If you're looking for cosy comfort food, then this Apple & Pear Crumble fits the bill perfectly! Crumbles are great desserts in autumn and winter, especially served with hot custard. This one uses juicy pears and crisp apples, along with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, for the filling. On top is a generous layer of crumble made with brown sugar and some added oats. It's so easy to make, great for feeding a family or group, and it's delicious too!
Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- You can use either unsalted butter or a baking spread for the crumble topping.
- Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento and ginger. If you can't get hold of it, use a mix of these spices or use a pumpkin spice mix instead.
- I really recommend using light brown soft sugar if you can, as it gives the crumble a lovely caramel flavour. But if you can't get hold of it, you can use golden caster sugar or regular caster sugar (superfine sugar) instead.
- I added some oats into the crumble mix for texture and goodness, this is optional so leave them out if you prefer.
- I used a 2.2 litre baking dish for this recipe with the dimensions 32.5 x 19 x 8 cm, you can use a smaller dish if you prefer a deeper crumble.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Apple & Pear Crumble
For the crumble, stir the light brown sugar and plain flour together. Add butter and rub it in with your fingers until it looks like breadcrumbs. You can also use a fork or a food processor to do this. Then stir in the oats. Peel and core the apples and pears, and chop them into small chunks. Mix them together with light brown sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg and cornflour.
Add the apple and pear mix to a baking dish, then spread the crumble topping over the fruit and bake it for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbling, and the fruit is soft.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
What are the best apples to use for this crumble?
I used regular eating apples for this recipe, if you use larger cooking apples you may only need 2 or 3 of them. Apple varieties that are both crisp and tart, for example Granny Smith, Jazz or Pink Lady, are great for crumbles. Golden Delicious will also work well. Or if it's apple season and you have an apple tree, it's a great way to use some of them up!
What are the best pears to use for this crumble?
I used Barlett pears for this recipe, but other pears will work too. Just make sure they are ripe.
Do you need to peel the apples and pears?
I definitely recommend at minimum coring apples and pears for a crumble, however peeling them is not necessary if you are in a rush. Although, I do much prefer them peeled and it's more enjoyable to eat the crumble without peel, especially if the apple or pear variety you use has a tougher skin.
What size dish can you make this apple crumble in?
The dish I used was 32.5 x 19 x 8 cm. It didn't reach the very top of my dish so you can use a slightly smaller one. I wouldn't recommend using a much bigger one as your layers of apple, pear and crumble will be thinner, and the crumble may brown too much on top before the apples and pears are cooked through.
Can the crumble be made in advance?
Crumble is best when it's freshly made, but you can freeze the uncooked crumble mix in a ziploc bag or airtight container if you want to make it in advance. You can also store it at room temperature in a sealed container overnight or for a few hours. I don't recommend making the apple and pear mixture in advance, as the fruit will go soggy and brown if not used straight away.
Can this recipe be made gluten or dairy free?
Yes, for a gluten free version replace the plain flour with a gluten free plain flour blend. Cornflour (also known as cornstarch) is naturally gluten free, however please do check the packaging in case of cross contamination, and especially if you are serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance. For a dairy free version, replace the butter with a dairy free butter. This recipe is already egg free.
How should leftover crumble be stored?
Once fully cool, cover the crumble dish with cling film and put it in the fridge. Or you can transfer the crumble to a plastic tub. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, you can also freeze the leftover crumble. To re-heat the crumble, you can either pop it back in the oven for 15 minutes, or microwave it for 2-3 minutes. Check it is hot all the way through before serving. You can also eat it cold.
What can you serve crumble with?
- Custard - either warm or cold!
- Ice cream, ideally a good quality vanilla one
- Creme fraiche
- Pouring cream, single or double
- Whipped cream
- Natural yoghurt
More tips for making the Apple & Pear Crumble:
- You can make the crumble topping by hand or using a food processor, just make sure if you are using a food processor not to over mix it.
- You can freeze the uncooked crumble mix in a ziploc bag, you can also freeze the baked apple crumble in the freezer in sealed tubs. I recommend portioning it out before freezing.
- You could add some extra fruit to this recipe if you like, such as blackberries or raisins.
Troubleshooting
My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
- Mixing bowls
- Apple cutter
- Measuring spoons
- Cooling rack
- Kitchen scales
- Mixed spice
- Baking dish
- Food processor
*I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!
More apple recipes...
Apple & Pear Crumble
Ingredients
For the filling
- 4 Apples standard eating size, approx 350g once peeled and cored
- 4 Pears approx 300g once peeled and cored
- 75 g Light brown soft sugar
- 1 tsp Cornflour also known as cornstarch
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Mixed spice see notes
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
For the crumble
- 175 g Plain flour
- 100 g Light brown soft sugar
- 125 g Butter cold
- 50 g Oats
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180C Fan/400F/Gas Mark 6
- For the crumble topping, stir the light brown soft sugar and plain flour together in a mixing bowl, or add them to your food processor
- Add the butter to the bowl in chunks or cubes, then using your fingers, rub it into the flour and sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs. You can also do this in a food processor if you prefer, or with a fork or pastry blender
- Peel, core and chop the apples and pears into small chunks, place in a large mixing bowl. I like to use an apple cutter to do this quickly and avoid the apples browning. Or you can put a squeeze of lemon juice into a bowl of water and add the apple and pears chunks to it as you cut them. Drain them off when you're done
- Add the light brown soft sugar, cornflour, cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg to the apples and pears, and stir them all together
- Put the apple and pear mix into a baking dish (ideally 32.5 x 19 x 8 cm)
- Spread the crumble topping over the fruit and bake it for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbling
- Serve warm, or leave to cool fully, cover the dish with cling film and store in the fridge for up to 3 days
Notes
- You can use either unsalted butter or a baking spread for the crumble topping.
- Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento and ginger. If you can't get hold of it, use a mix of these spices or use a pumpkin spice mix instead.
- I really recommend using light brown soft sugar if you can, as it gives the crumble a lovely caramel flavour. But if you can't get hold of it, you can use golden caster sugar or regular caster sugar (superfine sugar) instead.
- I added some oats into the crumble mix for texture and goodness, this is optional so leave them out if you prefer.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
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