• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Keep calm and eat ice cream
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Tumblr
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Tumblr
    • Twitter
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Crumbles and Cobblers / Apple crumble (Apple crisp)

    Apple crumble (Apple crisp)

    Published: May 22, 2020 · Modified: Nov 20, 2022 by Sarah Brooks

    261 shares
    • Share228
    • Yummly
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe

    This apple crumble (apple crisp) is a family favorite. The cinnamon and cloves give wonderful warmth and contrast the tang of the apples and the crunch of the oaty topping.

    Baking dish of apple crumble with fresh apples on the side.

    I have been making this crumble for as long as I can remember. I believe the recipe may have originally came from one of my dear friend's grandmother. The filling is a classic combination of apple, cinnamon and cloves. The topping is a crunchy mix of rolled oats, coconut, a little sugar and a lot of butter. It was when I spent some time in the UK that I realized English apple crumble is usually made with flour and butter. Versions with rolled oats like mine are sometimes called apple crisp, but the terms crumble and crips are often used interchangeably. Regardless of what you call it this apple crumble recipe is the perfect warm-up on a cold winter's day. It pairs beautifully with my sour cream ice cream, with some whipped cream, or on its own. I've even been known to eat it for breakfast the following day 🙂

    To make the apple crumble (apple crisp)

    Make the apples first, then the topping, before assembling and baking.

    To make the apple filling

    Apple crumble ingredients
    Peeling and chopping apples

    To start with peel and core your apples, then dice them into pieces. You will need about 2.3 lbs (1kg) of apples.

    Adding cinnamon to chopped apples
    Adding water to apple mix
    Mixed apple mix

    Put the diced apples into a medium saucepan with the cinnamon, cloves, and water. Give it a good stir, then put on a well-fitted lid and simmer for approximately twenty minutes or until the apples are soft and just starting to break down. Check the apples often and stir, you don't want the pan to dry out or the apples will catch and burn. If the water dries out add another tablespoon of water but not too much or you will end up with a soggy crumble.

    Mashing apples

    Once the apple just starts to fall apart remove it from the heat and roughly mash it. Do not puree the apples, you want to leave enough lumpy bits for texture and flavor. You can pick the cloves out at this point if you want or leave them in if you prefer. The clove taste will increase if you leave them in.

    Taste the apple mix. Apples can vary in a lot in their sweetness depending on the variety, how ripe they are, and the time of year. If the mix is too tart, add a little sugar. For this mix, I added two tablespoons of sugar which was enough to balance the tartness of the apples without making it overly sweet. There's sugar in the crumble topping to remember.

    Hot tip: if you don't have time to make the apple filing from scratch you can cheat and use a large tin of apple pie pieces instead. It won't have the same beautiful tang as fresh apples but its a good shortcut if you are short on time. Remember to add cinnamon and cloves and sugar to taste if needed.

    While the apples are cooking put the oven on to preheat at 340°F (190°C/170°C fan forced).

    To make the crumble topping

    Dry ingredients crumble topping
    Adding melted butter to crumble topping mix

    Add the rolled oats, coconut, and sugar to a medium bowl and mix well. Melt the butter. I find it's easiest to do this in the microwave but you can do it on a stovetop if you prefer. Add the butter to the topping mix and stir well. The mix will resemble large, buttery, crumbly bread crumbs.

    To assemble the crumble

    Put the cooled apple mixture into a medium-sized baking dish and smooth it out. I like my rectangular ceramic one similar to this,

    Apple mix in baking dish
    Adding topping mix to crumble
    Crumble ready to bake

    Add the crumble topping. You want it in a more or less even layer over the top but do not flatten it down. You want lots of knobbly gnarly bits to create crunch and texture.

    Bake in the oven for approximately 20 mins or until the crumble topping is golden brown and the tops are just starting to darken.

    Apple crumble with ice cream

    Serve immediately with some luscious sour cream or vanilla bean ice cream, some whipped cream, or on its own. Also delicious cold or even for breakfast the next day, if there's any left!

    Storage

    This apple crumble is best eaten fresh from the oven. It will keep covered in the fridge for up to three days.

    Looking for more tasty dessert recipes?

    Why not try making

    • Stewed Pears
    • Apple and Plum Crumble
    • Feijoa Crumble
    • Rhubarb Crumble

    Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it when in the comment below and tag me on socials so I can see your delicious creations! @KCAEIC or #KCAEIC

    Apple crumble showing filling
    Baking dish of apple crumble with fresh apples on the side.

    Apple crisp (apple crumble)

    Author: Sarah Brooks
    This apple crisp or apple crumble is a family favourite. The cinnamon gives a wonderful warm and contrast the tang of the apples and crunch of the coconut and oat topping.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 serves, approx.
    Calories 278 kcal

    Equipment

    • Shallow baking dish

    Ingredients

    Apple filling

    • 2.3 lbs (1kg) apples approx, 9 small apples
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ tablespoon whole cloves
    • 2 tablespoons white sugar

    Crumble topping

    • 1 cup (100gms) rolled oats
    • 1 cup (75gms) desiccated coconut
    • ¼ cup (55gms) white sugar
    • 1 stick (½ cup or 113 gms) salted butter

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat oven to 340°F (190°C/170°C fan forced)

    To make the apple filling

    • Peel, core and dice the apples
    • Add the apples to a small saucepan with a lid, along with cinnamon, cloves and a splash of water.
    • Simmer with the lid on, checking and stirring frequently until apples are soft and just starting to come apart. You don't want the apples to boil dry but you also don't want them to wet. Watch them carefully or they will catch. Roughly mash, leaving plenty of lumpy bits.
    • Transfer stewed applies to a shallow baking dish and spread out evenly.

    To make the crumble topping

    • In a bowl add oates, coconut and sugar, mix well.
    • Melt butter, using a microwave or stove top.
    • Add butter to oat mix and mix in well.
    • Spread oat mix over stewed apples in a more or less even layer. Do not flatten, leave lots of uneven lumpy bits.
    • Bake in oven for 20 mins or until golden brown on top.
    • Serve immediately with a scoop of sour cream ice cream or whipped cream, or delicous on its own.

    Notes

    This recipe is very forgiving.  You can make it bigger or smaller batches or make individual serves.  
    You can use any kind of apples you like but remember to taste apple mix and add sugar if needed.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 278kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 0.2mgSodium: 10mgPotassium: 273mgFiber: 7gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 50IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 2mg

    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.

    Keywords: apple crisp, apple crumble
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Apple crumble with apple
    261 shares
    • Share228
    • Yummly
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sylvie

      May 25, 2020 at 12:42 am

      5 stars
      Such a classic and delicious dessert - it always does it for me! And it is such a great comfort dessert for cold days like now 🙂

      Reply
      • Sarah Brooks

        May 28, 2020 at 9:08 am

        Some times you just need something comforting and familiar, especially on these cold winter days.

        Reply
    2. Robyn

      May 27, 2020 at 9:36 pm

      5 stars
      This is the perfect warming dessert for our cooling nights! So comforting, and can't beat a scoop of cold ice cream with a serving of hot apple crumble!

      Reply
      • Sarah Brooks

        May 28, 2020 at 9:09 am

        Thank you Robyn, its a winning combination isn't it? 🙂

        Reply
    3. Adrianne

      May 28, 2020 at 2:39 am

      5 stars
      Yum, this apple crumble looks so tasty, I want a bowl of it please!! Great photos and method so I can see exactly what I need to do, cheers!

      Reply
      • Sarah Brooks

        May 28, 2020 at 9:09 am

        Thanks Andrianne, you're welcome. It got eaten pretty quickly once I let my family try it 🙂

        Reply
    4. Jaimie

      July 30, 2020 at 1:50 am

      5 stars
      What a beautiful winter warmer! And that golden crumble on top is to die for!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Sarah and Damian eating ice cream

    Ice cream from my favourite ice cream shop on our wedding - we even gave the guests gift vouchers for ice cream!

    Hi I’m Sarah and welcome to Keep Calm and Eat Ice-cream.

    I’ll be sharing all the things I love about ice-cream, eating it, making it, reviewing it, bathing it in (kidding) and all the things in between. So sit back, grab a scoop and come on a delicious journey with me

    Recipe of the month
    Biscoff Cheesecake

    Cheesecake on a serving board with serving wear, jar of Biscoff and Biscoff cookies and slice of cake in background.

    Latest ice cream recipes

    Close up peanut butter ice cream in a bowl with roasted peanuts.

    Peanut Butter Ice Cream

    Close up three scoops dulce de leche ice cream with drizzle.

    Dulce De Leche Ice Cream

    Close up of three scoops of ice cream in a bowl.

    Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

    More ice cream recipes

    Latest popsicle recipes

    Close up popsicles surrounded by fresh pineapple, cherries and cherry leaves.

    Pineapple Cherry Popsicles

    Close up Popsicles surrounded by fresh cherries and mango.

    Cherry Mango Popsicles

    Close up of strawberry jello popsicle with mini strawberry jello molds.

    Jello popsicles

    More popsicle recipes

    Latest dessert recipes

    Close up Oreo turkey cookies

    Oreo Turkey Cookies

    Milkshake in a mason jar with a straw, whipped cream, banana chip crumbs and a cherry on top.

    Banana Milkshake

    Group of three sundaes, classic, strawberry and caramel, with whipped cream, nuts, sprinkles, wafers and cherry, on a plate with spoons, nuts and sprinkles.

    Ice Cream Sundae

    More dessert recipes

    Short on time? - Check out our recipes and collections as web stories.

    Web Stories

    Check out more tasty recipes

    Most shared posts

    Cheesecake on a serving board with serving wear, jar of Biscoff and Biscoff cookies and slice of cake in background.

    Biscoff Cheesecake

    Shares: 2011

    Close up slice of caramilk cheesecake on a plate with a fork with rest of cake and caramilk chocolate in the background.

    Caramilk cheesecake

    Shares: 2466

    Close up passion fruit cheesecake with passion fruit coulis, a vintage fork in front, fresh passion fruit and passion fruit leave on the side.

    Passion fruit cheesecake

    Shares: 969

    Passion fruit coulis in a glass jar with a vintage spoon in front and fresh, cut open passion fruit and passion fruit leaves on the side, on a wooden chopping board.

    Passion fruit coulis

    Shares: 840

    Lemon, lime and bitters popsicles with fresh lemon and limes.

    Lemon, lime and bitters popsicles

    Shares: 797

    Footer

    About

    • About
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms and Conditions

    Newsletter





    Social Media

    Follow me on your favorite social media and recipe sharing channels

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Copyright © 2022 Sarah Brooks