A fruit crisp or crumble is in my top tier of desserts and I’m never upset when I eat one. In fact, some of my most fond memories of travelling revolve around these desserts – be it a delicious mixed berry crumble at a cafe in rural Ireland or an apple crisp with maple walnut ice cream at a farm stand in New Hampshire.
This is also one of the most low-effort desserts to make and you can eat it almost as soon as it comes from the oven – no waiting for hours for it to cool (looking at you, apple pie…).
And even if you don’t have or don’t like oats, it’s still possible to make a great apple crisp with items that you likely have in your pantry!
How to Make Apple Crumble Without Oats
This recipe is quick and super easy – it also requires no special equipment. Start by making the crumble topping. This can easily be done in just one bowl with only your hands!
In a medium mixing bowl (use a larger bowl than you think you’ll need) whisk together some flour, brown sugar, a touch of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Then, add in some cold butter that has been cut into cubes.
Toss the butter to coat it in the flour mixture and use your fingertips to break it up into the mixture.
Contrary to making pie dough or rough puff pastry, you don’t want any large pieces of butter visible – you want to make sure that it’s fully incorporated into the flour and sugar.
Once you’ve reached the desired stage, mix in some flaked almonds – these add a nice nuttiness and a bit of crunch, especially if you’re not using oats in the topping. Move the topping to the fridge while you get the filling together.
Onto the filling, all you need to do is peel a few apples (I like using Pink Lady apples), remove the cores and cut the apples into small cubes.
Add the apple cubes to a large mixing bowl along with some brown sugar, a bit of flour (just to thicken the filling) and some lemon juice for acidity.
If you’re using a more tart apple (such as a Granny Smith) rather than a sweeter apple like a Pink Lady, then you can omit the lemon juice.
Then, stir in some warm spices. I like to use cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and just a touch of clove but you can use whatever variation floats your boat! Now, just give the filling a good stir to make sure everything is evenly distributed.
Pile the filling into a baking dish, ensuring there aren’t any large gaps.
Then, take your topping from the fridge and sprinkle it on top of the filling, being sure not to compact it too much so as to retain the crumbly, crispy texture.
Set the dish on a baking sheet (to catch drips) and then transfer the crisp to a 180°C/350°F oven. Bake your apple crumble until it’s hot, bubbling, golden brown and super fragrant – about 40-50 minutes.
Allow the crisp to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving – it’s best served warm, but it’s still great at room temp. Top with some good vanilla ice cream for the best overall eating experience.
Apple Crisp Without Oats
Ingredients
Crumble Topping
- 125 g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 50 g (¼ cup) light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 100 g (8 tbsp) unsalted butter chilled and cut into cubes
- 75 g (1 cup) sliced almonds
Filling
- 1 kg (2 lb) pink lady apples about 4-5 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1½cm (½in) cubes
- 25 g (2 tbsp) light brown sugar
- 15 g (2 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 tbsp lemon juice from about ½ lemon
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and toss with your fingertips to coat in the flour. Using your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until no visible pieces of butter remain.
- Stir in the almonds and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the apples, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and clove. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the filling into a 20cm (8in) square (or similarly sized oval or circular) baking dish. Remove the topping from the refrigerator and scatter it evenly atop the filling.
- Set the dish on top of a rimmed baking sheet and move to the oven. Bake until the filling is bubbling, fragrant and the topping is golden brown – about 40-50 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving – preferably topped with vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Making an apple crisp is one of the best low-effort, high-reward desserts out there in the book. Not only does it fill your house with incredible aromas, but you don’t need anything fancy to make it and the recipe couldn’t be easier!
Do you want to make an oat-free apple crisp? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
