Apple Crumble

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 08/30/23
Tested by Tara Omidvar
Baked apple crumble served with ice cream.

The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 1 crumble

This amazing apple crumble recipe is impressive and delicious but incredibly easy to prepare—no crust making here—so be ready to take a bow for a dessert you didn't toil over all day. 

With apples available year-round, there's just no reason to wait for apple season to make it, although it's a fantastic project after a day of apple picking with the kids in the fall. Consider this treat for a holiday dessert, or the next potluck.

"This is a great tasty recipe which requires just a few ingredients. Apple crumble is easy to make, it’s not overly sweet and you can serve it either warm or cold. Cinnamon brings great additional flavor to the crumble and you can also add nutmeg if desire. Highly recommend serving warm crumble with vanilla ice cream." —Tara Omidvar

Baked Apple Crumble/Tester image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (4-ounces) unsalted butter, softened, more for the pan

  • 3 to 4 crisp, tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make baked apple crumble.

    The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

  2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan or a 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish with butter. Set aside.

    Greased baking dish.

    The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

  3. Peel and core the apples. Then cut into thin wedges. Place the sliced apples in the prepared baking pan.

    Sliced apples in a baking dish.

    The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

  4. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in 1/2-cup butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

    Crumb mixture in a bowl.

    The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

  5. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the apples.

    Crumb mixture on top of sliced apples.

    The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

  6. Bake until the apples are tender, 35 to 45 minutes. The time might vary a bit depending on the thickness of the apple slices and the depth of the apples in the baking dish. 

    Baked apple crumble

    The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

  7. Serve the apple crumble warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired. It is also great with a drizzle of heavy cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream. 

    Baked apple crumble served with ice cream.

    The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

Recipe Variation

Crumbles are homey desserts that can be made year-round with seasonal fruits. Just vary the spices and nuts, if you choose to use them, to match the fruit.

  • Toss the apple slices with 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for extra tartness.
  • Replace part or all of the sliced apples with sliced fresh pears.
  • Feel free to use all or part brown sugar in the topping.
  • Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
  • Add about 1/2 cup of chopped (plain or toasted) pecans or walnuts to the topping.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
363 Calories
16g Fat
56g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 363
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 20%
Saturated Fat 10g 49%
Cholesterol 41mg 14%
Sodium 299mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 56g 21%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 41g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 4mg 18%
Calcium 16mg 1%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 107mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)