Who can resist a warm Apple Crumble fresh out of the oven? For us, the perfect apple crumble is all about having the perfect ratio of apples to crumble. Let’s face it, it’s hard to choose which is the best part, the filling or the crumble! This recipe nails the perfect apple-to-topping ratio, so every bite is filled with juicy, tender apples and that irresistible buttery, crisp topping.

For more apple desserts, check out our Old Fashioned Apple Cobbler or Apple Crisp recipes.

Why Our Recipe

  • The perfect apple-to-topping ratio so you can get the best of both worlds with the soft juicy apples and the buttery topping.
  • Adding lemon juice adds a little brightness and balances the sweetness.

One of our secrets to the perfect filling is to add a little lemon juice. It adds a brightness to fruit that brings out the best flavor in them when baked and balances the sweetness. In this case, it also helps prevent the apples from turning brown.

Ingredient Notes

  • Apples: You’ll need about 6 cups of diced apples.
  • Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best, but bottled works too.
  • Sugar: A little sweet since this is a dessert!
  • Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens the juices released from the apples as they bake.
  • Ground Cinnamon: A classic pairing with apples.
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances the natural sweetness of the apples.
  • All-Purpose Flour: This is one of those desserts where you can actually use a flour replacement successfully.
  • Brown Sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar depending on how rich you want the flavor to be.
  • Cold Butter: Using cold butter is key to achieving the perfect crumbly texture.

Apple Options

There are hundreds of varieties of apples so it can be hard to know which to purchase. There are a number of commonly sold apples that are great for baking. Green apples like Granny Smith provide a nice tart flavor and are great for baking. Other yellow and red varieties that are good for baking include Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Braeburn, Jonathan, Fuji, and Pink Lady. Check the apple for freshness, it should be nice and hard. If the apple is squishy, is bruised, or discolored, you will want to discard them.

The Perfect Crumble

The key to the perfect crumble is using cold butter and mixing it just enough so you get those crumbly chunks. A pastry cutter or even your fingers work great for blending the butter with the flour and sugar, but you can also pulse it in a food processor for convenience. The goal is to achieve small, pea-sized clumps of butter throughout the flour mixture. This allows the topping to crisp up as it bakes, while still retaining a buttery bite.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

Refrigerate any leftover apple crumble in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through and the topping is crisp again.

Reheat in the microwave: If you’re in a hurry, you can reheat individual portions in the microwave. Microwave on high in 30-second increments until warmed through, but note that the topping may not stay as crisp.

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