4 Shares

Do you love Fruit crumbles? I do and this Apple and Blueberry Crumble is delicious, everything a crumble should be. It’s so easy to make and combines luscious blueberries, and the sweetness of apples, all topped off with a a delicious buttery crumble topping to make a really special dessert. Autumn wouldn’t be the same without it. Read on for a step-by-step guide.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Fruit crumble sitting in a baking dish with one portion removed

Contents hide

1 What is a fruit crumble?

2 About this Blueberry and Apple Crumble

2.1 A little bit about the Apple Blueberry Crumble Filling

2.2 A note about the Crumble – the topping

3 Ingredients for Blueberry and Apple Crumble

3.1 The Fruit Filling – things to know

3.2 The fruit Crumble Topping – store cupboard ingredients

4 Step by Step Instructions for Blueberry and Apple Crumble

4.1 Preparing the Filling

4.2 Making the Crumble Topping

4.3 Assembling the Crumble

4.4 Baking the Fruit Crumble

5 Using Windfall Apples and this Blueberry Apple Crumble Recipe

5.1 How this recipe will help with using windfall Apples

6 Serving Suggestions

7 Storing Leftovers

8 Useful things to know about Blueberry and Apple Crumble

8.1 Freezing and Batch-making the crumble recipe

8.2 Making alterations to the recipe

9 Why not Keep in Touch with Us?

10 Other ways to stay in touch

11 How to make Apple and Blueberry Crumble

11.1 Equipment

11.2 Ingredients

11.2.1 Fruit Filling

11.2.2 Crumble Topping

11.3 Instructions

11.3.1 Assemble the fruit filling

11.3.2 Make the Crumble Topping

11.4 Notes

11.5 Nutrition

12 Why not Pin this recipe for Blueberry and Apple Crumble for later?

So, do you feel the touch of Autumn creeping in on the air with shortening days and the changes in the bird song? It’s certainly like that here, cool mornings with dew-covered grass and the evenings being chillier and ever earlier. Before we reach winter, however, there’s all of the gorgeous fruit to enjoy that this time of the year has to offer. So, why not treat yourself to one of the most delicious autumn puddings, Apple and Blueberry Crumble?

What is a fruit crumble?

Ever wondered what a is supposed to be? They can become a little confused with fruit crisp but this is what I believe a fruit crumble to be. A fruit crumble is a delicious dessert that consists of fresh or cooked fruits topped with a crumbly mixture of butter, sugar, flour, and sometimes oats or nuts. The fruit used in a crumble can vary, but probably the best-loved fruits for this are apples, berries, peaches, and rhubarb.

The crumble is baked in the oven until the fruit becomes soft and bubbly, and the topping turns golden brown and crispy. The contrast of the warm, juicy fruit with the crunchy, sweet crumbly layer makes it a wonderful pudding. Even better, it can be served with a scoop of ice cream, any kind of cream, or custard on the side

About this Blueberry and Apple Crumble

This apple blueberry crumble recipe is easy to make and consists of only a few steps. It can be made ahead of time and you can easily make extra to freeze for later. If you’re interested in Crumble recipes then take a look at our Blueberry Crumble recipe for a slightly different approach.

This blueberry apple dessert is a real winner, your family will love it…. you’ll love it. Just take a look at how easy it is.

I think all fruit crumbles make worthy puddings but this one has such deliciously deep flavours that you’ll want to make it again and again.

A little bit about the Apple Blueberry Crumble Filling

blueberries – small, dark purple berries which are rich in antioxidants, full of vitamins and minerals and although they might not look like much they truly pack a nutritional punch. They’re believed to aid our bodies in handling cholesterol and regulating blood sugar and blood pressure. Impressive isn’t it? Blueberries are also pretty low in calories so adding them to your diet can only be a good thing… adding a little more vitamins C to your diet.
apples – the apples used in this recipe are eating apples. Pink Ladies to be specific but any eating apple will do just fine. The finely sliced eating apples soften during cooking but retain their form a little bit giving texture to the finished dish. Using eating apples instead of cooking apples means that you can cut down on the amount of sugar needed to make the dish delicious. Nutritionally apples add dietary fibre, may lower cholesterol and offer some degree of protection against diabetes as they are a low GI fruit. They contain vitamin C and antioxidants so definitely a good all-rounder to include in your diet.

A note about the Crumble – the topping

crumble topping – This crumble topping is made from plain flour (all-purpose flour), butter and a little sugar. It balances out the sweetness of the fruit and gives a nice contrast in the texture which is brilliant. It’s straightforward to make and a really forgiving recipe there’s not that can go wrong.. I mix a tablespoon of flour into the fruit so that any fruit juices that run out during baking become a luscious fruit sauce.
preparation Time -The total preparation time for the Blueberry and Apple Crumble is approximately 15 minutes, while the baking time is around 40 minutes. So, within an hour, you’ll have a delightful dessert ready to be enjoyed!
Baking dish – I use a 9-inch round baking dish for this pudding.

Ingredients for Blueberry and Apple Crumble

Ingredients set out on a board showing what has been used in the sweet crumble

The Fruit Filling – things to know

blueberries – these can be fresh or frozen. Frozen berries are usually less expensive than the fresh versions and if you’re using them for fruit desserts, competes, pies or crumbles then this is quite a good way to do if you’re working within a budget.
eating apples such as pink lady apples, gala or Braeburn. Using eating apples keeps the amount of sugar you need in this recipe to a minimum so if you’re concerned about sugar intake then this is a lovely way to control it. The apples also keep a good deal of texture which is also quite delicious.
lemon juice – this is entirely optional. However, when you slice up the apples there is a possibility that they will start to brown in the air. This is a perfectly natural process and nothing to worry about but can look a bit off-putting. To stop this from happening, cover the prepared apple slices in a tablespoon of lemon juice.
a tablespoon of flour and demerara sugar – the flour is added to thicken the fruit juices to make a nice fruit sauce and the sugar acts as a decoration for the top of the crumble. Both are optional but are worth doing in my opinion.

The fruit Crumble Topping – store cupboard ingredients

plain flour (all-purpose flour) – this can be plain white or wholemeal flour or a mixture of the two. This recipe is very flexible and you can use different flours to suit your own requirements.
sugar – I use demerara sugar in this recipe. I believe this is also known as turbinado sugar. I like the flavour that this gives the crumble recipe but you can easily substitute other varieties of sugar if you prefer. Muscovado can give a nice hint of autumn flavours for example.
butter – I use butter in this crumble topping as the flavour is magnificent but it can as easily be made with a margarine that is suitable for baking. This should be stated on the product label. Keep it vegan by using an appropriate vegan margarine, as before check that it can be used for baking. Not all varieties can be.

Step by Step Instructions for Blueberry and Apple Crumble

There are just a few very simple steps in making this fruit crumble.

blueberries and sliced apples sitting in a baking dish

Preparing the Filling

Preheat your oven to 360F (180C/160 C fan) and grease a baking dish lightly.
Combine the fresh blueberries, peeled, cored and sliced apples with plain flour and caster sugar. Toss the apple slices in a tablespoon of lemon juice if you’re worried about the fruit discolouring.
Gently toss the ingredients together until the fruit is evenly coated with the flour and sugar.

rubbing the butter into the flour and adding the sugar

Making the Crumble Topping

In a separate bowl, add the plain flour and the cold, diced butter. Or margarine if that’s what you are using.
Using your fingers, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. This doesn’t take long.
Then stir in the demerara sugar (turbinado sugar)

Fruit Crumble covered with the crumble topping mixture and whos the sprinkled demerara sugar.

Assembling the Crumble

Take the prepared fruit filling in the baking dish and spread the crumble topping over the fruit.
Gently press the crumble topping over the blueberries and apples so that the fruit is evenly covered.
When you are happy with this, sprinkle the tablespoon of demerara sugar over the top. (This gives a nice crunchy topping when baked – if you don’t like that then omit the sugar)

Baking the Fruit Crumble

Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until the topping turns golden brown and the fruit filling can be just seen bubbling around the edges.
Take it out of the oven and allow it to stand for a few minutes before serving with your favourite accompaniments.

Using Windfall Apples and this Blueberry Apple Crumble Recipe

If you have apple trees growing in your garden or you’re friendly with someone who does, it’s pretty likely that at some point you will have unripe good-sized apples to do something with.

You could of course leave them to the birds and other creatures that may visit your garden or you could use some of them yourself. A good crumble recipe will let you make good use of this unexpected crop.

How this recipe will help with using windfall Apples

This recipe will definitely help.

Consider making a few crumbles to freeze and have a delicious pudding for another day. We often freeze these made and ready to thaw and bake for the darker days of January. It’s nice to think back to the sunny days of autumn, (When we were picking the fruit.)

Particularly for windfall fruit, follow the recipe as it is written but you may wish to add a tablespoon of water to the fruit mixture. The apples aren’t going to be that juicy if they’re not fully ripe and the small amount of water will help make the lovely fruity sauce that makes this recipe wonderful. You may also need to add a little extra sugar – a tablespoon amount perhaps – just to offset the fact that under-ripe apples aren’t always that sweet either.

Despite these little adjustments to a simple recipe it always feels good to make use of fallen fruit and when it’s time to harvest the rest of the apples, and perhaps you have a bit of a glut situation, well, you’ll know what to do.

Serving Suggestions

There are so many beautiful things you can serve this delicious Apple and Blueberry Crumble with.

Once the Apple and Blueberry Crumble is baked to perfection, let it cool for a few minutes before serving. Always serve it with enthusiasm.. ‘cos this is an extremely wonderful fruit dessert.

Enjoy this delicious apple blueberry pudding on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of freshly whipped cream or Greek yoghurt. A lovely dash of custard is also very welcome… well ok maybe more of a puddle of custard which is completely wonderful. Am I the only custard fan?

blueberry apple crumble on a plate with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream

Storing Leftovers

If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container or covered dish in the refrigerator. Apple blueberry crumble may be eaten cold straight from the fridge or when you’re ready to enjoy it again, simply reheat the crumble in the oven at a low temperature until it’s piping hot.

You may also heat the crumble in the microwave until it’s piping hot.

This crumble should be perfectly fine for up to 3 days when stored properly in the refrigerator.

Useful things to know about Blueberry and Apple Crumble

Can I use frozen fruit in this recipe? Yes, you can. In fact, in the winter months when blueberries aren’t always that easy to find where I live, that’s often what I do. However, make sure to thaw and drain the fruits before using them to prevent excess moisture in the crumble.

Freezing and Batch-making the crumble recipe

Batch-making fruit crumbles for later – It’s a good idea to make more than one crumble so that you can freeze one for later.
Can I prepare the crumble in advance? Definitely! You can prepare the crumble topping in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. When you’re ready to bake, simply assemble the fruits and the crumble topping and pop the crumble into the oven.
Ever wondered if you can freeze your homemade apple blueberry crumble for later? Well, the good news is that it’s a perfect dish to both bake-ahead and freeze. You can freeze the fully baked and cooled crumble in a suitable container where it will be happy for 2 to 3 months. When ready to enjoy it again, reheat it in the oven at 350°F (180°C/160C Fan) until warmed through.

Making alterations to the recipe

Questions about flour? If you have a favourite flour or you want to introduce a little more wholemeal goodness into your diet then it is good to know that this recipe allows some freedom with the types of flour. I’ve made this recipe with half white flour and half wholemeal spelt flour. This makes it nutritionally a little better and includes a little fibre but doesn’t change the texture very much. You can experiment with different flours like almond flour or oat flour to create variations of the crumble topping. Just keep in mind that it may slightly alter the texture and taste. A 50/50 mixture of white and wholemeal flour is really tasty.
However tempting, it is best not to reduce the amount of butter (or margarine if that is your preference) in the crumble topping. It’s the butter which gives it its rich and crumbly texture. (Note: you can substitute plant-based margarine for the butter. Please check that is it suitable for baking. This would make this recipe suitable for vegans and others who are excluding dairy products from their diets.)While you can reduce the amount slightly, keep in mind that it may affect the overall consistency.

Why not Keep in Touch with Us?

I’d love to hear from you. Did you try this recipe? Did you like it? Is there anything you’d like to know about the recipe? Use the comments section and let me know, I’ll get back to you.

Hope to speak soon.