This Blackberry Apple Crumble is packed with fresh apples and juicy blackberries. Topped with a crispy crumble topping this delicious dessert is the perfect cosy Autumn dish.
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What's not to love about fruit crumbles, they're so easy to make and are the perfect dessert any day of the week. I don't do a lot of baking but crumbles are something I can't resist.
We love the combination of apple and blackberry, and as soon as I see those berries on the hedgerows I'm making either a fruit crumble or my blackberry and apple muffins.
This crumble is so easy to make and can be on the table in about an hour. It's easy to make ahead too, which is great if you have more people over. Just serve it with a good scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for crumble heaven!
🛒 What You'll Need
- Apples - Here in the UK you will need Bramley apples (cooking apples). If you are in the US Granny Smith apples will work best, and Cortlands or Honey Crisp will also work.
- Blackberries - I use fresh blackberries, you can use frozen if you can't find any fresh blackberries.
- Flour - Plain flour (all-purpose flour) you can use whole-wheat flour if you want.
- Butter - Salted butter is best for this, but you can use unsalted butter if you wish. I would add a small pinch of salt to the flour if you choose unsalted.
- Nuts and seeds - I like walnuts and pumpkin seeds in this topping, however, you can mix it up if you want.
- Sugar - You will need soft brown sugar for the topping and for the filling.
- Spice - I love a little spice in my crumbles so I add ground cinnamon, you could add ground nutmeg or allspice if you would like to change it up a bit.
- Other ingredients - Lemon juice and cornflour (corn starch). The cornflour helps thicken the sauce from the apples and blackberries.
🥣 How To Make Apple And Blackberry Crumble
This is just a quick visual guide, please see the recipe card below for the full instructions and ingredient quantities.
1. Prepare the fruit - peel and core the apples then slice them thickly. Add them to a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice to the apples and toss well. Then add the cornflour to the apples and toss. Add the brown sugar and toss again.
2. Add the blackberries to the apples and gently toss everything together being careful not to damage the blackberries. Transfer the fruit mixture to a greased baking dish.
3. Sift the flour and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter then using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour until you have a breadcrumb-style texture. Next stir in the remaining sugar and the chopped pumpkin seeds and walnuts.
4. Spread the crumble mixture in an even layer over the apple mixture then bake in the oven until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the topping is golden brown.
👩🍳 Top Tips
- Don't overwork the topping - the rougher and lumpier it is, there really is nothing better than a bite full of buttery crumble.
- Grease the dish beforehand - this will stop the crumble from sticking to the edges.
- When choosing a dish for your crumble don't go too deep - a large shallowish dish works best for crumbles. A pie plate is perfect.
- Cornflour - For the best apple blackberry crumble don't forget to add cornflour (corn starch). This makes the liquid in the crumble thicken and makes the fruit juices clear and shiny.
- Oven - I always place my crumble on a baking sheet when I put it in the oven. This way any juices that bubble over the edge of the dish burn at the bottom of the oven.
🍽 How To Serve Apple Blackberry Crumble
We love this warm with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. Whipped cream or custard is also great with this crumble. And you can also have this cold if you prefer.
💭 FAQs
Yes, you can freeze this crumble. For best results, I would freeze the uncooked topping separately, then add that to freshly prepared fruit filling. Top the filling with the frozen topping and bake in the oven until the topping is golden and the filling is piping hot and bubbling at the edges. You can also freeze the cooked dish, leave it to cool, cover it with plastic wrap then transfer it to the freezer and use it within 3 months. You can cook the crumble from frozen, however, you may need to cover the pie with foil to avoid the topping from burning.
Yes, you can. Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container
once cooled. Use within 1-2 days. To reheat, I usually microwave individual portions until hot.
Bramley or cooking apples are hands down the best apples for a crumble. But if you can't get them, look for crisp apples, and tart and will hold up against the heat that a crumble needs.
🔄 Variations
- Add in some oats - I sometimes add oats to the topping, old fashioned rolled oats are best for this. I don't recommend using instant oats or quick oats.
- Use Other Seasonal Fruit - You can easily adapt this recipe to make other fruit crumbles. I have used this recipe for a plum crumble and a pear crumble too.
- Add in more nuts - You swap the nuts I've used for other nuts if you want. Pecan, almonds or hazelnuts will work well too.
- If you're stuck for time you can save some time by using a food processor to make the mixture crumble mixture.
🥧 More Fruit Crumble Recipes
If you love crumble so much you want even more, and I'm so with you, then try my Spiced Pear Crumble or my Pear and Ginger Crumble. One of my favourite crumbles is this Rhubarb and Ginger Crumble, made with juicy pears in a tasty caramel sauce!
More Tasty Desserts
Apple and Blackberry Crumble
Ingredients
For the filling
- 4 large Bramley apples peeled, cored and roughly sliced.
- 250 g / 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 80 g soft brown sugar
- ½ a small lemon (the juice only)
- 1 level tbsp cornflour (corn starch)
For the topping
- 200 g / 2 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 125 g / ½ cup of butter at room temperature, cut into cubes + more for greasing
- 90 g / ¾ cup soft brown sugar
- 20 g / ¼ cup walnut halves roughly chopped
- 10 g / 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan oven (350°F) 200°C (390°F) conventional oven. Grease a large pie dish with butter.
- Place the apples in a large mixing bowl add the juice of half a lemon and toss well. Add the 1 level tablespoon of cornflour and toss again.Add the 80g of soft brown sugar and toss one more time.
- Sift the flour and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the butter and using your fingers rub the butter and flour mixture together until you have a rough breadcrumb mixture, don't worry if you have lumpy bits this is a rustic-style dish.Stir in the sugar and chopped nuts and seeds.Pour the filling into the pie dish
- Sprinkle the crumble over the apple and blackberries and then place on the middle tray of your oven, bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
- Leave to cool slightly then serve with some good quality vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Apples - I used Bramley apples, I always peel the apples for a crumble.
- Blackberries - Fresh or frozen is fine, I use fresh when they are in season.
- Butter - I use salted butter for this crumble, you can use unsalted if you wish. I do recommend adding a small pinch of salt to the flour if you do choose unsalted.
- Dish - I used a fairly shallow ovenproof pie dish for this crumble it measures 22 cm/ 8.5 inches in diameter and 7.5cm 3 inches deep.
- Freezing/Storing - Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge and can be eaten cold or reheated in the oven or microwave. The crumble can be frozen once cooked and c0oled and then reheated in the oven from frozen. For more information on freezing please see the post.
- Nutritional Information - All nutritional information shared is an estimate based on third-party calculations. If calorie count and/or nutritional values are important to you, we recommend putting the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on which brands were used. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for the best results.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published on Sep 15, 2016, it has now been updated in September 2023 with new photos, a step by step guide and nutritional information.
justine
Have used fuji and gala for this and both work well, perfect amount of sweetness.
Jen
This pie came out beautiful and tasted incredible. Thanks for the recipe!
Dana
This was the perfect dessert for our potluck over the weekend. Easy to make, and everyone absolutely loved it!
Katherine
This was a perfect, classic apple and blackberry crumble. Soo good!
Suja md
This was a such a delicious and easy recipe! So good!
Christy
Looks phenomenal! I’m a sucker for any and all fruity desserts and can’t wait to try this one!
Natalie
Such a delicious treat for Fall. I love that you added pumpkin seeds in the crumble. Lovely recipe. I must give it a try.
Jessica Formicola
I absolutely love the combination or blackberry and apple! This is onw of our family's favorite desserts!
Ashley
I will definitely be making this again! I loved the crumb topping, so much flavor!
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Ashley, I'm so glad you loved it!
Gina
Love combining seasonal apples with a berry to make this crumble even more decadent - such a great fall dessert!
Hana | Nirvana Cakery
I love when friends bring you their own home grown produce. Unfortunately in London doesn't happen very often, but back home it's very common. Love your crumble, apple and blackberry is my favourite too:) x
Michelle Alston
Thanks Hana x Yes it's the same in Ireland, I had lovely neighbours you would regularly drop in vegetables from their garden to me. It doesn't happen a lot here, but when it does it's the best 😉
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat
Mmm, so good, it's a classic combination for good reason! Your version looks delicious 🙂 and from the looks of today, I think autumn is upon us! (not that that's a bad thing - more crumble for us, yay!) x
Michelle Alston
Thanks Sasha x Yes I think Autumn has landed 😉
Beatriz
Yummy scrummy. I have to make this, plenty of apples on the tree.
Michelle Alston
Thanks Beatriz, I'll happily make it for you if you send me some apples 😉