Apple Crumble with Oats, an old-fashioned Autumn dessert that is the very definition of perfection. Perfectly juicy apples with a lovely hint of cinnamon and crispy oat topping; it really can't get better than that. The nation's favourite dessert that is very easy to make at home from scratch with a few simple ingredients.
Apples must be the most popular fruit with kids and grown-ups alike. To me, they are also the first word that comes to my mind when I think of sunny Autumn days full of earthy colours and happiness.
They also make the best Autumn desserts that simply scream perfection. They are cheap to make, divinely delicious, and so much fun too. Take the good old crumble, this fabulous dessert that can't be any simpler to make. No batter, no pre-cooking, no fuss.
Throw all the fruit together, top with a delicious oat and flour mixture, and bake. It's that easy! I love to make all sorts of crumbles, with all sorts of fruit. My Apple and Plum Crumble is a great favourite of mine. And this time I wanted to use only apples, in order to better celebrate this grossly underrated fruit.
You don't even need expensive apples to bake a good crumble, the cheap, cooking apples make the best dessert. Their tartness balances so well the sugar, giving us the best possible dessert for every occasion.
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Ingredients used
- apples - you can use cooking apples or any other apples you have around
- flour - plain flour is the best, no need for self-raising flour in a crumble
- sugar - granulated sugar works best, it gives the oat crust a nice crunchy texture
- oats - used together with the flour to make a crispy topping
- cinnamon - it pairs very well with the apples to give the crumble an autumny touch
- brown sugar - it gives a nice caramelised touch to the apple filling
- vanilla extract - optional, but I find that it works well with the other flavours
Step-by-step photos and instructions
There is no need to pre-cook the apples, cooking the crumble at the right temperature ensures a perfectly soft filling with a gorgeous golden topping.
- peel, core and chop the apples in smaller chunks
- butter a baking dish well, add the apple chunks together with the brown sugar and cinnamon
- toss well to combine
- sift the flour in a large bowl, add the oats, sugar, vanilla extract and melted butter
- mix well to get a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs
- top the apples with the oat mixture and bake at 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit) until golden and bubbling hot
- leave to cool down and serve with a good scoop of ice cream or custard
Tips, variations and FAQ
Getting the right ratio of flour, oats, butter and sugar is crucial. The regular granulated sugar together with the oats crisp up nicely when they are baked at a slower temperature - too high the temperature, and the topping will brown too quickly, while the fruit don't have enough time to soften up.
I find that melting the butter helps massively with a nice and crunchy topping. I used to prefer rubbing the cold butter with the flour, but ever since I discovered this technique, there was no going back. The melted butter binds the ingredients a lot better, and everything works amazingly well together towards a crispy crumble topping.
I usually use the regular porridge oats for the crumble topping, and they give the right amount of crunch, where the rolled oats will adds extra texture to it. It's definitely a matter of taste here, as both of them work well.
And that's it, yummy, easy, a big winner every single time. The very best dessert to have on your Thanksgiving menu.
My first choice to serve a fruit crumble is custard - either homemade or store-bought. Then ice cream is another great option.
No, crumbles last well at room temperature. In the fridge, the topping would harden too much given that is has butter in it.
If the crumble is baked at a too high temperature, the topping will be golden quickly, while the fruit are not soft enough yet.
Other apple desserts
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Apple Crumble with Oats
Ingredients
- 6 apples
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 150 g butter + more for greasing the baking dish
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 150 g plain flour
- 50 g porridge oats
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Butter the baking dish well.
- Peel, core and chop the apples into smaller chunks.
- Add them to the baking dish together with the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Toss well to combine.
- Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly.
- Sift the flour in a bowl, add the melted butter, vanilla extract, sugar and oats.
- Mix well.
- Top the apples with the oat mixture and bake in the preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius (375 Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling hot.
Notes
- If you'd like to see the ingredients listed in cups and ounces, please check the US Customary Link.
- Also, the amount of ingredients changes depending on the servings, so click on the number listed to change it to the number you prefer.
Fliss Foster
Absolutely loved this variation on a classic dessert. My husband says it was the best crumble he's had - will be making it again. Thank you for sharing!
Daniela Apostol
I am happy you liked it, we make it very often.