Easy Apple Crumble Recipe

This apple crumble recipe turns cozy comfort into the best dessert for fall and the holiday season. Warm, cinnamon-spiced apples under a buttery, golden oat crumble topping, it is so yummy, makes your kitchen smell amazing, and begs for a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

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Fall is knocking on the door.

You can feel the change in the almost apple scented air.

I’m romanticizing too much again.

But I’m a country gal and the early apples are already available for picking, which is obviously one of the best fall activities.

And next to pumpkin, nothing beats apple desserts in fall or any time really.

This apple crumble recipe is exactly the recipe you want to make all year long, but especially after you come home with baskets full of apples from your day at the orchard.

This apple crumble recipe is cozy comfort in bowl that only improves with a dollop of whipped cream, scoop of ice cream, and drizzle of caramel.

If this doesn’t get you excited for a crisp autumn day exploring a farm looking for fresh apples, nothing will.

Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies

Here’s what you need to make our apple crumble recipe, what you add on top is up to you:

• Apples – You want to use some good crisp, tart baking apples, like Granny Smith or Cortland, and avoid softer apples, like red delicious.
• Lemon Juice – The lemon juice helps to brighten the flavors of the apples and cinnamon.
• Brown Sugar – Sure, you could use granulated sugar but the molasses in brown sugar along with the apples is so good. It doesn’t matter if you use light or dark brown sugar.
• Cinnamon – You’ll need ground cinnamon. You could also use homemade apple pie spice using a few different spices.
• Corn Starch – This helps to thicken the apple crumble’s filling.

For the crumble topping, you’ll need:

• Oats – You can use old fashioned or rolled oats. Don’t use instant oats, they do not work as well.
• Flour – If you want to make it gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free flour blend. Otherwise, regular all-purpose flour works well.
• Baking Powder – This helps give a very slight rise to the crumble topping.
• Brown Sugar – This adds some color and sweetness to the topping.
• Salt – This help to enhance the flavors slightly, but you could omit it if you desire.
• Butter – This adds flavor and helps the topping turn a nice golden brown. Use unsalted butter. You don’t need to soften it before using it since you will melt it.

You do not need any big gadgets to make apple crumble, but you may want:

• Apple Corer
• 9×13 Baking Dish
• Peeler

How to Make This Apple Crumble Recipe

1. Prepare the apple filling.

Before you do anything, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Wash your apples and then peel them if you desire (you do not need to do this, we often don’t).

Using a knife, cut the apples into roughly similar sized cubes.

A corer makes this part easier.

Toss the apple cubes into a large mixing bowl and then add the lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and corn starch.

Thoroughly mix the apple filling together and then pour/scoop into a prepared 9×13 baking dish.

You can prepare the pan with non-stick spray or grease with some butter.

Set aside.

2. Prepare the crumble.

Melt the butter either gently on the stove top or in a microwave safe bowl.

Measure the flour, baking powder, brown sugar, oats, and salt and place them in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Use a whisk or fork to blend the dry ingredients together.

Pour the butter on top and use a spoon or fork to combine the ingredients into what will feel sort of like a thick, lumpy paste.

Pour and spread the topping evenly over the top of the apples.

The crumble may not fully cover the apples, so some small gaps may remain.

3. Bake and serve.

Place the apple crumble into the oven and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes.

It is ready when the topping turns golden brown and you see bubbles coming up from the middle and sides of the apples.

Allow the crumble and apples to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Serving

Apple crumble is a great after lunch or dinner dessert.

You could serve it as a snack, and no one would complain.

Top apple crumble with whatver you like, but some suggestions include:

• caramel
• vanilla ice cream
• caramel swirl ice cream
• whipped cream
• walnuts
• cinnamon coated nuts (often almonds or walnuts)

Storing

You can store this apple crumble recipe for several days, covered in the fridge.

We often use either aluminum foil or cling wrap to cover the cooled crumble.

You can also portion into smaller air tight containers if you prefer.

It should stay fresh for about 4 to 5 days.

Tips and Tricks

• Jazz it up a little by adding a pinch of allspice, nutmeg, or ginger. These all slightly change the flavor and can add a bit more spicy heat to the apple crumble.
• You could also add in some walnuts directly to the apples or to the crumble topping for the apples.
• For a creamy apple crumble, top with whipped cream, caramel, and vanilla ice cream. You could use other flavors of ice cream too, like caramel swirl or maybe even peanutbutter flavors.
• When serving, reheat the crumble in the microwave for a few seconds for a fresh from the oven feel.

Other Crumbles and Cozy Desserts

Looking for other crumbles or cozy fall desserts? Check these out:

• Blueberry Crumble
• Strawberry Crumble
• Peach Crumble
• Apple Cider Bundt Cake
• Fried Apples
• Apple Pie Filling

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