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Apple Blackberry Crumble is a simple, no-fuss dessert that combines the flavors of crisp apples and sweet blackberries with a crunchy, crumble topping. Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it’s the perfect summer dessert.
A fruit crumble is great served warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Other favorite summer fruit desserts are peach cobbler, blueberry cobbler, and strawberry rhubarb crisp.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Apple Blackberry Crumble Recipe
This Apple Blackberry Crumble is a mouthwatering dessert that beautifully combines the natural sweetness of apples with the tartness of blackberries. This homemade fruit crumble is the perfect treat for any occasion, whether it’s a cozy autumn evening or a gathering with friends and family.
With a golden, crispy crumble topping and a luscious fruit filling, this irresistible dessert is the perfect balance of flavors.
- Sweet and Tart Flavor Combo – brings together the natural sweetness of apples with the tartness of blackberries, creating a harmonious balance of flavors.
- Crunchy Topping – The soft, tender fruit filling contrasts beautifully with the crisp and buttery crumble topping for a delightful play of textures that adds depth and complexity to the dessert, making it a truly satisfying treat.
- Simple and Easy to Prepare – With a few basic ingredients and straightforward steps, this dessert can be effortlessly made at home. It is a great option for both experienced bakers and those new to baking.
- Make-Ahead and Leftover-Friendly – This dessert can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen, and reheated when needed, making it a convenient choice for entertaining or special occasions. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and enjoyed later, either reheated or served cold.
Ingredients
- Apples – I like to use a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith.
- Fresh Blackberries – I highly recommend buying berries at your local farmer’s market. If you buy them at the grocery store, be sure to look at the bottom of the package to make sure there aren’t any spoiled berries.
- Granulated Sugar – Regular white sugar for sweetness.
- All-Purpose Flour – To thicken the filling.
- Lemon Juice – Adding a splash of lemon juice helps prevent the apples from turning brown while you prep the recipe.
- For the Crumble Topping – Salted Butter, Light Brown Sugar, All-Purpose Flour, and Cinnamon.
How To Make an Apple Blackberry Crumble
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Prep – Start by preheating the oven and chop the apples into even chunks. Ideally, you want the apples and blackberries to be about the same size.
Mix Apples – Place the apples and other filling ingredients in a large bowl, toss to coat, and add to the baking dish.
Make the Crumble Topping – Mix together softened butter and brown sugar with a hand mixer until it’s light and fluffy, then add in flour and cinnamon.
Top with Crumble – Grab handfuls of the crumble dough, squeeze it tightly, then crumble over the top of the fruit.
Bake – Bake until the topping is golden brown, the center is bubbly, and the apples are tender. Cool for 15-25 minutes before serving so the fruit mixture thickens.
Recipe FAQs
You can prepare this apple blackberry crumble up to 24 hours in advance. Store in the fridge until ready to bake. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
Granny Smith apples are a popular choice for crumbles since they have a slight tartness that balances out the sugar. I like to use a mix of Granny Smith with some sweeter Honey Crisp.
A cobbler, crisp, and crumble are all fruit-based desserts. While a cobbler has a biscuit topping, a crumble has a streusel topping. A crisp is similar to a crumble but the streusel topping has oats.
Yes! Raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries would work as well. You could also use chopped peaches or pears instead of apples.
Variations
- Crunch and Texture – Add a handful of oats or chopped nuts to the crumble topping for extra texture.
- Slow Cooker – To make in a slow cooker: Follow directions as written, but assemble the crumble in the insert of a slow cooker. Cook on high 2-3 hours. The crumble topping will not be as brown as the oven method.
- 9×13” Baking Dish – This recipe will work in a 9×13” dish as well, check after 30 minutes of cooking.
- Cast Iron Skillet – Bake in a 12” cast iron skillet following 2 quart baking dish times.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftover crumble in the fridge, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350℉ oven until heated through, about 25 minutes.
Freezer: To freeze, wrap cooled desert tightly with plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Make-Ahead: Prepare the filling and crumble topping and store separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to bake, assemble and bake as directed.
Make Ahead and Freeze: Prepare the dessert but don’t bake it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake as directed. You can also freeze the crumble fully baked, then just thaw, warm if desired, and eat.
Helpful Tips
- Apple Variety – This recipe was developed using Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples. You can also use Fuji, Pink Lady, or your other favorite baking apple combination. Use a combination of tart and sweet apples for a balanced flavor.
- Fresh vs Frozen Blackberries – Frozen blackberries can be substituted for fresh, but they will break down more than fresh berries. Using fresh is recommended.
- Lemon Juice – Toss the fruit with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Topping Browning Too Fast? If your crumble topping browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
- Prevent Messes – Place a baking sheet underneath the dish to catch any potential drips during baking.
More Fruit Desserts
- Lemon Raspberry Bread
- Homemade Strawberry Shortcake with Biscuits
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Peach Crisp Recipe
- Cherry Crisp
- Easy Crockpot Apple Butter
Apple Blackberry Crumble
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 ½ pounds Honeycrisp apples about 4 medium
- 1 pound Granny Smith apples about 2 large
- 12 ounces fresh blackberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour scooped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Crumble topping
- 8 tablespoons salted butter, softened 1 stick
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Peel, core, and chop apples into ½ to 1” chunks. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, set aside. Preheat oven to 375℉ with rack positioned in the center of the oven.
- Place all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and gently toss to combine. Pour into a prepared baking dish.
- Place the softened butter and brown sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Mix with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add in the flour and cinnamon and beat on medium low speed until combined. You should be able to squeeze the dough together into a ball without it crumbling apart. If it won’t hold together when squeezed, add 1 tablespoon cold water.
- Grab handfuls of the dough, squeeze it tightly, then crumble over the fruit.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the center is bubbly, and the apples are crisp tender. Cool for 15-25 minutes before serving, this will allow the fruit mixture to continue to thicken.
Notes
- If your crumble topping browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
- Place a baking sheet underneath the dish to catch any potential drips during baking.
