Apple Crumble
Bramleys under a rubble of butter, flour and sugar. The whole argument is over the ratio, and it is three parts flour to two of butter to one and a half of sugar.
Photograph credit: Trying a New Apple Crumble Recipe by cogdogblog · CC0 1.0 · Flickr
Photograph credit: Trying The Apple Crumble by cogdogblog · CC0 1.0 · Flickr
Method
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Toss the apple slices with the caster sugar, cornflour, cinnamon and lemon juice and tip them into a baking dish.
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Dot the 30 g butter over the fruit.
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Rub the 120 g cold butter into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like coarse gravel with lumps still in it. Stop there.
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Stir in the demerara, oats, salt and cinnamon.
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Scatter the crumble loosely over the fruit without pressing it down at all.
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Bake at 180C fan / 200C / gas 6 for 45 minutes, until the top is deep gold and the juices are bubbling up around the edges.
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Rest 10 minutes before serving — the fruit is molten straight from the oven.
Chef’s Tips
- Coarse gravel, not breadcrumbs. Stop rubbing early.
- Never press the topping down.
- Do not pre-cook the apples. Bramleys collapse on their own.
Pairing Suggestions
- Hot custard
- Vanilla ice cream
- Double cream
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerated for 4 days. Re-crisp in the oven, not the microwave. Freezes 3 months.
Common questions
How long does Apple Crumble take to make?
About 1 hour 5 minutes in total — 20 minutes of preparation and 45 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 6.
What are the key tips for making Apple Crumble?
Coarse gravel, not breadcrumbs. Stop rubbing early. Never press the topping down. Do not pre-cook the apples. Bramleys collapse on their own.
What should I serve with Apple Crumble?
Hot custard; Vanilla ice cream; Double cream.
Can Apple Crumble be made ahead or frozen?
Refrigerated for 4 days. Re-crisp in the oven, not the microwave. Freezes 3 months.
Is Apple Crumble suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is vegetarian. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Apple Crumble?
About 490 kcal per serving, with 5 g protein, 74 g carbohydrate and 21 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutritional Highlights
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.