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Jamie Oliver Apple Crumble

Jamie Oliver apple crumble with a buttery, sandy crumble topping and bubbling apple-pear filling baked until golden. Tender fruit peaks through crisp edges for a classic British dessert with custard or pouring cream.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

fruit filling
  • 4 apples Large, peeled and sliced
  • 2 pears Ripe, peeled and sliced
  • 50 g unsalted butter For sautéing fruit
  • 50 g granulated sugar For fruit filling
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon For fruit filling
  • 0.5 tsp mixed spice or allspice For fruit filling
  • 1 lemon zest Zest of 1 lemon
crumble topping
  • 200 g plain all-purpose flour For crumble topping
  • 100 g cold unsalted butter Cubed
  • 75 g demerara or raw sugar Packed
  • 50 g light brown sugar
  • 50 g ground almonds
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon For topping
serving
  • 1 custard or cream Serve with homemade custard or pouring cream

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Preheat and prep fruit filling
  1. Preheat the oven to 190C (375F). Set up a baking dish so the filling can go in right after it’s cooked.
  2. Melt the 50g unsalted butter in a large ovenproof pan, then add the apples, pears, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, mixed spice (or allspice), and lemon zest. Cook for 5–7 minutes, until the fruit is slightly softened, then transfer it to a baking dish.
Make the crumble topping
  1. In a bowl, add the plain all-purpose flour and the cold cubed unsalted butter. Rub together with your fingertips until it looks like rough breadcrumbs.
  2. Stir in the demerara (or raw) sugar, light brown sugar, ground almonds, and cinnamon, mixing briefly until evenly combined. Keep the crumble loose rather than pressing it together.
Assemble and bake
  1. Spread the crumble over the fruit in an even layer without packing it down. Leave a light, sandy surface so it turns crisp as it bakes.
  2. Bake for 35–40 minutes at 190C (375F) until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling at the edges. The center should look hot and lively, not watery.
Serve
  1. Serve the apple crumble warm with custard or pouring cream. Spoon it straight from the dish for the best contrast between crisp topping and tender fruit.

Notes

Pro tip: use cold cubed butter for the topping so it stays in buttery crumbs rather than melting into paste. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat in the oven at 180C until warmed through. Freezing: freeze baked portions up to 2 months, then reheat from frozen. Dietary swap: for a dairy-free version, use plant-based butter in both the fruit and crumble.