What is the difference between a crumble and a crisp?

The difference is in the topping! Traditionally, a crumble topping is made of flour, butter and sugar (basically a simple streusel). A crisp topping on the other hand will also contain oats and sometimes nuts for a crispy texture when baked. The terms tend to be used interchangeably on a lot of recipes though. This Blueberry Apple Crumble recipe has a butter streusel topping which aligns with the traditional crumble definition.

What type of apple should I use?

You can use any type of apple you like that holds up well to baking. I personally tend to use Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady or Fuji apples. Other good options include Granny Smith, Jazz, Jonagold and Braeburn apples. I would avoid McIntosh and Red Delicious apples for this.

Can I use frozen blueberries?

I love using fresh blueberries for this (especially while they are in season) but you can absolutely use frozen blueberries. Simply make sure that they are fully thawed and well drained before using since frozen blueberries tend to be softer and more watery as they thaw. You can also add a bit more flour to the fruit mixture to compensate for the extra liquid.

Can I substitute other fruit for the blueberries?

You sure can! Substitute the blueberries for another type of berry (like blackberries in this Apple and Blackberry Crumble ), cherries, chopped peaches or even plums like in this Plum Apple Crumble recipe .

Blueberry and Apple Crumble

Description

Get ready to fall in love with this blueberry and apple crumble recipe! This warm and comforting dessert features a combination of juicy blueberries and chopped apples with the most amazing buttery crumble topping.

Ingredients

Scale

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 blueberries
1/4 cup (50 grams) organic cane sugar
3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the streusel crumble topping:

250 grams (2 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
125 grams (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) organic cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
170 grams (3/4 cup or 1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 375F / 190C.
Prepare fruit mixture: In a large mixing bowl, gently stir together the fruit mixture ingredients and set aside.
Make the 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 scatter the streusel (crumble mixture) evenly over the top.
Bake: Bake for 40 minutes or until the fruit mixture is tender and bubbly and topping is lightly golden brown. 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. Use any type of apple you like that holds up well to baking. Some good options include Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, Fuji apples, Granny Smith, Jazz, Jonagold and Braeburn apples. I would avoid McIntosh and Red Delicious apples for this.
Making streusel crumble topping by hand: I love the ease of using a mixer but if you don’t have one the topping can also be made by hand. Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt 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 the flour, sugar and butter in the streusel crumble topping in order to achieve the correct ratio and consistent results every time. More accurate than measuring cups and also way easier and less messy too! I use this Escali kitchen scale but you can also find others on Amazon (some for under $10).
Form large crumbs: This crumble topping is a German butter streusel which should have large, buttery cookie-like clumps. The crumble should not be fine. Press any small crumbs together with your fingers to form larger pieces. Note: Don’t stop the stand mixer too soon! At first it will look like a dry “sandy” mixture. Just keep on beating until it combines together to form large crumbs.