Apple crumble is one of the easiest old-fashioned desserts you can make. Juicy cinnamon apples bake beneath a buttery crumb topping that turns crisp and golden while the fruit creates its own sauce underneath. It's ready in about 1 hour, can be assembled ahead, and is the kind of recipe you'll come back to every apple season.
This is the first recipe I ever learned from my grandmother fifty years ago, so you can say that I've been making it all my life. The streusel topping is easy to make, even for beginners, and you can make it ahead of time.
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A must-bake classic
When apple season arrives, and you're looking for ways to showcase those gorgeous Granny Smith apples, this classic apple recipe delivers every time. It's rustic, comes together in minutes, and never fails to impress, just like my other fall favorite, the pear crumble.
Desserts with crisp toppings are such favorites that I have a whole crisps and crumbles recipes category devoted to them. The key is getting a buttery, clumpy top, but I give you the option of a more floury one; some people like that more, strange as it sounds.
This apple dessert has been a classic at my childhood house forever, as it's my father's absolute favorite dessert.
We called it apple crisp, but since it has no oats, I'm going with the more accurate crumble. The two desserts are easy to mix up, and honestly, most people use the names interchangeably.
The real difference between the two desserts is in the topping: a crisp traditionally includes oats (and sometimes nuts) for a craggier, toastier texture, while a crumble relies on just flour, sugar, and butter for a more classic streusel. This recipe skips the oats entirely, so it technically lands on the crumble side. But either way, you're getting a buttery, golden topping over juicy cinnamon apples.
The smell of sweet cinnamon apples is always a bit of kitchen magic, isn't it?.
Whether you're baking an apple pie with crumble topping or the very popular apple bars, it's a nostalgic, cozy aroma that can bring life to the dullest day. And, though it's especially good on chilly days, this is a perennial favorite year-round, for potlucks, barbecues, holiday tables and as an everyday dessert.
Key Takeaways:
Success with apple crumble is about balancing tartness with sweetness. Choose your apple variety based on how tart they are and adjust sugar accordingly. Uniform cutting ensures even cooking, while warm (not hot) melted butter creates the perfect topping. Ratios matter, so use the suggested dish sizes.
Tracey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fantastic recipe, so quick and easy, and most of all absolutely delicious 😋
Testing Notes
The key is to balance tart apples and sweetness, without one overpowering the other. Green apples are tarter than red baking apples, and you can adjust the sugar in the filling to accommodate your choice.
Apple preparation: Cut your apples into uniform pieces; this ensures even cooking. You can cube or dice them or slice them about ½ inch thick so they hold their shape and don't turn mushy. The size of the apple chunks determines how soft they bake.
Butter temperature matters: You want it lukewarm but still pourable, not hot. Let it cool slightly before mixing to prevent the sugars from dissolving completely.
The perfect crumble texture: After mixing in the melted butter, the mixture should hold together when squeezed but still break apart into irregular chunks. If it's too wet, add a tablespoon more flour; if too dry, drizzle in a bit more melted butter. This is also the fix if your topping comes out soggy instead of crisp; it usually means there was too much butter relative to flour, or the butter was too hot when mixed in.
Ratios matter. An 8x11-inch rectangular baking dish or a 9-inch square one works perfectly. The crumble should be about 2 inches deep for the ideal apple-to-topping ratio. If using a 9x13-inch baking dish, you'll have a shallower dessert but still as delicious!
Make-ahead and freezing: The crumble topping can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to a month; just make sure you break up any large clumps before using. You can also assemble the whole dish (apples + topping) up to a day ahead and refrigerate, covered, before baking. If freezing the unbaked assembled dish, add about 10-15 extra minutes to the bake time and bake directly from the freezer.
Types of apples to use
Depending on the kind of apples you use, you can vary the sweetness of this simple apple crumble. I'm partial to tart apples, but some people like sweeter ones, and the dessert is forgiving either way.
Granny Smith apples: The green ones, my absolute favorites for baking due to their tartness. I use them exclusively unless unavailable, which is rare. Their acidity complements the overall sweetness of the topping, and they hold their shape well without turning mushy in the oven, even after the full bake time.
Other varieties
- Honeycrisp apples: Sweeter and juicier than Granny Smith, with a firm bite that holds up well during baking. If you go this route, consider cutting back the sugar in the filling slightly or adding a touch more lemon juice to keep things balanced.
- Pink Lady apples: A nice middle ground. Sweet-tart and firm, they won't break down into mush if using medium-large chunks, but won't bring quite the same acidity as Granny Smith.
- Gala and Fuji apples: Both are on the sweeter, softer side. They work, but they'll cook down faster and release more juice, so if you use them, lean into a thicker filling cut (closer to ¾-inch pieces) to help them hold their shape.
- A mix of apples: Combining two or three varieties, like a tart Granny Smith with a sweeter Honeycrisp, gives you a layered texture and flavor, since they'll break down at slightly different rates.
Steps to make apple crumble
Make the topping
This is a classic apple crumble topping. I like to use melted butter as I find it to be quicker, and the resulting mixture clumpier.
Chill it in the fridge while you prepare the fruit layer. This helps you get a clumpy crumble.
It can be made ahead and refrigerated for a week or frozen for a month. Make sure to break up large clumps before using.
Apple layer
Stir all the ingredients together and spread them on the prepared dish. You can use a separate bowl or carefully mix them in the baking dish.
Here is where you can add another spice with the cinnamon. Maybe ginger or nutmeg?
Chopping the fruit into roughly bite-sized pieces (half-inch at the most) ensures they cook evenly. And smaller bites are easier to eat.
Crumble topping
You might need to break up large clumps of the mixture before sprinkling it over the apples.
Baking
When the fruit filling starts to bubble up, and the topping turns a golden brown, it means the juices are thickening, and the crumble is baking as it should.
If it starts browning too quickly, you can loosely tent the dish with foil.
Serving
Serve your apple crumble warm, ideally within an hour of coming out of the oven, when the topping is at its crispiest. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of heavy cream makes it absolutely perfect.
Leftovers keep well covered in the refrigerator for up to three days and can be gently rewarmed in a low oven to restore some of the topping's crunch.
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Old Fashioned Apple Crumble (no oats)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, to grease the dish
Crumble topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and barely lukewarm, not hot (see Notes below)
Apple filling:
- 6 cups sliced or diced Granny Smith apples, the green ones
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, from about ½ a lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or apple pie spice for a more complex flavor
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Use 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to grease an 8x11 or 9-inch square baking dish for a taller dessert, or a 9x13-inch baking dish for a shorter one. Reserve. The final dessert will be amazing either way.
Make the crumble topping:
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, pinch of salt, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ⅓ cup sugar, and ⅓ cup light brown sugar.
- Drizzle ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. Chill while preparing the fruit layer. You can prepare it ahead; see Notes below.
Prepare the apple filling:
- In a large bowl, combine 6 cups sliced or diced Granny Smith apples, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Toss the ingredients together until the apples are evenly coated.
- Pour the apple mixture into the baking dish and spread it out evenly.
Assemble the dessert:
- Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apple filling in the baking dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling. It might take a little more depending on the size of the fruit pieces.
- Let the apple crumble cool slightly before serving.
- Serve warm, on its own or with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or custard.
Tracey says
Fantastic recipe so quick and easy most of all absolutely delicious 😋
Paula Montenegro says
SO glad you liked it Tracey! It’s a family heirloom.