Apple Crumble
An easy Apple Crumble recipe that combines soft cinnamon-spiced apples with a crisp, buttery crumble topping made without oats. A simple, comforting pudding that's perfect when served warm with plenty of custard or ice cream.
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Servings: 6
INGREDIENTS
For the Crumble:
- 150 g Plain Flour (All-purpose Flour)
- 75 g Block Margarine or Butter (cold)
- 75 g Demerara Sugar
For the Filling:
- 500 g Apples (approximately - peeled and cored)
- 50 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tbsp Cornflour (Corn Starch)
EQUIPMENT
- Baking Dish (approx. 1-litre capacity)
- Peeler
- Apple Corer & Slicer (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 180°c (160°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 5 or 350°F).
- In a large bowl, add the flour and butter/margarine, and using your fingertips, gently rub them together until you have a rough sandy texture. Stir through the demerara sugar. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
- Roughly chop your apples into bite-sized pieces and place them into another large bowl. Add the sugar, cinnamon & cornflour and toss through until the apples are covered.
- Place your coated apples into your dish, making sure it covers the bottom, and you've no big gapping spaces - you want it fairly well compacted.
- Spoon the crumble mixture over your apples, being sure to cover all the lumps and bumps. Using the tips of your fingers, gently press the top of the crumble mixture to help compact it, while leaving a bumpy texture on top.
- Bake your crumble in your pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until golden on top.
- Allow your crumble to cool a little before serving. Enjoy with custard or ice cream, or just on its own.
For Apple Crumble, I use a 20cm (8-inch) ceramic or glass dish with a capacity of around 1 litre. But you can use whatever dish or baking tin you have of a similar capacity. Just be sure to watch your crumble once it's in the oven, as deeper dishes or different materials may impact the baking time.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
NOTES
Storage:
Cover and store any crumble leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or warm through in the oven before serving.Freezing:
Apple Crumble is best frozen before baking. Wrap your dish in clingfilm and tin foil and freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake from frozen, but I would recommend increasing the baking time by 15-20 minutes and covering the crumble with foil for the first 15-20 minutes of baking.Serving Suggestions:
Apple Crumble is delicious served warm with custard, vanilla ice cream or some fresh cream.Baking Dish:
I use a 20cm (8-inch) dish with around a 1-litre capacity, but any similar-sized ovenproof dish will work. A glass dish, ceramic dish or even a cake tin can be used, although the baking time may vary slightly.Substitutions:
- Apples: Around 500g is a good guide, but don't worry if you have a little more or less. Any variety of apple will work, whether they're homegrown or from the supermarket, and whether they're eating apples or cooking apples.
- Sugar: Demerara sugar gives the crumble topping a lovely crunch, but light brown sugar, soft brown sugar, caster sugar or even granulated sugar can all be used instead.
- Cinnamon: Feel free to leave the cinnamon out if you prefer, or add a little extra if you enjoy a more pronounced spice flavour. Alternatively, you could try some ground ginger, mixed spice, or nutmeg, if you prefer those flavours - all work well with apples.
- Cornflour (Corn Starch): This helps thicken the juices released by the apples while they bake. Don't worry if you don't have any - it will still be delicious, just a little more saucy.
- Butter or Margarine: I usually use block margarine, but cold butter works just as well. Whichever you use, just make sure it's cold for the best crumble texture.
- No Oats? This recipe is made without oats for a classic, crispy, buttery crumble topping. But if you enjoy an oat crumble, simply stir a handful of rolled oats into the crumble mixture before sprinkling it over the apples.
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