Learn how to make a delicious apple blackberry crumble with this easy recipe. This is a twist on the classic apple crisp with blackberries in the filling and oats in the topping creating the perfect late summer, early fall dessert.
Combining apples and blackberries is a great way to mark the changing of the season when late summer turns into early autumn. Both these fruits are featured prominently at local markets during that period so you might as well bake with them together.
I've done this combination before with these hearty apple blackberry muffins that are very moist and make a great snack.
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Ingredients
This apple blackberry crumble is made from a simple list of ingredients and you likely have most of them in your pantry!
- butter—use unsalted butter or adjust the salt in the topping
- sugar—any sugar will do, whether light or dark brown sugar or granulated sugar
- flour—bleached all-purpose flour you can also use a mix of all-purpose and buckwheat, or all-purpose and whole wheat
- oats—use rolled oats (or large flake oats). Do not use quick or minute oats which have a finer texture that is less interesting
- salt—I used Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt. If using table salt, add half the amount
- apples—use baking apples that hold their shape like Cortland, Granny Smith, Gala, or Honeycrisp apples, or use a combination with a saucing apple like McIntosh. Do not use saucing apples only for the filling as it will turn to mush and lack texture.
- lemon juice—use fresh or bottled lemon juice. It's optional and used to create an acidic water bath to prevent the peeled apples from browning while you peel and slice them all.
- berries—use fresh blackberries washed, dried, and picked over, but frozen will also work. You don't have to defrost them.
- thickener—use cornstarch, not flour to avoid making the filling cloudy
- vanilla—it's optional but I love to add vanilla bean paste to fruit crisps. You could also use vanilla extract.
Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
This is a very simple recipe. Your substitution and variation options are limited.
- sugar—any sugar will do, whether light or dark brown sugar or granulated sugar. Don't use coarse sugar that may be too slow to dissolve, especially in the filling.
- vanilla—it's optional, but I love to add vanilla bean paste to fruit crisps. You could also use vanilla extract.
- spices—while I only used vanilla in the fruit filling and no flavourings in the topping, you can add spices to the oat topping, like cinnamon to add flavour, like ½–1 teaspoon (2.5–5 mL)
- berries—I used fresh wild blackberries which have a great flavour but they are only available in late summer where I live. You could also use frozen berries instead. Don't defrost them.
Don't have blackberries? Try this apple and blueberry crumble!
Instructions
Like all fruit crisps and crumbles, there are two components to prepare to make this apple blackberry crumble: the oat topping and the apple blackberry filling. I like to start by making the topping first to stick it in the fridge to firm up while I make the filling.
Step 1—start by making the oat crumble topping by combining the dry topping ingredients with the sugar (image 1) and whisking them until evenly dispersed (image 2). Then drop the diced butter into the bowl of dry ingredients (image 3) and work the mixture with your fingertips until it resembles wet sand (image 4).
Tip: I like to take the topping a step further, working it into a cookie dough texture that clumps together, but you don't have to.
Step 2—Prepare the apples by peeling them all (image 5) and then coring and slicing them into 1-inch slices (image 6).
Tip: Since there are a lot of apples to peel and slice, have a bowl of lemon water on the side to drop the apples in as you peel them. This will reduce the browning that may happen with certain apple varieties.
Step 3—Prepare the fruit filling by first mixing together the sugar and cornstarch (image 7). Use a whisk or even your fingertips to make sure the mixture has no lumps in it (image 8), then add the sliced apples and blackberries, along with vanilla bean paste (image 9) and use your hands to mix the fruit filling really well, being sure to lift up from the bottom and get all the sugar off the bottom of the bowl (image 10).
Hint: how much thickener you use is entirely dependent on the types of apples, how juicy the berries are, and how thick or thin you want the fruit filling. I created a thick filling with cornstarch and a mixture of apple varieties, but you can use less (or no thickener) for a loose filling.
Step 4: Transfer the fruit filling to a deep 9x13x2-inch (23x33x5-cm) (image 11). I used a metal OXO pan, but a glass Pyrex pan will work too. Scatter the oat crumble topping over the fruit (image 12) making sure that it is spread out in an even layer from edge to edge (image 13). Bake until golden brown and bubbling in the centre (image 14).
Top Baking Tip
Make sure to bake crisps and crumbles until the fruit layer is bubbling and the topping is golden. Otherwise, it may be underbaked!
To help make serving easier, I baked this recipe in a non-stick OXO 9x13 baking pan. You can also butter the pan before scattering the filling and topping to help prevent any sticking. And always place the baking dish on a sheet pan to catch the drips if it bubbles over!
Crumble FAQs
I like to make apple crisps with a few different apple varieties. Combine apples that hold their shape when baked (like Cortland, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Gala apples) with apples that break down a little (like McIntosh or Jersey Macs). I would not recommend using apple varieties that break down on their own when making this dessert because the filling will basically be mush. Always use a few varieties (or baking apples) to create a filling with some texture.
Store fruit crisps and crumbles at room temperature, covered with foil, for up to 3 days.
What to Serve With This
I love to serve pies, crisps, and crumbles with either ice cream or custard sauce. Try one of these:
Other Apple Desserts
If you tried this recipe for apple blackberry crumble with oats (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Apple and Blackberry Crumble
Equipment
Ingredients
Oat crumble topping
- 230 grams unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
- 200 grams light brown sugar
- 190 grams bleached all-purpose flour you can also use a mix of all-purpose and buckwheat, or all-purpose and whole wheat
- 140 grams rolled oats (or large flake oats)
- 2.5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
Apple blackberry filling
- 1.75 kg Cortland apple(s) I used 10 small–medium apples
- 30 mL fresh lemon juice
- 450 grams fresh blackberries washed, dried, and picked over
- 100 grams light brown sugar
- 30 grams cornstarch
- 10 mL vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190 °C). Butter a large baking dish or casserole dish (I used a 9x13x2-inch baking pan with a non-stick finish, but a Pyrex or ceramic pan would work fine). Set the baking dish on a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment (to catch any drips). Set aside.
Oat crumble topping
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, oats, sugar, and salt. Add in the cubes of cold butter and toss it in the dry mixture to coat all the pieces. You can do this with your fingertips. Press and work the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a crumbly topping with lots of texture. Set aside. You can refrigerate the crumble topping if your kitchen is warm.
Apple blackberry filling
- Peel and core the apples, and then slice them into 1-inch slices. Place them in a bowl with the lemon juice and some water to immerse them and prevent the apples from browning while you work. Pat them dry before mixing with the rest of the filling ingredients
- Wash, dry, and pick over the blackberries to remove any stems or twigs. Pat them dry
- Mix the cornstarch and sugar until evenly mixed in a large bowl, being sure to squish any lumps.
- Drain and pat the fruit dry and add to the large bowl of sugar and cornstarch, along with the vanilla bean paste.
- Stir the filling really well to make sure the fruit is evenly coated. Ensure that all the sugar and cornstarch are incorporated throughout the fruit. Pour the fruit evenly into the bottom of the buttered baking dish.
- Scatter globs of the crumble topping over the fruit from edge-to-edge.
- Bake the blackberry apple crumble for 45 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 350 ºF (175 °C). Continue baking until the fruit layer is bubbling, the topping is golden brown. This takes another 20–30 minutes or so.
- Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or custard sauce.
Notes
- sugar—any sugar will do, whether light or dark brown sugar or granulated sugar
- vanilla—it's optional but I love to add vanilla bean paste to fruit crisps. You could also use vanilla extract.
- spices—while I only used vanilla in the fruit filling and no flavourings in the topping, you can add spices to the oat topping, like cinnamon to add flavour, like ½–1 teaspoon (2.5–5 mL)
- berries—I used fresh wild blackberries, which have a great flavour but they are only available in late summer where I live. You could also use frozen berries instead. Don't defrost them.
- Feel free to modify the amount and type of thickener. You can try using more to achieve a thicker, more set fruit filling, and try arrowroot or tapioca starch instead of cornstarch.
- I don't recommend using flour as a thickener because it will make the filling appear cloudy.
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