Easy Apple Crumble Recipe (2024)

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Perhaps one of my all-time favourite desserts. This apple crumble recipe is easy to make yet incredibly comforting, especially when smothered in warm custard.

I love mine to have a warm, spicy taste, so I add a generous helping of cinnamon, but if you don’t want to, you don’t have to. Also, some people suggest boiling the apples before cooking them, but I don’t bother, I find they come out too mushy, and it ruins the texture of the finished product.

Nothing can beat a homemade apple crumble. Shop-bought ones always seem to lack the flavour (not to mention you hardly get any!)

Everyone in the family loved it and agreed it was the best apple crumble they had tasted.

Easy Apple Crumble Recipe (1)

What’s The Difference Between Crumble, Crisp and Cobbler?

Apple crumble, apple crisp, and apple cobbler- you’ve probably heard of all three but might not know the difference between them.

An apple crumble is originally from England, typically made with flour, sugar and butter, with a fine, crumbly topping.

Cobbler is an American dessert, typically made with flour, sugar, butter and oats; the topping is a biscuit or pie dough.

And finally, a crisp is essentially the same as a crumble, but the topping is made with oats, which also crisps up when cooking, giving it its name.

Can I Add Rhubarb?

Yes, if you want to make rhubarb crumble instead. Add ten sticks of rhubarb, cut into 1-inch chunks, and add 80g of sugar to a saucepan, and boil until soft, adding more sugar if you want the rhubarb sweeter. Then, continue with the recipe as normal.

You could also add in some fresh blackberries to make an apple and blackberry crumble.

How To Make Apple Crumble

Start off by adding the flour to the bowl. To make sure it mixes in well, add in the cinnamon now.

Next, mix in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Here, if you’re in a hurry, you can use a bit of a cheat, but it might sacrifice the texture slightly. Once you’ve started combining the ingredients, you can use an electric mixer to do the rest for you, but make sure to add more flour if the crumble is sticking together in balls of dough.

Easy Apple Crumble Recipe (2)

Peel all the apples, cut out the bruises you often find with cooking apples, and slice them into slices 5mm (1/5 inch) thick.

If you want, you can make the slices a different thickness, but make sure you are consistent, or else the texture of all the apples will be different.

Easy Apple Crumble Recipe (3)

Place the apples in the baking dish (a ceramic or Pyrex dish works best), and sprinkle with 1 tbsp. demerara sugar to take out the bitter and acidic taste of the cooking apples.

Easy Apple Crumble Recipe (4)

Add the cinnamon to achieve that iconic warm, hearty taste associated with apple desserts. I really love cinnamon in desserts; if it’s not your thing, then feel free to leave it out or add in slightly less.

Easy Apple Crumble Recipe (5)

Cover evenly with the crumble, and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes when the surface should have coloured to a lovely golden brown.

Easy Apple Crumble Recipe (6)

Serve with custard or ice cream for the best experience, and be careful, as it may all be gone quicker than you think!

Easy Apple Crumble Recipe (7)

Apple Crumble

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Nothing beats a warm, hearty apple crumble, and it's very simple to make. Perfect with fresh custard.

Ingredients

  • 300g plain flour
  • 200g demerara sugar
  • 200g butter, chilled, diced
  • 2 tsp cinnamon (for the crumble)
  • 3 or 4 medium bramley cooking apples, depending on dish size
  • 1 tbsp demerara sugar (for the filling)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon (for the filling)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4/350°F
  2. Add the flour and cinnamon to a mixing bowl, and mix.
  3. Add the chilled butter.
  4. Rub the flour and butter together between your thumbs in a mixing bowl until they resemble breadcrumbs.
  5. Add the sugar, and toss the crumble to integrate all of the sugar.
  6. For the filling, peel all the apples, and slice to about half a centimetre thick.
  7. Place the apples evenly in the baking dish, and sprinkle with the 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.
  8. Cover with the crumble mixture, but make sure not to compact it.
  9. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden-brown on the surface.
  10. Serve with custard or ice cream and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 624Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 217mgCarbohydrates: 91gFiber: 5gSugar: 48gProtein: 6g

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Easy Apple Crumble Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good crumble? ›

❓FAQ
  • Use cold butter. This will help to create a crumbly texture that will not stick together when baking.
  • Use a mix of flour and oats. The oats will add a bit of crunch and texture to the topping.
  • Don't overmix the ingredients. The crumble topping should be made with a "coarse" crumb.
Jun 5, 2023

What is the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble? ›

Like an apple crisp, an apple crumble is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping. But unlike the crisp, the crumble topping rarely includes oats or nuts. Instead, a crumble's topping is more like streusel, made with flour, sugar and butter.

What is crumble topping made of? ›

As its name suggests, crumb topping is a dessert topping. It's a simple mixture of butter, sugar, and flour, and is typically used to top pies or muffins prior to baking for a crunchy, sweet contrast.

What is the difference between apple brown betty and apple crumble? ›

A brown betty is similar to a crisp or crumble, except the topping is layered into the fruit mixture before baking for an intensely crunchy effect. Food Network Kitchen's Grilled Rhubarb Brown Betty is warm, sweet and super-crisp — excellent when served with a scoop of strawberry ice cream.

Why is my apple crumble topping not crunchy? ›

The main reason your crumble topping isn't crunchy is probably because you haven't used Demerara sugar. Although, it could also be that you've got your topping ingredient quantities wrong: either too much or not enough flour and butter alongside the sugar.

How do I stop my crumble from getting soggy? ›

Not enough butter, and your topping will be a dry, floury mess. Too much butter and your topping will become a greasy blob or disappointingly soggy. Some recipes will ask you to cut in cold butter along with your dry ingredients, resulting in pea-size pieces that are sprinkled across the hot fruit filling.

Why is it called Brown Betty? ›

This has led some historians to believe that Betty was the name of the cook and creator of the recipe and that brown was in reference to her skin color.

Can I use eating apples instead of cooking apples in a crumble? ›

Bramley apples (also known as cooking apples) will cook down and become beautifully soft and fluffy. If you prefer more distinct apple pieces, use eating apples and reduce the sugar quantity a little (as they are naturally sweeter than Bramley apples). Why is my crumble topping not crumbly?

What are the best apples to use for an apple crisp? ›

What Makes A Good Apple For Apple Crisp? The best apples for baking keep their structure under heat, which prevents the chunks of fruit from turning into mush after baking. The firm and crisp Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties are popular apples to use in apple pies and apple crisps.

Why put baking powder in crumble topping? ›

A crisp contains oats in the topping, while a crumble does not. Baking powder can also be added to a crumble topping (like it is here) to ensure it's extra light and tender.

What is crumble crust made of? ›

Directions. Stir together crushed cookies or crackers, sugar, and (if used) salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Stir in 3 Tbsp. melted butter, adding additional butter, 1 Tbsp.

Is streusel topping the same as crumble topping? ›

This can't be easier for perfect results every time. If you are wondering what the difference is between crumb topping and streusel, not much is the answer. Both are crumb toppings containing the same ingredients but streusel often has more sugar, cinnamon, nuts and or oats included.

What is apple crumble called in America? ›

Apple crisp is a dessert made with a streusel topping. In the US, it is also called apple crumble, a word which refers to a different dessert in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Is a cobbler the same as a crumble? ›

Cobbler: A fruit dessert made with a top crust of pie dough or biscuit dough but no bottom crust. Crisp/crumble: In Alberta, the terms are mostly interchangeable. Both refer to fruit desserts similar to cobbler but made with a brown sugar streusel topping sometimes containing old-fashioned rolled oats.

Why is apple crumble good for you? ›

The best source of protein, carbs, and lipids is apple crumble. Additionally, this dessert is a great option for weight management because it has a low caloric content. Due to the inclusion of apples, this dessert also contains healthy fats, a good amount of water, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

What does cornstarch do in a crumble? ›

Then, make sure to bake the crumble long enough so that the fruit filling comes to a profuse simmer at the edges of the pan. This shows that the cornstarch has been activated enough to thicken the juices, turning them supple and silky.

Should butter be cold for crumble? ›

Use cold, cubed butter.

Making the crumble with room temperature or melted butter will cause the topping to spread as it bakes, rather than creating a landscape of craggy, crunchy sweet pieces. Using cold butter will help all the crumble ingredients bind together before baking and then saturate them evenly in the oven.

How do you thicken fruit for crumble? ›

Tips For Making a Classic Fruit Crumble

Use cold butter and work it into the flour mixture for a pastry-like topping. The top should be brown and the filling should be bubbling. In order to thicken properly, the cornstarch in the filling must boil.

References

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