Apple and blackberry crumble is our end-of-summer staple, since I’m often picking blackberries on our dog walks and a generous neighbor is forever offloading apples, so I can’t let them go to waste. This one’s made with store-bought produce (because, life) and it works brilliantly with frozen fruit too. But wait till you try this low effort method: bake the fruit till jammy, then top with a tray-baked crunchy crumble. And trust me: you must add vanilla and a little orange zest after the first bake, it makes everything so bright 🫶.
Why you will love this recipe
- Crunchy oat crumble topping: I bake this separately, this guarantees the crunch factor!
- Less washing up: bake the fruit straight in the oven-proof dish, no need to stew the fruit first.
- Wholesome ingredients: just straight up fresh seasonal fruit (but frozen is a great second choice) and oats bring a healthy kick to this otherwise indulgent dessert recipe.
- Versatile: Enjoy it warm with ice cream, custard or yogurt, or cold as a delightful dessert.
- A little fibre win: The oats and fruit bring helpful fibre and berry polyphenols (still dessert, though).
Watch how to make my apple and blackberry crumble
https://youtube.com/shorts/HJgYP-HVTPE?feature=share
Ingredients you’ll need
- For the Fruit Base
- Apples, peeled and cubed – I use Granny Smith apples, they keep their shape and are slightly tangy. As much as Honeycrisp or Cox variety or any other that are great for pies (keep their shape), although there are quite a few experiments on the web.
- Blackberries – I use fresh English blackberries, but frozen work as well.
- Sugar – Granulated or Demerara, it really suits a crumble.
- Butter
- Vanilla & Orange Zest – don’t skip them, they really take this apple and blackberry crisp to the next level.
- For the Crumble Topping
- Plain flour (or all-purpose flour)
- Butter
- Oats – I use organic rolled oats, I encourage you to try using organic whole oats as much as possible, remember I’m a food scientist so I see all those pesticide testing results 😧.
- Demerara sugar – adds a wonderfully sweet crunch to the topping.
- Salt – a touch of salt enhances that sweetness, I add it to all my desserts.
How to make apple and blackberry crumble (extra-crisp oat topping)
Time needed: 1 hour
This apple blackberry crumble is so crisp! Bake the apples and blackberries with sugar and butter, stir in vanilla and orange zest, tray-bake the oat crumble separately, then assemble and finish until golden and bubbling.
- Prep the apples
Peel, core and slice the apples into 1–2 cm pieces. (If using an apple corer, cut the wedges into smaller chunks.)
- Bake the fruit base
Preheat your oven to 190°C fan / 375°F. Add apples and blackberries to a buttered baking dish; sprinkle over 60 g sugar and dot with 50 g butter. Bake for 25 mins, stirring once. Remove from the oven and stir in vanilla and orange zest.
- Make the crumble topping
Preheat the oven at 190°C or 375 ℉. Rub flour and cold, cubed butter with a butter knife or the tips of your fingers briefly until they resemble breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, salt and oats.
Tip the crumble on a parchment paper on a baking tray and turn the temperature down at 175°C or 350 ℉ fan. Bake for 10-15 minutes and cool down for another 5 minutes, then break into chunky clusters. - Bake & serve
Scatter the crisp crumble over the hot fruit. Return to 190°C / 375°F for 5–10 mins until golden and bubbling. Rest 5 mins so the juices thicken. Serve warm with custard, ice cream or yogurt.
Pro Tips
- Separate baking: For a crispier crumble, bake the topping separately before adding it to the fruit. Let it cool down, then break it up with a wooden spoon or even your hands before topping the baked fruit.
- Leave some big nuggets: they toast up like tiny biscuits.
- Make sure your butter is cold to get crispy clusters.
- Do NOT use ! You want to avoid thickeners, like flour or cornstarch, because it reduces the flavor of the fruit filling and can make it grainy or gloppy.
- If you want more sauce, reduce the time of the fruit baking by 5 minutes. Or add the juice of an orange just after the fruit is baked.
What to serve with apple & blackberries crumble
- If you make this in the fall or winter, custard is such a comforting addition! And this is always Dave’s choice! And Delia’s proper custard is my go-to recipe 😋.
- But Dave would never say no to vanilla ice-cream either 😉! It has to be Madagascan vanilla for us, a lovely classic flavor, you cannot go wrong with.
- But this is a healthy flexitarian food blog I hear you say: indeed, keep it light and fresh with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Feed those friendly gut bacteria happy!
- I am a sour cream or Crème fraîche addict, breaking that sweetness down with a touch of tangy works every time.
- More fresh blackberries!!!
- And if you love the streusel top, you will love my apple crumble tarts or my strawberry rhubarb oatmeal muffins. Or try my apple and strawberry crumble too. Like I said, plenty of fruity desserts here 🤗.
- Leftovers: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently before serving, but they won’t be as crunchy. I have also frozen the leftovers in an airtight container and defrosted for 2-3 minutes in the microwave, they turned out to be as delicious and kept their texture.
variations and substitutions
- This is a VEGETARIAN recipe, for a VEGAN option, replace the butter with a vegan butter alternative. Our daughter made it for a vegan friend and it worked a treat.
- Fruit: Swap the apples with firm pears (no need to peel), or a mix of summer berries and even plums.
- Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the crisp topping.
- Sweetness: Adjust the sugar amount, I suggest dropping the amount by 15 g will still taste like a dessert.
- Nutty top: Add 30–40 g chopped almonds or walnuts to the topping.
- Gluten free: I have not tried, but you may be able to replace the flour with a gluten free option and I know you can find gluten free oats in the supermarket. Leave me a comment if you do! 😊
I hope you agree: the crispy crumble topping is a game-changer. This strawberry apple crumble is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, such a classic, or keep it light and fresh with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Let me know in the comments which way you prefer it!
- If you make my recipe, take a snapshot for your Instagram
- Post and tag me @candyflossiecooks😉🤗!
- Don’t forget to rate my recipe! It will make my day!
recipe FAQ
Absolutely. Don’t thaw; just add 5 minutes to the fruit bake and drain a spoonful of excess liquid if needed.
Nope. Baking the fruit until syrupy concentrates flavor and avoids that pasty mouthfeel.
Yes, you can make the crumble topping ahead of time, cool it down, break it up and store it in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to use. Or even freeze it and add it to the baking fruit straight from the freezer.
Yes, just leave the oats out and up the flour to 120 g.
Apple and Blackberry Crumble Recipe
Equipment
- 1 ceramic baking dish pie dish, to bake the fruit
- 1 Sheet pan to bake the crumble topping
- 1 Chopping board for preparing the fruit
- 1 pairing knife
- 1 medium bowl to mix the crumble topping in
- 1 scale
Ingredients
For the fruit base:
- 6 medium apples peeled and cubed (approximately 700 g)
- 300 g blackberries
- 60 g granulated or demerara sugar
- 50 g butter plus more to butter the dish
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (stirred in after the first bake)
- 2 tsp fine orange zest (stirred in after the first bake)
For the crumble topping:
- 100 g plain flour all purpose
- 60 g butter fridge cold, cubed
- 50 g oats rolled oats
- 60 g demerara sugar
- 3 g salt 1/4 tsp
Instructions
Bake the fruit
- Preheat your oven to 190°C fan (375°F). Butter a baking dish.
- Peel and cube the apples. Add apples and blackberries, sprinkle over 60 g sugar, and dot with 50 g butter. Bake 25 minutes, stirring once so the fruit glazes and the juices start to thicken.
- Stir in vanilla and orange zest. Set the baking dish aside while you are making the crumble topping.
Make the crisp (crumble topping)
- Preheat the oven at 190°C or 375 ℉.
- In a medium bowl, make the crumble by mixing flour and cold, cubed butter together with a butter knife to avoid the butter getting too soft.
- Finish the crumble by rubbing it with the tips of your fingers briefly until they resemble breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, salt and oats and mix.
- Tip the crumble on a parchment paper on a baking tray and turn the temperature down at 175°C or 350 ℉ fan. Bake for 10-15 minutes, careful not to burn it.
- Take the crumble out of the oven and set aside for 5 minutes or so until is cooled down.
- Once it's cool to the touch, you can crumble it further as it will have set in a crunchy biscuit like sheet.
Assemble the crumble
- Add the crumble topping to the baked fruit, covering evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 190°C fan or 375 ℉ for another 5-10 minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
- Serve warm with custard, ice cream or a dollop of Greek yogurt.
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