Apple and Blueberry Crumble

Looking for an easy, comforting dessert? This Apple and Blueberry Crumble is a fruity, delicious treat with a crispy topping – perfect for cosy nights in. Simple to make and great for the whole family!

When it is cold and grey outside, I don’t think there are many things more comforting than a fruity crumble with custard. 

I love that kind of stodgy pudding. Easy to make, tons of flavour, and just super warming. Just what you need in the autumn and winter when the weather isn’t great and you need cheering up. 

This apple blueberry crumble is a variation on my good old apple crumble recipe, so you don’t need anything special, or any particular skill to make it. 

Why I Love Apple and Blueberry Crumble

Blueberry apple crumble is perfect because:

• A Blueberry crumble recipe is a little different. Most of us think of apples, and maybe rhubarb when we think of crumble. Blueberries add a different flavour that’s really lovely. 
• Apple & blueberry crumble has some lovely colours. 
• It’s easy, quick, tasty and warming. What’s not to love?
• Your house will smell fabulous!

Ingredients For Apple and Blueberry Crumble

Blueberry and apple crumble is a classic crumble recipe, meaning it’s really easy to make, and you don’t need anything fancy. 

When I make my Apple and blueberry crumble with oats, I use:

Plain Flour or All Purpose Flour

Porridge Oats

Light Brown Soft Sugar – Caster sugar or golden caster sugar is fine, too.  I like the taste of light brown sugar. 

Unsalted Butter – I’ve tried using margarine for crumble, but it’s very sloppy. Butter is a much better option. 

Cooking Apples – If you don’t have Bramley Apples, Granny Smith apples are good, but they are smaller, so you might need more. 

Blueberries

Vanilla Extract – Cooking apples and blueberries can both be quite tart, so I like adding this bit of sweetness. 

How to Make Apple and Blueberry Crumble – Step-by-Step Instructions

Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One

Prepare the crumble topping by rubbing the oats, sugar (retaining a tablespoon), flour and butter into rough, uneven breadcrumbs. 

You might be tempted to rub until the crumbs are fine and even, but you’ll actually get a better crumble if it’s more uneven and there are a few bigger buttery lumps. 

Step Two

Set to one side. 

Step Three

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted) and find a large, heatproof dish. I use a baking dish that’s about 9 inches by 5 inches and pretty deep. 

Step Four

Place the apples and blueberries in a large saucepan and pour on the vanilla. 

You don’t need lemon juice. 

Step Five

Warm over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring often until the apples have softened and the blueberries have started to burst, colouring the apples. 

Step Six

Tip this warmed fruit into the ovenproof dish. You might need to spread it out a bit so that not all of the blueberries end up in the same place. Try to get a fairly even layer to make it easier to layer on the crumble. 

Step Seven

Sprinkle the crumble over evenly for a nice thick layer that covers the fruit. 

This is a pretty massive crumble portion. I like a thick layer. 

If it’s too much, freeze the leftovers in a sealed tub or bag. 

Step Eight

Sprinkle on the last spoonful of sugar. This is optional, but it helps you to get a nice browned, crispy top. 

Step Nine

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling. 

Step Ten

Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving carefully. Be really careful. The fruit will be boiling.

Variations

There are a few things that you can do differently when you make blueberry and apple crumble.

Use Frozen Blueberries

Frozen blueberries are great for baking. You don’t need to thaw them first, just add them to the pan with your apples as you would fresh. 

They don’t need to be fully defrosted before they go into the oven, either. 

Skip the Oats

I love oats in my crumbles. The taste and texture are really yummy. If you prefer, just skip the oats and increase the flour or decrease the butter. 

Add Some Cinnamon

Loads of crumble recipes add cinnamon to the apples. 

I do if I’m making an apple crumble or an apple and pear crumble. But I find the idea of warm blueberries spiced with cinnamon a bit weird. 

I prefer to add vanilla to tone down any tartness in the fruit. 

You can add a teaspoon of cinnamon or even try some different spices like ginger instead if you want to.