoy this easy little number!
This looks delightful!
I agree that some dishes come out of the microwave yucky, but this looks wonderful! So quick, easy, and decadent.
I need to rethink the relationship I have with the microwave, this looks scrumptious!!
What a brilliant idea! Then you’re not stuck with a ton of leftovers that you feel porky for eating :-) Love it! Pinning now…
thanks for pinning! :)
Gurrrrrrl, you had me at 5-minute!! And then I read the rest…holy *insert 4 letter word*… I want to be your neighbor!! Come back to Chicago. hahaha
You should move to San Diego. Waaaay better weather here :)
Yummy! I am a bit addicted to apple crumble to I’ll be trying this recipe out for sure! Gosh I could get so lost looking through all your amazing recipes! Thanks
If you keep coming up with these brilliant 5-minute microwave goodies, I’m going to gain so much weight!
This is going to be deadly, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream?! Oh my, I love!! Brilliant :)
Exactly :) Very deadly.
This is genius, Averie! How perfect for satisfying my sweet tooth any night of the week!
I second the voices saying this deserves a scoop of ice cream–dessert for brekkie, maybe?? I think this could totally stand in as a bowl of my usual “oatmeal”…although then the ice cream might be overkill. Thoughts/endorsements, Averie? :) YUM!
I addressed the ice cream situation in the post – wish I had some, but I was out. Next time :)