Apple Crumble Recipe | Classic British Pudding

Name: Apple Crumble
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 3 Large Bramley Apples , peeled, cored, and cut into 3–4cm chunks; 2 tbsp Caster Sugar, (adjust to taste - Bramley apples are tart); 1 tbsp Light Soft Brown SUgar; 0.5 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 0.25 tsp Ground Nutmeg; 1 tbsp Lemon Juice; 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces; 100 g Plain Flour; 80 g Rolled Oats; 80 g Unsalted Butter, cold and cut into small cubes; 60 g Light Soft Brown Sugar; 30 g Demerara Sugar, (for the top - adds crunch and colour); 0.25 tsp Ground Cinnamon; Pinch of Salt; Custard, (shop-bought or homemade); Vanilla Ice Cream; Clotted Cream or Double Cream

Apple crumble is the definitive British pudding - tart, softened apples blanketed beneath a thick, golden, buttery crumble topping, served warm from the oven with a generous pour of custard, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a dollop of clotted cream. It's been a fixture of British home cooking for decades and remains, without question, one of the most satisfying desserts ever invented.

The best apple crumble achieves a balance of textures and flavours: apples that are tender and lightly spiced but still hold a little shape, and a topping that is genuinely crisp and crumbly rather than soft and cakey. The addition of rolled oats to the crumble mix is a classic British variation that adds texture, nuttiness, and a more satisfying crunch than plain flour alone. A little demerara sugar on top gives an extra crackle that sets it apart from a standard crumble.

Bramley apples are the traditional and best choice for crumble - they're the variety bred for cooking, breaking down beautifully in the oven to a soft, intensely flavoured purée beneath the topping while holding enough structure to give the filling body. They're available at all major UK supermarkets from late summer through winter. This recipe serves 2 generously but doubles easily for a larger crowd, and the crumble topping freezes brilliantly.

Ingredients

For the apple filling

3 Large Bramley Apples , peeled, cored, and cut into 3–4cm chunks
2 tbsp Caster Sugar , (adjust to taste - Bramley apples are tart)
1 tbsp Light Soft Brown SUgar
0.5 tsp Ground Cinnamon
0.25 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Unsalted Butter , cut into small pieces

For the crumble topping

100 g Plain Flour
80 g Rolled Oats
80 g Unsalted Butter , cold and cut into small cubes
60 g Light Soft Brown Sugar
30 g Demerara Sugar , (for the top - adds crunch and colour)
0.25 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt

To serve

Custard , (shop-bought or homemade)
Vanilla Ice Cream
Clotted Cream or Double Cream

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional / Gas Mark 6.
Make the filling. Place the apple chunks in a deep 20x20cm baking dish (or similar ovenproof dish). Add the caster sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice and toss well to coat. Dot the small pieces of butter over the top. The apples will release liquid during baking and the sugars will create a light, syrupy sauce.

Tip: Bramley apples cook down considerably - don't worry if the dish looks very full at this stage. They'll reduce to roughly half the height by the time the crumble is ready.
Make the crumble topping. Place the flour, oats, cold butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles rough, uneven breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter still visible throughout. Don't overwork it - visible pieces of butter create steam pockets during baking that give the crumble its characteristic uneven, craggy texture.

Tip: The crumble should look rough and uneven, not fine and sandy. Stopping while there are still visible butter pieces gives a far superior texture once baked - craggy, golden clumps rather than a uniform, cakey layer.
Scatter the crumble topping evenly over the apple filling, covering it completely to the edges. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top.
Bake for 35–40 mins until the topping is deeply golden and crisp and the apple filling is bubbling at the edges. If the topping is browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the last 10 mins.
Leave to rest for 5–10 mins before serving - the filling will be extremely hot straight from the oven. Serve warm with custard, vanilla ice cream, or clotted cream.

Air Fryer Method

Preheat the air fryer to 160°C for 3–5 mins. Use a small ovenproof dish that fits inside your air fryer basket - a 15cm round cake tin or small ceramic dish works well for a 2-person crumble.
Assemble the crumble in the dish as directed - apple filling first, then crumble topping, then demerara sugar. Place in the air fryer basket.
Cook for 25–30 mins until the topping is deeply golden and the apple filling is bubbling at the edges. Check at 20 mins - if the topping is browning too quickly, cover loosely with a small piece of foil for the remainder of the cooking time.

Tip: The air fryer produces an excellent crumble - the circulating heat crisps the topping beautifully and cooks the apples through evenly. Use a dish no deeper than 6cm for best results, as the heat needs to penetrate through to the apple filling. A smaller dish than the standard 20x20cm is essential to fit the basket.

Alternatives & Variations

Reduce the butter in the crumble to 60g - cuts the saturated fat noticeably; rub in thoroughly and the topping still crisps well
Reduce the total sugar in the filling to 2 tbsp - Bramley apples are naturally tart but become very sweet once cooked with sugar; a smaller amount still produces a well-balanced filling
Increase the oats to 100g and reduce the flour to 60g - adds fibre and a heartier texture with a lower refined carbohydrate content
Serve with low-fat crème fraîche or a small scoop of vanilla yogurt instead of clotted cream or ice cream - cuts the calorie count of the accompaniment significantly

Swap the butter in both the filling and the crumble for vegan block butter - Naturli or Flora Plant both work well and produce a very good crumble topping. All other ingredients are already plant-based. Serve with vegan custard (Alpro produce a good version available at most UK supermarkets) or dairy-free vanilla ice cream. The result is an excellent vegan crumble that's virtually indistinguishable from the standard version.

Swap the plain flour in the crumble for a gluten free plain flour blend - Doves Farm works well at the same quantity. Check that your rolled oats are certified gluten free - oats are naturally gluten free but are often processed in facilities that handle wheat, so a dedicated gluten free oat (available at most major UK supermarkets) is important for those with a severe intolerance. All other ingredients are naturally gluten free.

FAQs

Around 1 hour total — 20 mins of prep and 40 mins of baking. It's a straightforward recipe with minimal technique involved and most of the time is hands-off baking.

Rated Easy. The filling requires nothing beyond peeling, chopping, and seasoning the apples, and the crumble topping is rubbed together by hand in a matter of minutes. It's one of the most beginner-friendly baking recipes on the site.

Bramley apples are the undisputed choice for a British crumble - they're specifically bred for cooking and break down to a soft, intensely flavoured, slightly puréed filling that's tart enough to balance the sweet crumble topping. Cox, Braeburn, or Granny Smith apples can be used for a firmer filling with more apple texture, though they're sweeter and less intensely flavoured than Bramleys. A mix of Bramley and Braeburn gives a good balance of texture and flavour.

Yes - it freezes well both assembled and baked. To freeze unbaked, assemble completely, cover tightly with cling film and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 180°C fan for 55–60 mins, covering loosely with foil if the top browns too quickly. To freeze baked, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months - reheat covered at 170°C fan for 20–25 mins until piping hot. The crumble topping alone also freezes brilliantly - make a large batch and keep it in the freezer ready to go.

Yes - it's an ideal make-ahead dessert. Assemble fully up to 24 hours in advance and keep covered in the fridge until ready to bake - add 5–10 mins to the baking time if cooking from cold. Baked crumble reheats very well and keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. The crumble topping can also be made several days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge.

Warm custard is the definitive British accompaniment - the combination of hot crumble and cold or warm custard is one of the great dessert pairings. Vanilla ice cream is an excellent alternative, particularly the contrast of hot crumble and cold ice cream melting into the filling. Clotted cream is the most indulgent option and pairs beautifully with the tart apple. Double cream, lightly whipped or poured, is the simplest.

Yes - apple crumble works very well in the air fryer. Use a small ovenproof dish that fits your basket, preheat to 160°C, and cook for 25–30 mins until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling. Check at 20 mins and cover loosely with foil if the top is browning too quickly. One of the better air fryer dessert recipes - the topping crisps up beautifully.