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Hi Bold Bakers!
I have a super soft spot in my heart for this Irish Apple Crumble recipe. This traditional Irish apple crumble is actually the very first dessert I baked with the Original Bold Baker, my mum, way back when in our family kitchen. With my four siblings and me, you can imagine how much baking my mum has done—food has always been my family’s hobby!
In fact, when I originally shared the video of this recipe, I was back home in Ireland for the holidays, cooking this apple crumble with my mum. You really can’t beat simple Irish cooking with really good ingredients.
I love crumbles, especially this Irish Apple Crumble, because they’re great to scoop into a bowl and enjoy during colder weather, and they’re all super easy to make. Try other fruits, like strawberry and rhubarb during the summer, or another one of my all-time favorites, pear and chocolate crisp.
This recipe is also now a part of my Bold Baking Worldwide series! Try some of my other latest recipes from around the world: Gooey Butter Cake, Sourdough English Muffins, English Sticky Toffee Pudding.
What Is Irish Apple Crumble?
This Irish Apple Crumble is the very same recipe that my mom made us when we were kids. It is made with very tart, bitter apples that get sprinkled with sugar and covered with a crumble mixture. The apples bake down into a warm, delicious, sweet mixture, and the crumble bakes to be crispy. It’s a humble dessert, but the flavor and texture combination can’t be beaten.
What You Need To Make Irish Apple Crumble
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 8 x 8-inch ovenproof dish
- Mixing bowls
How To Make Irish Apple Crumble
This recipe comes together in no time and bakes in less than an hour. During that hour, your whole house becomes filled with the most delicious scent of baking apples. Here is how you make a tried and true Irish Apple Crumble (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below)::
- Peel, core, and chop your apples into small chunks and put them into an 8×8-inch ovenproof dish. To stop the apples from brown, squeeze fresh lemon juice on top. (It’s okay if they brown, it won’t affect the taste at all.) Sprinkle the sugar over the apples.
- Make the crumble topping by putting the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add in the cold butter and use your hands (or a pastry blender) to rub the butter until the mixture looks like large breadcrumbs. You want both big and small pieces of butter to remain. Pour the crumble on top of the apples.
- Bake the crumble at 350°F (180°C) for 35-45 minutes, or until it is nicely browned on top and the apples are bubbling.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Irish Apple Crumble
- Use crisp, fresh apples. Otherwise, the apples become too mushy when baked. The best apples to use are tart ones, like Granny Smith, to balance out the sweetness of the sugar.
- Taste your ingredients! Take a taste of the apples you plan on using and adjust how much sugar you think the recipe needs. Don’t be afraid to change the amount!
- Good, quality ingredients really let this dessert shine. I would highly recommend buying good quality butter. Kerrygold is a wonderfully delicious Irish butter that you can find in some US stores.
How Do I Store Irish Apple Crumble?
Crumbles are best the day they are made because the crumble won’t have the time to get mushy from the baked apples. However, any leftover Irish Apple Crumble can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make More Dessert!
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
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Watch The Recipe Video!
My Mum's Authentic Irish Apple Crumble Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium cooking apples (Bramley or granny smith)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup (4oz/115g) granulated sugar/ caster sugar (divided, half for apples the other half for crumble topping)
- ¾ cup (6oz/170g) all-purpose/plain flour
- ½ cup (3oz/85g) butter (cold and cubed)
Instructions
- Peel, core, and chop the apples into 1-2cm chunks.
- Put the apples into an 8 x 8-inch ovenproof dish. Toss in some lemon juice to stop it from going brown. Sprinkle over half of the sugar.
- Place the flour and half sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the cold butter and use your hands (or a pastry blender) to rub in the butter until the mixture resembles large breadcrumbs. Pour this evenly on top of the apples. (The crumble topping can be made a day in advance and it can also be frozen.)
- Bake the crumble at 350°F (180°C) for 35-45 minutes or until nicely browned on top and the apples are bubbling. Enjoy hot with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream. Enjoy!
I grew up on a very similar recipe, difference is cinnamon, added to both the apples and the crumble topping. It is called Apple Crisp. My Mom made these in apple season and froze them unbaked. Had them throughout the year. I still make the recipe, only I use store bought apples.
This was such a wonderful and easy recipe. The end result was delicious and so fancy looking for my parents who had never had apple crumble before. I tricked them into believing I am an amazing cook 😁. Thanks for this recipe!
Having been born in Belfast NI and spent my Uni and grad school as well as early professional life there as well I have always been a massive fan of a lovely Crumble . Your Mums recipe is pretty much the same as my Mums ( Both so yummy) I have taken to tweek it a bit by adding blackberries and fresh warm Custard . I now spend all months of the year working in Rwanda East Africa where my colleagues are beyond grateful for so many of your wonderful recipes . Unfortunately I could get the picture to atttatch… Read more »
Hi Gemma!!
Baked your apple crumb today and it turned out to be really good.
Everybody in my family liked it and enjoyed it with homemade ice cream.
But unfortunately couldn’t click a picture of my bold bake:)
Looks delicious. I add cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg to the crumble and cinnamon to the apples as well.
I just made this apple crumble. I did not have butter so used margarine, maybe that is why it did not brown because the topping went on in clumps. I left in for 55mts. But my goodness, this tastes delicious!!! I loved it. Next time i use butter! Lol.
Made it today… It’s so delicious and super easy and simple to make. I did add a sprinkle of Cinnamon to the apples. Gonna make this all the time now! Thanks so much for the recipe, Gemma!
What is caster sugar
Looked for the Wexford Whipping cream, still no luck. any ideas
Gemma , Sometime you should try the northern spy apple for your recipes, they are or sound like the ones you have in Ireland, very tart and solid, my gram always use them for apple pie’s and anything she baked, These are the best in my humble opinion . love all your videos and can’t wait to try your puff pastry recipe.