Apple Crumble Recipe

This easy apple crumble recipe layers tender, cinnamon-spiced Honeycrisp apples under a thick, buttery brown sugar crumble topping, all baked right in a 9×13 dish. It’s simple enough for a weeknight, great for making ahead, and best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Warm, bubbly, and buttery.

• So easy: You can mix up the apple filling right in the baking dish (one less bowl to wash!), squish together a five-ingredient crumble with your fingers, and let the oven do the rest. No pie crust, no rolling pin, no stress!
• So delicious: Tender, slightly spiced apples bubbling under a thick layer of golden, buttery, brown sugar crumble. Add a scoop of melty vanilla ice cream, and you’ve got a dessert the whole family will love!

Here’s what you’ll need.

Here’s how it all comes together.

MAKE APPLE FILLING. Toss the sliced apples, lemon juice, both sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, and vanilla right in a 9×13 baking dish until everything’s evenly coated. Give the edges a quick wipe with a paper towel if things get messy.

MAKE CRUMBLE. Stir together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold, cubed butter with a fork or your fingers until you have pea-sized clumps that hold together when you squeeze them.

TOP + BAKE. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the apples and bake for 45–50 minutes, until the topping is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges.

REST. Let it cool on the counter for 5–10 minutes so the filling can thicken up.

SERVE. Scoop it up warm and top with vanilla ice cream.

Things I learned while testing this recipe.

• Honeycrisp apples are my personal favorite. They hold their shape well and their sweet-tart flavor pairs really well with the crumble topping. Granny Smith, Pink Lady, or Braeburn work great too. You can even mix and match!
• Keep your slices even. Cutting everything about 1/4″ thick means all the apples cook at the same rate, so you won’t end up with some crunchy slices and some mushy ones.
• Don’t skip the lemon juice. It keeps the apples from browning while you make the topping, and it adds a little brightness so the filling doesn’t taste flat.
• Cold butter = clumpy crumble. Keep the butter in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Warm butter melts into the flour and gives you a sandy topping instead of those big, crunchy clumps we all fight over.
• Bake until it’s DEEP golden. It’s tempting to pull it early, but those extra few minutes are what make the topping crisp and the filling thick and jammy. Look for bubbles around the edges. That means the cornstarch has done its thing.
• If the top browns too fast, loosely tent it with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.
• Patience pays off. The filling looks a little runny straight out of the oven, but it thickens up as it rests. Give it those 5–10 minutes!
• I love the oats in a classic apple crisp, but a crumble traditionally doesn’t have oats in it, and I sometimes prefer that!

FAQ

You can prep this dessert ahead.

• Prep the crumble topping ahead. Mix it up, toss it in a Ziploc bag or airtight container, and stash it in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. No need to thaw before sprinkling it on.
• Assemble it the morning of. Put together the filling and topping, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. When it’s time, bake straight from the fridge, adding 5–10 minutes to the bake time.
• Perfect for holidays and get-togethers. Get dessert done before guests arrive, then pop it in the oven during dinner. It’ll come out warm and bubbly right when everyone’s ready for something sweet – and your kitchen will smell amazing!

Here’s what I’d serve with this.

• the best chili recipe
• easy cheeseburger soup
• Boursin baked chicken and orzo
• Sunday stovetop meatballs
• biscuit breakfast bake

Just in case you have leftovers.

• REHEATING: For the crispiest topping, reheat in a 350-degree oven for 15–20 minutes, covered with foil for the first 10 minutes, until warmed through. For a single serving, microwave for 30–45 seconds. The topping will be softer, but it’ll still be delicious with ice cream on top. It’s also delicious cold, straight from the fridge.
• STORING: Let the crumble cool completely, then cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap, or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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