Classic Apple Crumble is a traditional and very popular warm apple dessert. Soft sweet apples are topped with a crisp buttery crumble topping to make one of the simplest desserts and one that makes everyone smile.
Crumble desserts are very much a part of my life. My Mum often made apple crumble and I make all kinds of crumbles such as Rhubarb Crumble, Plum & Oat Orange Crumble, and Mincemeat & Apple Crumble. They are a ‘go-to’ recipe for a quick and filling pudding for my family.
Classic Apple Crumble is just that, a classic. So I have kept the recipe simple with no extras. You can, of course, take the basic recipe and add your own touches if you wish. But first, I urge you to make it as it is and I think you will find that it needs no enhancement.
What ingredients do I need to make Classic Apple Crumble?
You will need:
- Apples
- Sugar
- Flour
- Butter
- Spices (optional)
What kind of apples should I use?
Use a sharp-tasting apple. Cooking apples such as Bramley Seedlings are ideal but I also use Discovery apples from my apple tree. You can use dessert apples but the contrast between sharp apple and sweet crumble makes the best crumble.
What kind of spices can I add to apple crumble?
Apple Crumble is perfect served without any spices but cinnamon is the most common spice to add to apple recipes. My mother always put a few whole cloves in her apple crumble and apple tart and I love that flavour. Cardamom, mixed spice, allspice, and star anise are all spices that would work with apples.
Add only a 1/4 tsp of the ground spice of your choice to the apples before topping with the crumble mixture. Any more will overpower the taste of the apples.
What is demerara sugar?
Demerara sugar is a light coloured raw cane sugar with large crystals. It has a mild flavour and brings a delicious crunch and caramelisation to the crumble topping.
I don’t have demerara sugar, what else can I use?
If you don’t have demerara sugar then use granulated sugar.
How to make Classic Apple Crumble
Follow the steps and once you’ve made it once you’ll see just how easy it is and I hope it will become as much of a favourite in your home as it is in ours.
All quantities and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page
Prepare the apples
Peel, core and slice the apples into even size slices.
Put into an ovenproof dish
- Place the apples in an ovenproof dish.
- Cover with the sugar.
Make the Crumble
- Weigh the flour and butter or baking spread and put into medium to large bowl.
- Use a knife to cut the butter into smaller pieces
Rub in the butter
- Use your fingers to rub the pieces of butter until you have a mixture that looks like large breadcrumbs or small peas.
- Stir in the demerara sugar
Add the crumble topping
Cover the fruit with the crumble mixture and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until the fruit is bubbling and the crumble is golden brown.
Bake the Classic Apple Crumble
Bake the apple crumble for about 40 minutes until the fruit is bubbling up the sides and the crumble is golden.
The apples are soft and the crumble topping is crisp and slightly caramelised from the demerara sugar.
How do I serve Classic Apple Crumble?
Serve the apple crumble with Easy Vanilla Custard Sauce for the total comfort food experience. You can also serve the crumble with vanilla ice cream, pouring cream, clotted cream, or Greek yogurt. It’s entirely up to you and what you like. It’s also a good excuse to keep making Classic Apple Crumble until you find the perfect combination.
More Apple Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen
Sweet Apple Slices make the perfect autumn (fall) snack when apples are plentiful and, if like me you have an apple tree, you will be actively looking for recipes to make the most of your seasonal produce.
Salted Caramel Apple Cupcakes are sweet little sponge cakes with a surprising caramel apple filling and a salted caramel buttercream topped with fudge pieces.
Homemade Caramel Apple Ice Cream brings together the special combination of apples and caramel familiar from our childhood in toffee (candy) apples and bringing back memories of funfairs and Hallow’een.
More Dessert Recipes
You can find the recipe index in the menu at the top of every page along with other ways to sort recipes including a handy shortcut to find more dessert recipes.
More Apple Recipes
- Apple Crumble Cake – Something Sweet, Something Savoury
- My Mum’s Eve’s Pudding– Lost in Food
- Apple and Honey Cookies – Family Friends Food
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Classic Apple Crumble
Ingredients
- 350 grams apples
- 60 grams granulated sugar
- 100 grams plain flour
- 50 grams butter or spread
- 40 grams Demerara sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180 C
- Peel, core and slice the apples. Put into an oven proof baking dish with the granulated sugar.
- Put the flour and the butter or spread into a bowl, and rub the fat into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, stir in the demerara sugar.
- Cover the fruit with the crumble mixture and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until the fruit is bubbling and the crumble is golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
The perfect winter warmer 🙂
Janice Pattie says
Thanks, it certainly is a winter warmer.
Cat says
You can’t beat a good apple crumble and this definitely looks like a good one! This is one of the only puddings I remember my Mum making when we were young and she kept it classic like this. So delicious.
Janice Pattie says
We ate a lot of apple crumble in my childhood too. No bad thing 😂
Rebecca - Glutarama says
Delicious – you cannot go wrong with an apple crumble in this house. So easy to make gluten free too.
Janice Pattie says
Thanks, Rebecca. It’s the simple recipes that are often the best. Very easy to replace the flour with GF for a free from version.
Judith Russell says
Thank you. For years I have been trying to make crumble as good as my late mother-in-law’s. I have finally cracked it. Delicious.
Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Judith that makes me very happy. Enjoy your crumble.