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Warm freshly baked apple crumble with melting vanilla ice cream and cinnamon-spiced apples

Classic Apple Crumble Recipe (Crispy Buttery Oat Streusel)

The ultimate comforting homemade Apple Crumble! Tender, caramelized cinnamon-spiced apples baked under a thick, golden, buttery brown sugar and rolled oat crumble. Served warm with a melting scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Baking, Comfort Food, Dessert
Cuisine: American, British
Calories: 345
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Spiced Apple Filling
  • 6 medium apples (mix of Granny Smith & Honeycrisp) peeled, cored, and sliced ¼-inch thick (approx. 1 kg)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice balances sweetness and preserves fruit texture
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg freshly grated preferred
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or cornstarch thickens bubbling juices into rich caramel
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Golden Buttery Oat Crumble Topping
  • 1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats for rustic crunch
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • ½ cup light or dark brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, chilled and diced 115g, cold straight from the fridge
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt essential to balance buttery sweetness

Method
 

Prepare the Spiced Apples
  1. Preheat oven & prep dish: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly butter an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish or round ceramic pie dish.
  2. Toss apples: In a large mixing bowl, combine sliced apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour/cornstarch, and vanilla. Toss thoroughly until every apple slice is evenly coated in spiced syrup. Transfer into the prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer.
Make the Oat Streusel Crumble
  1. Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together rolled oats, flour, packed brown sugar, cinnamon, and fine sea salt.
  2. Rub in cold butter: Add cold cubed butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until pea-sized crumbly clumps form. Do not overwork into a smooth dough—coarse clumps create the signature crispy crunch.
  3. Cover apples: Scatter the crumble mixture evenly over the apples, completely blanketing the fruit layer.
Bake to Golden Perfection
  1. Bake: Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is deeply golden brown and thick spiced fruit juices bubble vigorously around the edges.
  2. Rest and serve: Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes so juices settle into luscious caramel. Spoon into bowls warm and crown with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream or warm vanilla custard.