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apple and blackberry crumble in a white bowl topped with ice cream.
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5 from 4 votes

Apple and Blackberry Crumble

This easy apple and blackberry crumble is completely delicious and a cold weather must! Featuring juicy apples, dotted with fresh (or frozen) blackberries and topped with a crunchy oat crumble, it is comfort dessert at its best. And it can be made ahead and frozen.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: baking, Dessert
Cuisine: Australian
Servings: 8
Calories: 558kcal

Ingredients

For the apple and blackberry filling

  • 6-8 medium apples Peeled and thinly sliced. Approx. 1.4kg. I recommend Granny Smith or any other tart, firm baking apple.
  • ½ cup caster sugar
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon plain flour
  • 3 cups frozen blackberries

For the crumble

  • 1 ¾ cup plain flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 ¼ cup oats
  • 185 grams salted butter chilled, cut into cubes

To serve

  • vanilla ice cream or custard

Instructions

For the crumble

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C/356 F (160 °C fan forced). Set aside a deep 30cm x 18cm (12“ x 7 “) dish.
  • 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.

For the apple filling

  • Arrange the thinly sliced apples along the bottom of the baking dish. Add the sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and flour and stir until everything is combined.
  • Add the blackberries and gently fold them in to the apple mixture.

To assemble

  • Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top of the apple and blackberry mixture.
  • Bake for around 1 hour - 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the apples have completely cooked through and the crumble on top has become a light golden colour. Thickly sliced apples may need a little longer 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 custard.

Video

Notes

  1. Fruit. While we are using apples and blackberries here, I don’t think there are many fruits out there that don’t taste amazing when topped with a crispy crumble! Some other fruit suggestions are; mixed berries, stone fruits like peachescherriesapricotsnectarinesplumspears or a combination of your favourites. Follow the instructions in the recipe card below, but add your favourite fruit combinations.
  2. 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.
  3. Make sure the apples are thinly sliced or cut into small chunks, or they will take longer to cook through.
  4. Use chilled butter and rub it into the crumble mixture with your fingertips, or stir through with a fork. The butter doesn’t need to be fully incorporated; it’s ok for the crumble to be messy, crumbly and coarse.
  5. Bake the crumble in one large dish, or divide the filling and crumble topping between 6-8 individual ramekins or pie dishes for single serve apple crumbles. The baking times will be reduced for smaller serves. Bake until the apples are soft and the crumble is golden and crisp.
  6. For an even crispier crumble, you can add a little more sugar to the mixture. Or, spread the crumble mixture over a flat baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes before adding it to the top of the filling and baking further. This will result in a more caramelised, crunchy topping.
  7. Prep ahead – this is a great prep-ahead dish. Cut the apples and mix the filling mixture in the baking dish. Then, sprinkle the crumble topping over the top, cover and place in the fridge, ready to pop in the oven.
  8. To freeze before cooking; Assemble the crumble as normal in a freezer-safe baking tray. Or, keep the uncooked filling and crumble separate in individual containers, ready to assemble in a baking dish when you want to bake it. Make sure the crumble is well wrapped or covered before freezing. It will keep this way for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, continue with the baking instructions below and add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
  9. To freeze baked crumble; Allow the crumble to cool completely and cover the whole crumble, or individual serves. To re-heat, allow to thaw in the fridge or at room temperature and either microwave it, or cover with foil and bake at 180 C/356F until warmed through. Individual pieces are easy to reheat in the microwave.
  10. Make ahead - If you are making it on the same day that you are planning to serve it, assemble the whole crumble and cover it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it.
  11. Storage; You can store this crumble for up to 3 days in the fridge, or for up to 3 months in the freezer. It will lose some of the crisp texture in the freezer, but still tastes delicious for an easy dessert or quick breakfast.
  12. Please note that the nutrition information is based on the crumble being divided into 8 bowls, with one bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the crumble.
  13. This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Any reference to cups or spoons in this recipe is in Australian metric. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition

Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 319mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 768IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg