This Apple Crumble Recipe With Oats has tender cinnamon apples, a buttery brown sugar topping, and the perfect crisp finish.
author’s note
One Year Later, This Apple Crumble Is It!
When I first met my husband, I learned pretty quickly that apple and cherry desserts are his absolute favorite. So naturally, I made it my mission to get really good at all things apple. That’s how my Apple Cheesecake Bars, Apple Turnovers, Apple Pie and this Apple Crumble came about.
This crumble took me over a year to really nail. The biggest game changer was cutting the apples into 1/2-inch cubes instead of slices. I picked up that tip from A Beautiful Plate, and wow, it makes such a difference. The apples cook more evenly, get perfectly tender, and every bite has the best ratio of warm apples to crisp topping.
After a few more tweaks this summer, I finally got it exactly how I wanted it.
Apple Crumble Recipe With Oats Ingredients
| Ingredient | Tips or Swaps |
|---|---|
| Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples | Use half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp for the best sweet-tart flavor. Pink Lady or another firm baking apple also works. |
| Old-fashioned oats | Use old-fashioned oats for the best texture. Quick oats will be softer, and steel-cut oats will not cook properly. |
| Brown sugar | Light or dark brown sugar will work. I typically use light but have tested both. |
| Cold unsalted butter | Keep the butter cold so the topping forms crisp, buttery clusters. |
| Cornstarch | Toss it thoroughly with the apples to prevent dry pockets and help the juices thicken evenly. |
| Lemon juice | Fresh lemon juice works best and helps balance the sweetness. |
How To Make This Apple Crumble Recipe With Oats
- Make topping: Mix dry ingredients, cut in cold butter, and chill.
- Prep apples: Toss apples with lemon, sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and vanilla.
- Assemble: Add apples to the pan and sprinkle topping evenly over them.
- Chill: Refrigerate for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 350°F.
- Bake: Bake for 40–50 minutes until golden and bubbling. Cool for 15–20 minutes.
chelsea’s recipe tip
Apple Crumble Recipe With Oats Tips
- Keep butter cold: Cold butter creates buttery, crisp clusters in the topping.
- Cube apples: Cut them into even 1/2-inch pieces so they cook evenly and become perfectly tender.
- Chill: Chilling before baking keeps butter cold and helps the topping bake up crisp and crumbly.
- Let it cool: Give crumble 15–20 mins so the filling can thicken before serving.
Storage
- Store: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven.
- Freeze: Freeze this baked or unbaked apple crumble recipe with oats for up to 3–4 months. Wrap tightly; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating or baking.
- Make ahead: Assemble in advance and refrigerate (up to 24 hours) or freeze unbaked, then bake straight from chilled or thawed as needed.
More Apple Recipes To Try:
Desserts
Apple Cheesecake Bars
Breakfast
Healthy Apple Muffin Recipe
Desserts
Caramel Apple Bites
Snacks
Apple Nachos
Apple Crumble
This Apple Crumble features warm, cinnamon-spiced apples beneath a crisp brown sugar and oat-crumble topping.
Video
Equipment
- 8 x 8-inch baking pan or 9 x 9-inch baking pan
Ingredients
Crumble
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup light brown sugar or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter cut into small cubes and cold
Filling
- 2 to 3 Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples 2 pounds, see note 1
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Cube the butter and mix it into dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter to blend, then press with your fingertips until crumbly. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
- Peel and cube apples into 1/2-inch pieces. In a large bowl, mix apples with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and vanilla until evenly coated.
- Transfer the apple mixture (including juices) to the prepared pan, pressing down evenly. Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top without pressing it down. Chill the dish for 20 minutes. While chilling, preheat oven to 350°F.
- After chilling, place the dish on the lined pan. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until topping is golden, apples are tender, and filling is slightly bubbling around the edges. If topping browns too quickly, cover with foil.
- Let cool for 15–20 minutes to allow filling to thicken. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream!
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Weigh apples before peeling to get 2 pounds. I like using half Granny Smith and half Honey-crisp for this recipe. Other varieties can work, but less firm apples may create a mushy or watery crumble. Peel apples and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. You’ll get about 5-1/2 to 6 cups apples from 5–7 apples.
Storage: To maintain crispness, store unbaked topping and apples separately. For leftovers, cover with plastic wrap with holes and refrigerate. It’s best eaten the same day but good for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 409kcal | Carbohydrates: 61.6g | Protein: 3.2g | Fat: 17.5g | Cholesterol: 45.8mg | Sodium: 3.3mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 41.3g | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
