Autumn Apple Crumble
Every year, like clockwork, one of the oldest debates known to man pops up right around the time the leaves start to change. No. It’s not what the best Halloween candy is. Even fools know Reese’s wins hands down (with Twizzlers a close second because not everyone can have peanuts). Nor is it whether or not matching costumes with your man is a good idea or a terrible one. (It’s a terrible one).
It’s whether you’re on Team Pumpkin or Team Apple.
The truth is that I don’t have skin in this fight. I love both. Yes, I know pumpkin spice is about as overplayed as Kayne. Yes, I know that in many ways pumpkin spice is more about the spice than it is about the pumpkin. And I also know those lattes are filled with all sorts of crap and are terrible for you.
But I still love me some pumpkin. My pumpkin spice cake is incredible and easy. My pumpkin french toast casserole makes holiday mornings a breeze. And this pumpkin pasta is just unexpected and fun.
But, y’all, we sleep on apples all the freaking time. We forget that they’re the OG fall fruit. We gloss over the fact that apple pie was the first and original pie at our Thanksgiving tables. And we somehow lost sight of apples as a standalone fruit option AND a delectable dessert. (take that, pumpkin!)
Apples are really Autumn royalty and I’m tired of them being ignored.
I have made my fair share of apple desserts before. I’ve got an apple skillet cake that is, by far, the most beautiful thing I’ve ever made and will never top again. I’ve got an apple cider cake that is to die for (and not just because of the salted maple frosting). But this autumn apple crumble is the easiest way to get apples back into the dessert limelight where they belong.
First of all, the hardest part of this recipe is peeling and slicing the apples. If you were really feeling lazy, I would be that not peeling them wouldn’t even be a cardinal sin. Though in all honesty, I didn’t try. And if you have a handy-dandy apple slicer like I do it’s a breeze to get the little slices you need you cut that work in about half (you’ll still need to slice them from there, but it’s time-saving nonetheless.) Secondly, once those apples are peeled and sliced all you need to do is mix in some sugar and spices and then whip up a batch of the crumble topping, try not to eat it all before you bake it (that’s harder than it sounds), and drop it on top.
Super easy.
The best part about this apple crumble is that the base, the apples, and “sauce,” are the base recipe for my mom’s apple pie. Now, if you know me you know I don’t make pie. I ain’t got time for all that finicky crust madness. I leave that detail-oriented nightmare to Jeff. But this is a much easier way to get her signature apple/spice ratio. Trust me, it’s to die for. And the crumble crust, well, that is something you just have to experience for yourself. I have a hard time not eating it straight from the bowl before I pour it on. It’s so delicious.
The two together? Perfect combo.
So give this Autumn Apple Crumble a try. It’s perfect right out of the oven with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Or, really any way you like it. It’s just perfect.
Peace, love, and tasting fall,
Meg
Autumn Apple Crumble
Ingredients
- 8 medium granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- healthy pinch of mace (optional, but important)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- for the crumble:
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 3/5 cup brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- dash of cinnamon
- dash of vanilla
- 1 stick of butter, melted
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Step 2 In an 8×8 pan, add apples, sugars, cornstarch, spices, and salt. Mix until apples are completely coated.
- Step 3 Set aside.
- Step 4 In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, spices, and salt. Stir with a fork to combine.
- Step 5 Add melted butter and vanilla and stir until you get the consistency of a coarse sand. There will be clumps–this is what you want!
- Step 6 Drop the crumble topping on the apples, leaving small holes for the apples to peek through.
- Step 7 Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until browned. If you really want a browned topping, throw it under the broiler for the last few minutes but be sure to watch it so it doesn’t burn.
- Step 8 Best served warm with ice cream or whipped cream on the side.
PS: You might not have heard the huge news, but last week I got accepted into LTK. I’ll share more about this in a post next week, but it’s a really big deal for influencers and I applied three times before I was accepted. I’m migrating a lot of my lifestyle and fashion content over there so be sure to follow me to get exclusive content!
Welcome to BurntToast! My name is Meaghan, and this is my safe space, a place where we can share stories, share recipes and share life. It’s my dream that you can come here, kick your shoes off and pour yourself a glass of wine while you read, laugh, and maybe even hop into the kitchen. This is my heart, for all of you to see. And ALL are welcome here.