Save to Pinterest Last November, after a long gray week of rain, I found myself with a surplus of apples from a weekend orchard trip. The house felt cold and damp, and I needed something that would make the whole kitchen smell warm and inviting. My grandmother used to say that crumble was the cure for everything, and standing there with my peeler, I decided she might have been right about that.
I brought this to a small dinner gathering that same evening, still warm from the oven, carried carefully in the dish with a kitchen towel draped over the top. My friend Sarah took one bite and actually went quiet for a moment, which is saying something. We ended up sitting around the table longer than planned, just talking and going back for seconds until the dish was scraped clean.
Ingredients
- 6 medium apples: Granny Smith or Braeburn hold their shape beautifully while baking, but whatever you have on hand will work
- 60 g granulated sugar: This balances the tartness of the apples without making them overly sweet
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon: Warm spice that makes everything feel cozy
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg: Adds depth and complements the cinnamon perfectly
- 1 tbsp lemon juice: Keeps the apples from browning and adds brightness
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour: Helps thicken the apple juices as they bake
- 125 g all-purpose flour: The foundation of a tender crumble topping
- 100 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed: Cold butter is absolutely nonnegotiable for achieving those crisp buttery crumbs
- 100 g light brown sugar: Gives the topping a lovely caramel flavor and golden color
- 50 g rolled oats: Optional but adds the most wonderful texture contrast
- Pinch of salt: Balances the sweetness and brings all the flavors together
Instructions
- Get your oven ready:
- Preheat to 180°C and butter a medium baking dish lightly
- Prepare the apple filling:
- Toss the sliced apples with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and flour until evenly coated
- Make the crumble topping:
- Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, and salt in a bowl, then work in cold butter with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form
- Assemble the crumble:
- Spread apple mixture in your prepared dish and scatter the crumble topping evenly over the top
- Bake until golden:
- Bake for thirty-five to forty minutes until the topping is golden brown and you see those wonderful bubbling juices around the edges
- Rest and serve:
- Let it cool slightly before serving, ideally with vanilla ice cream or warm custard
Save to Pinterest There is something deeply satisfying about serving a dessert that looks rustic and homemade rather than perfectly polished. Watching people spoon into the warm crumble, seeing their faces light up at that first bite of tender spiced apples and buttery topping, that is when food becomes more than just food on the table.
Make It Your Own
I have discovered that adding a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumble mixture adds incredible flavor and texture. Sometimes I swap half the apples for pears when I want something slightly different. The recipe is wonderfully forgiving and adaptable.
Serving Suggestions
While this crumble is delicious on its own, serving it warm really makes the experience special. A scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into the hot apples is pretty hard to beat. Traditional British custard works beautifully too, especially on chilly evenings.
Storage and Make Ahead
You can prepare the crumble topping and apple filling separately, refrigerate them, and assemble just before baking if that works better for your schedule. Leftovers keep well at room temperature for a day or refrigerated for up to three days.
- Reheat individual portions in the microwave for about thirty seconds
- The topping will stay crisper if you reheat in a low oven rather than the microwave
- This crumble actually develops more flavor the next day as the spices meld
Save to Pinterest There is nothing quite like the smell of apples and cinnamon wafting through the house to make everything feel right with the world. I hope this crumble brings the same comfort to your kitchen as it has to mine.
Recipe Questions & Answers
- → What apples work best for crumble?
Granny Smith and Braeburn apples are ideal choices because they hold their shape during baking and provide a nice tart balance to the sweet topping. You can also mix in sweeter varieties like Honeycrisp or Gala for a more complex flavor profile.
- → Can I make apple crumble ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can assemble the entire crumble up to 24 hours in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator. Bake it fresh when needed, adding a few extra minutes if baking from cold. The unbaked topping also freezes well for up to 3 months.
- → How do I know when the crumble is done?
The crumble is ready when the topping is evenly golden brown and you see the apple filling bubbling up around the edges. This typically takes 35-40 minutes at 180°C (350°F). The fruit should be tender when pierced with a knife.
- → What can I serve with apple crumble?
Warm vanilla ice cream creates a lovely temperature contrast, while traditional British custard makes for a creamy accompaniment. Whipped cream, clotted cream, or even a scoop of caramel ice cream work wonderfully too.
- → Can I add nuts to the topping?
Chopped walnuts or pecans make excellent additions to the crumble topping, adding both flavor and extra crunch. Simply mix in a handful when combining the flour, butter, and sugar. Pecans pair particularly well with the warm spices.
- → Why add flour to the apple filling?
The tablespoon of flour helps thicken the fruit juices as the apples cook, preventing the filling from becoming too watery. This ensures you get a luscious, saucy consistency rather than a soupy bottom layer.