Healthy Apple Crumble Recipe
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Indulge in a delightful treat that’s both wholesome and delicious with our Healthy Apple Crumble Recipe.
This scrumptious dessert combines the natural sweetness of fresh apples with a satisfyingly crunchy oat topping, creating a perfect harmony of flavors and textures.
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While you may prefer to skip to the recipe card, we suggest reading the entire blog post to avoid missing valuable tips and substitution suggestions and to ensure you have the necessary ingredients, equipment, and understanding of the steps and timings.
Healthy Apple Crumble Recipe
If you’re looking for a healthier, comforting dessert for fall that doesn’t compromise on flavor, then you have to try our healthy apple crumble recipe.
One taste of this delicious crumble, and you won’t believe it is gluten and refined sugar-free.
The key to this delectable treat is the combination of sweet and tart apples, tenderly spiced and blanketed by a golden-brown, crunchy oat crumble.
This healthier apple crumble is made with almond flour and honey, replacing traditional sugar and flour.
The sweetness of the apples is heightened by a touch of maple syrup, and the tantalizing aroma of cinnamon and allspice infuses every bite.
Serve your from a cozy family dinner to an extravagant dinner party. Its heartwarming flavors make it a superb choice for gatherings, themed parties, or even a simple potluck.
Pair it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or freshly whipped cream for a decadent touch.
My favorite way to serve apple crumble is with a good glug of hot custard—so good and so comforting for the autumn!
What Can I Serve With Apple Crumble?
- Nutty Trail Mix: Pair a serving of your crumble with a custom trail mix, combining sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, and dried cranberries. The nuttiness complements the sweetness, offering a satisfying contrast.
- Vanilla Chai Latte: Infuse your dessert affair with warmth by serving the apple crumble alongside a comforting cup of spiced chai. The aromatic notes will intertwine beautifully.
- Leftover Apple Crumble Yogurt Parfait: Create a balanced dessert ensemble by layering your healthy crumble with creamy Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey. The contrasting textures and flavors will leave your taste buds dancing.
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
The ingredients and tools in this recipe are conveniently linked to online retailers like Amazon or Amazon Fresh.
Ingredients Needed For Apple Crumble
- Fresh Produce – Apples, Lemon, Thyme (an optional extra)
- Chilled & Dairy – Unsalted Butter
- Pantry – Salt
- Pure Maple Syrup – Buy the good, 100% stuff. Anything less is just made up of flavorings and corn syrup.
- Apple Juice
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Allspice – not ALL the spices but the dried unripe berry of the Pimenta dioica tree. Often used in Jamaican and West Indian cuisine. If you don’t like this flavor, use extra cinnamon instead.
- Rolled Oats – Also known as old-fashioned oats.
- Almond Flour – essentially very finely ground blanched almonds. Not to be confused with almond meal, which is made from raw, unpeeled almonds. You can use other non-wheat flour in this recipe, such as oat flour or coconut flour.
- Sliced Almonds
- Honey – Try to buy locally produced honey when possible.
- Vanilla Ice Cream or freshly whipped cream to serve.
The complete list of ingredients with measurements is on the recipe card at the end of this post.
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What Is the Best Apple for Apple Crumble?
In all honesty, I make apple crumble using whatever apples I have!
However, if you want to know what type of apple to buy when at the grocery store, I suggest Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady.
These apples have a balance of tartness and sweetness, and with their firm texture, they hold up well to the heat of baking without turning into mush.
Equipment Needed For This Recipe
- 8″ x 8″ Square Baking Dish
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping/Cutting Board
- Non-Reactive Mixing Bowls – such as glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or non-staining plastics like silicone. These types of bowls are ideal for preparing acidic foods like tomatoes, lemon juice, and vinegar.
- Rubber/Silicone Spatula – or you could use a Wooden Spoon.
The Purple Pumpkin Blog uses both cups and weighted measurements in its recipes, making American cups and kitchen food scales valuable tools for trying all the recipes. We provide US customary, imperial, and metric measurements. Still, it’s important to note that while you can combine cup measurements with weighted measures, never mix US customary/imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.) with metric (kilograms, grams, liters, etc.).
Dinner Party Menu Suggestions
You’ve made the dessert, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:
- Appetizer: Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Soup: Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- Salad: Crunchy Apple Celery Salad with Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette
- Main Dish: Air Fryer Lemon Chicken Thighs & Potatoes Recipe
- Side Dish: Oven-Roasted Parmesan Green Beans
- Cocktail: Apple Cider Margarita
How To Make This Easy Apple Crumble Recipe
The printable recipe card with the ingredients list and instructions can be found at the end of this post.
Number of Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Step 1 – Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Grease an 8×8″ or a 7×10″ baking dish and set it aside.
Step 2 – Prepare Apples: Place the apples into a large non-reactive bowl and toss with fresh lemon juice. Add maple syrup, apple juice, cinnamon, allspice, thyme leaves (if using), and salt. Toss to combine and set aside.
Step 3 – Prepare Crumble Topping: Place the topping ingredients into a separate large mixing bowl and stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Set the bowl aside.
Step 4 – Assemble Crumble: Pour the apples into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Spread the crumble on top of the apple mixture in an even layer.
Step 5 – First Baking: Place the apple crumble in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Step 6 – Second Baking: After 30 minutes, cover the crumble with aluminum foil and continue to bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until the apple crumble is bubbling.
Step 7 – Serve: Remove the crumble from the oven and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm with some vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
More Apple Recipes
One of the hero ingredients in this recipe is tender apples, which work in both sweet and savory dishes:
Storing Leftovers & Freezing
- Storing Leftovers:
- Cool (within 1-2 hours), transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, assemble the crumble without baking, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
- Freezing Instructions:
- You can freeze this dessert, baked or unbaked.
- Cool completely and wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil to help prevent freezer burn and eliminate unwanted freezer smells.
- Label with the dish’s name, thawing/reheating instructions, and the date to keep track of your food storage.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To defrost the crumble, unwrap it completely and place it in the fridge to thaw overnight (or at least 12 hours).
- Reheat in the oven until piping hot throughout.
- You can also cook from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
- With all leftovers, ensure the food looks and smells okay before consuming.
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart for Cooking
- You can always consult the Food Standards Agency in your country for the most up-to-date advice on storing and freezing foods: Food Standards Agency (UK) | Food Safety (USA).
Printable Healthy Apple Crumble Recipe Card
Below is the printable recipe card. To save ink, any demonstration photos on the recipe card are not printed out.
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Apple Crumble
Warm your taste buds with our healthy apple crumble recipe featuring a nutritious oat crumble atop a medley of sweet apples.
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 6 large apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup real maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp apple juice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 1½ tsp fresh thyme leaves, optional
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Crumble Topping:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
To Serve, Optional
- Vanilla ice cream
- Freshly whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Grease an 8x8" or a 7x10" baking dish and set it aside.
- Place the apples into a large non-reactive bowl and toss with fresh lemon juice. Add maple syrup, apple juice, cinnamon, allspice, thyme leaves (if using), and salt. Toss to combine and set aside.
- Place the topping ingredients into a separate bowl and stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Set the bowl aside.
- Pour the apple mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Spread the topping over the apples in an even layer.
- Place the apple crumble in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, cover the crumble with aluminum foil and continue to bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until the apple crumble is bubbling.
- Remove the crumble from the oven and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm with some vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 667Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 183mgCarbohydrates: 115gFiber: 13gSugar: 83gProtein: 9g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes
Want to make more desserts? Check out these recipes next:
- Gluten-Free Black Cherry Crisp
- Sweet & Tangy Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
- Gluten-Free Baked Cinnamon Apple Cobbler
- Rustic Fresh Blueberry Crisp
You’ll find all of our Gluten-Free Recipes here.
FAQs About Apple Crumble
Here are some questions people often ask about making apple crumble
Click the question to read the answer. If you have one of your own, please comment on this post.
Apple crumble is a dessert made by layering spiced and sweetened apples with a crunchy oat topping, baked until golden and bubbly. Crumbles became popular in Britain during World War II, when the topping was an economical alternative to pies due to shortages of pastry ingredients as the result of rationing.
Both dishes are similar, but apple crisp often includes oats in the topping, while apple crumble’s topping might be more crumbly or crumb-like. However, I have always used oats when making my apple crumble! I think it’s just down to one being British English (crumble) and the other being American English (crisp)
Apple cobbler features a biscuit-like topping that’s often dropped onto the fruit, while apple crumble has a crumbly topping.
The key lies in achieving the perfect balance of flavors, textures, and spices, ensuring a harmonious sweet, tart, and cirspy crumble. Follow our recipe, and you won’t go wrong!
The addition of oats and almonds yields a crunchy golden brown crumble topping. You can add different chopped nuts if you like. Try walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts.
Oats are commonly used in the crumble topping to add a satisfying crunch and texture.
Use firm apples such as Granny Smith apples or Honeycrisp apples, and cut them into even pieces. Do not overcook the crumble, which can cause the apples to get mushy.
Apples like Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady work well with a sweet, tart flavor balance.
Pretty much any fruit can be used in a fruit crumble.
Ideally, use fresh fruit, but frozen or canned fruit will also work. (Try our Cherry and Nutella Crumble)
Berries, peaches, pears, plums, and rhubarb are just some that you can try.
Mixing fruit is also a great option—apple and blackberry is a classic combination.
You can also make savory vegetable crumbles – just don’t use sweetener in the crumble topping.