Apple Blackberry Crumble: Easy, Simple And Healthy

This apple blackberry crumble is definitely one you want to devour in cold weather for delicious comfort. With slightly tangy fruits and crunchy oaty wholemeal topping, this classic dessert is a perfect choice to pair with vanilla ice cream or custard. 

Fairly healthy comfort dessert

Unlike most recipes, here I’m sharing a fairly healthy version of the apple crumble recipe. And I choose blackberry to go with the apples. Because the two are simply good together.

If you prefer, you can use different berries such as raspberries, gooseberries or strawberries.

I have actually posted a recipe for apple and raspberry crumble that you can refer to.

You may wonder why I should post another crumble recipe with almost identical fruit combos. This is because I use different ingredients for the crispy topping of both recipes.

In my previous recipe, the topping uses a combination of plain flour, oats and loads of seeds. And in this one, I do not use plain flour, nor do I use the seeds. Instead, I use wholemeal flour and oats only.

However, I feel that both are reasonably healthy comfort desserts. And both offer goodness in their own ways. 

For this apple and blackberry crumble recipe, I have the inspiration from The Complete Book Of Diabetes Cooking by Bridget Jones. A friend of mine gave me the book when she found out that I have to be careful with my sugar intake. 

But I admit that I don’t follow the recipe to the letter as I find it too strict in flavour and texture. The original recipe uses eating apples which taste sweeter. And I prefer granny smith apples for cooking because they offer fresh tanginess in the end product. 

So, this recipe is my own version of healthy apple and blackberry crumble. 

And if you need more ideas for comfort dessert, check out this southern blueberry cobbler by Upstate Ramblings or this fresh strawberry pie by Mommy Evolution, you won’t regret.

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What you need to make it

You only need 7 items for this apple blackberry crisp. And they are:

1. Apples.
2. Blackberries.
3. Wholemeal flour.
4. Oats.
5. Light soft brown sugar.
6. Salted butter.
7. Cinnamon powder. 

Equipment needed

• Mixing bowls.
• Apple corer.
• Peeler.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Ovenproof pie dish.
• Wooden spoon.

How to make apple and blackberry crumble

As we know, apples turn their colour brown quickly due to the oxidation process. Though you can prevent it by adding lemon juice to the apples, I prefer not to do that. 

Simply because the granny smith apples tend to have a tangy taste. So I don’t need more sourness from the lemon juice.

Therefore, we have to work quickly.

I’d say place all the ingredients nearby, within reach. And prepare all the equipment needed.

Then preheat your oven to gas 5/ 190°C/ 375°F.

Prepare and butter your ovenproof dish.

Mix the wholemeal flour with cinnamon. Then rub it into the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Then add in the oats and brown sugar. Rub again until they all mix and become slightly wet and sticky.

Then quickly peel, core and chop the apples. Place them on the dish and scatter the blackberries on top. 

Sprinkle the soft brown sugar over the fruits before covering them with

the topping mixture. You can gently press the topping with the back of a spoon.

Bake your apple blackberry crumble for about 40 minutes or until the top looks brownish and crispy. 

Tips to make the scrumptious crumble

• Try your apple and blackberry a little bit to find out how sour it is. Because some apples and blackberries are tangier than others. So you may want to adjust how much sugar you want to put in the fruits. Though I always find 2 tablespoons of soft brown sugar is enough. 
• Cut your apples in similar sizes so they will cook evenly. 

Storing matter

You can keep the crumble in the refrigerator for up to one week. Just make sure you cover it tightly with a clingfilm/ saran wrap before placing it in the fridge. 

There are two ways of freezing this classic dessert. The first one, you freeze the baked crumble. And the second one, you freeze the assembled crumble on the dish without baking it. 

Reheat the frozen baked crumble in the preheated oven at gas 5/ 190°C/ 375°F for 30-40 minutes. And about 40-45 minutes for the unbaked crumble. 

More comfort dessert recipes

Thank you for checking this apple blackberry crumble recipe. I hope you like what you read and will try it out. When you do, I’ll really appreciate it if you share what you think about the recipe in the comments below (leave a reply).

You may also want to check my other recipes for comfort desserts.

• Sticky toffee pudding.
• Carrot cake. 
• Apple crumble cake. 
• Mary Berry’s apple cake.

Last but not least, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram and/or Pinterest. To sneak a peek at what’s cooking in my kitchen. 

Take care and all the best.