The Ultimate Easy Apple & Blackberry Shortbread Crumble Recipe
Autumn marks the beginning of the comfort food season and that means puddings are back on the menu!
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Crumbles are a very traditional British pudding that generations have enjoyed together. A good hot dessert that tastes so delicious is a must in the colder months and there is a good reason why apple and blackberry crumble remains the definitive British autumn pudding.
It is simple, unpretentious, and completely comforting. This recipe takes those classic, nostalgic flavours and gives them a slight upgrade with a rich, buttery shortbread crumble topping.
The sharp, deep purple blackberries balance perfectly against the sweet, tender apples, while the shortbread elements give you those coveted, chunky golden nuggets on top rather than the sandy texture of a traditional crumble.
It is best served straight from the oven, ideally with a generous helping of hot, proper custard.
The Secret to a Perfect Shortbread Crumble Topping
A traditional crumble topping is usually made by rubbing cold butter into plain flour and sugar, which can sometimes result in a sandy, dry texture. For this recipe, we are using a rich shortbread method instead.
By increasing the butter ratio, using it at room temperature and keeping the mixture clumpy before it hits the oven, the topping bakes into substantial, golden biscuit nuggets. It provides a brilliant texture contrast to the soft fruit underneath, staying beautifully crisp even when drowned in hot custard.
Choosing the Right Apples and Blackberries
For the best flavour balance, a mix of tart and sweet apples works best. Bramley apples are the traditional British choice for baking because they cook down into a beautiful, fluffy sauce. However, for this recipe we’ve chosen to use sweet eating apples like Granny smith’s as they hold their shape and add texture to the finished crumble rather than an apple sauce finish.
You can use whichever apples you have, just use a small amount of sugar when initially cooking the apples as each have a different natural sweetness level. Taste as you go and only add more sugar if necessary.
If you are picking wild blackberries from the hedgerows in early autumn make sure yu pick them while they are still firm but definitely black. This is perfect for cooking and also makes it easier to give them a thorough wash!
Top Tips for the Ultimate British Crumble
- Mix the crumble more than you would normally : Traditional crumble recipes instruct to stop rubbing the cold butter into the flour when it looks like breadcrumbs. For our shortbread crumble, we take it further until the mixture looks like wet sand and starts to form into little clumps. These clumps turn into the best crunchy bits.
- Don’t pack down: To keep this topping crumbly, just sprinkle to crumble mixture over the fruit. If you press it down, you’ll get a biscuit crust…just as delicious but not a crumble!
- Pre-cook the apples: Apples take longer to soften than blackberries. Simmering the sliced apples with a splash of water and sugar for 5 minutes before adding the berries ensures everything is perfectly tender at the same time.
- Let it bubble: You will know the crumble is perfectly baked when the crumble topping is beautifully golden and the deep purple blackberry juices start thickly bubbling up around the golden edges of the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. You can assemble the fruit layer and the shortbread crumble separately up to 24 hours in advance. Keep them covered in the fridge, then simply scatter the crumble on top just before you are ready to bake.
What size dish should I use?
Look in your cupboard for a dish that roughly matches one of these standard sizes:
- Rectangular or Oval: Approx. 23cm x 18cm (9 x 7 inches) with a depth of at least 5cm (2 inches).
- Square: A standard 20cm x 20cm (8 x 8 inches) brownie or baking tin.
- Round: A 23cm (9-inch) deep pie dish or cast-iron skillet.
The Depth Check – When you pack your fruit into the dish, it should fill it about halfway to two-thirds of the way up. This leaves a perfect 2cm gap at the top to loosely pile on your soft-butter crumbs and sprinkle your final layer of Demerara sugar.
A glass dish is a great choice as everyone can see the jewel-like colours of the fruit under the beautiful golden crumble when you carry the dish to the table
Can I use frozen fruit?
Absolutely. If using frozen blackberries or apples, cook in the same way but it will probably take less time to soften. Keep an eye on the apples to make sure they don’t go too far before adding the blackberries.
How to Serve
What to serve with your crumble is very much a matter or personal taste but hot creamy custard poured all over is the traditional way to go. Cold, silky homemade dairy vanilla ice cream is also incredibly delicious.
Equipment You Will Need:
This is a very easy recipe and uses just a few pieces of basic equipment.
Large mixing bowls for the apple chunks to sit in lemon water while you peel and chop the apples and for mixing the crumble topping
A vegetable peeler is incredibly useful for peeling all sorts of vegetables and hard fruits
Chopping board and knife for cutting the apples
A large frying pan for cooking the apples and blackberries
A wooden spoon for stirring the fruit during cooking
Oven-proof Baking Dish – a practical glass serving dish will show all of the jewel-like fruit underneath the delicious golden shortbread crumble
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The Recipe:
Apple & Blackberry Shortbread Crumble
Equipment
- 1 Vegetable Peeler
- 1 Paring Knife
- 1 Chopping Board
- 1 Scales
- 2 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Large Frying Pan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Tablespoon
- 1 Oven Proof Baking Dish around 1.5 to 2 litres
Ingredients
- 600 grams Apples (about 6 apples)
- 250 grams Blackberries
- 50 grams Golden caster Sugar (use more or less to taste)
- 200 grams Plain Flour
- 135 grams Butter, cubed
- 65 grams Golden caster Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Demerara Sugar
- 1 lemon, squeezed – juice only
Instructions
- Fill one of the mixing bowls with cold water and add the juice of the lemon
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel the apples easily.
- Cut each apple into quarters and remove the core.
- Chop each quarter into chunks – about 9 chunks per quarter
- As you chop each quarter, place the chunks of apple into the lemon water. this prevents the pieces turning brown while you continue to peel and chop.
- Drain the apples and place into the frying pan with half of the sugar and a small splash of water – about a tablespoon
- Heat the apples, stirring together with the sugar, until they start to soften.
- Taste at this point to see if the apples are sweet enough. Add more sugar if necessary and cook for another minute and taste again.
- When the apples are sweet enough add in the blackberries.
- Continue to cook over a low heat until the blackberries start to release their juice and turn the apples a beautiful ruby red.
- Take the frying pan off the heat immediately and spoon the fruit into the ovenproof baking dish
- Now make the crumble
- Place the flour into the other mixing bowl and rub in the butter gently with just you fingertips until the mixture looks like wet sand.
- Stop at this stage and stir in the caster sugar
- Continue to work the mixture very gently until it starts to form small clumps then stop.
- Spoon the crumble mixture ontop of the fruit but do not press it down – this is a rich, buttery mixture that will form a crust if you do!
- Gently spread the mixture evenly so that it reaches all the edges
- Sprinkle over the demerara sugar for extra crunch
- Bake for approx. 30 minutes until the crumble is beautifully golden
- Preheat oven to 190℃ / 170℃ Fan / 375℉ / Gas 5
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