Perfect Apple Crumble

 

I love apple pie, but I'm not so into making crust. Apple crumble is 1,000 times easier to make and, in my opinion, even better. I'll take a thick, buttery cinnamon pecan crumble over a flaky crust any day. Below are answers to all your baking questions. 

Do I need to peel the apples?
No! In fact, I prefer not to. The skin doesn't affect the taste, or even the texture significantly, so it's not worth the hassle. Plus, they look pretty as hell—especially if you're using apples with a pinkish hue. 

What kind of apples should I use? 
Crisp, slightly tart varieties work best. Granny Smith is the most obvious choice and it'd be lovely here. My personal favorite: Mutsu. Look for it at the farmer's market! Other great options: Jonagold, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady. 

Is it better to use melted, softened, or cold butter? 
While we always insist on cold butter in our perfect pie crust (and even in my apple crisp!), it's just not necessary here. We're not looking for flakiness! Melted butter makes it easiest to incorporate all the crumble ingredients. And pecans offer a nice crunchy contrast to the slightly sandy, very crumbly butter-brown sugar combo. 

How do I bake the crumble in ramekins (like the picture)?
If you want make dinner guests feel extra special by serving them individual apple crumbles, adapting the recipe is easy! Prep the apples and the crumble as the recipe instructs, just divide them both evenly between ramekins and place ramekins on a large rimmed baking sheet before baking. 

Can I prepare the crumble ahead of time?
Absolutely! If you want to prep the day before we recommend that instead of dumping the dry crumble on top of the fruit, just cover the bowl and the baking dish with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to bake. Or you can simply make the whole thing and reheat the following day in a 325º oven until the apple is bubbling.

What about ingredient substitutions?
This is such a versatile recipe, you can make a pear or peach crumble just by swapping out the fruit! Allergic to tree nuts? Swap out the pecans for something like peanuts or shelled sunflower seed or simply leave them out.

Have you made this recipe? If so, don't forget to rate it below and let us know what you think! And for more fall baking ideas, check out our other incredible apple desserts. 

Editor's Note: The introduction to this recipe was updated slightly to provide more information on July 12, 2021. 

Yields:8 serving(s)

Prep Time:10 mins

Total Time:1 hr

Cal/Serv:592

 

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 350° and grease a large baking dish with butter. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pecans, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter until texture is coarse and sandy.
2. Step 2Add apples, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and lemon juice to baking dish and toss to combine. Spread in an even layer, then press crumb mixture on top of apples. Bake until apples are bubbling and topping is golden, about 50 minutes.
3. Step 3Serve warm with ice cream, if using.

Ingredients

• 3/4 c.

  (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted, plus more for pan

• 1 1/2 c.

  all-purpose flour

• 1 c.

  chopped pecans, plus more for serving

• 1 c.

  lightly packed brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp.

  kosher salt

• 6

  large apples, cored and cut into wedges

• 1/2 c.

  granulated sugar

• 2 tsp.

  ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp.

  ground ginger

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Vanilla ice cream, for serving