Easy Apple Crumble Recipe

This easy apple crumble recipe takes almost 15 minutes to prepare.  Soft baked apples and crispy crumbles make a nice combination.  

I love apple crumble.  Although it is very easy to make, it is so hard to wait while it is baking.  You can prepare it just in 10-15 minutes however it takes almost an hour to bake.  But it is worth it!

This is a very simple recipe.  I toss the apples with little sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and zest. Then I prepare the crumble and sprinkle over the apples.

The apples’ consistency is perfect, not juicy nor dry.  I prefer using Golden apples or Granny Smith which are sweet and tangy.    You can serve it cold or warm.  I personally like it warm with ice cream or heavy cream on top. So delicious!

Before I share my recipe, I would like to answer some questions that you may have.

Can Apple Crumble be Made Ahead of Time?

Yes! You can either freeze unbaked apple crumble and bake when you want or bake the apple crumble, freeze and reheat later.

How to  Freeze Unbaked Apple Crumble

You can prepare the apple mixture and place on to the baking dish and cover with a cling film. You can freeze the crumbles separately in the freezer bag.   You should thaw the 2 mixture in the fridge the day before you want to bake.  You can freeze up to 3 months.  When you want to bake, sprinkle the crumble over the apples and bake as the recipe states.  (I don’t use cornstarch in my apple mixture as they come out perfect- not juicy nor dry but if you find apples juicy when they are out of the freezer or fridge, you can drain the extra juice and/or add almost 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch if needed-depending on how juicy they are.)  You can keep in the fridge up to 2-3 days.

How to Freeze Baked Apple Crumble

First, you should let it cool completely.  Then you should cover the dish with a cling film.  You can freeze up to 3 months. You should thaw the apple crumble the day before in the fridge.  Bake at 350°F(177C°) for 15-20 minutes until it is warm enough.

How to Store Baked Apple Crumble

First, you should let it cool completely.  Then you can keep in the fridge for up to 2-3 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.

Let’s go through the recipe now.

How to Make Basic Apple Crumble with Step by Step Pictures

I start by peeling, coring and slicing the apples as cubes almost 0,8 inches (2 cm) thick.

Then I put them into a medium bowl and toss with sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and lemon juice. I leave the extra juice in the bowl and line the apples into the baking dish and set aside.

After that, I make the crumble.  I put the flour and the cold butter into a medium mixing bowl and rub them either with my fingertips or cut the butter into the flour using a fork until they look like breadcrumbs.  Then I add in the sugar, cinnamon and nuts and mix just to combine.  If you want to make big crumbles just like the ones I made in my Strawberry Bars, you can take crumble pieces and squeeze in your hand to make different sizes.

I put the mixture on top of the apples and shake the baking dish so the crumbles go deeper from the sides.  By this way, I prevent apples from caramelizing(from sides) too much.

Then I bake almost for an hour or until the color is golden brown and the crumbles are stiff.  Finally, I top them with ice cream or heavy cream.   Enjoy your apple crumble!

5 from 1 vote

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Easy Apple Crumble Recipe

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

 

This easy apple crumble recipe is delicious and so easy to make with tangy soft apples and crispy crumbles.  

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple crisp, apple crumble

Calories: 217 kcal

Author: Pastry and Beyond

Ingredients

• 400 g (3 med-large or 4 small apples-almost 3 and 1/2 cups) Golden Apples, peeled, cored and sliced*
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice**
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crumble

• 105 g (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour (dip and sweep)***
• 105 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 75 g (1/3 cup) butter, cut into cubes, cold
• 75 g (1/2 cup) mixture of ground and roughly chopped walnuts and hazelnuts
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F(177C°). Grease 8 inch (20cm) square pyrex or an oven-proof dish and set aside.

2. Peel, core and slice the apples into cubes almost 0,8 inches (2 cm) thick. Place the cube apples into a medium bowl and toss with sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and lemon juice. Leave the excess juice in the bowl and line the mixture evenly into the oven-proof dish.

3. Crumble: Place the cubed butter and flour into a medium bowl. Rub them with your fingertips or use a fork to cut butter into flour until they look like crumbs. Add in the sugar, cinnamon and nuts, just mix to combine. 

4. Assemble:  Sprinkle the crumbles over the apples evenly.  If you don't want your apples to be caramelized too much from the sides, shake the dish so the crumbles can coat the sides.

5. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the top becomes golden brown and the crumbles are crispy.

6. Remove from the oven and serve with ice-cream or heavy cream.

Recipe Notes

*I prefer using tart apples such as Golden or Granny Smith. If you like you can use others.  If you prefer to use sweet and juicy apples such as Gala or others, you may need to use 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch-depending on how juicy they are-when preparing the apple mixture.

** You can increase or decrease the lemon juice amount depending on the sweetness and tartness of the apples.

***You can click here for dip and sweep method if you use cup measurements.

 

The calorie information above is an estimate that is provided by an online nutrition calculator. (calculated for 9 people)

Update Notes:  I originally shared this recipe on Dec 27, 2016.  Today I republish it with new pictures and more information.   I keep the recipe same.