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Juicy blackberries and tender apples, all topped with the most amazing big cookie-like clumps of butter streusel. This homemade apple and blackberry crumble is comforting, warm, and perfect with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream – the ultimate cozy dessert!
3 Reasons To Love This Blackberry Apple Crumble Recipe
- It’s the ultimate comfort dessert! This cozy apple blackberry crumble will have you coming back for seconds (and maybe even thirds). Also makes your home smell absolutely delicious while it bakes! Perfect for a cozy night in or impressing guests.
- Easy to make apple dessert recipe! It’s so much easier to make than pie (and I actually prefer a good fruit crumble anyways!). Simply combine the fruit mixture, make the easy butter streusel topping and pop it in the oven.
- The crumble topping is AMAZING! The crumble topping being used here is my delicious butter streusel recipe. This topping features large, buttery cookie-like clumps that are so incredibly good!
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what you’ll need to make this apple and blackberry crumble recipe:
Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.
- Fruit Mixture: A combination of fresh blackberries and chopped up apples tossed with some sugar, flour, orange (zest and juice), cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Butter Streusel Crumble Topping: This is a more traditional German streusel crumble topping (large buttery cookie-like crumbles). It is simply a combination of flour, butter, sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
How To Make Apple Blackberry Crumble
Learn how to make the most delicious homemade apple and blackberry crumble. It’s really easy!
Step 1: Combine fruit mixture
Peel and core 1 ½ pounds (680 grams) of apples (approx. 4 medium sized apples). Chop them into small pieces. Add the chopped apples to a large mixing bowl along with 1 pound (454 grams) fresh blackberries, ¼ cup organic cane sugar, 3 tablespoons all purpose flour, zest and juice from half an orange, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Gently stir to combine and set aside.
Step 2: Make the butter streusel topping
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 250 grams (2 cups) all purpose flour, 125 grams (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) organic cane sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add 170 grams (¾ cup or 1 ½ sticks) of softened unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until it forms large crumbles.
TIP FOr BIg Crumbles
Don’t stop the mixer too soon!
At first the mixture will look like a dry “sandy” consistency and you might wonder what went wrong. No worries! Just continue beating longer until it comes together and forms large crumbs. Press any small crumbs together by hand to form bigger pieces.
No mixer? I love how easy it is to use the mixer but you can also make the topping by hand. Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Drop in pieces of the softened butter and use your hands to press and pinch the butter into the flour mixture to form large crumbles.
Step 3: Assemble
Pour the apple and blackberry mixture into a lightly greased 9-inch baking dish (or similar capacity) and spread out evenly. I’m using this 7.5″ x 10.5″ baking dish (the larger one in the 2-piece set linked). Then sprinkle the butter streusel topping evenly over the top.
Step 4: Bake
Bake in a preheated 375F / 190C oven for 45 minutes or until the fruit mixture is tender and bubbly and the crumble topping is golden brown. Remove from the oven and rest for about 15 minutes before serving to allow the fruit mixture to thicken up.
Step 5: Serve
Now for the best part! Serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate comfort dessert. You can also top it with custard, whipped cream, vanilla sauce, yogurt or simply enjoy all on its own!
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Helpful Tips For Success
- Use a kitchen scale! This is the most important tip I can give! I HIGHLY recommend using a kitchen scale to measure some of the ingredients in the butter streusel topping (especially the flour). It allows you to achieve the correct ratio and consistent results every time (vs. the variation you can get filling measuring cups). It’s also so much easier and way less messy! I use this Escali kitchen scale but you can also find others on Amazon (some for under $10).
- Place a baking sheet underneath: Placing a baking sheet under your baking dish will allow it to catch anything that might bubble over while baking and prevent a mess at the bottom of your oven!
- If browning too quickly: If at any point the topping starts to brown too much before it is finished, you can tent the baking dish with a piece of aluminum foil and continue baking.
- Chop apples into small pieces: To ensure they are cooked and tender.
Possible Variations
- Adjust the sugar: Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar in the apple and blackberry filling based on how sweet your fruit is and your own personal preferences.
- Add nuts: Add some chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds to the crumble topping.
- Make individual desserts: Instead of one large crumble, bake in personal sized ramekins.
- Use less crumble topping: This recipe includes a generous amount of topping (because it is so good!). If you prefer a lighter topping, feel free to use less and store the extra for another use. Or double the fruit mixture and make two crumbles!
Storage & Make Ahead Tips
- To store: This blackberry apple crumble is best served fresh and warm from the oven but leftovers can also be stored and eaten warm or cold. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- To freeze: It can be frozen either baked or unbaked. Wrap up tightly with plastic wrap and a layer of foil (cool completely first if baked). Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before baking or warming up in the oven. Sometimes the crumble topping tends to not be as crispy but otherwise still delicious.
- Make ahead: The butter streusel topping can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Once you are ready to make the apple blueberry crumble, quickly prepare the fruit mixture, scatter on the prepped topping and pop it in the oven to bake.
FAQ
The difference is in the topping – one has oats and one doesn’t! Traditionally, a crumble topping is a mixture of flour, butter and sugar (basically a simple streusel), whereas a crisp topping will also contain oats and sometimes nuts for a crispy texture when baked. The terms tend to be used interchangeably now though in a lot of recipes. This Apple Blackberry Crumble recipe has a butter streusel topping which aligns with the traditional crumble definition.
You can use any type of apple you like that holds up well to baking. I personally tend to use Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gala, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Jonagold or Fuji apples. I would avoid McIntosh and Red Delicious apples for this.
Fresh blackberries are my top choice since they provide the best texture. Frozen blackberries tend to fall apart and become liquidy. If using frozen, make sure that they are fully thawed and well drained first and add a bit more flour to the fruit mixture to soak up some of the extra liquid.
You sure can! You could substitute another berry like blueberries in this Blueberry Apple Crumble.
More Apple Dessert Recipes
Did you make this apple and blackberry crumble recipe? I would love to hear about it! Please leave me a comment below.
Apple and Blackberry Crumble
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: German, American, British
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Juicy blackberries and tender apples, all topped with the most amazing big cookie-like clumps of butter streusel. This homemade apple and blackberry crumble is comforting, warm, and perfect with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream – the ultimate cozy dessert!
Ingredients
For the fruit mixture:
- 1 ½ pounds (680 grams) apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces (approx. 4 medium sized apples)
- 1 pound (454 grams) fresh blackberries
- ¼ cup (50 grams) organic cane sugar
- 3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
- ½ orange, zest and juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the butter streusel crumble topping:
- 250 grams (2 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
- 125 grams (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) organic cane sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 170 grams (3/4 cup or 1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 375F / 190C.
- Combine fruit mixture: In a large mixing bowl, gently stir together the fruit mixture ingredients and set aside.
- Make the butter streusel crumble topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the softened butter and vanilla extract. Beat until it forms large crumbles. Press together any smaller crumbs by hand to form bigger crumbs (you don’t want the topping to be too fine). No mixer? You can also make the streusel by hand (see notes for instruction).
- Assemble: Pour the fruit mixture into a lightly greased 9-inch baking dish (or similar capacity) and spread out evenly. Then sprinkle the butter streusel crumble topping evenly over the top.
- Bake: Bake for 45 minutes or until the fruit mixture is tender and bubbly and the crumble topping is golden brown. Tip: Place a baking sheet under your dish to catch anything that might bubble over. Remove from oven and rest for about 15 minutes before serving to allow the fruit mixture to thicken up.
- Serve: Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, custard, yogurt, vanilla sauce or simply enjoy all on its own!
Notes
- Apples: The weight listed is when still whole. You can use any type of apple you like that holds up well to baking. I personally tend to use Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gala, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Jonagold or Fuji apples. I would avoid McIntosh and Red Delicious apples for this.
- Making butter streusel crumble topping by hand: I love how easy it is to use the mixer but you can also make the topping by hand. Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Drop in pieces of the softened butter and use your hands to press and pinch the butter into the flour mixture to form large crumbles.
- Use a kitchen scale! I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure some of the ingredients in the butter streusel topping (especially the flour). It allows you to achieve the correct ratio and consistent results every time (vs. the variation you can get filling measuring cups). It’s also so much easier and way less messy! I use this Escali kitchen scale but you can also find others on Amazon (some for under $10).
- Form large crumbs for the topping: This crumble topping is a German butter streusel which should have large, buttery cookie-like clumps. It should not be fine. Don’t stop the stand mixer too soon! At first the mixture will look like a dry “sandy” consistency and you might wonder what went wrong. No worries! Just continue beating longer until it comes together and forms large crumbs. Press any small crumbs together by hand to form bigger pieces.
