Easy Cinnamon Spiced Apple Raisin Crumble
This scratch-made apple raisin crumble features caramelized cinnamon spiced apples, dark raisins and it is topped with a golden brown oats streusel!
Pumpkin vs Apple
Pumpkin seems to be everyone’s favorite ingredient for all fall recipes. Don’t get me wrong I do like pumpkin (take my pumpkin carrot cake for example). However, growing up in Greece all these fall pumpkin craziness wasn’t a thing. Apples on the other hand and more specifically the combination of apple with cinnamon feels really familiar to me. For this week I decided to share an easy apple raisin crumble featuring old fashion rolled oats for a chewier taste.
Yes, apple pie and apple tarts are great but what if you need something quick and easier to make? Don’t worry! If you follow all the steps you will enjoy a warm, chewy and crunchy apple raisin crumble in an hour!
How to Make Apple Raisin Crumble:
For the Apple Raisin Crumble Filling
First things first, you need good baking apples. I used organic Fuji apples but Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples work perfect as well. You could also use a mix of two or more apple varieties. Preheat the oven at 350 F. To start with, peel and slice the apples into thin slices. Place them in a bowl and set aside.
Moving forward, place a non-stick pan on the stove. Add the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
On medium-low heat let the sugar dissolve till it becomes light caramel. Do not stir till the sugar has completely dissolved and turned into golden brown.
Continue by adding the sliced apples, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest. Lastly, pour the raisins and stir well. The whole process does not take more than 15 minutes. When all the ingredients are covered with caramel and the mixture is not too runny remove the pan from the heat.
For the Crumble
Next, in a bowl add the flour, brown sugar and stir. I used dark brown sugar which tends to be lumpier, so using a fork I broke all the big chunks. Now, it’s time to add the butter in our mixture. If the butter is not cold enough you can pop it in the freezer for 20 minutes. Since this is a critical step do not omit to cool the butter well, because this will result in a soggy texture. Butter enhances both crispiness and browning of apple raisin crumble. Cut the butter into ½ inches pieces and add to the mixture.
Using your hands break the butter into small pieces till the mixture resembles wet sand and there are still pea sized crumps. Alternatively, you could use a food processor for the above step but I feel by using my hands I have better control of the texture.
Last but not least, add the oats, cinnamon and salt and give it a good stir. My version of apple raisin crumble uses toasted old fashioned oats. You might as well use homemade granola or muesli. Personally, I prefer using plain oats since they give the crumble an amazing texture and do not add up to the sweetness of the recipe.
Time to assemble the apple raisin crumble and off to the oven to bake. In a lightly 9’x9’ greased pan add the apple filling and using a spatula pat down the mixture so there are no big gaps. Spread the crumble. If you want you can sprinkle some extra cinnamon-sugar on top. Bake for around 30 minutes or until the top gets golden brown.
I know, I know you want to have a slice right away but friends just be a little patient! Let the apple raisin crumble cool down on a cooling rack for approximately one hour. Serve it with a cold scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!
Easy Apple Raisin Crumble
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 3 Apples Peeled and Sliced
- 100 gr Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Lemon Zest
- 100 gr Raisins Dark or Golden
For the Crumble
- 120 gr All Purpose Flour
- 100 gr Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 113 gr Unsalted Butter Chilled and Cubed
- 90 gr Old Fashioned Oats Toasted
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
For the Topping (Optional)
- 1 tsp Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 350 F.
- Peel and slice the apples into thin slices. Place them in a bowl and set aside.
- Place a non-stick pan on the stove. Add the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. On medium-low heat let the sugar dissolve till it becomes light caramel. Do not stir till the sugar has completely dissolved and turned into golden brown.
- Add the sliced apples, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest.
- Pour the raisins and stir well. When all the ingredients are covered with caramel and the mixture is not too runny, remove the pan from heat.
- In a bowl add the flour, dark brown sugar, salt and stir. Brake the big chunks of sugar using a fork.
- Cut the butter into ½ inches pieces and add them to the mixture. Using your hands break the butter into small pieces till the mixture resembles wet sand and there are still pea sized crumps.
- Add the oats, cinnamon and give it a good stir.
- In a lightly 9’x9’ greased pan add the apple filling and using a spatula pat down the mixture so there are no big gaps.
- Spread the crumble. If you want you can sprinkle some extra cinnamon-sugar on top.
- Bake for around 30 minutes or until the top gets golden brown.
- Let the apple raisin crumble cool down on a cooling rack for approximately one hour.
- Serve it with a cold scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!
Notes
- The recipe works well with both peeled and unpeeled apples. It is totally a matter of preference.
- You can omit raisins but please try it at least once as shared in the recipe. Raisins pair perfectly with apples and cinnamon. You could also substitute raisins with cranberries.
- If you use salted butter, do not add salt in the recipe.
- If you have a sweet tooth like me the amount of sweetness will be ok. Alternatively, you can reduce the amount of sugar for the crumble but not the apple raisin filling.
- Note that all ovens bake differently, so yours may take a little less or a little more time to bake.
- Apple crumble should be consumed ideally same day. Otherwise, it can be stored for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
- Have any questions about the recipe or want to ask for substitutions? Contact me and I will be happy to help!
Nutrition
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