A classic apple crumble with a twist. Why just have apples when you can have cherries too. This Apple and Cherry Crumble is a comforting dessert that is easy to make for a crowd and is a little bit lighter thanks to our oaty topping and being lower in added sugar.
I have such happy memories of apple crumble, as it's the only dessert we used to eat when I was a child. We weren't really big on dessert in our house and it was saved for a Sunday after a roast dinner and it was always an apple crumble, occasionally an apple pie.
Now, every time I eat it or see it on a menu I get those same warm feelings in my heart and belly that I did back then. We make it a little differently in our house now, and add in some cherries for colour and extra sweetness.
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What you will need
- Apples - We like to use Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, but you really could use any apple.
- Cherries - This adds some extra colour and sweetness. You could always use blackberries or blueberries instead.
- Oats and almonds - This is what we use instead of flour for the crumble topping. We find it makes it a little lighter and we love the chewy texture. We used rolled oats and skin on almonds.
- Sweetener - This is what is used instead of regular sugar to sweeten it. You could also use maple syrup or honey.
- Coconut oil - This is used instead of butter in the topping. Don't worry, it doesn't give it a coconut flavour.
- Cinnamon - Apple and cinnamon are the perfect flavour combination. You could use nutmeg or ginger too.
Step by step
One: Peel and chop the apples and pit and chop the cherries.
Two: Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to a large pan and gently heat the apples and cherries for 5 minutes.
Three: Add the sweetener and cinnamon and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Four: Pour the fruit mixture in to an oven dish.
Five: Make the crumble mix by putting the almonds and oats in to a food processor and blending until a flour consistency. Add the coconut oil and sweetener and blend again.
Six: Crumble the mixture over the fruit and then put the dish in the oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for 35-40 minutes.
Why should you try it?
- A delicious alternative to a classic apple crumble
- Under 300 calories a portion
- Lower in sugar than regular crumble
- Easy to adapt with different fruit
Oat crumble
Fruit crumble, like this apple cherry crumble is total comfort food, but that doesn't mean it has to be full of calories and fat. With a few little swaps you can save yourself some calories for the ice cream or custard.
Crumble is really all about the topping and instead of using butter and flour, we used ground almonds, oats and a little bit of coconut oil. We then sweetened the crumble (and the fruit filling) with granulated sweetener rather than sugar.
What other fruit can be used?
I want to make crumble a traditional dessert in my own little family and it's a great way to get kids to try different fruits. You could keep this a classic apple, or even pear, but the cherry really does add so much flavour.
Custard or ice cream?
Now it comes down to a debate that will turn your dinner table lively - what do you serve this Apple and Cherry Crumble with? Ice cream or custard? We went with ice cream, as we think a good quality vanilla ice cream is the perfect side to a comforting crumble.
But, if you are more of a custard kind of person, then you go for it!
FAQs
We hardly ever have any leftovers of this, as we can happily eat double portions! But if you do, it will keep in the fridge for two to three days. You could freeze it in containers, but the topping might go a little soggy once defrosted.
When it comes to the best apple for your an apple crumble, we like to use a crisp, tart variety that keeps fairly solid when baking. Something like a Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work well. You could use a mixture of the two, or Golden Delicious is another good choice.
Yes, with this recipe you do have to soften them in a pan first, this means that they don't have to be in the oven as long.
Yes, you can make the apples and cherries and topping in advance, layer it in your baking dish and then just put it in the oven to crisp up before you are ready to serve it.
You can put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes to reheat, or put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. If it has been in the freezer, then allow it to fully defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Extra tips
- If you don't have cherries, you could use blackberries or blueberries instead.
- Add a little more crunch to the topping by adding some chopped up pecans or walnuts.
- We served ours with ice cream, but you can serve it with custard if you want something warmer. Or even a dollop of creme fraiche.
- It's really simple and takes less than 30 minutes to make - you could even prepare it ahead of time and then just throw it in the oven when everyone is ready for dessert.
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Recipe
Apple and Cherry Crumble
Ingredients
Filling:
- 4 Apples, peeled and chopped
- 200 g Fresh cherries stoned and chopped
- 1 tablespoon Coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon Sweetener
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Crumble:
- 100 g Ground almonds
- 80 g Oats (blended into flour)
- 3 tablespoon Coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon Sweetener
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to a large pan and gently heat the apples and cherries for 5 minutes.4 Apples,, 1 tablespoon Coconut oil, 200 g Fresh cherries
- Add 2tbsp sweetener and cinnamon and cook for a further 2 minutes.2 tablespoon Sweetener, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pour the fruit mixture in to a oven dish.
- Make the crumble mix by putting the almonds and oats in to a food processor and blending until a flour consistency. Add 3tbsp coconut oil and sweetener and blend again.100 g Ground almonds, 80 g Oats, 3 tablespoon Coconut oil, 2 tablespoon Sweetener
- Crumble the mixture over the fruit and then put the dish in the oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for 35-40 minutes.
Notes
- If you don't have cherries, you could use blackberries or blueberries instead.
- Add a little more crunch to the topping by adding some chopped up pecans or walnuts.
- We served ours with ice cream, but you can serve it with custard if you want something warmer. Or even a dollop of creme fraiche.
- It's really simple and takes less than 30 minutes to make - you could even prepare it ahead of time and then just throw it in the oven when everyone is ready for dessert.
Joyce Klein
I was planning to make an apple cherry crumble or crisp and was looking for recipes to check the proportions. Thanks! This looks great -- and did you realize it's gluten free? Extra added bonus!!!!
georgie
cherry and apple sounds like an amazing combination!!!
Annissa
What a quick and easy delicious fall recipe! Love the step by step photos too!
Traci
So simple, healthy, and delicious! I love me some oat and almond crumble topping too...it's my fav! This is the perfect fall dessert...just pinned!
Caroline
Crumbles were a big favorite in our house when I was a child, but never had one with cherry - gives a lovely color and I can imagine the flavor is great too.