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Instant Pot Apple Crisp that is Ready in Minutes!

September 21, 2021 by Janice

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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Did you know you can make a fruit crisp in your Instant Pot? This Instant Pot Apple Crisp recipe makes a delicious, irresistible apple crisp that is ready in mere minutes…

Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe

Apple crisp is the all-time dessert winner in our family’s kitchen.

It is the dessert that I have made more than any other in my life — and, when I was growing up, apple crisp is the dessert that my mother made more than any other. So I had to figure out how to make my favorite dessert in my favorite cooking appliance… and I made this Instant Pot Apple Crisp.

My teenage son loves fruit crisps so much he has told me he would rather have an apple crisp than a birthday cake!

Fruit crisps are my go-to dessert because they are so easy to make, they are healthier than cakes and pies, and everyone loves them. My kids get servings of fruit and oatmeal — and I try to get away with adding as little sugar as I want.

While I love to use different combinations of apples and berries in my crisps (I bake apple-blueberry crisps most often), I also love to make classic apple crisps. Cinnamon, brown sugar, and apples… Mmmm… it is homemade goodness.

Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe

How To Make Instant Pot Apple Crisp

Baking an apple crisp in the oven takes about 45 minutes. When my kids are begging for a crisp and I want to hurry and get dessert on the table, that wait can seem like hours.

So, since I am one of the millions of Instant Pot fans, I had to try making an apple crisp in the Instant Pot.

After some testing, (very yummy testing,) here is my classic apple crisp recipe converted into an Instant Pot Apple Crisp recipe.

It is as delicious as it is FAST to make. Oh my goodness, the Instant Pot has those apples soft so fast you will barely have time to clear the dinner dishes before it is ready.

Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe

Since the Instant Pot cooks the apples and skins so fast, you don’t have to worry about cutting super thin slices to speed up the cooking time like you do when you are baking in the oven.

Since the Instant Pot needs liquid to cook, my Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe is different than my classic Apple Crisp Recipe. If you don’t yet have an Instant Pot, this is the one we have and love!

For the liquid in this recipe, you can use apple cider, apple juice, or just water.

Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe

I use apple juice when I don’t have any apple cider in the house and I use a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a couple tablespoons of lemon juice to give the crisp a more robust flavour.

Don’t worry — you will not taste the vinegar, you will just taste the fabulous results.

Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe

To thicken up the liquid, you can use arrowroot flour, cornstarch, or your other favourite thickening starch or flour. I use a couple tablespoons of arrowroot flour.

Also, I should let you know, this apple crisp recipe uses DOUBLE the usual amount of rolled oats for the crisp topping.

My kids and I love apple crisp topping SO much and everyone always wants extra topping, so whenever I make a fruit crisp, I double the oats.

Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe

If you want less topping, feel free to cut the topping ingredients — the oats, flour, brown sugar, spices, and butter — in half.

But, I recommend following the recipe as is. The topping is SO incredible, everyone will want lots with their serving.

To cut down on any guilt and to make your crisp healthier, use less brown sugar and use grass-fed butter or coconut oil.

Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe

You may notice that I don’t put any granulated sugar in with my apples. I never do when I make crisps. I find that the fruit is sweet enough and the topping will sweeten the dish more than enough.

The majority of the time that the crisp is in the Instant Pot will be while the pressure is building in the pot. It can take between 7-10 minutes for it to come to pressure. Then the actual cooking time is can be as short as 1 minute. When I made this recipe, I cooked it for 7 minutes, but it depends on how soft you want your apples and what kind of apples you are using.

After testing the recipe with various types of apples, I have found that you will get the best results after only 1 minute of official Instant Pot cook time.

Ambrosia apples are in our local stores right now and they are one of our favourite apple varieties. Ambrosia apples are what you see in these recipe photos.

Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe

Serve warm, as is, or serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. We eat ours with vanilla frozen Greek yogurt.

Instant Pot Apple Crisp recipe

Frozen Greek yogurt has twice the protein of regular frozen yogurt or ice cream, so it is a great substitute. You can feel a little less guilty about your scrumptious indulgence.

Important Tips for Making Apple Crisp in an Instant Pot

Making apple crisp in an Instant Pot can be a bit tricky… and there is a risk of your apples getting too soft. After extensive recipe testing, I have decided to lower my recommended actual “Instant Pot” cook time from 5-7 minutes to only 1 minute! That is because it often takes about 7-10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. And then you only need 1 minute to finish cooking the apple crisp.

When I originally made and photographed this recipe, I didn’t peel my apples and I core and slice with this fabulous apple slicing tool.

But I have learned from our readers and other bloggers, that peeling half the apples helps reduce the chance of getting a “burn” message on your Instant Pot.

As soon as the 1 minute cook time is up, do a quick release and open the lid. You will have best results if you transfer the apple crisp from the Instant Pot into another dish so that it cools and doesn’t keep cooking in the hot pan. Let it cool for 10 minutes to thicken. Or put it in an oven safe dish and broil it in the oven for 5 minutes to brown the topping.

Close up photo of Apple Crisp made in an Instant Pot and a photo of two bowls of apple crisp with ice cream on top. Text on image reads"The Best Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe"

Tips from a Home Ec Teacher

One of our fabulous readers named Judy Whitelock, a retired Home Ec teacher, wrote to us to share her recipe tips. She’s made this recipe dozens of times in the last few months for her family. Judy pointed out that the key to having the Instant Pot come to pressure and not get a burn warning is having enough moisture. The type of apples can affect the amount of moisture because some types break down very quickly while others are drier and keep their shape.

Judy found that if she got a burn message or the Instant Pot won’t come to pressure, she could just add a couple more tablespoons of water and turn the pot a quarter turn to move the area that is getting too brown on the bottom. She finds that some pots have a hot spot that seems to be where the heat source is concentrated. She also says she browns the topping in a FlavorWave Tabletop Oven. The Instant Pot fits in perfectly with the collar and takes exactly 3 minutes.

Another reader suggested that if you are getting a burn message, you could reduce the cornstarch down to 1-2 teaspoons. The cornstarch helps thicken the apple crisp, so we do recommend it normally. But if you are finding the sauce is sticking to the bottom of your Instant Pot and triggering a burn message, then you could reduce the cornstarch.

Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe

Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe

Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe

Instant Pot Apple Crisp

Did you know you can make a fruit crisp in your Instant Pot? This Instant Pot Apple Crisp recipe makes a delicious, irresistible apple crisp that is ready in mere minutes…
4.22 from 70 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 273kcal

Video

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 9 cups apples small firm apples such as Granny Smith, Gala, or Ambrosia, work well. Cored and sliced. Peeling half of the apples gives the best results.
  • 1 cup apple juice/apple cider/water
  • 2 tablespoons water extra bit of water helps to create steam and bring to pressure
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot flour
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar could increase to 3/4 cup
  • 3/4 cup butter melted for healthier option use grass-fed butter or coconut oil
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg could increase to 1/4
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter

Instructions

  • Spray or grease the liner of the Instant Pot. (I use an olive oil spray or an avocado oil spray.)
  • Core and slice apples. You can peel your apples if you wish. It seems that peeling half of the apples helps create the best consistency.
  • Add sliced apples to the greased Instant Pot.
  • To the apples, add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
  • In a measuring cup or bowl, combine apple juice, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
  • Pour half of the apple juice mixture over the apple and add the extra 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside the remaining liquid.
  • In a small bowl or a cup, mix arrowroot flour/cornstarch with 2 tablespoons or so of water.
  • Add arrowroot/cornstarch mixture to the apples and stir until apples are coated and cinnamon is well distributed.
  • In a large bowl, add rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, remaining cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt if using unsalted butter.
  • Add melted butter and stir until well combined.
  • Pour oat topping on top of the apples in the Instant Pot and smooth out the oats, taking care to cover all the apples.
  • Once oat topping is spread over the apples, gently pour the reserved apple juice mixture over the oat topping.
  • Close Instant Pot and set valve to sealing.
  • Press Manual and set for 1 minute. It will take between 7 to 10 minutes to come to pressure and then the countdown for 1 minute will start.
  • When cooking time is finished, do a quick steam release.
  • Transfer the crisp to another baking dish and let it sit and cool for ten minutes before serving.
  • OR if you would like a crisper topping, transfer the apple crisp into an oven-safe dish and broil it in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to brown the topping.
  • Serve warm, as is, or serve with vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, or whipped cream. We eat ours with vanilla frozen Greek yogurt.

Notes

Making apple crisp in an Instant Pot can be a bit tricky… and there is a risk of your apples getting too soft. The type of apples really affects how the crisp cooks.  Some types of apples break down very quickly while others are drier and keep their shape. Small firm apples such as Granny Smith, Gala, or Ambrosia, work well.
 
Newer models of the Instant Pot can be more sensitive to triggering a "burn notice" if food sticks to the bottom of the pot while cooking. If you get a burn message, add a couple more tablespoons of water and turn the pot a quarter turn to move the spot where the heat is concentrating. You may also want to stir the crisp and scrape anything that is sticking from the bottom of the Instant Pot. 

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 191mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

 

Pin it for Later

Instant Pot Apple Crisp Recipe

Another Easy and Amazing Instant Pot Recipe

If you are new to the Instant Pot or you are looking for another delicious and easy Instant Pot recipe, try making this Instant Pot Risotto with Lemon and Peas Recipe. I love making risotto in my Instant Pot — I will never make it on the stove again!

How to Instant Pot Risotto

Just so you know, this post contains Amazon affiliate links. We first published this Instant Pot Apple Crisp recipe on April 27, 2018 and it has been such a hit that we’ve updated and shared it again.
Written by Janice Croze, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom
Talk with me: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom
Pin with me at pinterest.com/5minutesformom

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About Janice

Janice is co-founder of 5 Minutes For Mom. She's been working online since 2003 and is thankful her days are full of social media, writing and photography.

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33 Comments

  1. Craig says

    September 18, 2022 at 5:02 am

    Instead of using the inside pot. If IP. Can i not place it in a springform pan on a trivett inside?
    Then i don’t need to worry, about transferring to another oven proof dish for broiling the top? Seems more reasonable, would you say?

    Reply
  2. Rita says

    June 6, 2022 at 7:06 pm

    5 stars
    Sounds delicious! Apple crisp is my go to dessert as well. Can you make in another dish in the instant pot? Like a corelle casserole dish?

    Reply
    • Susan says

      June 13, 2022 at 2:12 am

      I’m not sure Rita. We haven’t tried that.

      Reply
  3. Missy W says

    February 10, 2021 at 6:17 pm

    3 stars
    The flavor is all good, but it’s more like an apple mush than crisp (even after broiling). Unfortunately, I got the burn message and maybe that affected the texture.

    Reply
    • Susan says

      September 22, 2021 at 2:24 pm

      The result can really depend on the type of apples. Some types of apples don’t work well and turn too mushy. Some types of apples break down very quickly while others are drier and keep their shape. Small firm apples such as Granny Smith, Gala, or Ambrosia, work well.

      It also seems from people’s comments that the newer Instant Pots show burn messages. We have never had a burn message when we make this recipe.

      Reply
  4. Carol says

    November 16, 2020 at 12:28 am

    The flavour was great, however it was very runny and even after putting it under the broiler it didn’t crisp up.

    Reply
    • Susan says

      November 17, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      Darn. I’m so sorry to hear that… making apple crisp in an instant pot can be tricky and it can really be affected by the particular apples. What type of apples did you use?

      Reply
  5. Angela says

    October 22, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    I keep getting a burn message. There is plenty of liquid.

    Reply
    • Susan says

      October 23, 2020 at 6:07 pm

      Darn… some of the newer model Instant Pots are so sensitive with their burn messages. I think it must be because some of the apples are sticking to the bottom of the pot and triggering the warning.

      Reply
  6. Yvette says

    May 2, 2020 at 6:11 pm

    4 stars
    Tastes delicious, but came out runny and not enough oats. Taste it’s a 5 star but it’s more like applesauce. I’ll try it again with more oats and 2 minutes.

    Reply
  7. Erica Schwarz says

    January 9, 2020 at 8:32 pm

    5 stars
    This came out fantastic! The instructions were easy to follow, and everyone loved it!

    Reply
  8. Tara says

    January 9, 2020 at 8:19 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for all of the awesome tips. My apple crisp turned out perfectly because of them! I would have never thought to try making something like this in my Instant Pot, but I’m so glad I did.

    Reply
  9. Amanda says

    October 19, 2019 at 10:17 am

    5 stars
    This is the perfect recipe for using up all the apples we picked this morning. So delicious

    Reply
  10. Ashley Cote says

    October 19, 2019 at 9:36 am

    5 stars
    I made this today to use up some apples and it was so good. We will definitely make it again!

    Reply
  11. Susan says

    October 14, 2019 at 5:24 pm

    Hi again Josh, thank you so much for your feedback. After further recipe testing, we reduced the actual pressurized cook time to only 1 minute.

    Reply
  12. Judy Whitelock says

    October 9, 2019 at 4:03 pm

    I am a 71 year old retired Home Ec teacher and I love my Instant Pot! Just takes a new learning curve to understand how it works best. These gals nailed the apple crisp with their seemingly minor tricks. Mine turned out perfectly twice in same day by following each step including the two I hadn’t tried before ie the arrowroot thickener dissolved in water added to the apples themselves and the liquid (I used apple juice, lime juice, AC vinegar and vanilla from the DR…yummm) divided and the last half poured on top of the oat mixture. To crisp the topping I popped the Instant Pot liner right into my Flavorwave table top oven with extender collar for 4 minutes. Maybe I used more apples because I was measuring 8-9 cups of wild organic apples of various sizes and cutting off the bruises etc. but I got 12 large servings. I used a knife the cut the topping into quarters, scooped out the whole quarter with a wide serving spoon and placed in plastic wrap lined containers for freezing. Once frozen I lift them out of the container, close the wrapping, and store in a medium ziplock bag. Takes up less room in the freezer. Only 3 in our family and I have a lot of free apples to use up!

    Reply
    • Susan says

      October 12, 2019 at 6:23 pm

      Thanks so much Judy! I’m thrilled to hear how well your apple crisp turned out and thanks for those extra tips for how you froze it.

      Reply
  13. Susan says

    October 2, 2019 at 5:14 pm

    While we have never had a burn error with this, I’ve seen in other similar recipes that people comment saying that if they don’t peel at least half the apples, they get the burn error. So perhaps it is better to peel the apples.

    Reply
  14. Susan says

    October 2, 2019 at 5:11 pm

    Darn Josh… I’m sorry. Did you use quick oats or rolled oats? You need to use rolled oats. What type of apples did you use? Some types go too soft and mushy, like McIntosh apples would be too soft. Often small granny smith apples are best.

    Reply
  15. Susan says

    October 2, 2019 at 5:10 pm

    Hi Kaleigh, I’m so sorry to hear this. Did you use quick oats or rolled oats? Any form of quick oats will turn to mush. You need to use rolled oats. What type of apples did you use? Some types go too soft and mushy, like McIntosh apples would be too soft. Often small granny smith apples are best.

    Reply
  16. Susan says

    September 27, 2019 at 1:06 pm

    I’m so sorry to hear this is happening to you. Are you using 1 cup apple juice/apple cider/water? Are you setting the valve to sealing?

    Reply
  17. Chalemar Alvero says

    September 25, 2019 at 8:08 pm

    My IP never came to pressure and then I get the dreaded burn notice. What did I do wrong? I did end up with a tart apple sauce with crumble.

    Reply
    • Susan says

      September 27, 2019 at 1:06 pm

      How frustrating. Are you using 1 cup apple juice/apple cider/water? You can add another 2 Tablespoons of water to increase the moisture to create enough steam. It need enough liquid to ensure it comes to pressure. Are you setting the valve to sealing? Also, we have found that it works best to peel half of the apples. It can take about 7 to 10 minutes to come to pressure. After we have done more testing on this recipe, we are now reducing the suggested time to only 1 minute after it has come to pressure.

      Reply
    • Susan says

      October 2, 2019 at 5:16 pm

      I’m seeing comments on other similar recipes that it helps to peel the apples otherwise some people get a burn message. We have never had a burn message though and we don’t peel them.

      Reply
  18. Renee Goerger says

    August 31, 2019 at 11:08 am

    5 stars
    I don’t use my Instant pot very often, but you can bet I will be using it to make this apple crisp!!

    Reply
  19. Desiree Kretschmar says

    August 31, 2019 at 2:01 am

    5 stars
    I am obsessed with apple crisp! Maybe this is the first thing I’ll master in the InstantPot? Just in time for fall! 🙂

    Reply
  20. Donna says

    June 4, 2019 at 10:27 pm

    I always set it to sealing and it comes out perfect every time. I make this recipe so often. With all the oats and not too much sugar I even eat it for breakfast 😀

    Reply
  21. Kim~madeinaday says

    May 11, 2018 at 2:11 pm

    This looks so yummy! My husband is going to love this recipe he’s our Instapot chef around here. Pinned & shared! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
    Kim

    Reply
  22. angie says

    May 10, 2018 at 10:38 pm

    I so need to get one of these instant pots. This recipe loos so yummy and I love it cooks in minutes
    come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

    Reply
  23. Jess says

    May 10, 2018 at 1:07 pm

    This sounds heavenly! 🙂

    I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

    Reply
  24. Kim @ Homesteader's Heart says

    May 7, 2018 at 11:14 am

    This looks amazing!!

    Reply
  25. Michelle Leslie says

    May 6, 2018 at 3:14 am

    Oh my Janice, that looks so yummy. I love using our instant pot, one of my all time favorite Christmas pressies ever. Can’t wait to try this. It sounds so scrumptious

    Reply

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