Inside this apple crumble are a number of tender apples and crumble topping that provides plenty of sweetness and crunch. This is an original German recipe that has been passed down for generations, thanks to my friend Ines. It is her Oma’s apple crumble recipe, a traditional family recipe. It’s a simple recipe that uses just a little more than a handful of ingredients and I have to say, what makes it particularly special is how the sugar and butter caramelize in the oven to form an amazingly delicious crumble crust.
It’s an apple crumble that everyone raves about, one that always has them coming back for more. And because Oma’s Apfelkrümel has developed such a reputation over this years, it’s fine time it be shared. This recipe pretty much remains true to “Oma’s” original version, with a small adjustment to the amount of butter (Oma used a hefty 250 g) and Ines likes to lightly “steam” the apples by adding a splash of apple juice when sautéing them so very slightly in butter before adding them to the springform.
Truth be told, I have never tried it myself since I am not sweets or dessert person (crazy I know!) — unless of course it’s something super healthy! But as I said, everyone loves Ines’ family recipe, she let me share. So this weekend I baked an all-time favorite, comes together perfectly every single time, Apfelkrümel recipe. One to be shared.
A very simple to prepare traditional German recipe for a sweet crumble with tart apples.
CourseDessert
CategoryGerman
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 396 kcal
Autor matklenk
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 7-8large applesmix of Boskop and Elstar work well, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1/2tablespoonbutter
- splash of apple juice
For the base and crumble topping:
- 2cupsall-purpose flour or white spelt flourType 1050 (250 g)
- 1cupfine granulated sugar200 g
- 1teaspoonbaking powder
- 200gbutter
Method
Preheat the oven to 390°F / 200°C and grease a Ø 24 cm round springform pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper.
NOTE: You can also use the oven’s fan-force at 360°F / 180°C as it will make a more crispy and caramelized crumble topping. Keep an eye on it though to make sure it doesn’t brown too much.
In a large, deep skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples and stir, then add a splash of apple juice (not too much otherwise the base will be soggy later). Sauté for a few minutes; stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Whisk the flour, sugar, and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl until combined. Cut the butter into dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
TIP: I like to pop the butter in the freezer until it’s hard and then grate the frozen butter through the large holes of a box grater directly into the dry ingredients and then let my fingertips do the rest of the work. Alternatively, use two knives (or a pastry blender) to cut the butter into the flour until you have little tiny bits of butter. Then take over and crumb the mixture by rubbing it together with your fingers.
Sprinkle about 1/2 of the crumble mixture over the bottom of the prepared spring form pan. Press it down and up the sides of the pan. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for about 5-6 minutes (pre-baking is optional, but helps avoid a soggy base.
IMPORTANT: keep an eye on it, as it browns quite quickly).
Remove the springform from the oven and scatter the apple slices over the base. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over top. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hour, until golden brown.
Remove the apple crumble from oven and let cool completely before removing the sides of the springform pan.
Enjoy!
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FAQs
A pastry chef friend shared the technique. Instead of sprinkling the raw crumbs on top of the fruit, where they absorb the juices and turn a little mushy on their undersides, he spread them out in a pan and baked them separately, until crisp and cookielike.
What is the fact about apple crumble? ›
Apple crumble was probably invented in the 1940s as an alternative to traditional apple pie. Because of the war, it was harder to get the ingredients for pastry (flour and butter),so instead people made a little 'crumble' from fat and flour and just sprinkled it on top of the stewed fruit.
What's the difference between an apple crisp and an apple crumble? ›
Like an apple crisp, an apple crumble is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping. But unlike the crisp, the crumble topping rarely includes oats or nuts. Instead, a crumble's topping is more like streusel, made with flour, sugar and butter.
What happens if you put too much butter in crumble? ›
If you use more butter than the recipe calls for, the crumb topping will be melted and greasy. If you don't use enough butter it will be dry and floury.
Why is my apple crumble not crispy? ›
Butter, which encourages both browning and crispness, is the magic ingredient in getting your topping just right, so follow the recipe instructions. But if you feel your topping is still too dry and crumbly, (even for a crumble) add a bit more melted butter, a tablespoon at a time.
How old is apple crumble? ›
An apple crumble recipe involving a simple streusel topping appeared in the Canadian Farmer's Magazine in February 1917. 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.
Where was apple crumble first made? ›
Apple crumble is a British pudding similar to the apple crisp that originated during World War II food rationing. The crumble topping is made of butter, flour, and brown sugar rolled together so that it resembles breadcrumbs.
When did apple crumble come out? ›
The origins of apple crumble can be traced back to the early 20th century when it was first mentioned in British cookbooks as a popular dessert. During World War II, food shortages led to a shortage of pastry ingredients, and apple crumble became a popular alternative to apple pie, which required more ingredients.
Can I use eating apples instead of cooking apples in a crumble? ›
Cooking notes
I use eating rather than cooking apples for this recipe as they are sweeter and do not need cooking before they are put in the crumble.
Why is it called Brown Betty? ›
This has led some historians to believe that Betty was the name of the cook and creator of the recipe and that brown was in reference to her skin color.
Apple Crumble also makes a great breakfast. Either you can microwave it, which is our usual method, or you can cover with foil and reheat at 350°f / 180°c in the oven until warmed through. Usually we tend to just warm up individual servings as needed though in the microwave. Apple crumble is also amazing cold!
Is it better to crumble with cold or melted butter? ›
Use cold, cubed butter.
Making the crumble with room temperature or melted butter will cause the topping to spread as it bakes, rather than creating a landscape of craggy, crunchy sweet pieces. Using cold butter will help all the crumble ingredients bind together before baking and then saturate them evenly in the oven.
Does butter make things crispy? ›
Cold butter: pastry and crispy cookies
Cold butter is ideal for baked goods that should be crisp — it also helps create those beautiful, flaky layers.
How do you cut butter for crumble topping? ›
Slice cold butter into cubes or pats with a sharp knife. Scatter butter over flour in a wide, shallow bowl. Press down on butter with pastry blender, working up and down until all butter pieces are small pea-size lumps and covered in flour.
How do you keep crumb topping from getting soggy? ›
I always have oats in my crumble topping. I think without oats, it's more a streusel, but I might be wrong. Either way-a thicker layer of it helps it stay more moisture resistant and give that nice crunch.
What does baking powder do in a crumble? ›
First, adding a teaspoon of baking powder to the flour mixture makes the crumble topping more tender. Second, using cold butter and working it into the flour mixture makes for a pastry-like topping reminiscent of pie crust. Pro tip: Crumble topping freezes incredibly well and can be kept on hand for crumble anytime.
Should butter be cold for crumble? ›
Use cold, cubed butter.
Making the crumble with room temperature or melted butter will cause the topping to spread as it bakes, rather than creating a landscape of craggy, crunchy sweet pieces. Using cold butter will help all the crumble ingredients bind together before baking and then saturate them evenly in the oven.
What is the difference between a crumble and a crisp and a cobbler? ›
Cobbler: A fruit dessert made with a top crust of pie dough or biscuit dough but no bottom crust. Crisp/crumble: In Alberta, the terms are mostly interchangeable. Both refer to fruit desserts similar to cobbler but made with a brown sugar streusel topping sometimes containing old-fashioned rolled oats.
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