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Apple Crumble is the coziest fall dessert, with warm cinnamon-spiced apples tucked under a buttery, crisp pecan topping that bakes up golden and bubbly. I make it the first chilly weekend every year, and the smell alone has Maddie and Lizzie hovering by the oven. Serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream, just like our apple and blackberry crumble.
Tender skillet-cooked apples and an easy buttery crumble come together for the best homemade apple crumble in under an hour.
Apple Crumble Quick Look
- đź•’ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 35 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 50 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 442kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Warm cinnamon apples under a buttery, crisp pecan crumble
- âś‹ Difficulty: Easy, even simpler than our pumpkin sheet cake
Quick Answer
Slice peeled apples and cook them in a skillet with melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until just fork-tender. Mix brown sugar, flour, salt, and cold butter into a crumbly topping, then stir in chopped pecans. Spread the cinnamon apples in a baking dish, sprinkle the crumble over the top, and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and bubbly. Serve the apple crumble warm with ice cream.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cooking the apples first guarantees tenderness. Softening the apples in a buttery cinnamon sauce on the stovetop means they are perfectly tender and never crunchy in the finished crumble.
- Pecans add crunch and flavor. Chopped pecans folded into the topping give the crumble a toasty, nutty crunch alongside the buttery streusel.
- No mixer required. You make the crumble topping with your fingers or a pastry cutter, so there is no special equipment to drag out.
- Granny Smith apples hold their shape. Tart, firm granny smith apples stay distinct and balanced against all that brown sugar instead of turning to mush.
- It comes together fast. From skillet to oven, the whole dessert is ready in under an hour, which makes it perfect for last-minute company.
- It is endlessly cozy. Warm spiced apples and crisp streusel are the definition of comfort, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is warm, cozy, and full of cinnamon-spiced apples under a buttery, crisp pecan topping.
- It comes together in under an hour with simple ingredients and no mixer.
- It is the perfect fall dessert to serve warm with ice cream, like our apple and blackberry crumble.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes this apple crumble so cozy and delicious. Just a handful of simple ingredients.
- Granny Smith Apples: tart and firm, they hold their shape and balance the sweet topping; you can mix in honeycrisp for extra sweetness.
- Brown Sugar: used in both the apples and the topping for deep, caramel-like sweetness.
- Butter: melts into the apples for richness and binds the crumble into buttery, crisp clumps.
- Flour: the base of the crumble topping that bakes up golden and crisp.
- Cinnamon: the warm spice that makes the whole kitchen smell like fall.
- Pecans: folded into the topping for a toasty crunch, like the nutty bite in our caramel pumpkin sheet cake.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This apple crumble is easy to make your own.
- Add oats: stir a half cup of rolled oats into the topping for an apple crisp-style crunch.
- Mix the apples: use a blend of granny smith and honeycrisp or gala for sweet-tart balance.
- Swap the nuts: use chopped walnuts, or leave the nuts out entirely for a nut-free version.
- Add berries: toss in a handful of blackberries or cranberries with the apples, like our apple and blackberry crumble.
- Warm the spices: add a pinch of nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom for a deeper spiced flavor.
How to Make Apple Crumble
- Core and slice the apples into thin wedges, cutting each quarter into thirds lengthwise.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon, then add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until just fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, and salt, then work in the cold diced butter with your fingers until crumbly and stir in the chopped pecans.
- Spread the cooked cinnamon apples evenly into an 8 or 9-inch oven-safe baking dish.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apples, covering them completely.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the apples are bubbly. Let cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cook the apples until just fork-tender so they finish soft and never crunchy after baking.
- Use cold butter in the topping so it forms crisp, sandy clumps instead of melting flat.
- Do not overmix the crumble; stop once it looks like coarse pebbles for the best texture.
- Let it rest a few minutes after baking so the juices settle before you scoop.
- Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for the full cozy experience.
- Make it ahead by assembling and refrigerating, then bake just before serving, the way we prep our make-ahead fall desserts.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Apple crumble is best served warm, when the apples are bubbly and the topping is crisp, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into all the nooks.
It is the perfect ending to a cozy fall dinner, and it pairs beautifully with a batch of homemade no churn ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Round out your fall dessert table with pumpkin whoopie pies and a side of warm cinnamon fried apples so everyone gets their favorite cozy treat.
Apple Crumble FAQs
They are very similar. An apple crumble has a streusel topping of flour, sugar, and butter, while an apple crisp usually adds oats to that topping for extra crunch. This recipe is a crumble, but you can stir in oats to make it a crisp.
Tart, firm apples like granny smith are ideal because they hold their shape and balance the sweet topping. For a sweeter result, use a mix of granny smith and honeycrisp, gala, or fuji apples.
Peeling gives the softest, most classic texture, but you can leave the peels on for a more rustic crumble with a little extra fiber. Just slice the apples thin so the skins are not chewy.
Yes. Assemble the crumble, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day, then bake just before serving. You can also bake it ahead and rewarm it in a 350 degree oven until heated through and crisp on top.
Store covered in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or rewarm the whole dish in a 350 degree oven so the topping crisps back up.
Yes. Freeze the baked, cooled crumble in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in the oven to bring back the crisp topping, or freeze it unbaked and bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
Loving apple season? Try our cozy cinnamon fried apples next for another easy fall treat.
homemade applesauce
red wine poached pears
For another easy fruit dessert, our blackberry crisp comes together in 45 minutes.
Best Apple Crumble Recipe
Ingredients
For the apples:
- 4 large granny smith apples
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the topping:
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- ÂĽ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Core the apples and cut them into fourths. Cut the fourths into thirds lengthwise. Set aside.4 large granny smith apples
- Place the butter into a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter, add in the brown sugar and cinnamon, stir to combine.8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Add in the apples, stir to coat in the butter mixture and let cook, stirring occasionally until the apples are just fork tender, about 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the brown sugar, flour, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Mix to combine.½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, Pinch of fine sea salt
- Dice up the butter in small pieces, add it to the flour mixture, and using your fingers (you can also use a pastry cutter) roll the butter into the flour until it forms a small pebble/sand consistency. Add in the chopped pecans and stir to combine.2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, ÂĽ cup chopped pecans
- Place the apples in an 8 or 9-inch oven safe dish.
- Top with the crumble mixture.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on the top and the apples are bubbly. Let cool slightly, serve with ice cream and more chopped pecans for garnish if desired.
Video
Notes
- You can use any good baking apple of your choosing, for this recipe we used Granny Smith. See my notes above for other apple suggestions.
- This recipe can be frozen, see my tips above.
- We like to top this with pecans, but other nuts can be substituted as well or omitted altogether.
- We made this in a pie plate but another good option would be a cast-iron skillet or any 8″ or 9″ baking dish.
- This can be doubled, to do this double the whole recipe and bake in a 9″x13″ baking dish.
- Top with ice cream, caramel sauce, butterscotch sauce, etc.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Your Apple Crumble looks amazing! So do your other recipes:)
OH SO YUMMY! This really hits my sweet spot…and makes me think of hayrides, sweaters, and bon fires. Happy-almost-September and thank you for swinging by Snickerdoodle Sunday! Hope to see you again this weekend. 🙂
Sarah (Sadie Seasongoods)
oh fried apples! This is definitely a winner – but anything that pairs well with ice cream is. Thanks for sharing on Weekend Bites