Cinnamon Apple Crumble (Easy Apple Crisp with Oat Topping)

Apple crumble (or apple crisp, as it's called in the US when the topping has oats) is the dessert to make the moment the first bags of new-season apples show up in September. Tart-sweet apples are tossed with lemon, brown sugar and cinnamon, then baked under a buttery oat topping until the fruit collapses into a bubbling, jammy layer and the crumble turns deep golden and crunchy. It fills the kitchen with the smell of autumn and takes about 20 minutes of hands-on work.

Three things make this version work. First, a mix of apples: Granny Smith keeps its shape and brings sharpness, while Fuji softens and adds sweetness, so you get both texture and flavor in every spoonful. Second, a tablespoon of cornstarch in the filling, which turns the apple juices into a glossy sauce instead of a watery puddle. Third, really cold butter rubbed into the flour and oats so the topping bakes up in crisp, sandy clumps rather than a flat, greasy crust.

Ingredients

For the apple filling

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) apples, about half Granny Smith and half Fuji (5 to 6 medium apples)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
• 50 g (1/4 cup) light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 pinch of salt

For the oat topping

• 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• 90 g (1 cup) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 100 g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 120 g (1/2 cup, 1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

To serve

• Vanilla ice cream or warm custard

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly butter a 23 cm (9-inch) round or 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12-inch) baking dish about 5 cm (2 inches) deep.
2. Peel, quarter and core the apples, then cut them into 2 cm (3/4-inch) chunks. Put them in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice as you go so they don't brown.
3. Sprinkle over the 50 g brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, the cornstarch and the pinch of salt. Toss until every piece is evenly coated and no dry cornstarch remains, then tip the apples into the baking dish and spread them out level.
4. Make the topping: in another bowl, stir together the flour, oats, 100 g brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and rub them in with your fingertips, lifting and pressing, for about 3 minutes, until the mixture looks like coarse, damp sand with some pea-sized lumps of butter still visible.
5. Squeeze a few handfuls of the mixture in your fist to form larger clumps, then scatter the topping evenly over the apples. Do not press it down; loose crumbs bake up crunchier.
6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and the apple juices are bubbling thickly around the edges. If the top is browning too fast after 30 minutes, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the dish.
7. Let the crumble rest for 15 minutes before serving. The filling is molten straight from the oven and needs this time to thicken and settle.
8. Serve warm, scooped into bowls, with a ball of vanilla ice cream or a generous pour of custard.

Tips

• Use two kinds of apples. All Granny Smith is too sharp and stays firm; all Fuji or Gala turns to mush. If you have only one variety, use it, but taste the raw fruit and adjust the sugar in the filling by a tablespoon either way.
• Substitutions: swap up to half the apples for pears or add a big handful (150 g) of blackberries or cranberries; use rice flour and certified gluten-free oats for a gluten-free version, or add 50 g (1/2 cup) chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping for extra crunch. Only use old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant oats, which turn pasty.
• Make ahead: assemble the whole dish, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day, or freeze unbaked for up to 3 months and bake straight from frozen, adding about 15 minutes. The topping alone also freezes well in a bag.
• Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat uncovered at 160°C (325°F) for about 15 minutes so the topping crisps up again; the microwave makes it soft.
• Serve with vanilla ice cream, warm vanilla custard or lightly whipped cream. A spoonful of thick Greek yogurt turns leftovers into a very good breakfast.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is an estimate only: about 460 kcal, 4 g protein, 17 g fat, 75 g carbohydrate per serving, without ice cream or custard.