There are few desserts as cozy, comforting, and universally loved as a classic Apple Crumble. This recipe is the epitome of simple perfection, featuring a layer of tender, thinly sliced apples tossed in cinnamon and lemon, all baked under a thick, buttery, and wonderfully crisp crumble topping. It’s an easy and affordable dessert that fills your home with the most incredible autumn aroma as it bakes. Served warm from the oven, it’s a rustic and elegant treat that’s perfect for any occasion.
Why This is the Perfect Apple Crumble
This recipe is a timeless classic for a reason. Here’s why you’ll love it:
- The Perfect Crisp Topping: This crumble is all about the topping! Using cold butter and your fingertips creates a perfectly crumbly, buttery, and crisp layer that provides the ideal contrast to the soft apples.
- Simple, High-Quality Ingredients: This recipe celebrates the simple, delicious flavor of fresh apples without a long list of complicated ingredients.
- Incredibly Easy to Make: This is a true “chop, mix, and bake” dessert. It’s foolproof for bakers of all skill levels and comes together in just a few minutes of prep time.
- Versatile and Customizable: It’s a fantastic base recipe. You can easily add nuts or oats to the crumble, or use different types of apples to suit your taste.
Your Simple Ingredient Checklist
This recipe is broken down into two easy components: the apple filling and the classic crumble topping.
For the Apple Filling:
- Apples: 2 pounds of your favorite apples (about 5-6 medium), cored and cut into thin wedges or slices.
- Sugar: 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Lemon: 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, plus the zest from half a lemon (optional).
- Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
For the Crumble Topping:
- All-Purpose Flour: 1 cup.
- Cold Butter: ½ cup of cold unsalted butter (or vegan butter), diced into small pieces.
- Sugar: ½ cup of granulated sugar.
- Cinnamon: ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Salt: ½ teaspoon of salt.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Get ready to create the most comforting dessert of the season.
Part 1: Prepare the Apple Filling
- Preheat and Prep: First, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish.
- Prep the Apples: Core your apples and slice them thinly. There’s no need to peel them—the skin adds color, flavor, and nutrients!
- Mix the Filling: In a large mixing bowl, add the sliced apples, sugar, lemon juice, optional lemon zest, and cinnamon. Toss everything together until the apple slices are evenly coated.
- Arrange in Dish: Arrange the seasoned apple slices tightly in your prepared pie dish.
Part 2: Make the Crumble and Bake
- Combine Crumble Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, add the all-purpose flour, cold diced butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- “Pinch” the Crumble: Using your fingertips, rub or pinch the cold butter into the flour and sugar mixture. Continue until the butter is incorporated and the mixture is crumbly and holds together when squeezed. This is the key to a perfect crumble texture!
- Top the Apples: Evenly sprinkle the crumble mixture over the top of the apples in the pie dish.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. The crumble is ready when the topping is a deep golden brown and the apple filling is tender and bubbly.
- Cool and Serve: Let the apple crumble cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before serving. This allows the topping to crisp up as it cools. It’s absolutely divine served warm, either on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Tips for the Best Apple Crumble
- Use Cold Butter: For the crispiest, best-textured topping, it is essential that your butter is cold when you mix the crumble.
- Don’t Be Afraid of Color: Let the crumble bake until it’s a nice, deep golden brown. The color equals flavor!
- Fun Add-Ins: Feel free to add ½ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or old-fashioned rolled oats to your crumble mixture for extra texture and flavor.
- Make it Vegan: This recipe is easily made vegan by simply swapping the regular butter for your favorite brand of vegan butter.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven for 10-15 minutes to re-crisp the topping.
Easy Classic Apple Crumble
This Easy Classic Apple Crumble is the ultimate comfort dessert—tender, cinnamon-spiced apples baked under a buttery, crisp crumble topping. Simple, rustic, and affordable, it’s a cozy treat perfect for any occasion.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- 9-inch pie dish
- Pastry cutter or fingertips
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Wire Rack
Ingredients
- 2 lb apples (about 5–6 medium), cored and sliced thin
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 zest lemon (optional)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 0.5 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly butter a 9-inch pie dish.
- Slice apples thinly. In a bowl, toss with sugar, lemon juice, optional zest, and cinnamon.
- Arrange seasoned apples in the prepared dish.
- In another bowl, combine flour, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Rub butter in with fingertips until crumbly.
- Sprinkle crumble mixture evenly over apples.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden brown and filling is bubbly.
- Cool 10–15 minutes before serving. Best warm with ice cream.
Notes
Use cold butter for the best crumble texture. Try adding oats or nuts for variety. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for a true comfort classic.