Apple and raspberry crumble

This apple and raspberry crumble is sweet, tart, and topped with the most buttery, crunchy crumble you’ll ever pull out of an oven. Baked in individual ramekins, it’s the kind of cozy dessert that makes a cold night feel like a treat.

I have recently become a fan of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. Whilst I’ve had a subscription to the Lifestyle Food channel for a few years, I’ll admit I’d never really paid much attention to her show. I think that’s because the list of cooking shows I already watch is rather long. But now having seen it, I know I’ve been missing out. I love her easy manner and relaxed style of cooking, all the while maintaining an attention to detail.

After watching one of her shows recently I was inspired to put my own spin on her crumble recipe. Whilst peaches aren’t in season here, I was inspired enough to make the recipe using what fruit I had to hand, which was frozen raspberries and apples. This recipe for apple and raspberry crumble is quick and easy to prepare, which was ideal given I was still on crutches at the time.

I made 4 crumbles using the recipe, and my husband and I had one each for dessert one night and planned to have the other two after dinner the next night. But my husband loved the crumble SO much that he found it difficult to resist the urge to go to the kitchen and get a second crumble. If that isn’t a resounding endorsement I don’t know what is. Needless to say, this crumble recipe has become a staple.

I also loved how deliciously crumbly and crunchy the topping was. I often find crumble recipes don’t produce a very crumbly topping, and this one was even better because it was still crumbly and crunchy the next day. I also noticed that Ina used her KitchenAid mixer to make the crumble topping. In the past I’d always made crumble by hand, but using the mixer was just SO easy. I highly recommend it.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Apples. Choose a firm apple that holds its shape in the oven, like Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp or Braeburn. Granny Smith gives the tartest result; a sweeter apple means you can trim the sugar in the filling slightly.
• Raspberries. Frozen raspberries are perfect here and there’s no need to thaw them first. Fresh raspberries work just as well in summer. Blackberries or a mixed-berry blend are good swaps.
• Lemon zest and juice. A little lemon brightens the fruit and keeps the apples from browning while you prep. Use a fresh lemon for both rather than bottled juice.
• Flour. All-purpose (plain) flour does double duty: a couple of tablespoons thicken the fruit juices and the rest forms the base of the topping. For a gluten-free crumble, use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.
• Sugars. Granulated sugar sweetens the fruit and gives the topping crunch, while brown sugar adds a caramel note. Light or dark brown sugar both work.
• Butter. Use cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes. Cold butter is what makes the topping form proper clumps instead of a sandy paste. To make the recipe vegan, swap in a firm plant-based butter block.
• Cinnamon. Just a quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon warms up the topping without overpowering the fruit. Add a pinch of nutmeg or ginger if you like a spicier crumble.

Helpful Tips

Cut the apples evenly. Aim for roughly half-inch cubes so every piece softens at the same rate. Large chunks can stay crunchy in the middle by the time the topping is golden, while tiny pieces turn to mush.

Keep the butter cold. Take the butter straight from the fridge and cube it just before mixing. If your kitchen is warm, pop the cubes in the freezer for 10 minutes. Warm butter melts into the flour and gives you a dense, greasy topping.

Stop mixing at pea-sized clumps. Whether you use a stand mixer or your fingertips, stop as soon as the mixture looks like wet sand with small clumps. Overworking it turns the topping into a dough that bakes up hard rather than crumbly.

Don’t pack the topping down. Scatter the crumble loosely over the fruit. Pressing it down seals the surface and steams the topping; leaving it loose lets heat circulate so you get those crunchy, golden bits.

Bake on a sheet pan. The ramekins are filled right to the top, and the fruit juices love to bubble over. Setting the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet saves you from scrubbing burnt raspberry juice off the oven floor, and makes them easier to move in and out of the oven.

Variations

• Oat crumble. Replace ¼ cup of the flour in the topping with old-fashioned rolled oats for a heartier, more rustic texture.
• Nutty crunch. Stir ⅓ cup of chopped almonds, pecans or hazelnuts into the topping before sprinkling it over the fruit.
• Different fruit. Try pears and blackberries, apples and rhubarb, or peaches and blueberries in summer, as in Ina’s original.
• Vegan crumble. Use a plant-based butter block in the topping and serve with dairy-free ice cream. For an oil-based version, see our vegan apple crisp.
• One big crumble. No ramekins? Bake everything in a 1 ½-quart (8-inch square) baking dish for 45 to 50 minutes and scoop it out at the table.

Serving Ideas

Apple and raspberry crumble is at its best about 10 minutes out of the oven, when the fruit is still bubbling but won’t burn your tongue. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream melting into the hot fruit is the classic choice, but softly whipped cream, a spoonful of Greek yogurt or a drizzle of warm custard are all just as good.

Because it’s baked in individual ramekins, this makes an easy dinner party dessert: assemble the crumbles ahead, slide them into the oven as you sit down to eat, and they’ll be ready by the time the plates are cleared. Serve it after a cozy vegetarian main like a hearty soup or pasta bake, or pair it with a slice of raspberry bread for an indulgent afternoon tea.

Storing & Freezing

Leftover crumbles keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let them cool completely, then cover each ramekin with plastic wrap or foil. Reheat in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes to re-crisp the topping; the microwave works in a pinch but will soften it.

To freeze, let the baked crumbles cool, wrap them tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat straight from frozen at 350°F (180°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until hot and bubbling. You can also freeze the unbaked topping on its own in a zip-top bag and sprinkle it straight from the freezer over fresh fruit whenever a crumble craving strikes.

More Raspberry Desserts

If you love this apple and raspberry crumble, be sure to check out these other delicious desserts:

• Raspberry Bread
• Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
• White Chocolate Mud Cupcakes with Raspberry Curd & White Chocolate Ganache
• Chocolate Raspberry Friands with Rosewater

📖 Recipe