A warm, delicious apple crumble recipe topped with a lush scoop of vanilla ice cream! Bonus: no oats for this recipe! Also, I have a single serving apple crumble if you want a small portion to yourself!

apple crumble recipe

Is Apple Crumble the Same Thing as Apple Crisp?

Nope! Apple crumble and apple crisp are separate recipes. Apple crisp is a dessert that’s typically made using oats, whereas apple crumble uses a mixture of butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the crumble topping. The flour topping is rich, sweet, and crisp – almost like a soft cookie. Both are unique, but this apple crumble recipe is perfect if you prefer a soft, cookie-like topping.

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stewed apples in baking dish

Why do you stew your apples?

For this recipe, I like to stew my apples in a mixture of brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, water and cornstarch. By cooking the apples in the mixture before placing them in the oven, the apples soften, and the brown sugar sauce thickens – almost to a delicious caramel consistency. Stewing makes the apple crumble especially rich and tasty.

crumble topping

Apple Crumble Ingredients:

If you want to make the best apple crumble recipe, make sure you have the following ingredients:

  • Honeycrisp apples
  • Salted butter
  • Brown sugar
  • Cinnamon powder
  • All purpose flour
  • Lemon juice
  • Cornstarch
  • Vanilla ice cream
final apple crumble recipe

How to Make My Apple Crumble Recipe:

  1. Firstly, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. To make the filling, start by chopping up your honeycrisp apples. In a small pot, melt your butter, and then add the apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon.
  3. Then, stir well, and cook the mixture for about 1 minute.
  4. Create a cornstarch slurry by combining the water and cornstarch, and then add it to the pot. Simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes until the apples slightly soften, and the brown sugar sauce thickens.
  5. To make the crumble topping, mix all purpose flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix everything gently by hand. The mixture should start to form crumbles.
  6. After your apple mixture is ready, add it to a baking dish, and evenly sprinkle the crumble topping on top.
  7. Cook your apple crumble at 350 degrees for 30-40 mins. The top of the crumble should start to crisp and brown. This apple crumble recipe ensures a crispy and delightful top.
  8. Finally, serve with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
scoop of apple crumble recipe
How do I make vegan apple crumble?

Good news! Most of the ingredients in apple crumble recipe are naturally vegan already. The only thing that isn’t, is the butter; but, this is a simple fix. All you have to do is replace regular butter with a vegan butter. I originally made this recipe years ago with Earth Balance and it works perfectly!

(4)

Apple Crumble Recipe

A warm, delicious apple crumble topped with a lush scoop of vanilla ice cream! Bonus: no oats for this recipe!
apple crumble recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients 

Apple Filling

  • 3 honey crisp apples
  • 3 tbsp butter, (substitute with Earth Balance to make it vegan)
  • 1/3 c + 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Crumble Topping

  • 1.5 cup flour
  • 1.5 sticks of melted butter, (substitute with Earth Balance to make it vegan)
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

To Serve

  • large scoop vanilla ice cream

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • To make the filling, start by chopping up your honeycrisp apples. In a small pot, melt your butter. Add the apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon.
  • Stir well, and cook the mixture for about 1 minute.
  • Create a cornstarch slurry by combining the water and cornstarch. Add it to the pot. Simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes until the apples slightly soften, and the brown sugar sauce thickens.
  • To make the crumble topping, mix all purpose flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix everything gently by hand. The mixture should start to form crumbles.
  • Add your apple mixture to a baking dish, and evenly sprinkle the crumble topping on top.
  • Cook your apple crumble at 350 degrees for 30-40 mins. The top of the crumble should start to crisp and brown.
  • Serve with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Notes

Note: If you find that your apple crumble topping is browning too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cook time. 
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Shreya Walia

Hi, I’m Shreya Walia — the recipe developer, content creator, and cookbook author behind Shreya’s Kitchen. As a lifelong vegetarian and the author of Make It Meatless (published through DK/Penguin Random House), I’ve spent over a decade developing recipes that make plant-based cooking bold, satisfying, and approachable. I share easy, crave-worthy meals with a community of over 1.3M food lovers on TikTok and Instagram. I believe food should be flavorful and fun — never bland or boring."

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5 from 4 votes

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4 Comments

  1. Mathew T. says:

    5 stars
    This recipe was so easy to make and a real crowd-pleaser. Often, it’s the simplest things that bring the most joy. I got a little crazy with this recipe and added a touch of garam masala to the crumble topping and a little ginger to the apple filling. I also made a rough crust base using Talkback Snacks’ Cumin & Green Chili shortbread… I guess that’s not very simple, but it turned out great!

  2. August DeWindt says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely love making this recipe. It’s so easy and hits the spot every time!

  3. Edna Enriquez says:

    5 stars
    Shreya herself has made this recipe for me and it’s the perfect fall dessert 💕

  4. Victoria Banks says:

    5 stars
    Genuinely one of my favorite desserts