Easy Apple Crumble

What’s better than a large mold of apple crumble? This easy recipe fills a 9″ x 13″ skillet with crunchy topping and ginger apple filling.

Growing up with an apple tree in my backyard, my family would spend hours making and freezing homemade applesauce and canned apple butter. To support our family, my mom made her signature apple crisp. We scooped up forks of vanilla ice cream that ran down our chins. Here’s Alex and my version of the old standard! It is that better Classic apple crumble. It’s a large 9 x 13 pan to feed a crowd, and the fresh ginger accentuates the gooey filling perfectly.

Want crispy instead? Switch to Classic Apple Crisp.

The Best Apples for Baking Apple Crumble

What are the best apples for cooking Apple Crumble or Crisp? We’re glad you asked. Some apples retain their texture better than cooked. Some apple varieties are better for eating than for cooking! Alex and my personal preference when baking are tart or sweet apples. Here we have found the best apple varieties for baking:

• Jonathon or Jonagold
• I dared
• Honey crispy
• deliciously golden
• Granny Smith

We used Ida Red, which we picked from a local apple orchard, in this apple crumble and they had the perfect texture and flavor.

How To Slice Apples: The Fastest Way!

For this recipe you will need to slice some apples. Here’s a new way to quickly slice apples (Check out the 10 second video below!). No need to hollow them out or cut around the core! This method makes it easy and quick. After peeling the apple, do the following:

1. Hold the core of the apple and use a large chef’s knife to cut through all four sides of the apple, as close to the core as possible.
2. Take one of the quarters and lay it flat side down. Then cut into thin slices.
3. Repeat with the remaining quarters!

Tips for this easy apple crumble

This apple crumble is really easy to make (much easier than apple pie!). It uses simple ingredients and age-old crumble traditions. And it’s always a hit when we serve it to our friends and family! It’s perfect for summer, fall, or winter, making it one of the most versatile desserts out there. Few will turn down a scoop of lukewarm apple crumble with melted vanilla ice cream (right?). Here are some tips for cooking and serving this apple crumble:

• Use fresh ginger. Many apple crumble recipes use ground ginger, but fresh ginger adds better Taste. Our top tip for fresh ginger? Peel it with a spoon.
• That’s a big pot: 12 servings! One way to keep desserts healthy is to eat small portions. This makes a 9 x 13 pan or 12 servings. If you stick to this size, this dessert isn’t that bad!
• Garnish with Greek yogurt, fresh cream, whipped cream or ice cream. For a healthy spin, try a small dollop of Greek yogurt lightly sweetened with maple syrup. The creme fraiche with some maple is heavenly.

Variations: vegan, gluten-free and more!

The recipe below lists a few variations that you can use to adapt this apple crumble for different diets and tastes! Here’s what you can do:

• Make it vegan: Use coconut oil instead of butter. The crumble will be a little softer than with butter, but it’s still fantastic.
• Make it gluten free or paleo: Use almond flour instead of all-purpose flour. The filling always remains wonderfully crumbly.
• Add style: Add spices to give it a twist. Try ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cardamom in the crumble or add a sprinkling of nutmeg or cloves.

More apple recipes

do you have more apples We went apple picking this year and had a lot of apples left over. This apple crumble was a highlight and we’ve been working our way through our favorite apple recipes ever since! Here are some of our top tips for cooking with apples:

This apple crumble recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, follow the recipe variations below.

Last update: May 2020