This apple and blackberry crumble is dessert at its finest! A layer of juicy apple pieces and sweet blackberries are topped with a deliciously crisp crumble to make a fabulous, comforting dessert that is sure to become a family favourite. It’s made with just 9 ingredients and cooked in one dish!
If you are looking for an easy, warming and comforting dessert, this delicious apple and berry crumble recipe is such a treat. It is so easy to throw together and when topped with a dollop of whipped cream, ice cream or hot custard– it makes for the ultimate indulgence!
Crumbles are one of my all-time favourite winter desserts (or autumn, or any other time of year really!). And this one is like a big, warm hug. The recipe can even be made ahead or frozen for convenience, ready to feed a hungry crowd in no time
Today, I’m giving you a step by step recipe for the perfect crumble. It can be adapted with your favourite flavours, to make a dessert that is tailored just for you.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Quick and easy to prepare – all you need is 7 simple pantry ingredients to go with the apple and blackberries. And just one mixing bowl – the rest of the dessert is prepared together in one dish!
Family sized – this recipe makes 8 serves, perfect for feeding a crowd, or freeze half for next time!
Make ahead or freeze – need a quick and easy dessert? Make ahead and freeze for an easy dessert whenever its required.
What you’ll need
Ingredient notes;
** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. For full ingredient quantities and methods, see the detailed recipe card below.
Apples – I prefer to use Granny Smith apples here, for their sweet and tart flavour and a texture that holds up well in baking. But, any fresh apples can work! They will need to be thinly sliced in order to cook through completely.
Blackberries – fresh or frozen can be used. If using frozen berries, there is no need to thaw them first. Just add them straight to the apple mixture.
Flour – plain (all purpose) flour is used for the crumble. If you require gluten free apple crumble, use gluten free flour or even add a mixture of GF flour and almond meal.
Lemon – a squeeze of lemon juice over the fruit adds a lovely, tart flavour to balance the sweetness.
Step by step instructions
Step 1; prepare the crumble.
Mix the dry crumble ingredients together in a large bowl. Using your fingers (or a food processor), rub the flour into the dry mixture until it looks like coarse sand or crumbs. **Note: if you prefer extra crispy crumble, you can place it on an oven tray and bake for 10-15 minutes at 180 C (356 F)/160 C fan forced before placing it on top of the apples to bake further.
Step 2; the apple and blackberry filling. This layer is super easy! Set the blackberries aside and gently stir the apple and other ingredients together in the bottom of a deep baking dish until the apples are evenly coated. Then gently add the blackberries and lightly fold. I used a deep 30 cm x 18 cm (12 “ x 7 “) dish. Make sure the apples are thinly sliced, or they won’t completely cook through.
Step 3;
Evenly cover the apple layer with the crumble and bake according to the recipe instructions below, until the crumble is crunchy and the apple filling is cooked through. The apple filling will thicken as it sits, so leave it aside for 5-10 minutes before serving, if you are serving it straight away.
Variations
Fruit – While we are using apple and blackberries here, I don’t think there are many fruits out there that don’t taste amazing when topped with crumble! Some other suggestions are mixed berries, stone fruits like peaches, cherries, apricots, nectarines or plums, pears or a combination of your favourites. Follow the recipe below, but add your favourite fruit combinations.
Sweetness – using a tart variety of apples and a little lemon juice, this crumble isn’t overly sweet. But, if you prefer a little more sweetness, you can add some brown sugar or maple syrup to the apples, along with the caster sugar.
Crumble – basic crumble is made by rubbing butter into flour and sugar. This recipe also adds oats for a little extra texture and flavour. You can also add your favourite crushed or slivered nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts or macadamias). Or swap a little of the flour for some almond or hazelnut meal. And, try adding your favourite spices, like cinnamon or my favourite, a little ground ginger for a little extra spice.
FAQs and handy tips
- Bake the crumble in one large dish as per the recipe below, or add the filling and topping to individual ramekins for single serves. The baking times will vary for smaller dishes.
- What can I serve with crumble? This dessert can be served warm with ice cream, whipped cream or hot custard. It can even be eaten cold the next day and makes a delicious breakfast with some Greek yoghurt!
- Can I freeze this? Yes! You can freeze this dessert in a few different ways, depending on your needs. The apple filling and crumble can be prepared and frozen before cooking, ready to add to a dish and bake when required. Assemble it (uncooked) in a freezer-safe tray, covered and ready to be added to the oven. Or, it can be cooked ahead and added to the freezer in an airtight container once it has completely cooled. Freeze it whole, or in individual serves in small containers for an easy dessert for one (or two).
- To re-heat from frozen, simply leave the crumble at room temperature (or overnight in the fridge) to thaw before adding to the oven until heated through.
- For a more golden, crunchy crumble, you can add a little more sugar to the mixture, or place it on a tray and bake it for 10-15 minutes before adding it to the apples and baking further. This will result in a more caramelised, crunchy top.
Related recipes
Looking for more easy dessert recipes for entertaining? You’ll love these ideas!
- Chocolate peppermint slice
- Hazelnut and orange syrup cake
- Caramel apple pudding
- Homemade lemon meringue pie
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment or review below, or send me a message. For more food inspiration, tips and to share your own recipes and creations, head over to my Facebook Recipe Group.
Apple and Blackberry Crumble
Ingredients
For the apple and blackberry filling
- 6 large apples Peeled and thinly sliced. 1.4kg. I recommend Granny Smith or any other tart baking apple.
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbs lemon juice
- 3 cups frozen blackberries
For the crumble
- 1 3/4 cup plain flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cup oats
- 3/4 cup butter salted, (185 grams) cut into cubes
Instructions
For the crumble
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C (356 F)/160 °C fan forced. Set aside a large, deep baking dish (I used a 30cm x 18cm (12“ x 7 “) dish) and grease it with a light coating of oil spray.
- Place the flour, sugar and oats into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the butter and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour mixture, until everything is combined and the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. (see notes below for extra crisp crumble option).
For the apple filling
- Arrange the thinly sliced apples along the bottom of the baking dish. Add the sugar, vanilla and lemon juice and use a spoon to carefully stir the apples until they are coated with the sugar. Fold in the blackberries.
To assemble
- Place the crumble evenly over the top of the apple and blackberry mixture.
- Bake for around 1 hour – 1 hour 10 minutes, until the apples have completely cooked through and the crumble on top has become a light golden colour and crunchy. Check that the apples have cooked though. If they are sliced thickly, they may need a little more time to cook.
- The apple filling will thicken as it sits, so set the crumble aside for 5-10 minutes before serving hot with ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.
Notes
- Apples – I prefer to use Granny Smith apples here, for their sweet and tart flavour and a texture that holds up well in baking. But, any fresh apples can work! They will need to be thinly sliced in order to cook through completely.
- Blackberries – fresh or frozen can be used. If using frozen berries, there is no need to thaw them first. Just add them straight to the apple mixture.
- Flour – plain (all purpose) flour is used for the crumble. If you require gluten free apple crumble, use gluten free flour or even add a mixture of GF flour and almond meal.
- Bake the crumble in one large dish as per the recipe below, or add the filling and topping to individual ramekins.
- What can I serve with crumble? This dessert can be served warm with ice cream, whipped cream or hot custard. It can even be eaten cold the next day and makes a delicious breakfast with some Greek yoghurt!
- Can I freeze this? Yes! You can freeze this dessert in a few different ways, depending on your needs. The apple filling and crumble can be prepared and frozen before cooking, ready to add to a dish and bake. It can also be assembled in a freezer-safe tray, covered and frozen to be added to the oven. Or, it can be cooked ahead and added to the freezer after it has completely cooled. Freeze it whole, or in individual serves for an easy dessert for one (or two).
- To re-heat from frozen, simply leave the crumble at room temperature (or overnight in the fridge) to thaw before adding to the oven to heat through.
- For a more golden, crunchy crumble, you can add a little more sugar to the mixture, or place it on a tray and bake it for 10-15 minutes before adding it to the apples and baking further. This will result in a more caramelised, crunchy top.
- The apple filling will thicken as it sits, so leave the crumble aside for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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