You are going to love this easy Apple Crisp recipe! When you're eating cooked apples, you have to have some crunch to go with the softness of the fruit, right? I found the perfect ingredient for a crunchy topping!
You've probably seen the apple crisp recipe with oats and butter, but this one uses crunchy cheese crisps, which give this dessert more of a grown-up flavor and serious crunch.

A few years ago I found Emeril's recipe for apple pie, and I'll never put uncooked apples in a pie shell again. It's foolproof to cook the apples ahead of time, so that's the way I make my crisp, too.
After visiting with John Wm. Macy's at the Fancy Food Show in New York City as part of the Mom Blog Tour, I immediately started thinking about how I could incorporate the crunchy goodness of the cheese crisps into my easy apple crisp.
With so many different products to choose from, it was a hard decision!
John Wm. Macy developed his original recipe for CheeseSticks in 1976. At the time, he owned a small California catering business. The hand-twisted, twice-baked CheeseSticks were made from sourdough, aged cheese and seasoned butter and became an immediate favorite.
It's not every day that you meet the owner of a food company at a food show, and we were excited to hear the story of John Wm. Macy's CheeseSticks right from the man who created them. He and his team were a joy to chat with, and my family has kind of fallen in love with the CheeseSticks and CheeseCrisps!
I decided to go with the Asiago & Cheddar Cheese Crisps for my apple crisp recipe, and they were a perfect fit! That's not to say this recipe wouldn't be just as fabulous with the Original Cheddar or maybe even the Dijon Swiss.
I have a couple of other ideas for later! By the way, these crisps come in decorative tins perfect for a hostess gift or to add to a gift basket.
Ingredients
For this easy apple crisp recipe, of course, you'll need apples. Look for the crunchiest variety you can find. Envy or Fuji would be my choice. You'll also need butter, lemon juice, pecans, flour, and brown sugar. For the topping, you'll need more butter, brown sugar, salt, and cheese crisps.
Instructions
Gather all the ingredients for the easy apple crisp recipe. There's nothing worse than getting halfway through to realize someone ate your apples. Been there!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare apples and sprinkle with lemon juice.
Melt 2 TBS butter in a sauté pan and cook apples until slightly soft.
Add pecans, brown sugar, and flour to apples. Stir well.
Divide apple mixture between 4 ramekins. Set aside.
Cut up butter into small pieces.
Add sugar and slightly crushed John Wm. Macy's Cheese Crisps to butter.
Mix well.
With clean hands, be sure there are no clumps of butter in topping.
Divide topping among ramekins of apples.
Top each with a pinch of kosher salt.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Broil for additional 3-4 minutes until slightly brown on top.
Let cool for 5 minutes. Eat warm.
And if you love the flavors of cheese and fruit together, you should try this pear and fig cheese tart recipe I created for Wisconsin Cheese. It's heavenly!
Crunchy Apple Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
- Filling
- 5 apples peeled, cored, and chopped
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 TBS butter
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 3 TBS flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- Topping
- 6 TBS chilled butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 20 John Wm. Macy's Asiago & Cheddar Cheese Crisps
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare apples and sprinkle with lemon juice.
- Melt 2 TBS butter in a sauté pan and cook apples until slightly soft.
- Combine next 3 ingredients and add to apples. Mix well.
- Remove from heat.
- Fill 4 ramekins with apple mixture. Set aside.
- Cut up butter into small pieces.
- Add sugar and slightly crushed John Wm. Macy's Cheese Crisps to butter.
- Mix well.
- With clean hands, be sure there are no clumps of butter in topping.
- Divide topping among ramekins of apples.
- Top each with pinch of kosher salt.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Broil for additional 3-4 minutes until slightly brown on top.
- Let cool for 5 minutes. Eat warm.
Sherry Nappa
These look heavenly! Just in time for fall recipes, too. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Merry Monday.
Donna L
The garlic romano sounds delicious.
Barbara Sellick
I would love to make this recipe!! I don't know where to buy the cheesestick chips!! I'd be very grateful if someone could help!! Thank you.
Sheila K.
I'm looking forward to try the asiago & cheddar cheese crisps!
Lauren
I want to try Original Cheddar.
sindaset
Madagascar vanilla sweet sticks
DJ
I can't wait to try the Java Cinnamon.
latanya
java cinnamon sounds good
Kristen
I'd like to try the Cheddar & Scallion Cheese Crisps.
Jeffrey
I'd really like to try John Wm. Macy's Dutch Chocolate SweetSticks!
Lori Williams
Love to try the Cheddar Rosemary Cheese Crisps!! Yummy!
Jill King
I'd love to try the "garlic romano" cheese crisps!! Love anything with GARLIC!!
Tiffany @ Living Sweet Moments
Love the cheesy, apple and cinnamon combination. Can't wait to make it!
Curtis Lanton
These look tasty!
Alyssa @ Arts and Crackers
I love apple crisp. What a fun flavor idea! I want to try this.