Autumn Bramley Apple Crumble
A cosy, golden crumble packed with tangy Bramley apples, cinnamon and a crunchy oat‑walnut topping. Perfect for chilly evenings.
When Bramleys are at their best in autumn this crumble is the sort of thing you want on repeat: sharp, saucy fruit under a toasty oat crust. It’s humble, forgiving and feeds a crowd with minimal faff.
Make it for family suppers, bonfire evenings or when you’ve got a bag of wind‑fall apples that need using — the sharp Bramley holds its shape and balances the sweet, buttery crumb beautifully.
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg Bramley apples — peeled, cored and thickly sliced
- 75 g caster sugar
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 20 g cornflour
- 15 ml lemon juice — about 1 tbsp
- 10 ml ground cinnamon
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 175 g plain flour
- 75 g rolled oats — medium or jumbo
- 125 g unsalted butter — cold and cubed
- 75 g walnuts — chopped
- fine sea salt — pinch
- 150 ml double cream — to serve, optional
Equipment
- 20cm x 30cm ovenproof baking dish
- mixing bowls
- measuring scales
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Lightly butter a 20cm x 30cm ovenproof baking dish.
Put the sliced Bramley apples into a large mixing bowl. Add the caster sugar, lemon juice, cornflour, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract. Toss until the apple slices are evenly coated and glossy.
Make the crumble topping: put the plain flour, rolled oats, light brown sugar, chopped walnuts and a pinch of fine sea salt in a bowl. Add the cold unsalted butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some larger oat clusters.
Tip the apple mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Scatter the crumble topping evenly over the apples, leaving a little gap at the edge so the fruit can bubble up.
Bake on the middle shelf for 40 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
Remove from the oven and leave to sit for 15 minutes to set. Serve warm with a drizzle of double cream.
Tips
- Use Bramley apples for a tart, saucy filling; dessert apples (e.g. Gala) will turn much sweeter and softer.
- Keep the butter cold for the crumble — pop it back in the fridge if your hands are warming it up.
- Make ahead: assemble and chill (covered) for up to 12 hours, then add 5–10 minutes to the baking time from cold.
- If you prefer a nut‑free topping, replace the walnuts with an extra 50g rolled oats and 25g plain flour.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2–3 days; reheat in a 160°C fan/180°C conventional oven for 10–12 minutes so the topping crisps up again.
Substitutions
Bramley apples → a mix of cooking and dessert apples (e.g. Braeburn + Bramley), same total weight
Stays closeunsalted butter → cold vegan block (use the same weight) for a dairy‑free crumble
Noticeably differentwalnuts → pumpkin seeds or extra rolled oats, same weight if you want to avoid nuts
Stays closedouble cream → vanilla ice cream, to serve
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 755
- Calories
- 8 g
- Protein
- 93 g
- Carbs
- 39 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 49 g
- Sugar
- 150 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use dessert apples instead of Bramleys?
Yes, but dessert apples are sweeter and softer; the filling will be less tangy and may become softer. Mix dessert apples with one cooking apple for better texture.
How can I stop the topping from going soggy?
Keep the butter cold when rubbing into the dry ingredients and don’t overload the filling with extra liquid. Allow the crumble to rest for 10–15 minutes after baking so the juices thicken.
Can I freeze this crumble?
Yes — freeze once cooled (covered) for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a 170°C fan/190°C conventional oven for 30–40 minutes, or until piping hot throughout.
My topping browns too quickly — what do I do?
Lower the oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional and continue baking until the filling bubbles; you can also loosely cover the dish with foil during part of the bake.
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