Go Back

Jamie Oliver Apple Crumble

Jamie Oliver apple crumble with a golden, sandy breadcrumb-like topping and bubbling apple-pear fruit filling. Oven-baked until crisp on top, then served warm with custard or cream.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Fruit filling
  • 4 apples Large, peeled and sliced.
  • 2 pears Ripe, peeled and sliced.
  • 50 g unsalted butter
  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp mixed spice or allspice
  • 1 lemon zest Zest of 1 lemon.
Crumble topping
  • 200 g plain all-purpose flour
  • 100 g cold unsalted butter, cubed Keep cold for crumbly texture.
  • 75 g demerara or raw sugar Packed.
  • 50 g light brown sugar
  • 50 g ground almonds
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
Serving
  • 1 custard or pouring cream

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Preheat and cook the fruit filling
  1. Preheat your oven to 190C (375F). Set out a baking dish for the fruit so it’s ready to go after cooking.
  2. Melt the unsalted butter in a large ovenproof pan, then add apples, pears, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, mixed spice or allspice, and lemon zest. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the fruit is slightly softened, stirring occasionally, until you can see juices starting to gloss the slices.
  3. Transfer the cooked fruit mixture into your baking dish. Spread it evenly so the crumble bakes into a single layer.
Make the crumble topping
  1. Put plain all-purpose flour and cold unsalted butter (cubed) together and rub with your fingertips until it resembles rough breadcrumbs. Stop when you still see small butter flecks for a crisp topping.
  2. Stir in demerara or raw sugar, light brown sugar, ground almonds, and cinnamon, then mix briefly until evenly combined. The mixture should look sandy and dry, not like a dough.
  3. Spread the crumble over the fruit without packing it down. Leave a light, even layer so the top turns golden and crisp.
Bake and serve
  1. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 190C (375F) until the crumble is golden and the fruit bubbles at the edges. You should see bubbling syrup around the perimeter and a crisp, caramelized surface on top.
  2. Serve the crumble warm with custard or pouring cream. Spoon over the topping so each bite has both bubbling fruit and crisp crumbs.

Notes

For the best crumble texture, make the topping with cold butter and avoid compressing it when you spread it over the fruit. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the oven at 180C until warmed through. Freezing is yes—cool fully, freeze airtight up to 2 months, then reheat from frozen. Dietary swap: for a dairy-free version, use vegan cold butter in both the filling and crumble (keep everything else the same).