Preheat your oven to 375 degrees (F). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. This ensures your apple crisp won’t stick, making it easier to serve later.
In a large bowl, place the sliced apples and toss them with lemon juice. The acidity of the lemon juice not only enhances the flavor but also helps to keep the apples vibrant.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, granulated sugar, and the spices: ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ground cardamom, and ground black pepper. This mixture will create a fragrant coating for the apples.
Sprinkle the flour mixture over the apples and toss well to coat. Ensure that each slice is evenly coated, allowing the spices to enhance the apples during baking.
Pour the apple mixture into your prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Set aside while you prepare the crumb topping.
In a large mixing bowl, combine old-fashioned oats, both types of sugar, flour, and the same spices you used for the apples. This will give the topping a cohesive flavor.
Add the cubed butter into the bowl. Using two forks or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You want to ensure the butter is well-distributed for optimal crispiness.
Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the apple mixture. Don’t be shy! You want a generous layer of topping for that delightful crunch.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the apples are bubbling. Keep an eye on it towards the end; you want that perfect golden hue!
Once baked, remove from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Serve your Chai Spice Apple Crisp warm, preferably with a scoop of ice cream melting on top. The hot crisp combined with cold ice cream is pure magic!
