I took my grandmother's amazing apple crumble recipe, added blackberries and a few other ingredients, and ended up with a wonderful dessert, full of flavor and super easy to make! Juicy fruit and buttery crisp topping: it doesn't get much better than that. And it can be made ahead and frozen.
Fantastic flavors
This was my first post in February 2012, the one that started this blog.
It's a twist or an upscale version of the first recipe I ever learned, an old-fashioned apple crumble (we called it crisp, but who's checking) that my grandmother taught me.
I tweaked and tested the recipe over the years, adding different ingredients to achieve that vintage feeling, and this apple and blackberry crumble is the result. Without oats, the crumble has a more shortbread-like texture that melts in your mouth.
It needs no special equipment, and has no complicated steps. Just toss the fruit with sugar and flour, drizzle melted butter into the flour and sugar for the topping, and bake until it’s golden and bubbling.
If you already make this heartier apple berry crisp with oats, this recipe today might sound like it, but it's different: it only uses blackberries, and the topping has almonds and no oats. So, they're half-siblings, each with its own style.
What's the difference between a crisp and a crumble? A crumble has a topping that involves a mixture of butter, flour, and sugar. If you add oats, it becomes a crisp. Both desserts have a fruit layer and a streusel topping.
Testing Notes
- Choose the right apples: Firm, baking-friendly apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn hold their shape well and give the filling more texture.
- Sugar adjustment: Blackberries can swing from sweet to sour depending on the season. Taste them first, then adjust the sugar in the filling. Even a small change can make the crumble taste more vibrant. It also depends on how tart your apples are.
- Peeling apples: Though this is up to you, I recommend you peel them, as the skin will not stay crunchy but chewy and not in a good way.
- Pre-cooked or raw apples: I like the latter, but many people want softer apples, so they like the extra step of cooking them briefly.
- Baking dish choice: A shallow dish encourages more topping-to-fruit surface area, so every serving has plenty of crunch. Deeper dishes will give you more filling but less topping per bite.
- Resting time: As tempting as it is to dig in right away, letting the crumble sit for 15-20 minutes helps the juices settle and the flavors meld. It’s still warm but won’t run all over the plate.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Apples: I also love Granny Smith apples because of their tartness. But I sometimes mix them with Honeycrisp. So use your favorite baking apples.
- Blackberries: Fresh or frozen.
- Orange: I like the sweetness of orange, and it goes very well with blackberries, but you can also use lemon juice (half the amount) instead.
Process steps
You can make the crumble mixture ahead of time and refrigerate it in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze it up to 1 month.
Apples
I like to cut the apples into thin slices if using them raw, or thicker ones if cooking them before assembling the dessert. But it is a matter of preference.
You can also dice them.
I like raw apples, but you can cook them briefly so they bake softer. It's up to you.
- Pre-cooked apples: You can put the apples, cornstarch, and sugar in a saucepan and cook over low heat for a few minutes until the fruit softens and some juice is released and thickens. As the apples continue to bake, they will soften and become more compote-like.
- Raw apples: Mix the apple slices with the thickening ingredients in a bowl until they're all coated and dump them into the baking dish. Or mix it directly in the baking dish, it's messier, but you don't have to wash an extra bowl. Even though the apples bake in the oven, they will remain crisper and less sweet.
Video tutorial for cutting apples👇🏻
Assemble the fruit
I add the layer of apples and scatter the berries on top. You can also gently stir both in a bowl and dump them in the dish.
Variation: blueberries work well instead of blackberries, and lemon juice (use 2 tablespoons with 2 tablespoons of water for the liquid) instead of orange.
Sprinkle the topping
Using melted butter makes it quicker and easier to create clumps that will make it crunchy.
It will almost cover the fruit, but it's good to leave small gaps so the juices can bubble up during baking.
Baking
The filling should be bubbling around the edges, and the topping golden brown. This ensures the fruit is fully cooked and the topping is crisp.
How to serve it
Serve it warm with a dollop of cream or ice cream on top. That will always be the best way, in my opinion.
- Cream: poured cold directly from the container is how we eat it at my house. Alternatively, whip some cold cream with sugar and add a dollop.
- Ice cream: A scoop of vanilla ice cream will always be a crowd-pleaser! Butter pecan and cinnamon ice cream also work wonders.
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Blackberry and Apple Crumble
Ingredients
For the fruit layer:
- 2 pounds baking apples, about 6 large, I use Granny Smith
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- 1 cup blackberries, washed and dried (or frozen, unthawed)
For the crumble topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Butter a 9x9 inch glass or ceramic dish or 6 individual ramekins.
For the fruit layer:
- Peel and core 2 pounds baking apples. Cut them into medium wedges or dice.
- In a large bowl, stir the apple pieces with ½ teaspoon orange zest, 2 tablespoons sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in ¼ cup orange juice and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract if using. Drizzle over the apples and toss lightly to mix.
- Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish.
For the crumble topping:
- In a medium-large bowl, stir 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup white sugar and ½ cup brown sugar.
- Drizzle ½ cup butter over it and quickly stir with a fork or spatula until moist and crumbly. Some dry spots might remain, and that is fine.
To assemble:
- Put the apple mixture in the baking dish and scatter 1 cup blackberries over it.
- Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the fruit, clumping it with your fingers. It will be very irregular, but that is fine.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and berry juices are bubbling.
- Cool until warm and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Or eat it plain, at room temperature.
- Store leftovers covered in plastic wrap in the fridge for 3 days, or freeze them for a month. Use a freezer-safe airtight container.
Lynda says
So glad to have found this recipe! My company loved it, glad I made the extra large one, as the kids were so happy to have second helpings! Making it again to take to a BBQ potluck. I’m confident everyone will love it too! Worth getting blackberry prickles in my fingers!
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks for letting me know Lynda! It makes my day when I read the recipes are making others happy. Have a great week.
Lin says
I can miss the obvious, but I'm not seeing how much cornstarch is called for? Any ideas/
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Lin, it's a tablespoon of cornstarch.
Tonje says
Yum! One of my all time favourite desserts!
Justine says
Loved the addition of blackberries to our normal "regular" apple version. So good
Emily Liao says
This is one of my go to recipes when I want some dessert comfort food! The blackberries really make this delicious 🙂
Dannii says
This is one of my favourite desserts. Perfect with loads of custard.
Pam says
I absolutely love the addition of the blackberries in this apple crisp! Gives it a sweet and tangy boost of flavor!
Carolina says
Thanks for this recipe Paula, we love it! And the video cutting the apples is just what I needed, you’re so detailed always.
Juliana says
Ohhh! Perfect for this cold weather