How to Make Apple Crumble

Most cultures have some form of baked apple dessert. Apple crisps, betties, and slumps or grunts are all closely related to the apple crumble. While many variations exist, at its simplest, the apple crumble consists of sliced apples covered with a buttery crispy topping. A baked apple crumble is gooey, bubbly, juicy, and smells incredible. Start with a simple apple crumble, then play with the variations. You'll quickly see why this apple dessert is well-loved around the world.

Makes one 9 inch pan

Ingredients

5-6 quality baking apples
2/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Steps

Simple Apple Crumble

Heat the oven and prepare your pan. Turn the oven on to 350ºF/177ºC. Butter an 8 or 9-inch baking dish or pie pan.
Prepare the apples. Peel and core the apples. Then, cut them into 1/4 inch slices or dice them into small chunks. Place them into your prepared pan.
- You may need more apples, depending on the size of your baking apples. Make sure the apples fill about three-quarters of your pan.
Make the crumble topping. Whisk the flour, sugars, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- You can also sift the ingredients together into a bowl, but whisking is faster.
Add butter to the dry crumble ingredients. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands to cut the butter into the dry mixture. Cutting in simply means combining the butter with the flour till it reaches a crumbly sandy texture.
- If you use your hands, be sure not to overwork the butter or it will become soft and hard to work with. Try to keep your hands cold and work quickly.
Cover the apples with the crumble topping. Scatter all of the topping evenly over the apples in your pan. Press down lightly to gently pack it over the mounded apples.
Cook the apple crumble. Bake it for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is golden, the juices are bubbly, and the apples are cooked through.
- You may want to set a baking sheet below the apple crumble in the oven. This way the sheet will catch any drips from the bubbly apple crumble.
Remove and serve. Let the apple crumble sit a few minutes before dishing up. Serve apple crumble with cream, sauce, or ice cream.
- Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Apple crumble will keep a few days, but may lose its crisp texture.

Trying a Variation on Apple Crumble

Switch up your fruit. You can make crumbles all year using seasonally fresh produce. Try blackberries and strawberries during the summer or pears and rhubarb during the spring. If you use fruit that is considerably tarter, you may need to adjust the sugar. For example, rhubarb will require extra sugar.
- Frozen fruit can also be used in crumbles. Don't thaw before covering it with crumble topping. Simply top and bake.
Use oats in the topping. To add a heftier chewy texture to your crumble topping, consider adding oats. Replace half of the flour with oats. This will give your crumble a bit of a granola taste.
- Remember to keep some flour in your topping, even when using oats. Flour acts as a binder and keeps the topping together. It will also help soak up juices from the fruit.
Add nuts. Nuts can add flavor, nutrition, and crunch to a crumble. Use your favorite nut, or try pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts. They're best if you use roasted nuts and chop them before adding them to the topping.
- Make sure nuts are well mixed into the crumble topping. If simply scattered over the topping, they're likely to burn.
Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or crème anglaise. While apple crumble is great on its own, try adding a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream over it. Or pour crème anglaise, a rich creamy custard, over the warm crumble.
- You don't have to stick to vanilla ice cream. Apple crumbles work well with caramel or dulce de leche ice cream.

Tips

If you prefer to make your crumble a bit fancier, add some little slices of apple with a bit of sugar on top for a beautiful presentation.
Be careful and keep an eye on the crumble to make sure that it doesn't burn.
Use oven mitts and caution when handling hot containers.
When you are making any pastry or biscuits always leave the dough to rest for up to 30 minutes and then it shall be easier to use.
Add vinegar to make the taste very delightful and a bit sour.
Instead of adding vinegar, you could add a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Porridge oats add a thicker texture and give a better crunch to it.

Things You'll Need

apple corer
apple peeler
knife
baking pan or pie pan
pastry cutter or fork
measuring spoons and cups

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Sources and Citations

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