This apple blackberry crumble combines two of my favorite fruits to make an easy and delicious dessert for any occasion. It's a wonderful use of your fall apples as the texture of the apple chunks contrasts perfectly with your fresh or frozen blackberries. This is a great St. Patrick's Day treat, as the apple blackberry crumble is a popular dessert in Ireland!
You can serve it with a scoop of no-churn vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. Either way, it's sure to be a hit.
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Perfectly baked fruit combines with a delightful crumb topping to make this fabulous dessert.
While it may not look like a traditional Irish recipe, you'd likely find apple blackberry crumble on menus across the country!
It's a wonderful combination of fall fruits and a quick and easy dessert to make any time of the year.
For more Irish Recipes and Irish Desserts, check out my page here! Or view all of our Irish recipes plus some fun St. Paddy's Day-themed recipes!
🥘 Ingredients
It doesn't take many ingredients to make this tasty dessert! You only have to grab fresh fruit and a few pantry staples to start!
Apple Blackberry Filling
- Apples - 8 medium apples that are cored, thinly sliced, and cut. I like to combine a sweet but firm variety for my apple baking, so I suggest using either Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp apples.
- Blackberries - 2 cups of fresh or frozen blackberries, rinsed.
- Lemon - 1 large lemon, including the zest and juice.
- Sugar - 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
Crumble Topping
- Almond Flour - 1 cup of almond flour or use an almond flour substitute.
- Quick Oats - ½ cup of quick oats.
- Light Brown Sugar - ½ cup of light brown sugar or use a light brown sugar substitute.
- Butter - ¾ cup of salted butter, melted. You can also use a butter substitute if desired.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Apple Blackberry Crumble
Like any fruit crisp or crumble, this apple blackberry crisp is a super easy dessert with minimal prep time. Dice and combine your fruit, and you're almost done!
To begin, you will need a 2-quart baking dish (or a 9x13), a large mixing bowl, a cutting board, a chef's knife, and some measuring cups.
This recipe will make about 8 servings.
Prep & Make The Fruit Filling
Step 1: Prep. Preheat your oven to 375ºF (190ºC/Gas Mark 5) and butter or grease your eight ramekins, a 2-quart baking dish, or a 9x13 baking pan. *The filling should cover the bottom of the flat baking dish adequately but not be deeper than approximately 1 ½ inches.
Step 2: Combine the fruit. In a large bowl, combine 8 chopped medium apples with enough lemon juice to coat the sliced and cut apples (to prevent browning and add flavor). Add the lemon zest and 2 tablespoons (24 grams) of sugar and stir to coat thoroughly. Then add 2 cups (288 grams) of blackberries and stir them in gently.
Step 3: Transfer the mixture. Portion the filling out into your prepared ramekins or baking dish.
Make The Crumble Topping
Step 4: Mix the crumble. To make the crumble topping, combine 1 cup (112 grams) of almond flour, ½ cup (40 grams) of quick oats, and ½ cup (110 grams) of brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add ¾ cup (170 grams) of melted butter and coat the dry mixture using a fork. Break up any chunks and stir until you have a good, crumbly appearance.
Step 5: Sprinkle. Use the fork to help spread the crumble topping over the fruit filling in your individual ramekin portions or baking dish.
Bake & Serve
Step 6: Bake. Transfer to the middle rack of your preheated oven and bake at 375ºF (190ºC/Gas Mark 5) for approximately 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
Step 7: Cool and serve. Remove from the oven and cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. This dish is exceptional when served warm but can also be served at room temperature or chilled.
🍴 What To Serve With
Try it with a scoop of vanilla nice cream or chantilly cream for an amazing combo that everyone will love.
If you love this fruit dessert as much as I do, check out my other apple and blackberry recipes. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Selecting Apples: For a fruit filling that benefits from a semi-tart flavor and maintains a firm texture during baking, I suggest using Gala, Fuji. Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Jonagold apples.
- Adjusting Sugar: The need to add extra sugar to your fruit filling can vary based on the natural sweetness of your apples and the ripeness of your blackberries. If you're using a sweeter variety of apples, you might find it unnecessary to add additional sugar.
- Preventing Soggy Fillings: Opting for naturally sweet apples can also help prevent fruit filling from becoming too runny. Sugar tends to draw moisture out of fruit, leading to excess liquid.
🥄 Make Ahead Options
When I bake a crisp or crumble, I try to make it either a) just large enough for the right amount of servings desired or b) use individual ramekins for the desired servings.
Otherwise, make your fillings and store them either refrigerated or frozen in an air-tight container or freezer storage bag.
Mix your crumble topping, minus any butter, and store in a separate storage bag.
Assemble, add butter, and bake on demand when desired!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Note that your crispy crumble topping may suffer soggy results when refrigerated.
Reheating
Reheat portions by placing the desired portion in an oven-safe dish and warm at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) until heated through. This method can bring the crispness back to your crumble topping in the first few days of being refrigerated!
For quick reheating, microwave in 30-second increments until warmed to your desired temperature.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
The amount of butter can directly affect how your crumble topping turns out with any fruit-to-crumble or crisp recipe. The biggest thing to avoid is using too much butter, which can make an oily mess and is hard to salvage. On the other hand, too little butter, and you have a dry or patchy topping.
The difference is based largely on where you live. In the UK, crisp and crumble are, generally speaking, terms that are used interchangeably. Most people I know have always referred to a dessert with a crumb or crumble topping containing things like oats, nuts, or seeds as a crisp. My blackberry crisp (similar to this crumble) is a perfect example of what is considered a 'crisp' dessert.
I've seen quite a few recipes and recommendations to remove apple peels before baking in crisps, crumbles, pies, etc. I don't usually do that myself, but it is a personal preference and completely up to you!
☘️ More Tasty Irish Recipes
- Irish Lamb Stew - An easy-to-make main course recipe loaded with vegetables and tender lamb meat!
- Irish Nachos - Layered potato slices are topped with cheese, jalapeno, bacon, chives, and more to make delicious nachos!
- Corned Beef and Cabbage - A traditional Irish dinner recipe made with corned beef brisket, Guinness, and tender vegetables!
- Irish Barmbrack - This tasty fruit bread is made without yeast and is full of dried fruit that has been soaked in tea overnight!
- Potato Leek Soup - This easy soup is perfect for St. Patrick's Day or any other occasion!
- Irish Potato Candy - These delicious candies may look like tiny potatoes but taste like coconut and cinnamon!
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📖 Recipe Card
Apple Blackberry Crumble
Ingredients
Apple Blackberry Filling
- 8 medium apples (Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp are recommended - cored, thinly sliced, and cut)
- 1 large lemon (zest and juice)
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen, rinsed)
Crumble Topping
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup quick oats
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup butter (salted, melted)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Prep & Make The Fruit Filling
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C/Gas Mark 5) and butter or grease your eight individual ramekins, a 2-quart baking dish, or a 9 x 13 baking pan. *The filling should cover the bottom of the flat baking dish adequately but not be deeper than approx 1 ½ inches.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped 8 medium apples with enough 1 large lemon juice to coat the sliced and cut apples (to prevent browning and add flavor). Add the 1 large lemon zest and 2 tablespoon sugar, stir to coat thoroughly. Then add the 2 cups blackberries and stir them in gently.
- Portion the filling out into your prepared ramekins or baking dish.
Make The Crumble Topping
- To make the crumble topping, combine the 1 cup almond flour, ½ cup quick oats, and ½ cup light brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add the melted ¾ cup butter and coat the dry mixture using a fork. Break up any chunks and stir until you have a good, crumbly appearance.
Bake & Serve
- Use the fork to help spread the crumble topping over the fruit filling in your individual ramekin portions or baking dish. Transfer to the middle rack of your preheated oven and bake at 375° F (190°C/Gas Mark 5) for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you want to use a semi-tart variety of apples with a firm texture, you should choose either Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Jonagold.
- Depending on your chosen apple variety and how perfectly ripe and plump your blackberries are, you may choose to omit any additional sugar. This is my preference for the fruit filling for this recipe, with a sweet variety of apples.
- This option also helps to avoid the issue of having a filling that gets too soggy. Sugar combines with your fresh fruit and draws moisture out, so using an apple variety that is sweet enough on its own is a best practice to prevent runny fillings.
- Store any unused apple blackberry crumble in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Note that your crispy crumble topping may suffer soggy results when refrigerated.
- Reheat portions by placing the desired portion in an oven-safe dish and warm at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) until heated through. This method can bring the crispness back to your crumble topping in the first few days of being refrigerated! For quick reheating, microwave in 30-second increments until warmed to your desired temperature.
Lori says
Can I substitute coconut flour for the almond flour?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, you can definitely make that substitution, or combine them for a lighter flour.
Angela says
I don't have any almond flour on hand. can I substitute with white flour?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, you can easily swap the almond flour for all-purpose flour with no modifications needed.
Michelle says
My crumble is a soup. I followed the instructions exactly. Maybe the butter should be softened but not melted?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hello Michelle, this is most likely to do with the fruit filling. I know (and will add notes) that when using frozen berries in my crumbles or crisps, that it is important to coat them with flour. Anytime a fruit filling looks too wet when mixed, it will almost undoubtedly add more moisture during the baking process. If your fruit looks very wet, sprinkle some all-purpose flour into the mix to help prevent the 'soupy' result. Hope that helps! ~ Angela