How To Recreate Bojangles' Salted Caramel Apple Crisp In Your Kitchen
Bojangles may be a fan-favorite chicken chain, but it's only found in about half the states. That means many of us have never had the opportunity to try the salted caramel apple crisp, whichwas a very popular Bojangles menu item during its short tenure. This dessert was added to the lineup in September 2025 but seems to have disappeared for the time being. It may return again in fall as a seasonal treat, but if you can't wait or you're not in Bojangles territory, you can make a pretty close copy at home with developer Patterson Watkins' copycat recipe. The base of this dessert is that classic Bojangles' biscuit, which Watkins describes as "buttery and salty with this really nice balance between semi-crisp exterior and pillowy interior." The biscuit is topped with plenty of warm, spiced apples, caramel sauce, and an oaty crumble, and is just crying out for a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Watkins raves about this recipe, saying, "That buttery biscuit base topped with sweet caramel apples and crunchy oat crumble is a combination that works really, really well together." The way this recipe is structured, it's kind of a hybrid between scratch-made and convenient. Using canned biscuits saves on time and cleanup, but the homemade apple-oat topping is as fresh and flavorful as can be. Watkins did say, however, "You can go fully homemade with this recipe or fully store-bought" depending on your choice of biscuits and fruits.
Collect the ingredients for copycat Bojangles Salted Caramel Apple Crisp
To make this dessert, you'll need canned buttermilk biscuits, apples (Granny Smith and either Fuji or Honeycrisp), lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream. Additional ingredients required for the topping include flour and oats, while flaky sea salt adds the "salted" element to the caramel.
A note on the salt: Do not use regular table salt, as this will dissolve and cause the topping to taste too salty. (It already contains salted butter, after all.) A tiny pinch of flaky sea salt is all that's needed to add texture and just enough savory flavor to highlight the sweetness of the caramel.
As for the apples, the combination here provides a balance of sweet and tart. If you prefer, though, you can use different varieties, or just one type of apple.
Step 1: Turn on the oven and prepare a pan
Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Bake the biscuits
Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake the biscuits according to the instructions on the packaging.
Step 3: Cool the biscuits
Once baked, remove the biscuits from the oven and set them aside on a wire rack.
Step 4: Combine the apples with the lemon juice and seasonings
To make the caramel apple base, place the sliced apples, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a large bowl.
Step 5: Stir to coat
Toss to coat and set aside.
Step 6: Melt the butter
Melt the butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat.
Step 7: Stir in the sugar
Once the butter is melted, add the brown sugar and whisk to combine.
Step 8: Simmer the syrup
Bring to a low simmer and cook for 3 minutes, whisking frequently.
Step 9: Stir in the cream
Add the heavy cream to the skillet and whisk to combine.
Step 10: Add the apples to the pan
Add the seasoned apples to the skillet, toss to coat them in the caramel sauce, and return to a simmer.
Step 11: Cook the apples in the sauce
Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the apples are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
Step 12: Combine the crumble ingredients
Meanwhile, make the crumble by placing the flour, oats, brown sugar, softened butter, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Step 13: Mix them together
Using a fork or pastry cutter, mix and mash until combined and crumbly.
Step 14: Add the topping
Spoon the crumble over the caramel apples and place them in the oven.
Step 15: Bake the apple mixture
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crumble is golden and the caramel sauce is bubbly.
Step 16: Prepare the baked biscuits
To serve, divide the biscuits between bowls.
Step 17: Put some topping on each biscuit
Top the biscuits with the caramel apples and crumble.
Step 18: Salt the topping
Sprinkle each serving with a pinch of the flaky sea salt before serving.
Complete Your At-Home Bojangles Experience
Copycat Bojangles Salted Caramel Apple Crisp
This apple crisp is a fall fan favorite over at Bojangles, but you can make your own version any time of the year with this copycat recipe.
Ingredients
- For the biscuits
- 1 (16.3-ounce) can refrigerator buttermilk biscuits
- For the caramel apple base
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
- 2 Fuji or Honeycrisp apples, peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- For the cinnamon crumble
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- To serve
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on top
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake the biscuits according to the instructions on the packaging.
- Once baked, remove the biscuits from the oven and set them aside on a wire rack.
- To make the caramel apple base, place the sliced apples, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a large bowl.
- Toss to coat and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add the brown sugar and whisk to combine.
- Bring to a low simmer and cook for 3 minutes, whisking frequently.
- Add the heavy cream to the skillet and whisk to combine.
- Add the seasoned apples to the skillet, toss to coat them in the caramel sauce, and return to a simmer.
- Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the apples are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the crumble by placing the flour, oats, brown sugar, softened butter, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- Using a fork or pastry cutter, mix and mash until combined and crumbly.
- Spoon the crumble over the caramel apples and place them in the oven.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crumble is golden and the caramel sauce is bubbly.
- To serve, divide the biscuits between bowls.
- Top the biscuits with the caramel apples and crumble.
- Sprinkle each serving with a pinch of the flaky sea salt before serving.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 710 |
| Total Fat | 41.3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 22.3 g |
| Trans Fat | 1.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 88.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 80.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4.5 g |
| Total Sugars | 37.5 g |
| Sodium | 574.5 mg |
| Protein | 7.5 g |
Could I make this using other fruits instead of apples?
Apple crisp is a classic, and one that appeals to a broad audience, which is probably what Bojangles was aiming for. What's more, the dish was introduced in fall, which is apple-picking season. Even so, you can feel free to change things up as per your preferences. As we already discussed, you can go with your choice of apples — all Granny Smiths for a tarter taste, or either Fuji, Honeycrisp or both if you'd like something sweeter. Other varieties could work, too — Braeburn, Cortland, and Golden Delicious are also among the best apples for baking. Of course, there's no need to stick with apples, either.
Other fruits that would work in this biscuit topping include blueberries, cherries, and peaches. None of these would need to be cooked as long as the apples, though, since they're quite a bit softer. In fact, you could skip the simmering altogether and simply toss them in the sauce. If you don't have access to fresh fruits, frozen ones are fine, as long as you thaw and drain them first. It would also be okay to go with canned pie filling as a shortcut.
Why a biscuit base, and could I use another kind?
Bojangles-style biscuits aren't quite the same as the canned kind — they are on the savory side, with a bit of a salty flavor. Canned buttermilk biscuits are close enough if you don't want to take the time and effort to bake your own, but if you can pick up a pack of biscuits from KFC or Popeyes, those would work as well as the Bojangles ones.
You can, of course, make homemade biscuits if you wish. As the biscuits will be covered by topping, you can even make drop ones instead of having to fuss around with a rolling pin and biscuit cutter.
It's also possible to go with a different type of base altogether. Toasted brioche bread could work, or you could dip that same bread in egg and milk to make french toast. This same topping would also work on waffles or pancakes, transforming the dessert into a breakfast or brunch dish.