This apple crumble with oats has a juicy cinnamon apple filling and a crisp, buttery topping. It needs no pastry rolling or special equipment: one bowl, a baking dish and a few everyday ingredients are enough. Serve it warm after a family dinner, with plain yogurt, custard or vanilla ice cream.
Serves: 6 | Prep: 20 minutes | Bake: 40–45 minutes | Rest: 10 minutes | Total: 70–75 minutes
Photo: Alex Bayev / Unsplash. Serving suggestion.
TOPSIMPLE RECIPES · RECIPE CARD
Easy Apple Crumble with Oats and Cinnamon
Ingredients for apple crumble with oats
For the apple filling:
- 1 kg apples, weighed whole (about 750–800 g after peeling and coring)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 40 g light brown sugar (reduce to 25 g for very sweet apples)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornflour / cornstarch (about 8 g)
- 2 tablespoons water
For the crumble topping:
- 100 g plain / all-purpose flour
- 80 g rolled oats
- 80 g light brown sugar
- 100 g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
How to make apple crumble
- Prepare the oven and dish. Heat the oven to 190°C conventional / 170°C fan (375°F). Lightly butter a 20 × 25 cm baking dish, approximately 2 litres in capacity.
- Cut the apples. Peel, core and cut them into slices about 5 mm thick. Toss immediately with lemon juice. Even slices help the fruit soften at the same rate.
- Mix the filling. Combine the apples with 40 g brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the cornflour. Transfer to the baking dish, add 2 tablespoons water and spread evenly.
- Make the topping. In a bowl, mix flour, oats, 80 g brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and salt. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until you have coarse crumbs with some pea-sized clumps. Stop before the mixture becomes a paste.
- Assemble. Scatter the topping evenly over the apples without pressing it down. The loose texture allows steam to escape and helps the surface become crisp.
- Bake. Place the dish on the middle shelf for 40–45 minutes. It is ready when the top is golden, the filling bubbles at the edges and a small knife slides easily into an apple slice. If the top browns too early, cover loosely with foil.
- Rest and serve. Leave for 10 minutes so the juices thicken slightly. Spoon into bowls and serve warm.
Recipe from TopSimpleRecipes
Which apples work best?
A mix of firm tart apples and sweeter apples gives a balanced filling. Try Granny Smith with Braeburn or Pink Lady. Very soft apples can break down more quickly, while thick slices may remain firm even when the topping looks ready. Taste a piece of raw apple before adding the sugar and adjust within the suggested range.
How to keep the crumble topping crisp
Use cold butter and regular rolled oats. Instant oats absorb liquid differently, and steel-cut oats will stay too hard. Keep some larger crumbs for texture and avoid packing the mixture over the fruit. The cornflour thickens the apple juices, but a little bubbling at the sides is normal.
For a crisper topping when reheating, use the oven rather than the microwave. Microwave reheating is convenient for a single portion but softens the crumbs. Let the baked crumble rest uncovered before serving so steam can escape.
Variations
For an apple and pear crumble, replace 300 g of the apples with firm pears and keep the same total fruit weight. For a dairy-free version, use a cold plant-based baking block suitable for crumble. For gluten-free baking, use a suitable gluten-free flour blend and certified gluten-free oats; check every other packaged ingredient as well.
For another simple fruit dessert, try our apple cake with coconut. Browse the dessert collection for more ideas.
Make ahead, storage and reheating
Prepare the fruit and topping separately up to a day ahead and keep both covered in the refrigerator. Assemble immediately before baking. If starting with chilled fruit, allow a few extra minutes and check that the apples are tender.
Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in a covered container within two hours. Eat within 3 days. Reheat in an ovenproof dish at 170°C conventional / 150°C fan until hot throughout, usually 15–20 minutes for a small portion. Freeze cooled portions for up to 2 months for best quality, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to cook the apples first? No. Slicing them about 5 mm thick lets them soften as the topping bakes. If using very firm cooking apples, check tenderness before removing the dish from the oven.
Why is my crumble dry? The topping may have too little butter or too much flour. Weigh the ingredients and rub the butter through evenly. Avoid adding extra flour just because the mixture forms a few clumps.
Can I leave out the oats? Use 180 g plain flour in total instead of the flour-and-oat mixture. The topping will be finer and more traditional; keep the butter and sugar quantities unchanged.