Grill-Baked Skillet Apple Crisp

May 19, 2026

Memorial Day is a time to honor and remember the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. It is also a day when families and friends gather together, share stories, enjoy one another’s company, and appreciate the freedoms that make those moments possible. As grills fire up across the country and backyard celebrations begin, Grill-Baked Skillet Apple Crisp offers a warm, crowd-pleasing dessert that keeps the entire meal outdoors from start to finish.

Unlike a traditional apple crisp baked entirely in the oven, this recipe starts by grilling the apples first. The direct heat lightly chars the fruit, deepens its natural sweetness, and encourages caramelization before the crisp is assembled in a skillet. At the same time, the apples begin to soften, creating a rich filling with layers of flavor that cannot be achieved through baking alone.

Once combined with warm spices and topped with a buttery crumble, the skillet returns to the grill where everything comes together into a comforting dessert with crisp texture and tender fruit in every bite. The subtle smoky notes from the grill complement the apples' sweetness, creating a flavor profile that feels right at home alongside a Memorial Day feast.

Desserts like this help keep everyone gathered a little longer. After the burgers are served, the conversation continues, and the sun begins to set, a warm skillet apple crisp becomes the perfect excuse to linger around the patio table and enjoy the company of those who matter most.

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Memorial Day reminds us to pause, reflect, and appreciate the people who have served our nation with courage and sacrifice. It is a day spent honoring their legacy while making time for family, friendship, and gratitude. As laughter carries across the patio, another helping is passed around the table, and the evening settles in, a dessert like Grill-Baked Skillet Apple Crisp becomes part of the memories that make the holiday meaningful. Good food, great company, and time spent outdoors create the kind of moments people look forward to year after year.

Serves 6-8

Grill-Baked Skillet Apple Crisp Ingredients

For the Topping

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (3 1/3 ounces; 95 g)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (3 ounces; 85 g)
• 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (2 3/4 ounces; 75 g)
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (4 3/4 ounces; 135 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
• 8 tablespoons melted butter (4 ounces; 115 g)

For the Filling

• 3 pounds Golden Delicious apples (about 8 apples), peeled, cored, and halved (see notes)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (2 ounces; 56 g)
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar (about 1 1/2 ounces; 40 g)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

Grill-Baked Skillet Apple Crisp Directions

1. For the Topping: Combine flour, pecans, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in melted butter until mixture is thoroughly moistened and crumbly.
2. For a Charcoal Grill: Open the bottom vent completely. Light the chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). Once the top coals are partially covered with ash, pour them into a steeply banked pile against 1 side of the grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent. Heat until the grill is hot (500°F; 260°C), about 5 minutes.
3. For a Gas Grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot (500°F; 260°C), about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s); (see notes)
4. For the Filling: Clean and oil the cooking grate. Brush the cut sides of apples with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Arrange apples, buttered side down, on the hotter side of the grill and cook (covered if using a gas grill) until grill marks develop and apples begin to soften, 3 to 7 minutes; move apples as needed to ensure even cooking. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly for about 5 minutes.
5. Slice apple halves into 1/2-inch-thick wedges and transfer to a bowl. Toss apple slices with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter until combined. Transfer the apple mixture to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle topping evenly over the filling, breaking up any large clumps with your fingers.
6. Transfer the skillet to the cooler side of the grill, cover the grill, and bake, rotating the skillet halfway through baking, until the apple filling is bubbly and tender and the topping is golden brown, 20 to 40 minutes. (For a gas grill, adjust the primary burner as needed while baking to maintain grill temperature between 400 to 450°F; if using a 3-or-more–burner grill, adjust the primary burner and second burner, leaving other burners off.) Transfer the skillet to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Special Equipment

• Charcoal or gas grill, large chimney for charcoal grill, grill gloves, 10-inch cast-iron skillet

Notes

• Any sweet, crisp apple will work well here, such as Honeycrisps or Braeburns.
• This fruit crisp works just as well with fresh and firm pears.
• The primary burner on a gas grill is the one connected closest to the gas source. It is the burner that you ignite first on the grill.
• If your charcoal grill loses heat and drops below 300 degrees after assembling the apple crisp (before baking), use tongs to carefully remove the cooking grate and add 1 to 2 quarts of unlit coals to the lit coals in a steeply banked pile, then return the cooking grate, cover the grill, and preheat for 5 minutes.

Taken from seriouseats.com