My house has a specific smell in the fall, and honestly, it’s this Apple Crumble. This is the dessert I make when the weather starts to turn and all I want is something warm and cozy. I’ve tweaked this recipe for years to get it just right—where the apple filling gets soft and jammy, but the oat topping stays super crunchy and buttery. It’s a simple recipe, but it hits the spot every single time.
Ingredients for a Perfect Apple Crumble
The ingredients are really basic, and you probably have most of this stuff in your pantry already. No need to get fancy.
For the Apple Filling:
- Apples: About 6 medium ones. I’ve tried all kinds, and my personal vote for the
best apple for apple crumbleis a combo of tart Granny Smiths and something sweeter like Honeycrisp. It gives the best flavor. Just peel, core, and slice ’em up. - All-Purpose Flour: 2 tablespoons. This just helps the filling thicken up so it’s not watery.
- Sugars: 1/4 cup of white sugar and 1/4 cup of brown sugar.
- Spices: A teaspoon of cinnamon and about 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.
- Lemon Juice: Just a tablespoon.
For the Oat Crumble Topping:
- All-Purpose Flour: 1 cup.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: 1 cup. The big flaky ones, not the powdery instant kind.
- Brown Sugar: A full cup, packed in there.
- Cinnamon: Another 1/2 teaspoon.
- Cold Unsalted Butter: 1/2 cup (1 stick), cut into little pieces. And yes, it really should be cold right out of the fridge.
- Salt: A little pinch.
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How to Make It
This is a really easy apple crumble recipe with oats, so don’t overthink it. It’s meant to be rustic and a little messy.
Step 1: Get the Oven Going
First thing, crank your oven up to 375°F (190°C). Let that preheat while you do everything else. Go ahead and grease an 8×8 or 9×9-inch baking dish.
Step 2: Mix the Apples
Throw all your sliced apples into a big bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over them and give them a quick toss so they don’t start to look brown and unappetizing. In another little bowl, mix the sugars, flour, and spices together, then just dump it all over the apples. Stir it around until the apples are coated. Then, just spread them out in your baking dish.
Step 3: Make the Topping
Okay, here’s how to make crumble topping that’s actually crumbly. Put the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and mix them up. Add the cold butter cubes. Now, just get in there with your hands and rub the butter into the flour mixture. You want to squish it until it feels like a shaggy, sandy mix with some lumpy bits left. Don’t try to make it smooth like a paste! Those lumps of butter are what make it good.
Step 4: Assemble It
Spoon the topping all over the apples. Be generous and don’t be neat about it. Most importantly, don’t press it down. A loose topping is a crunchy topping. For a slightly healthy apple crumble take, you could try swapping half the white flour for whole wheat flour in the topping. It works pretty well.
Step 5: Bake It
Here’s a tip: put your baking dish on a bigger baking sheet. The filling almost always bubbles over and makes a sticky mess on the oven floor. Ask me how I know. Bake it for about 40 to 50 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the top is nice and golden and the filling is bubbling like crazy around the edges.
Step 6: Let It Chill Out
I know you’re going to want to dig in right away, but you have to let it sit for about 15 minutes. If you don’t, the filling is basically apple soup and will run everywhere. It needs a minute to cool down and thicken up. It’s worth the wait.
Why This Recipe is a Keeper
For me, a warm bowl of this Apple Crumble, maybe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top, is the ultimate comfort food. The whole house smells amazing, and it just feels like the perfect end to any day. Anyway, I hope you try it. If you do, drop a comment and let me know how it went. I’m always curious to see how these recipes turn out for other people.
Apple Crumble
The best Apple Crumble with a super crunchy oat topping and warm, jammy cinnamon apples. The perfect cozy, easy-to-make dessert.
Ingredients
- 6 medium apples peeled cored and sliced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cubed
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Step 1
get the oven going to 375F. grab a baking dish and grease it up
Step 2
throw the sliced apples in a big bowl with the lemon juice. in another bowl mix the sugar flour and spices. dump that on the apples and toss it all good. spread it in the dish
Step 3
for the topping mix the flour oats sugar and cinnamon. add the cold butter cubes. use your hands and rub the butter in until it looks like lumpy sand. dont overmix it
Step 4
just sprinkle the topping all over the apples. dont press it down keep it loose so it gets crunchy
Step 5
bake it for 40 to 50 minutes. its done when the top is golden brown and the inside is all bubbly
Step 6
this is important let it cool down for like 15 minutes before you dig in. so it doesnt turn into soup
Notes
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per ServingCalories 410Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 31mgSodium 29mgCarbohydrates 74gFiber 5gSugar 48gProtein 4g