Simple Strawberry and Apple Crumble
This post might have affiliate links. For full details please see my disclosure policy.
This simple strawberry and apple crumble has lemony, cinnamon-spiced apples, fresh strawberries, and a rich, buttery streusel. With just a handful of basic ingredients, this is the perfect quick and easy dessert recipe to have on on hand for dinner parties and get-togethers with friends!
This morning I got out of bed, and like a little gremlin, scurried outside to assess the weather situation. It was just as I suspected: a little chilly, a tad breezy, with the scent of leaves in the air. But of course, by noon I was sweating and had the air conditioning running.
We’ve reached the Middle, which is that odd time in-between summer and autumn when my heart says pumpkin spice but my brain says it’s 84 degrees out. The time when summer berries are still juicy and flavorful but heirloom apples are making their way onto grocery store shelves.
So this year, I’m leaning into it. In-between baking strawberry shortcake cups and creamy mini caramel apple cheesecakes, we’re throwing the best of each season into a pie plate, adding a generous dose of buttery streusel, and serving it up with a scoop of ice cream.
When I was in pastry school, we used to make amazing apple crumble with juicy filling and crisp streusel. This recipe is inspired by the one I learned in school but it’s even better with a mix of apples and strawberries. This dessert gives off fall baking vibes, but you get all the perks of juicy summer berries!
Ingredients list
Go for good baking apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonagold, or a mix of different varieties. You also want to look for juicy, sweet summer strawberries. The sweeter the better! For the rest of the filling, you’ll need brown sugar, a bit of flour, lemons, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and Kosher salt.
to make the streusel, grab more flour, quick-cooking oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, melted unsalted butter, and Morton’s Kosher salt.
Fresh or frozen berries will work in this recipe. But if you’re using frozen berries, think about adding 1-2 Tablespoons (8-16 grams) of cornstarch to the filling. This will help thicken up any extra liquid that the frozen strawberries might be holding!
Fruit filling
This is a little trick I learned in pastry school! When you’re making crumble, give the fruit a taste before adding any sugar. If the fruit is really sweet, reduce the sugar a bit. If the fruit is tart, you can always add 1-2 Tablespoons (13-26 grams) of extra sugar.
Streusel topping
To keep your crumble from coming out dry, make sure you use enough melted butter in the topping. If it seems a little dry and won’t come together, add more melted butter just a bit at a time. Be careful not to add too much though! Otherwise, the topping will be greasy.
Assemble & bake
The secret to good crumble is baking it long enough. The crumble is good to go when the filling is bubbling and the top is golden-brown. You want the filling to bubble so it thickens properly and the top needs to bake for a while so it gets nice and crisp.
Refrigerate leftover crumble
First, wait until the crumble is completely cool. Then, cover the pan tightly with tinfoil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I do not recommend making the crumble in advance, because the topping will get a bit soggy.
Reheating crumble
To reheat the crumble, scoop it into an oven-safe container. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350°F (177°C). For individual servings, bake it for about 10 minutes, until hot in the middle. If you’re reheating a large portion, reheat it for 20-25 minutes.
If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!
Simple Strawberry and Apple Crumble
Ingredients
Strawberry Apple Filling
- 907 grams baking apples (2 pounds)
- 454 grams strawberries (1 pound)
- 110 grams brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)
- 30 grams all-purpose flour (1/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 30 milliliters fresh lemon juice (2 Tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- Vanilla ice cream, custard, or whipped cream, for serving
Streusel Topping
- 120 grams all-purpose flour (1 cup)
- 80 grams quick-cooking oats (1 cup)
- 100 grams sugar (1/2 cup)
- 110 grams brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 114 grams unsalted butter, melted (1/2 cup/1 stick)
Equipment
- 1 deep 9'' pie plate
Instructions
Strawberry Apple Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Then, peel and core the apples. Dice the apples into 1-inch chunks. Core the strawberries and cut them into quarters.
- Combine the apples and strawberries in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, all-purpose flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt.
- Toss the apple and strawberry mixture until the sugar is dissolved and there are no dry spots. Set aside.
Streusel Topping
- Add the flour, quick-cooking oats, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and Kosher salt to a small bowl. Stir until combined.
- Add the melted butter to the flour-sugar mixture. Use a fork to mix the streusel until it's crumbly and there are no more dry spots. Set aside.
Assemble & bake
- Tip the strawberry apple filling into a deep 9-inch pie plate. Spread the filling evenly into the baking dish.
- Using clean hands, evenly sprinkle the streusel over the top of the strawberry apple filling, making sure there are no gaps.
- Bake the crumble for 45-50 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the streusel is golden-brown and crisp. Serve the crumble warm with vanilla ice cream, custard, or whipped cream.
Good
Thanks, Nancy!