Easy Apple Crumble Recipe

This quick and easy apple crumble recipe features juicy and tender apples with a tantalizing crumbly pecan topping.

Have some leftover apples and want to bake a quick and easy treat this fall? Well, I’ve got you covered!  Check out this easy apple crumble recipe.  Y’all, it’s the perfect dessert to serve when you have visitors or any time you like.

This crowd-pleasing apple dessert includes juicy soft apples and the most delicious buttery, crispy, and nutty topping. Just don’t miss the most important step – serving a slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  Do whatever cranks your tractor!

Budget Friendly AND Easy

Now, when I say this is a budget-friendly and easy apple crumble recipe, I mean it. It uses ingredients I bet you have at home right now, like brown sugar, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add some apples and pecans and you’re ready to bake! This may be a basic apple crumble recipe, but there’s nothing basic about the taste. There’s a reason this old-fashioned apple crumble has been a Southern staple dessert for generations. Get baking and find out for yourself.

Recipe Ingredients

Filling

• 4 to 5 apples (Granny Smith and golden delicious)
•  2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
• Pinch of salt 

Topping 

• 1 cup brown sugar (you can also use a mixture of dark or light brown sugar and granulated sugar too).
• A stick of salted or unsalted butter
  
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a medium-sized shallow casserole dish (a 9×13 dish).

Peel apples and then chop into 1/2-inch pieces right into the buttered dish. You can leave the peel on the apples if you prefer.

Add the lemon juice to the apples and gently toss to coat the apples.

Add the vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, and cornstarch and gently mix until distributed throughout the mixture.

For the topping, stir together flour and brown sugar, breaking up any lumps. Cut in butter. Stir in pecans or any nuts you choose or you can go without.

Spoon about 1/3 of the crumble mixture on the apples and mix in through the apple filling.

Then spread the rest over the top. 

Put in preheated oven at 375 about 35-45 or until topping is golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool so mixture congeals nicely.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, vanilla custard, or whipped cream. You can even go one step further and drizzle a slice with salted caramel sauce. Mmm, Mmm.

Storage

• Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
• To freeze, cover the crumble in a double layer of foil and place it in the freezer for up to three months. When it’s time, thaw it in the fridge and then reheat either in the microwave or oven. 

Recipe Notes

• Use a shallow baking dish.
• I highly recommend using a mix of golden delicious and Granny Smith apples for a combination of tart and sweetness. Other good baking apples are ambrosia, honey crisp, gala, jazz, and pink lady.
• Cold butter works best for the streusel topping.
• If you want to use chopped toasted pecans or walnuts in the crumble topping, decrease the flour by 1/2 cup and use 1 cup of chopped nuts. 

Recipe FAQs

What’s the difference between an apple crumble and apple crisp?

The biggest difference between crisps and crumbles is that an apple crisp includes an oat topping. Meanwhile, an apple cobbler has a dough-like topping.

Is this apple crumble recipe gluten-free?

To make this a gluten-free apple crumble, simply substitute the flour in the topping for a gluten-free alternative. Almond flour will enhance the nutty flavor. 

Can I make my apple crumble ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this simple apple crumble recipe in advance. Prepare the filling and topping separately up to 24 hours in advance. Store them in the fridge and then assemble and bake following my instructions. Another option is to bake it and then store it covered in the fridge up to a day in advance. Then you can just quickly warm it in the oven before serving.

Here are some more easy apple recipes to enjoy:

Easy Apple Pie Muffins

Cinnamon Apple Crisps (Only 3 Ingredients)

Apple Brownies Recipe

Cinnamon Apple Bread (Loaded With Crunch)

Apple Pecan Cobbler Recipe