Sweet, fruity with a hint of lemony tang and perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg this delicious Apple Crumble is simply THE BEST!
A few days ago a dear friend from church gave us a bushel of apples from another friend who had several apple trees in her backyard and had way too much apples – they didn’t know what to do with them! I was glad that they thought of me when they were thinking of who to give these apples to!
After all, I love apples and I especially love baking with them during fall season as I am the self-proclaimed queen of apple crisps and crumbles!
Talking about crisps and crumbles, do you know the difference between a fruity crisp and a fruity crumble?
Based on some online search, the original difference between the two was the type of streusel topping: crisps usually would have oats but crumbles would use flour instead. In a fruity crisp dessert, the oats in the topping crisp up as it bakes, hence the name.
In a crumble, topping because of the flour in the mix tend to be sandier than a crunchy crisp, or have big clumps rather than an equally distributed crisp topping. Sometimes, the crumble may also have nuts included in the topping which some crisps won’t have at all.
However, it seems, that as time went by, both terms are used interchangeably.
Well, does it even matter when they are, in my opinion, equally scrumptious especially when served warm with ice cream! How heavenly!!! So, who cares, right?
For this particular recipe, while I technically call it an apple crumble – I have opted to use more oatmeal than flour because hubby is a bit gluten-intolerant and won’t be able to enjoy this yummy dessert if it is totally loaded with wheat!
So, if you wish, you can make the streusel topping with full flour – if you don’t have gluten issues or mix both like I did here. Either way, because of the apples, spices and fresh lemon juice – whatever topping you choose – I promise it would be delicious!
NOTES ON INGREDIENTS for Best Apple Crumble
- Apples like Honeycrisp combined with Granny Smith – peeled, cored and chopped into cubes
- Sugar – use brown sugar so crumble doesn’t come out pale
- Freshly squeezed Lemon juice plus its zest
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Nutmeg
- Salt – just in a small amount to enhance flavor
- Gluten-free old-fashioned Oats
- Flour
- Pecan or Walnuts – use roasted ones if possible
- Butter
HOW TO MAKE THE Best Apple Crumble
-
Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9×13-inch glass baking pan. Set aside.
-
In a large bowl, place the apples with lemon zest, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons sugar, half of the ground cinnamon and salt. Toss well. Let stand for 15 minutes.
-
In a food processor, place the oats, pecans or walnuts, flour, remaining sugar and ground cinnamon plus the chilled sliced butter. Pulse 5-7 times or just until mixed and the butter pieces are roughly the size of peas.
-
Place the apple mixture into the prepared baking dish. Distribute the oatmeal mixture evenly on top of the apples. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned on top.
THE BEST APPLE CRUMBLE
Sweet, fruity with a hint of lemony tang and perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg this delicious Apple Crumble is simply THE BEST!
Ingredients
- 8 apples (honeycrisp or a combo of honeycrisp and Granny Smith), peeled, cored and cubed
- 1 lemon, zested
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (use the same lemon that you grate the zest from)
- 6 tbsp brown sugar, divided
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp flour (use grounded oatmeal if you want a completely gluten-free crumble)
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons) butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9x13-inch glass baking pan. Set aside.
-
In a large bowl, place the apples with lemon zest, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons sugar, half of the ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and salt. Toss well. Let stand for 15 minutes.
-
In a food processor, place the oats, pecans or walnuts, flour, remaining sugar and ground cinnamon plus the chilled sliced butter. Pulse 5-7 times or just until mixed and the butter pieces are roughly the size of peas.
-
Place the apple mixture into the prepared baking dish. Distribute the oatmeal mixture evenly on top of the apples. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned on top.
Recipe Notes
TIPS & TRICKS
If you want to make this completely gluten-free, simply omit the flour or replace with extra ground oatmeal.
I love combining both sweet and tart apples for a more complex flavor profile. I highly recommend this.
You can make this in a 9x9 square pan too - just adjust the timing and add an extra 5 minutes to the baking time.
Enjoyed this for dessert tonight and it was a hit all around the table! Easy, delicious and the perfect fall treat!
This is perfect for my sweet tooth especially on a cold day like today! Love the crumble topping!
Love apple crumble! Here in Scotland its a classic that we grew up with. I thought Apple crisp was the American name for an apple crumble but as you say perhaps its the addition of oats that turns it into a crisp. Although I often add a handful of oats into the crumble topping! Anyway love the look of your crumble as I love oats. Looking forward to trying the recipe. Thanks!
I love a good crumble and it looks so much easier using the oats too. Love the addition of the pecans for extra crunch.
This apple crumble is fantastic! I made it yesterday and it was a hit amongst our friends!
One of my favorite fall desserts and this one is just making me drool for it right now!
The perfect time of year for this easy and delicious dessert.
This looks like a lovely recipe for apple crumble. I made it for a fall gathering and it was a hit!
That bowl of apple crumble with the icecream on top looks absolutely delicious!I haven’t tried apple crumble so far. Will be bookmarking this one to try out soon.
I’m a sucker for a warm apple crumble and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Perfect for this season!
Fantastic recipe. SO easy and delicious. It’s definitely a keeper. I will make it again for sure.