HomeGuidesRound-upsHow to make crumble with any fruit – and 10 of the best recipes
How to make crumble with any fruit – and 10 of the best recipes
Nothing beats a good crumble. This classic British pudding of stewed fruit topped with a golden mix of flour, butter and sugar is one of the easiest and cosiest desserts you’ll ever make. We cover the basic crumble topping ratio everyone needs to know, how to make a crumble with any fruit and tips on getting the nutty, crispy topping of your dreams.
Plus, we’ve rounded up 10 of our best recipes to prove how versatile this dessert can be, including classic blackberry, apple, plum, rhubarb and strawberry versions. There’s truly a crumble for every season!
Nothing beats a good crumble. This classic British pudding of stewed fruit topped with a golden mix of flour, butter and sugar is one of the easiest and cosiest desserts you’ll ever make. We cover the basic crumble topping ratio everyone needs to know, how to make a crumble with any fruit and tips on getting the nutty, crispy topping of your dreams.
Plus, we’ve rounded up 10 of our best recipes to prove how versatile this dessert can be, including classic blackberry, apple, plum, rhubarb and strawberry versions. There’s truly a crumble for every season!
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What is the ratio for a basic crumble topping mix?
A 3-2-1 ratio of 3 parts plain flour, 2 parts butter and 1 part sugar. Rub the cold cubed butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar.
The butter must be cold and cubed. This makes rubbing it into the flour easier, prevents it becoming greasy and delivers the essential crisp shortbread-style crumble texture.
Stop rubbing in when the mixture becomes sandy. If there are still small lumps of butter remaining this will be fine (and add to the rubbly texture). Overworked crumble mixture will be dense and chewy.
Tweak the sugar. Reduce the sugar to your taste and/or try swapping a proportion for golden caster, light brown soft or demerara sugar for a richer taste.
How do you jazz up a crumble topping?
Popular additions include oats, chopped nuts and warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. You can also mix up the flours, subbing in wholemeal, rye or spelt (try a mix of 50:50 plain white flour to wholemeal or rye). Here are some more additions to try…
What is the difference between a cobbler and a crumble?
Fruit cobbler is America’s answer to the crumble. Instead of a crumbly topping, in a cobbler the fruit filling is topped with chunky golden scones or dumplings. Traditional peach cobbler is the best known.
The expert way to make a crumble – with any fruit
Crumble recipes tend to be simple: rub flour, fat and sugar together, then scatter the mixture over fruit and bake. But if you add one extra step, you can boost the crunchy nuttiness. This is an elevated way to make a crumble, with any fruit:
Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Put 150g plain flour and 75g ground almonds (or ground hazelnuts) in a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. Add 1 tsp spice if you like. Use ground cinnamon with apples or plums, ground ginger with pears or rhubarb – or reserve the spice for the filling.
Add 150g cold, cubed butter and 150g caster sugar, then a rub together with your fingertips to form coarse crumbs. Stir in 3-4 tbsp flaked almonds (or chopped skinless hazelnuts), plus 3 tbsp porridge oats, if you like.
Spread thinly on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes until pale gold, bashing into pieces halfway through. Remove and set aside.
Melt a knob of butter in a large pan, then stir in your fruit and caster or light brown sugar to taste. (Cooking apples and rhubarb will need more sugar than plums and pears.) Add 1 tbsp each lemon juice and a splash of water (extra if using dried fruit) and any spices: a pinch of ground cloves and cinnamon with apple; a star anise with plums or rhubarb; chopped stem ginger with rhubarb or pears; scraped vanilla seeds with almost anything.
Leave to bubble gently, stirring occasionally, until the fruit has just softened. Taste and add more sugar and/or lemon juice if necessary.
Put the cooked fruit in an ovenproof dish, minus some of the juice if very wet, then scatter the crumble on top.
Return to the oven for 10 minutes. Serve with cream, ice cream or custard.
10 of the best crumbles
Blackberry
Blackberry and apple crumble
There’s no better use for freshly picked blackberries than this easy crumble. Pair tart blackberries with sweet apples for a timeless combination and finish with a simple flour, butter and sugar topping. The only tricky thing is deciding between ice cream or custard!
Apple crumble
Classic apple crumble on a chilly day: is there anything more comforting? Our classic apple crumble gets a flavour boost from warming cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, plus sultanas (if you like). We recommend using two different kinds of apples: sharp Bramley and sweet, aromatic Cox for the best flavour balance.
Nutty plum crumble
A fragrant plum crumble to mark the changing of the seasons from summer to autumn. A hefty slug of sloe gin and touch of sugar help coax out the plums’ subtle sweetness while cinnamon and almonds add extra dimension to the crumble topping.
Fig roll crumble If you love fig roll biscuits, you’ll love this crumble. Blitz the retro snacks in a blender and add them to the crumble topping, which rests on top of a simple lemon and fresh fig base.
Apricot
Apricot crumble with honey and bay leaf Apricots‘ gentle sweetness and juicy texture make them the perfect candidate for the crumble treatment, as the cooking process enhances their delicate flavour. This gorgeous summer crumble is inspired by the flavours of a classic Greek breakfast: ripe fruit, creamy Greek yogurt and honey.
Strawberry
Strawberry and vanilla crumble
If you needed any more proof that crumble is a legit summer dessert, this strawberry number is it. This easy pudding takes its cues from a few popular strawberry desserts, featuring a chunky crumb reminiscent of strawberry shortcake and strawberry’s favourite partner – a big dollop of clotted cream.
Peach
Peach melba frangipane crumble
Sweet, juicy peaches and floral raspberries team up in this crowdpleasing crumble. The frangipane-style topping has a secret ingredient for extra crunch: cornflakes!
Rhubarb
Rhubarb, rose and pistachio crumble
Tart and tangy, rhubarb is a winner paired with buttery crumble for a gorgeous sharp and sweet combination. Accentuate it with fragrant rose and vibrant pistachios with genius recipe.
Pear and chocolate crumbles
A cosy pud that’s simple enough for family dinner and elegant enough to impress guests. Think of this pear dessert as a deconstructed crumble: a whole poached pear, silky chocolate custard and crunchy oat and hazelnut crumble topping are served together in one bowl.
Cherry
Black forest crumble Black forest gateau meets crumble in this combination of two dessert legends. Make this cherry crumble in high summer, when British cherries are at their peak, or enjoy with frozen fruit in winter. The black forest topping is enriched with cocoa nibs, hazelnuts, crushed chocolate biscuits and chocolate chips…
Alternative crumbles
Mix things up with these new ideas inspired by the classic pudding:
