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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Originally published September 12, 2013 and republished with updated text August 14, 2020.
I loved it. Perfect for 2 people. Husband loved it, too.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you and your husband loved it!
Good, but more decadent than I like for crumble. Next time I will reduce sugar and spices a lot and the butter some too. I’m a simple girl though lol. I also added pecans on top for protein and ate it for breakfast. 😅
Good, but more decadent than I like for crumble. Next time I will reduce sugar and spices a lot and the butter some too. I’m a simple girl though lol. I also added pecans on top for protein and ate it for breakfast. 😅
Good, but more decadent than I like for crumble. Next time I will reduce sugar and spices a lot and the butter some too. I’m a simple girl though lol. I also added pecans on top for protein and ate it for breakfast. 😅
Thanks for trying the recipe and by all means you can reduce the sugar and customize it to your liking if you try it again.
I was absolutely craving an apple crumble, but I really didn’t need a whole serving. This recipe was perfect for getting something “close enough” to the real thing. I think it needs a lot more crumble — maybe double or even triple — because mine got sort of eaten up by the moisture of the apples. However, this was yummy and easy!
This is a quick and easy recipe but even though I have a sweet tooth and like cinnamon, I found it too much with the brown sugar and cinnamon in both the apples and the topping. Next time I will try the apples with less brown sugar and will omit cinnamon in apple mix, just put it in the topping. But that’s just my opinion :) Thank you for a one person recipe (and I agree it makes more than one serving, but that’s ok too!)
This is a quick and easy recipe but even though I have a sweet tooth and like cinnamon, I found it too much with the brown sugar and cinnamon in both the apples and the topping. Next time I will try the apples with less brown sugar and will omit cinnamon in apple mix, just put it in the topping. But that’s just my opinion :) Thank you for a one person recipe (and I agree it makes more than one serving, but that’s ok too!)
I’m glad you enjoyed it and yes the sugar can be tweaked to your tastes. It also depends on the types of apples too if they’re more tart or not if one needs all the sugar or not.
And also if you’re looking for a true dessert or more like something that’s a healty-ish snack. For me this is an out and out dessert so I go full on with the sugar :)
This was a quick dessert. I more than halved the amount of sugar and it was still too sweet. Next time I would just add a few teaspoons to the crumble and leave it at that. It’s a fun recipe when you want something sweet and don’t want a big production.
This was a quick dessert. I more than halved the amount of sugar and it was still too sweet. Next time I would just add a few teaspoons to the crumble and leave it at that. It’s a fun recipe when you want something sweet and don’t want a big production.
Thanks for trying the recipe.
I’m so happy to see a recipe for one person, I am trying this tonight, it looks great!
I’m so happy to see a recipe for one person, I am trying this tonight, it looks great!
It’s a generous one person, you may have a little extra, which is just fine :)
Sounds delicious, but with 20 total teaspoons of sugar I think I’ll pass! I only use 4 teaspoons for a full sized crumble that feeds six people.
You can reduce that to taste I’m sure if you are worried.
great
There is no way this is over 800 calories per your nutrition info!
Yes I know, did you read the disclaimer I wrote underneath the info?
No I didn’t- I was in shock 😀
Thanks- love your recipes!
Ok no worries! Glad you love my recipes :)
How nice to have a recipe for one. It just so happened I had all the ingredients,and it turned out beautifully. Thanks so much.
How nice to have a recipe for one. It just so happened I had all the ingredients,and it turned out beautifully. Thanks so much.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you had all the ingredients on hand and this turned out beautifully!