When we were young, my mom always made fruit crumbles and crisps. They’re a taste of home and comfort.

This easy apple crumble recipe has tender, sweet cinnamon apples under a buttery brown sugar crumble.

With just a few simple steps (and ingredients you likely have on hand), this delicious dessert is ready to put into the oven.

Homemade Apple Crumble with ice cream

You’ll Be Making This Apple Crumble Recipe on Repeat Because…

  • Most importantly, it’s super delicious!
  • It’s easy to make and uses ingredients you likely have on hand.
  • It’s budget-friendly, making it a great dessert to prepare for a crowd.
  • Apple crumble can be served warm or chilled – we even enjoy the leftovers for breakfast with yogurt.
Apples on a cutting board to make Apple Crumble

Ingredients for Apple Crumble

In addition to the apples mentioned above, you’ll need just a handful of pantry ingredients for this apple crumble recipe.

  • Apples: I use Granny Smith apples, as I love their tart flavor and they hold their shape well. Other great options include Honeycrisp, Gala, Braeburn, or Pink Lady.
  • Flour: All-purpose flour thickens the juices in the filling and is also the base of the crumble topping.
  • Sugar: A sprinkle of cinnamon sugar sweetens the filling, and a combination of white and brown sugar is used in the topping for flavor.
  • Butter: Cold butter is mixed into the topping for flavor and a buttery texture. Margarine can be used in place.
Apple crumble topping in a glass bowl with a pastry blender

How to Make Apple Crumble

Sometimes simple is best when it comes time to make dessert. It reminds me of the desserts my mom used to make when I was younger.

  1. Prepare topping: Place topping ingredients (recipe below) in a bowl and cut with a pastry cutter until it forms large crumbs. Refrigerate while preparing apples.
  2. Prepare apples: Peel and slice them, and then toss them with sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
  3. Bake: Add the apple filling to a baking dish and sprinkle with the topping. Bake until golden brown.

Feel free to add some finely chopped pecans or walnuts.

ingredients to make Apple Crumble in a baking dish

Holly’s Top Tips Apple Crumble

  • In this recipe, use cold butter and mix the topping until it starts to stick together.
  • If the topping is powdery in texture, mix it longer, it will hold together.
  • Refrigerate the topping while peeling the apples to keep the butter cold, which makes the topping crumbly and crisp.
  • Use firm apples so they don’t lose their shape and become mushy while baking. 
  • Check the apple crumble early so the apples don’t overcook (or they will turn into applesauce)!
Baked Apple in a white casserole dish on a wood board

Storage, Freezing, and Leftovers

  • Prep ahead: Prepare this apple crumble recipe up to 24 hours before baking. If making ahead, toss the apples with a spoonful of lemon juice so they don’t brown.
  • Leftovers: Once baked, store the crumble in the fridge or on the counter for up to 2 days.
  • Freezing: Apple crumble can be frozen either before or after baking. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as directed adding about 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time
Apple Crumble vs. Cobbler vs. Crisp

Apple crumble (as in this recipe) has a simple streusel topping made of butter, flour, sugar, and spices.
Apple crisp contains oats and nuts.
Apple cobbler is more of a cake-like or biscuit-like topping, depending on the recipe.

More Apple Desserts

Did your family love this Apple Crumble? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! 

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Apple Crumble with ice cream
4.98 from 169 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Homemade Apple Crumble

Homemade Apple Crumble is a quick and easy dessert full of warm and cozy Fall flavors.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 servings
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Ingredients  

  • 6 cups diced apples peeled and diced 1-inch pieces
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice

Crumble Topping

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • cup granulated sugar
  • cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • teaspoon ground ginger optional
  • ½ cup unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • To make the topping, in a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, ⅓ cup white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and ginger if using. Add the cold butter and use a pastry cutter to cut in butter until the mixture starts to stick together and form crumbs the size of large peas, about 3 to 4 minutes. Place in the fridge while preparing the apples.
  • Place the sliced apples in a 2qt baking dish and toss with ¼ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon.
  • Sprinkle the prepared crumble topping over the apple mixture. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until golden and the apples are soft.
  • Serve warm or room temperature with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Notes

Use cold butter in this recipe and mix the topping until it starts to stick together and form larger pieces. If it seems powdery, it hasn’t been mixed enough.
Refrigerate the topping while prepping the apples, this helps keep it from melting and keeps it crumbly.
Use firm apples so they don’t lose their shape and become mushy while baking. Check the apples early, overbaking can cause mushy apples.
Adding nuts or granola makes the crumble extra crunchy.
Prep ahead: Prepare this apple crumble recipe up to 24 hours before baking. If making ahead, toss the apples with a spoonful of lemon juice so they don’t brown.
4.98 from 169 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 306 | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 406IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
bowl of Homemade Apple Crumble with a title
plated Homemade Apple Crumble with ice cream and writing
close up of Homemade Apple Crumble with ice cream and writing
baked Homemade Apple Crumble in the casserole dish and plated with ice cream and a title

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. Holly, first of all I have tried many of your recipes and they are my go to recipes now, thank you
    I just made the apple crumble and the topping came out hard like candy
    I followed the recipe I thought very carefully but would like to know what I did wrong. The apple part is great
    Can i do anything to soften the topping?
    This is a first for me

    1. Hi Linda, I have never had that problem before but make sure you mix the topping ingredients really well and use unsalted cold butter to help the topping stay softer.

  2. Looks like apple crumble is the recipe to commemorate the day of being ‘locked up’ with the passport girls ;) This comment will be absurd to most people reading it haha.
    Pleasure serving time with you today Holly ! All the best to your team and you! Looking forward to your book !

    1. LOL, your comment made my day!! And what a day – so glad I got to pass the time with you and the other passport girls Enjoy the wedding and I hope we get to meet again soon!

      1. Just thought I’d come back and see if you read it – haha – Thanks!

      2. While the crumble will work with any fruit, the fruit may need a different amount of sweetener or thickener. 6 cups of peaches are juicy so you might need a little more flour. Let us know how it goes!

  3. I have been trying to find the right apple crumble recipe and have been unsuccessful until now! This is a keeper!! I’ll be making this for Passover this year. Thanks so much!!5 stars

    1. I did make this for Passover. I doubled the recipe and cooked for about 45 min and it came out perfectly. I kept it warm and served it with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Everyone commented on how good it was and wanted the recipe!

  4. Great recipe and very easy. I added chopped pecans to the crumble. From now on I’ll add chopped pecans to crumble toppings. It gives the best crunchy texture to the topping. Thanks for this recipe Holly!5 stars

  5. Heaven sent melt in your mouth deliciousness. I’ve already made it twice in two weeks. You’ve created a monster – I cannot stop!5 stars

  6. Oh my goodness, this was incredible. I didn’t have a pastry cutter so I used a fork and it did the same thing. I think I’ll omit the ginger next time. But oh my gosh I will be making this for years to come. 10 out of 105 stars

  7. Love , Love, Loved this recipe first try at an apple crumble and it was so good I made a smaller batch in a small square pan and I squoze used the same amount of sugar in the apple filling using half white /half brown I added a drizzle of vanilla flavor an 2Tbs of butter and instead of just Cinnamon I added half tsp of nutmeg.5 stars