Simply the best apple crumble recipe that you will ever find. Use the crumble topping for any fruit filling that you would normally use for a pie.
I say this best apple crumble is “simply the best” because it is unimaginably easy to make, yet the flavor is indescribably delicious.
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I have no written recipe for this crumble, since my mother taught me how to make it when I was a little girl in Scotland, and just told me to remember 2-4-6. That is: 2 oz of sugar, 4 oz of butter and 6 oz of flour.
Everyone knows how buttery and delicious shortbread is; well this is a sort of crumbled shortbread topping on a warm, fruit base. My favorite crumbles are apple, cherry or rhubarb, or strawberry-rhubarb, but any fruit which can be baked into a pie works perfectly.
In Britain, this dessert (pudding, as it is called there) is traditionally served with custard or cream. Either one puts this creation into the stratosphere!
It is difficult to imagine how something so simple can taste so fabulous, but in many circumstances, “simple” is often the best!
If you’re unsure about how to prepare the fruit, just click on the link for the partially cooked/steamed fruit that is highlighted in the recipe below.
Simply the Best Apple Crumble, or Rhubarb Crumble, Blueberry Crumble, Peach Crumble…
Ingredients:
- 2 oz (1/4 cup) white sugar (use good quality cane sugar)
- 4 oz (1/2 cup or one stick) good quality butter
- 6 oz (1 1/4 cups) good quality flour
- approximately 12 to 16 oz or 1 1/2 to 2 cups of partially cooked/steamed fruit (your choice) with some sugar added (or you can also use raw fruit) I love apple, rhubarb, cherries, peaches, strawberry/rhubarb, blueberry, etc.
Cut the butter into the flour with two knives until the pieces of butter are quite small.
Finish off mixing the butter into the flour with the tips of your fingers, until it resembles a “crumble” mixture.
Stir in the sugar. That’s it!
Place the fruit in a baking dish or individual ramekins and top with a generous amount of the crumble.
If using ramekins, place on a baking tray.
Bake for approximately 25 minutes at 400°F (205°C) or until top is golden brown.
Since the cream in the US is very thin, I beat it ever so lightly to get a “double cream” type consistency, so it’s a little thicker when pouring it on. This really is the best apple crumble recipe you’ll find, and if you disagree, send me your best!
Or you can make homemade custard, or use Bird’s powder, which Brits have used for many years. Either way, I bet this will be one of your all time favorite desserts, after you make it just once!
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Simply the Best Apple Crumble (or Rhubarb, Blueberry, Peach...)
One of the easiest apple desserts. A British classic and so incredibly tasty!
Ingredients
- 2 oz (1/4 cup) white sugar
- 4 oz (1/2 cup or one stick) good quality butter, like Kerrygold
- 6 oz (1 1/4 cups) good quality flour, like King Arthur
- approximately 12 to 16 oz or 1 1/2 to 2 cups of partially cooked/steamed fruit (your choice) with some sugar added (or you can also use raw fruit) I love apple, rhubarb, cherries, peaches, strawberry/rhubarb, blueberry, etc.
Instructions
- Cut the butter into the flour with two knives until the pieces of butter are quite small.
- Finish off mixing the butter into the flour with the tips of your fingers, until it resembles a "crumble" mixture.
- Stir in the sugar.
- Place the fruit in a baking dish or individual ramekins and top with a generous amount of the crumble. If using ramekins, place on a baking tray.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes at 400°F (205°C) or until top is golden brown.
Notes
Since the cream in the US is very thin, I beat it ever so lightly to get a "double cream" type consistency, so it's a little thicker when pouring it on.
(Or you can make homemade custard, or use Bird's powder, which Brits have used for many years.)
Nutrition information is give using apples.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 228 Total Fat: 9g Carbohydrates: 50g Protein: 4g
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[…] You might say I’ve been on a bit of a rhubarb craze lately. Over the course of one week I bought almost 20lbs of it. To say, ‘I love rhubarb’ is an understatement of an enormous degree. I’ve made rhubarb fool, frozen the rhubarb raw, stewed it and then froze it, made rhubarb muffins, rhubarb syrup, a rhubarb lattice pie and a strawberry rhubarb crumble. […]
This is really the best crumble , without a doubt. It’s so easy and versatile. Today it was strawberry rhubarb. I’ve made it with peaches and apples before. I used Kerrygold butter and it’s delicious. I made softly whipped cream this time. Other times we have custard with it.
I cannot disagree, Margaret! Thank you for the lovely review!
Hello Christina,
Like you and many others’ my favourite is Any type of crumble but apple has to be the one that I remember so well. Now, I remember the crumble being chewy at parts. I have tried to make it like that but it is not as I remembered. So how can I get the crumble to be large around the edges and chewy?
Hi Angela, sounds like you’d like it with bigger pieces of crumble (don’t make the pieces too small) and maybe make it a bit thicker around the edges? (Do 1.5 times the recipe.) That would be my first attempt. Let me know if that’s more your cup of tea! ;)
I just barely finished my first serving of peach crumble. It is so delicious and definitely the best I’ve made! Before I found this recipe, I searched online for about an hour. I needed something simple because I didn’t have a lot of ingredients at home. I live in a small town and it is a fairly far bicycle ride to the grocery store. At the same time, I wanted something that will impress and satisfy my family. This recipe is perfect! Thank you!
I’m so glad you came across it, Camille! That’s a good indicator of what most of my recipes are like: simple, few, good quality ingredients with a fantastic outcome. I do feel that simple is best, most often! Hope you find some other recipes you’ll enjoy! Thanks for the lovely review! CC
[…] crumbles you may enjoy: Simply the Best Apple Crumble, Strawberry Crumble or Gluten-Free Rhubarb Crumble […]
Made it with Blackberry and Apples, really delicious. And Crumble always brings back childhood memories for me as my mum often made it for us! Thanks.
Oh that would be delicious, Tara! Cream or custard? ;) It’s such a British classic! Thanks for the review! CC
Have made this a few times. Easy to remember recipe. 2, 4, 6 or 1 ,2, 3 oz
YES, it really is! Thank you so much, Mi Mi!
[…] stewed it and then froze it, made rhubarb muffins, rhubarb syrup, a rhubarb lattice pie and a Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble. Oh, and I also baked it, which is apparently one of the best ways to cook rhubarb as it ends up […]
I made peach crumble today and it was a huge hit. I used frozen peach slices from Trader Joe’s which I placed in a dish to defrost while I got the other ingredients ready. I sprinkled a little sugar, some lemon zest and juice and a tiny bit of almond essence and put the dish in the oven to heat up and very slightly steam the fruit. I sprinkled the crumble on top and 25 minutes later…yummy peachy goodness!
That’s fabulous Margaret!! You’re a whiz in the kitchen! I love it! :)
[…] instead, as it’s quite a bit easier than rolling out pastry. If so, here’s another super simple recipe for the topping. I made a cherry crumble with my cherry pie filling. Just pour the cherry filling into an 8×8 […]
Always a favourite. Apple and BlackBerry go well together as well.
My cheat is that for many years I have used tinned, sliced apples !
Yes, apple and lots of berries and fruits go well together! I’ve never seen sliced apples in the tin in the UK, but then I probably never looked.
Christina making your crumble today (apple) for lunch. Love your tip about beating the cream a bit, that is all my H puts on his, so am going to try it!
Wonderful, let me know how it turns out for you, Reni!
Turned out perfect! H loved it.
YAY!!! Wonderful, Reni! Thanks for letting me know!
This is such a wonderfully easy recipe to make. I just made it for dessert this evening and it was a huge hit!. Definitely a keeper.
Thank you so much!
WONDERFUL! Thank you for letting me know, Cherry! :)
[…] picking up my car. Of course, Aunt Virginia had already been making some of my favorites, such as rhubarb crumble, potato scones and meringues with fresh cream and strawberries! And a lovely surprise from Donna […]
Can’t wait to try this with local summer fruits here in oregon.thank you for sharing such a special recipe from your mom.I am a Marion berry fan.yum-diggity.
What a sweet note! Thank you so much, Martha! I must say, I’ve never tasted a Marionberry, and I should probably change that! Enjoy and let me know how your crumble turns out. :)
Thank you for sharing! Had never made cherry pie filling until I stumbled upon this recipe. It was so simple and a big hit in our house. Thanks!
Woo hoo! Love to hear things like that, especially when you found it on my site, Sarah! It makes the time I spend on sharing recipes well worth it! Thank you so much for letting me know- enjoy! CC
Thanks for passing along this crumble topping formula. It’s like shortbread cookie on top of fruit. Last night I added about 2/3 cups finely ground pecans and it was like pecan sandies on top of fruit. Awesome!
That’s exactly what it’s like, Ivy! Yes, nuts, oats, all great additions. So glad you liked it! :)
My mom makes a crumb topping for her apple crisp and cherry crumb pie that consists of sugar, flour, and shortening. I love it. I really don’t care for oats in a crumb topping, so this is a great alternative.
Yum!
Hi. May I know how I do partially cook the fruits? Like what do I put in other than the fruits. I will be using different kinds of berries. Will it be okay?
Thanks
Hi Chloe!
Yes, if you use a mix of berries, just put them in a pot, whether they are fresh or frozen, add a squeeze of lemon juice and some sugar (just taste it when the sugar is dissolved to see how sweet or sour you like it, adding more if needed.) I would just cook them for a few minutes (you don’t want jam) or you could just use them raw as berries don’t take long to cook. Now if you were using apples, I’d say definitely steam them in the same manner (they’ll need more lemon juice or a tablespoonful of water) for a few minutes as they take longer to cook. If any fruit is too watery, you can add a teaspoon of corn starch dissolved in a tablespoon of water, just to thicken it a little. This post may be helpful to you: https://christinascucina.com/2013/08/homemade-cherry-pie-filling-or-apple.html Let me know how your crumble turns out! CC
I would like to make something lemon for my husband for father’s day. I know I am asking a lot but do you have advice on how to incorporate your crumble with a lemon center/lemon tart. I will make apple for my dad and wanted a lemon for husband:)
[…] used my go-to crumble recipe and the end result was fabulous! I was so happy with how it turned out, but looks aren’t […]
[…] adapted from Christina’s Cucina. (Shortbread recipe courtesy of Pot of […]
[…] that kind of looked like this, but was devoured by friends before I could snap a shot. I used Christina’s Cucina’s no fail recipe: a recipe that should be bookmarked by […]
Tried this recipe today – it’s WONDERFUL. The crumb topping is truly shortbread and so easy. Thanks.
[…] dessert when going to an event like a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. No, I make and bring homemade Rhubarb Crumble in glass ramekins. Then when I come home around midnight, I’m tired, so the dirty dishes sit […]
I love crumbles, but I love the addition of double cream and/or custard :). YUM!
I know, right? Just take sit over the top!! Thanks for stopping by! ;)
Oh Christina, I love the idea of a shortbread crumble topping, it looks so delicious. Pouring that custard on it is just perfect. I always used Birds it’s the best, I poured it over my oatmeal with some treacle. Wow, this brings back memories. That crumble would be great with any kind of fruit or berry. Beautiful!!
What a lovely crumble! Looks really great!
Thanks, Medeja!