Falling leaves, crisp morning air, apple cider, sweaters . . . it’s finally fall. It’s time to drag out the autumn décor and sip hot chocolate while the temperatures drop.

Everyone has their fall traditions; some of mine are enjoying fresh cider at the local apple orchard, picking out the perfect pumpkin at the pumpkin patch and diving into fresh-baked apple crisp.

Apple crisp never lasts in my house and when the craving for it comes, it’s hard to wait an entire hour while it bakes. I found an easy and simple recipe to bypass the hardship.

It was a recipe for “apple crisp in a mug” that took only five minutes to make. It saves time and if you only have a microwave, it saves you from having to beg someone to make it for you.

For the apple filling, you will need:

• One apple
• One-half tablespoon of melted butter
• One-fourth teaspoon of cinnamon
• One teaspoon of brown sugar
• One teaspoon of flour

Start by peeling and slicing your apples in thin slices and put them into a small bowl.

After cutting the apples, add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well so each slice is coated evenly.

• For the crispy topping, you will need:
• Two tablespoons of softened butter
• One tablespoon of flour
• Three tablespoons of oats (I used instant)
• One tablespoon of brown sugar
• One-fourth teaspoon of cinnamon

In another bowl, combine your ingredients for the crispy topping.

Grab your favorite mug and lay half the apples on the bottom, followed by half of your crispy topping.

Repeat with the second half of your ingredients and microwave for three minutes.

This wasn’t in the recipe, but I decided to drizzle maple syrup on top to add a little sweetness. I recommend doing this to also add moisture to the crisp.

Now, if you don’t want to use different bowls to mix everything and layer it, this recipe will work if you just throw it all in the mug and mix it up.

This recipe is fun because you can add or omit whatever you would like. Add more cinnamon or brown sugar or add white sugar if you would prefer. You can also add more or fewer oats, use old-fashioned or instant — whatever you have.

If you’re looking to crisp up the topping and have an oven, opt to bake (in an oven-safe bowl or ramekin) for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.

Whether you bake it or microwave, this will never compare to the apple crisp your grandma makes, but it’ll have to do.

This was easy and fun to make and took barely any time at all. These ingredients cost less than $10 in bulk, which gives you the ability to make this more than once.

You can find the full recipe here.

Lunderville can be reached at [email protected].