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    Home » Cakes and Desserts » Puddings and Desserts

    We use cookies · See Privacy Policy in footer · Post contains affiliate links · Updated: Apr 10, 2020

    Blackberry and Apple Crumble

    A dish of Blackberry and Apple Crumble
    A dish of Blackberry and Apple Crumble

    Blackberry and Apple Crumble is an old favourite for a good reason - fruity filling, crunchy topping, easy to make. This version uses oats in the crumble for extra texture.

    Jump to Recipe
    A dish of Blackberry and Apple Crumble

    Blackberry and Apple Crumble

    August, September and October are the best months for blackberries. You can find them on almost any hedgerow, so make the most of the short season and get picking!

    If you have no blackberries for a crumble, just use more apple - and perhaps some raisins and cinnamon for extra flavour. You want about 1-1.2 kg fruit altogether

    Key Ingredients in Blackberry and Apple Crumble

    The ingredients are mostly fairly standard. For 4-6 people you need about 1kg of fruit, 160g flour and 80g each of butter and sugar, but I do add a couple of things and I use frozen butter. Here's what and why:

    Flour

    You can use white or wholemeal flour for a crumble topping, plain usually, but if all you've got is self-raising it doesn't really make a difference.

    Oats

    Oats - or meusli - gives some extra crunchy texture to the topping.

    Substitute porridge oats or unsweetened muesli for 50-60g flour. My favourite is a mixture of white and wholemeal flour with oats.

    Grated Frozen Butter

    I recently came across the idea of grating frozen butter to use in scones. It's supposed to make the texture lighter, and it probably does.

    I tried it, and I might not have bothered to carry on doing it, but it makes the whole rubbing-in process much easier and quicker. For that reason alone, I'm converted, so I thought I'd try it in the crumble topping (even though it won't make a difference to the outcome).

    It does take longer to grate the butter than cut up cold butter, but overall the effort is much reduced. If you prefer to use cold butter in cubes, that's fine, of course, but I would recommend giving grating frozen butter a go.

    Orange Juice with the Fruit

    I like to add some sort of flavour to fruit crumbles, and orange juice isn't overpowering but it adds a bit of zing. Orange juice from a carton is okay - two tablespoons should be enough. It's also perfectly fine to omit it altogether.

    Ground Almonds

    I use ground almonds a lot when I cook. I often put them in cakes to add moisture and improve the keeping time. In fruit crumbles, I use ground almonds to absorb some of the juice that the fruit generates as it cooks. Again, using them is optional, but if you've got some, try it.

    What else do you need to make Blackberry and Apple Crumble?

    Oxo Good Grips Apple Corer - I managed to cook for 40 years without needing an apple corer. I have to say that I thought it was totally unnecessary and I wouldn't actually use it. Well, I was wrong. Now I use my apple corer every time I use apples in a recipe. It just makes the whole process a bit easier.

    If you like this...

    Why don’t you try:

    Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble in a dish.

    Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble with Almonds

    A colourful, fruity crumble with almonds and a hint of rose.
    Apple Sponge Cake with a slice removed, on a white plate

    Apple Sponge Cake

    Apple Sponge Cake can be served warm for dessert or cold at teatime. The cake has a crispy top with an apple and sultana filling.
    3 Blackberry Scones on a white plate with blackberries.

    Blackberry Scones

    Blackberry Scones are best made with wild blackberries. Easy to find in any hedgerow (or the supermarket).

    Stockists

    Apple corer with good grip handle

    Oxo Good Grips Apple Corer

    Buy Now →
    A dish of Blackberry and Apple Crumble
    Print Recipe
    4 from 1 vote

    Blackberry and Apple Crumble

    Blackberry and Apple Crumble is an old favourite for a good reason - fruity filling, crunchy topping, quick and easy to make.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Keyword: family pudding, fruity
    Servings: 6 servings
    Author: [email protected] Cooks

    Ingredients

    For the fruit mix:

    • 800 g cooking apples
    • 60 g caster sugar
    • 300 g blackberries
    • 1 orange, juiced
    • 25 g ground almonds

    For the crumble topping:

    • 100 g plain/all-purpose flour
    • 60 g porridge oats
    • 80 g frozen butter
    • 80 g demerara sugar
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    Equipment

    Apple corer
    1.5–2-litre/3-4-pint ovenproof pie dish

    Instructions

    Preparation:

    • Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 170°C fan/ gas mark 5/ 375°F

    For the fruit mix:

    • Peel, core, and slice the apples into approx. 1cm slices
    • Cook the apples, orange juice and caster sugar in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft.
    • In the meantime:
      Wash the blackberries, pat dry, and remove any stalks. Make the crumble

    For the crumble topping:

    • Measure the flour and oats into a large bowl
    • Grate the butter and rub into the flour and oats until all the butter is incorporated
      The idea is to rub your thumbs along your fingertips from your little fingers outwards
    • Stir in the demerara sugar

    To assemble the crumble:

    • When the apple has softened take the pan off the heat. Mix in the blackberries and ground almonds
    • Spoon the fruit mixture into the pie dish. Pour the crumble over the fruit and level the top with a spoon or a knife
    • Cook for about 30-40 minutes,
      The crumble will be a pale gold colour and some of the fruit juice may be bubbling up into it
    • Serve hot or cold with custard or cream.

    Notes

    Everyday Cooks Tip:

    Butter – using grated frozen butter makes the mixing in quicker. If you don’t have frozen butter, use it straight from the fridge and cut into small pieces before rubbing in.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nuala Cummins says

      April 27, 2022 at 11:52 am

      4 stars
      Easy to use

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Susie. Mostly I love cooking and baking, but combining work and home life often leaves me feeling that providing healthy, tasty food for my family is a chore. On those days I am decidedly an Everyday Cook...

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