Apple Crumble
Soft cinnamon-spiced apples under a golden, buttery oat crumble. It is an easy British pudding that uses pantry staples and tastes best warm with custard or cream.
Published 1 Oct 2026Tested by Hina Ikram
Ingredients
Equipment: Medium baking dish (about 22 cm), mixing bowl, saucepan or chopping board and knife
Method
Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Lightly butter a 22 cm baking dish.
Toss the apple chunks in the dish with the 2 tbsp sugar, lemon juice, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp flour until evenly coated. Sprinkle over the water.
In a mixing bowl, stir together 150 g flour, oats, 80 g sugar, salt and ½ tsp cinnamon.
Add the cold butter cubes. Rub them into the dry mix with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized lumps. Do not overwork it, or the topping will be heavy.
Scatter the crumble evenly over the apples. Leave it loose and do not press it down, so it bakes crisp.
Bake on the middle shelf until the topping is deep golden and the fruit juices bubble up around the edges, about 40 minutes. A knife pushed through the crumble should slide easily into the apples.
Rest the crumble for 10 minutes so the juices thicken slightly, then serve warm.
Cooking tips
- Use apples that hold their shape, such as Granny Smith or firm green apples. Very soft apples turn to purée.
- Keep the butter cold so the topping stays crumbly and crisp rather than greasy.
- If the top browns too fast before the apples are soft, cover loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.
- Cut the apples into even chunks so they cook at the same rate.
Substitutions
- Replace the oats with an extra 50 g flour or crushed digestive biscuits if you have no oats.
- Use pears, or a mix of apples and ripe plums, instead of all apples.
- Swap the butter for ghee in the same weight for a richer, nutty flavour.
- Add a pinch of ground cardamom or ginger in place of the cinnamon.
Serve with
"Serve warm with hot vanilla custard, pouring cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A handful of sultanas or chopped walnuts can be stirred into the apples before baking."
Storage
"Cool completely, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Keep the dish well covered to protect it from fridge odours."
Reheating
"Reheat individual portions in a 160°C oven for 10–15 minutes until hot in the centre. The microwave works but softens the topping."
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
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