Healthy recipe for apple oat crumble, low in sugar with an extra crispy topping with oats. Serve with cream, ice cream or Crème Anglaise, or eat like the French and enjoy simply on its own.
Apple Crumble vs Apple Crisp - What's the Difference?
Apple crumble is just the British name for the American Apple Crisp. The name refers to its texture of the topping - very different to a cobbler, which has a smooth texture (not crumbly - what can I say?) Even in Britain, the humble crumble has another name in Scotland - with a Scottish 'Frushie' being the old Scots word for crumble.
In France, it's also known as 'crumble', taken from across the Channel (la Manche). Somehow, the French manage to make it sound so romantic, with the soft roll of the tongue around 'Crum-beulle' or 'Crum-belle'. Beautiful, isn't it?
Are Oats Always in a Crumble?
Classic crumbles usually contain 3 ingredients: flour, butter and sugar. As a proud Scot, however, I always add oats to them. While it's a classic addition, you can also make it without but, to keep up the Old Alliance between the French and the Scots, I'm sticking with oats.
Apple Oat Crumble - Healthy Recipe
Firstly, the addition of oats makes this apple crumble high in soluble fibre.
To top it (get it?), it's a healthy recipe due to its reduced sugar. Classic crumbles usually have equal quantities of flour, oats, butter and sugar but this recipe uses half the normal amount.
However, it does depend on your taste as, if using very tart cooking apples, you may like a little more sugar. As we don't have a hugely sweet tooth, try it this way first.
For more on best types to use for cooking, see the Market Guide to Apples (pommes)
What Makes Crumble Topping Crunchy?
The secret to a good crumble is the topping's texture. Equal quantities of butter, flour and oats lend this to a crumbly breadcrumb mixture and, when baked well, the butter just crisps up the oats and flour.
"With enough butter, anything is good."
Julia Child
Julia Child wasn't the only chef to notice just how much the French love their butter; that's the secret to crumbles eaten sec that don't need any accompaniments.
Is it Better to Crumble with Cold or Melted Butter?
To make it easy to crumble the mixture, it's preferable to mix in butter (unsalted) that's not brick hard cold. On the other spectrum, don't melt the butter either, otherwise it's not possible to create that classic crumbled texture by rubbing the butter into the flour, oats and sugar.
The butter should be cold but pliable enough to rub it in easily with your fingers (or if you're fancy, use a food mixer with a paddle attachment).
So find a happy medium Mummy bear, somewhere in the middle, and it will be just right.
Everybody's Cooking Crumbles - Give us More!
Love comforting crumbles in the colder months? Then enjoy more crumbles with apples:
- French Apple Crumble Cake - a completely different kind of cake, served chilled
- Pear crumble with chocolate and hazelnut - it's wicked!
- Apple Choux Crumbles- If you know the pastry recipes in my book, Teatime in Paris, you'll know you can adapt the desserts into choux buns. Create choux crumbles with craquelin topping and fill with apple compote. Serve with a little Calvados cream or a simple scoosh of Chantilly cream and top with an edible flower.
For more ideas how you can serve the treats in the book - check out my Pinterest Board: Baking with Teatime in Paris.
Apple Oat Crumble - so good on its own
Who would have thought? Good old Apple Crumble is so popular in Paris. The best of our humble British puddings has been popping up on French blackboards for winter dessert specials of the day. Even more for Parisian teatime: many salons de thé are now serving it, as you can see from the British influence on my Guide to Paris tearooms.
Who knows? Maybe we may even see sticky toffee pudding soon, too! Have you tried this yet? It's also made with apple.
Unlike how we serve it back home in Scotland with good, homemade vanilla custard, the French don't even serve it with their runnier version called Crème Anglaise. Instead it's served with a scoop (boule) of ice cream, some whipped Chantilly cream, or simply just comme ça - entirely on its own. You could be decadent and serve with a drizzle of warmed salted caramel sauce.
Variations to Apple Crumble
Apple crumble is so good mixed with a touch of rhubarb, gooseberries, blueberries or blackberries/brambles (fresh or frozen). My ratio is about ¾ apples and ¼ other fruit. If using rhubarb, however, you may wish to increase the sugar slightly - it's up to your taste.
Alternatively, make individual crumbles using the same recipe but prepare them in 6 ramekin dishes and bake for 30 minutes. The topping will be so caramelised, you could call it a Crumble Tatin!
Can Crumble Freeze?
The bonus? The oat crumble topping freezes really well. So make double quantity and freeze the other half (unbaked) for an extra speedy weekday dessert!
Apple Oat Crumble
Equipment
- 24cm (9½ inch) deep pie dish ovenproof
Ingredients
Oat Crumble Topping
- 100 g (3.5oz/ 1¼ cups) Medium porridge oats
- 100 g (3.5oz/ 1¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 50 g (1.75oz/ ¼ cup) soft light brown sugar
- good pinch fleur de sel salt
- 100 g (3.5oz/ 8 tbsp) butter, unsalted cubed, between cold to room temperature
Apple Crumble Filling
- 1 kg (5-6) Apples Granny Smith, French Delicious (weight once peeled)
- 30 g (1oz/ 2 tbsp) butter, unsalted
- 30 g (2 tbsp) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or powdered vanilla/extract
Instructions
- Combine all the crumble ingredients an a large bowl. Lightly rub the butter through your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Set aside.Tip: if making double quantities of crumble, freeze the other half for an extra speedy dessert next time.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.
- Peel, core and chop up the apples roughly into chunks. Melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Toss in the apple chunks with the vanilla and sprinkle over the sugar. Fry briefly, turning the apples in the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes. The apples should not be mushy, just cooked and lightly caramelised.
- Transfer to the gratin or pudding dish (no need to butter it) and sprinkle on a generous amount of crumble until the apples are completely covered.
- Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the top is toasted and lightly browned.
Notes
How to Serve
Serve warm or at room temperature - either on its own, with vanilla ice cream, custard or salted caramel sauce. For the adults, accompany with a Calvados/Drambuie ice cream. Also delicious with chestnut vanilla ice cream.Apple Oat Crumble Variations
- Use 75% apples and make up the rest with either freshly chopped rhubarb or fresh blueberries.
- For a holiday version, bake the crumble with a layer of mincemeat.
Crumble Storage
The crumble freezes well, so ideal for making in advance.Tip: make double quantities of the crumble topping and freeze the other half for an easy advanced prep dessert. Nutrition (465 calories per 236g serving): 4g protein; 20g lipids; 67 carbohydrates; Glycemic index: 35.
This recipe was first published 26 February 2016 but is now being completely updated
Iain
The frushie recipe works very well. Depending on the dish used, the crumble may be a bit thin compared to Scots tradition. Didn’t quite cover the fruit when I followed the recipe quantities. Around 50% more on the crumble ingredients works better in the oven dishes I have. Rhubarb is great as the fruit to use.
Jill Colonna
Hello Iain,
Glad you like the recipe - thanks for your feedback. As a result I've edited the recipe to include that I use a 24cm round deep gratin dish. Agreed, all dishes are different but, even with all of mine, I even have a bit leftover crumble, as we love just enough to hide all the fruit but still have plenty of fruit underneath. Agreed on the rhubarb - it's great!
Tonio
Wonderful timing for Robert Burns night!
Parisbreakfast
I Love French crumbulle
Especially with a smoosh and a dallop of vanilla!
I shall admire from afar your 'individuals'. I never heard that term used with pastry till moving to France. So how come a Scottish individual is losing her voting rights? Not fair.
Jill Colonna
Well if you'd been in the restaurant last night, they didn't serve it with any smooth or vanilla. The French way since it was not dry at all with the extra butter, Carol. But I know you'd have asked for it, something I've never been able to do, hehe. Yep, not fair on the voting but perhaps it's for a good thing. Sign should become French after 24 years?
David
Jill, I'm so sorry to hear about the voting issue. Voting is one of the prime rights we have as human beings. Any chance for change?
The crumble looks beautiful and so pottery! This post also reminds me that I need to find a copy of your book, Teatime in Paris. I'm assuming in I'll be able to find it on Amazon.com.
Jill Colonna
Thanks David. Yes, it's rather frustrating with the votes and looks like it won't change. It's me that needs to now. Perhaps become French after all those years? Have a French family now anyway. Yes, thanks - you can find it on Amazon - even easier, there's a link to it on the homepage of this site - not even Affiliate links 😉 Have a super weekend x
Liz
Oh, how I love an apple crumble! And I'm now going to have to serve mine with vanilla custard---soooooo yummy!!!
Jill Colonna
Well guess there are some folk that still prefer it with custard, Liz 😉
Christina | Christina's Cucina
First of all, that's terrible about you losing your voting rights, Jill! There are so many things in government policies that are so unfair, so I can't say I'm surprised 🙁 Dealing with some of it here, right now.
Secondly, what a genius idea to make the apples as in Tarte Tatin for the crumble! I'm doing this today because I have Granny Smith apples sitting on the counter ready to be made into apple sauce by my mother (her idea, not mine!) 😉
I also adore those little apple crumble Choux Puffs! Those crumbly tops have had me smitten since I first saw them in your book!
Thanks for the wonderful recipes, as always! You're a gem! CC
Jill Colonna
Thanks Christina. Just wondering about what to do. British Embassy are not responding, funnily enough.
So happy to hear you like the tatin idea. Last night was taken by surprise in a bistrot restau in Paris (Le Baratin, 20th) that top of the dessert menu was .... apple crumble! Took it on Instagram and guess what? It was just more buttery like this - and served completely on its own! Appreciate you taking the time to read this - bon weekend x