Blackberry and Bramley Apple Crumble
A jammy, tart blackberry and Bramley apple crumble with a crunchy oat‑and‑almond topping — perfect for a rainy picking day.
You’ve spent a morning in brambles — now reward yourself with this glossy blackberry and Bramley apple crumble. Tart Bramleys balance the sweet, jammy berries and a crunchy oat‑and‑almond topping keeps it from feeling heavy.
It’s the kind of pudding that tastes like autumn in a spoon; perfect for puddings, puds or a simple family pud on a drizzly evening. Serve with double cream or vanilla ice cream if you like.
Ingredients
- 600 g Blackberries
- 500 g Bramley apples — peeled, cored and chopped
- 75 g Caster sugar
- 20 g Cornflour
- 15 ml Lemon juice — about 1 tablespoon
- 5 ml Lemon zest — finely grated
- 150 g Plain flour
- 100 g Rolled oats
- 80 g Soft brown sugar
- 120 g Unsalted butter — cold and diced
- 50 g Ground almonds
- 5 ml Ground cinnamon
- 0 ml Table salt
Equipment
- 9 x 23 cm ovenproof dish
- food processor (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Lightly butter a 9 x 23 cm ovenproof dish or similar.
In a large bowl, combine the Bramley apples, blackberries, caster sugar, cornflour, lemon juice and lemon zest. Gently toss until the fruit is evenly coated.
Tip the fruit mixture into the prepared ovenproof dish and spread level.
Make the crumble topping: in a large bowl combine the plain flour, rolled oats, soft brown sugar, ground almonds, ground cinnamon and Table salt. Add the cold diced unsalted butter and rub in with your fingertips (or pulse in a food processor) until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some larger flakes for crunch.
Scatter the crumble topping evenly over the fruit, covering the filling but leaving a few gaps so steam can escape.
Bake on the middle shelf for 35–40 minutes until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling at the edges.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving — this helps the filling set so you get neat spoonfuls.
Tips
- Keep the butter cold and use your fingertips or a food processor pulse to create an uneven texture — bits of larger crumb give the best crunchy contrast.
- If blackberries are very seedy, press a few through a sieve into the fruit mix to reduce seediness without losing flavour.
- Make ahead: bake, cool completely, then reheat at 160°C fan/180°C conventional for 15–20 minutes — cover loosely with foil if reheating from chilled.
- For a slightly crisper topping, replace 25 g plain flour with extra rolled oats.
- Store leftover crumble in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat in the oven to refresh the topping.
Substitutions
Bramley apples → Cox or Bramley‑style cooking apples, same quantity
Stays closeUnsalted butter → margarine, same quantity
Noticeably differentPlain flour → gluten‑free plain flour blend, same quantity
Stays closeGround almonds → finely chopped walnuts or pecans, same quantity
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 570
- Calories
- 8 g
- Protein
- 82 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 39 g
- Sugar
- 100 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use frozen blackberries?
Yes — no need to thaw. Increase the cornflour by 5–10 g and add them frozen straight into the filling; baking time may be a few minutes longer.
How do I stop the topping going soggy?
Keep the butter cold and leave some larger flakes when rubbing in; also avoid overloading the filling with extra liquid — use the stated cornflour to thicken.
Can I make the crumble topping in advance?
Yes — make the topping and keep refrigerated up to 24 hours in an airtight container. Scatter over the filling and bake from cold.
Is this suitable for freezing?
You can freeze the baked crumble for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven until piping hot.
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