Juicy and sweet cinnamon-spiced apples and blueberries are topped with a sweet and crunchy oat crumble topping then baked until golden to make this delicious blueberry and apple crumble. This easy, comforting dessert is sure to be popular with everyone!
This simple apple and blueberry recipe has the perfect combination of sweet and tart. Like my plum and apple crumble, it is an easy and comforting dessert for any day of the week. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or drizzle with custard for the ultimate comfort food!
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Why we love this recipe
- The filling of this apple blueberry crumble is juicy but not watery, and simmering the apples for a few minutes before baking the crumble ensures they are beautifully tender and not undercooked.
- The crumble topping is crunchy and sweet, with the oats adding flavour rather than being chewy and dense.
- Making apple & blueberry crumble is a great recipe for using wrinkly apples sat in the fruit bowl, or blueberries that are looking past their best, saving food waste and helping to reduce your food bills.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient quantities.
- Apples – the best type of apples to use in a crumble are Granny Smith apples or cooking apples, such as Bramley apples, as I have used in these images.
- White sugar – also called granulated sugar, this is used in both the apple and blueberry layer, and the crumble topping.
- Ground cinnamon – this spice is optional, I like to add it for a warming touch, but you can use a pinch of nutmeg or ground ginger if you prefer.
- Blueberries – you can use fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries.
- Plain flour – all purpose flour.
- Cold butter – salted or unsalted.
- Raw sugar – in Australia I use raw sugar. If you are in the UK, use Demerara sugar. This light brown sugar gives the crumble topping a fantastic crunch.
- Rolled oats – I like to use rolled oats as they are slightly larger and chewier, but you can use quick oats if you prefer.
How to make apple and blueberry crumble from scratch
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.
- Peel, core and chop the apples. Place in a saucepan with the white sugar, cinnamon and water.
- Simmer until the apples are just tender. TIP: This takes different lengths of time depending on if you are using cooking apples or eating apples, the variety of apples and their ripeness.
- While the apple is cooking, make the crumble topping: In a large mixing bowl add the flour, then tip in the cold butter and rub in to the flour with your finger tips until it resembles breadcrumbs. You can use the food processor instead, and pulse a few times.
- Stir the Demerara/ raw sugar and white sugar into the flour, then sprinkle over the 1 tablespoon of cold water and lightly mix in. TIP: This helps the crumble clump together.
- Tip the softened apple into a 23cm / 9 inch round baking dish then stir in the blueberries.
- Sprinkle over the crumble mix, then sprinkle over the oats.
- Place in the preheated oven and baking for 30 minutes until the top of the crumble is golden and crisp, and the juices are starting to bubble up around the edges.
FAQ
It is best not to assemble the crumble in advance, as the crumble topping will absorb the fruit juices making the crumble stodgy. You can however prepare both the topping and fruit seperately in advance and then assemble just before baking.
No you don’t have to peel apples for apple crumble. It is completely up to you!
Keep the butter and crumble topping cold, and not cooking the crumble at too hight temperature will help keep your crumble topping crunchy and not stodgy.
My recipe tips
- The topping is sweet and fruit is slightly tart, this is on purpose as it balances out, especially with a scoop of sweet ice cream or custard.
- Cooking the apple separately not only ensures juicy tender apples but means you can easily test for sweetness. Apples can vary in sweetness depending on their variety and ripeness, so it is best to test them for sweetness and add a little more sugar if needed before adding the crumble topping.
- Adding a little cold water to the crumble topping helps clump bits together so you get those crispy clumps of buttery sugary crumble top. So delicious!
- Sprinkle the oats on the top of the crumble to let them toast and then they’re crisp rather than chewy.
- Don’t press the crumble topping down on the fruit, otherwise you can end up with dense and stodgy crumble.
Out of blueberry season, use frozen blueberries in the crumble.
So much cheaper but they work just as well as fresh!
Serving Ideas
With a scoop of ice cream, or pour over custard or cream.
Make ahead/storage
Whilst I recommend you don’t make the crumble ahead of time, you can make the fruit filling and crumble topping separately, and then assemble just before baking:
Crumble topping – make the topping without adding water and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, adding the water just before sprinkling it over the fruit. Some recipes recommend you chill the topping before cooking the crumble, whilst I personally don’t think it makes much of a difference.
Cook the apples – and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months, defrost before making the crumble. The apples can absorb a little of the liquid during this time in the fridge or freezer, so I recommend stirring through 1-2 tablespoons water before adding them to the crumble dish.
Variations
- Crumble with no oats – simply leave out the oats.
- With nuts – a handful of chopped almonds or walnuts stirred through the crumble would make a delicious topping!
Why not try…
You may also like these other family friendly desserts:
Blueberry and Apple Crumble
Author: Robyn
Equipment
- 23 cm (9 inch) round baking dish deep – mine is 6cm (2¼ inches) deep
Ingredients
Apple and Blueberry Filling
- 750g apples, peeled, cored and roughly cut into 2 cm / ¾ Inch cubes
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar / granulated sugar
- 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 200g (7 oz) blueberries, fresh or frozen
Crumble Topping
- 150g (1 c) plain flour
- 125g (½ c) cold butter, cubed
- 3 Tablespoons raw sugar / demerara sugar
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar / granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cold water
- 20g (¼ c) rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan / 200˚C / 356˚F convection / 392˚F.
- Prepare the apples: peel, cut into quarters and remove the core. Roughly dice into 2 cm / ¾ inch cubes.
- Place the apples in a medium saucepan with the water, white sugar and ground cinnamon. Stir to combine then place on a medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until the apples are just beginning to soften. Once they have softened, test for sweetness, adding another tablespoon of sugar if they taste too tart (keeping in mind the topping is sweet.)
- Meanwhile, make the crumble topping:
- In a large mixing bowl add the flour, then tip in the cold butter and rub in to the flour with your finger tips until it resembles breadcrumbs. You can also use the food processor and pulse a few times.
- Stir the demerara / raw sugar and white sugar into the flour.
- Sprinkle over the 1 tablespoon of cold water and lightly mix in.
- Tip the softened apple into a 23 cm (9inch) deep round baking dish then stir in the blueberries.
- Sprinkle over the crumble mix, then sprinkle over the oats.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes until the top of the crumble is golden and crisp and the juices are starting to bubble up around the edges.
Notes
Nutrition
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