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Jamie Oliver Apple Crumble

Jamie Oliver apple crumble with a golden, sandy crumble topping and bubbling apple-pear filling. Bake until the fruit bubbles and the topping crisps, then serve warm 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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Fruit filling
  • 4 large apples peeled and sliced
  • 2 ripe pears peeled and sliced
  • 50 g unsalted butter to melt
  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp mixed spice or allspice
  • 1 lemon zest zest of 1 lemon
Crumble topping
  • 200 g plain all-purpose flour
  • 100 g unsalted butter cold, cubed
  • 75 g demerara or raw sugar packed
  • 50 g light brown sugar
  • 50 g ground almonds
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
Serving
  • 1 custard or pouring cream for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Preheat and cook the fruit filling
  1. Preheat the oven to 190C (375F). Set a sheet pan inside the oven to help the base bake evenly.
  2. Melt 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 slightly softened, stirring so the fruit gets coated.
  3. Transfer the softened apple-pear mixture to a baking dish. Spread it out evenly so it bubbles at the edges during baking.
Make the crumble topping
  1. Add the plain all-purpose flour and cubed cold unsalted butter to a bowl. Rub together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like rough breadcrumbs.
  2. Stir in the demerara or raw sugar, light brown sugar, ground almonds, and cinnamon. Mix briefly until the crumbs are evenly colored.
  3. Spread the crumble topping over the fruit without packing it down. Leave a fluffy layer so it turns golden and crisp.
Bake and serve
  1. Bake for 35–40 minutes at 190C (375F) until the topping is golden. Watch for fruit bubbles rising around the edges.
  2. Serve the crumble warm with homemade custard or pouring cream. Spoon generously so each bite gets both tender fruit and crisp topping.

Notes

For the crispiest top, keep the butter cold until it’s rubbed into the flour, and don’t press the crumble down—let air pockets form for better crunch. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat at 180C for 10–15 minutes. Freeze baked portions up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat until hot. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat butter and a lower-sugar custard or plain Greek yogurt-style topping if desired.