Oma’s Apple Crumble (APFELKRÜMEL) | Recipe | Elle Republic (2024)

Oma’s Apple Crumble (APFELKRÜMEL) | Recipe | Elle Republic (1)

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Inside this apple crumble are a number of tender apples and crumble topping that provides plenty of sweetness and crunch. This is an original German recipe that has been passed down for generations, thanks to my friend Ines. It is her Oma’s apple crumble recipe, a traditional family recipe. It’s a simple recipe that uses just a little more than a handful of ingredients and I have to say, what makes it particularly special is how the sugar and butter caramelize in the oven to form an amazingly delicious crumble crust.


It’s an apple crumble that everyone raves about, one that always has them coming back for more. And because Oma’s Apfelkrümel has developed such a reputation over this years, it’s fine time it be shared. This recipe pretty much remains true to “Oma’s” original version, with a small adjustment to the amount of butter (Oma used a hefty 250 g) and Ines likes to lightly “steam” the apples by adding a splash of apple juice when sautéing them so very slightly in butter before adding them to the springform.

Truth be told, I have never tried it myself since I am not sweets or dessert person (crazy I know!) — unless of course it’s something super healthy! But as I said, everyone loves Ines’ family recipe, she let me share. So this weekend I baked an all-time favorite, comes together perfectly every single time, Apfelkrümel recipe. One to be shared.

3.61 from 28 votes

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A very simple to prepare traditional German recipe for a sweet crumble with tart apples.

CourseDessert

CategoryGerman

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 10

Calories 396 kcal

Autor matklenk

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 7-8large applesmix of Boskop and Elstar work well, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
  • 1/2tablespoonbutter
  • splash of apple juice

For the base and crumble topping:

  • 2cupsall-purpose flour or white spelt flourType 1050 (250 g)
  • 1cupfine granulated sugar200 g
  • 1teaspoonbaking powder
  • 200gbutter

To garnish (optional):

  • powdered sugar

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 390°F / 200°C and grease a Ø 24 cm round springform pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper.

    NOTE: You can also use the oven’s fan-force at 360°F / 180°C as it will make a more crispy and caramelized crumble topping. Keep an eye on it though to make sure it doesn’t brown too much.

  2. In a large, deep skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples and stir, then add a splash of apple juice (not too much otherwise the base will be soggy later). Sauté for a few minutes; stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

  3. Whisk the flour, sugar, and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl until combined. Cut the butter into dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

    TIP: I like to pop the butter in the freezer until it’s hard and then grate the frozen butter through the large holes of a box grater directly into the dry ingredients and then let my fingertips do the rest of the work. Alternatively, use two knives (or a pastry blender) to cut the butter into the flour until you have little tiny bits of butter. Then take over and crumb the mixture by rubbing it together with your fingers.

  4. Sprinkle about 1/2 of the crumble mixture over the bottom of the prepared spring form pan. Press it down and up the sides of the pan. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for about 5-6 minutes (pre-baking is optional, but helps avoid a soggy base.

    IMPORTANT: keep an eye on it, as it browns quite quickly).

  5. Remove the springform from the oven and scatter the apple slices over the base. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over top. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hour, until golden brown.

  6. Remove the apple crumble from oven and let cool completely before removing the sides of the springform pan.

  7. Enjoy!

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Oma’s Apple Crumble (APFELKRÜMEL) | Recipe | Elle Republic (2024)

FAQs

What is apple crumble called in America? ›

Apple crisp is a dessert made with a streusel topping. In the US, it is also called apple crumble, a word which refers to a different dessert in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

What's the difference between apple pie and apple crumble? ›

Dessert-wise, in this case, specifically apple centric, pie would be the apple filling encased in upper and lower pastry sheets with a nice decorative crimp at the join. A crumble is most usually the Apple filling directly in the dish with a crumble topping, most often basically made up of sugar, butter and flour.

Does Costco sell apple crumb pie? ›

I love Costco's apple crumble pie..so good!

What's the difference between apple crumble and apple crisp? ›

Like an apple crisp, an apple crumble is a baked fruit dessert with a layer of topping. But unlike the crisp, the crumble topping rarely includes oats or nuts. Instead, a crumble's topping is more like streusel, made with flour, sugar and butter.

What is the difference between a cobbler and a crumble? ›

Whereas crisps and crumbles are topped with a streusel-like mixture, cobblers are topped with a cake-like batter or a biscuit-like dough.

What is the difference between French apple and apple crumb? ›

According to Leaf, Dutch apple pie sports a crumble top, while French apple pie is baked upside down and served without a top crust.

Why is apple crumble good for you? ›

The best source of protein, carbs, and lipids is apple crumble. Additionally, this dessert is a great option for weight management because it has a low caloric content. Due to the inclusion of apples, this dessert also contains healthy fats, a good amount of water, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Why is my apple crumble not crispy? ›

Slow and steady wins the crisp and crumble race. Baking in a moderate (350-375˚F) gives the fruit time to break down into that saucy goodness. Go too hot and the crumble topping with get too dark before the fruit is ready. You'll be left with too-hard fruit and a burnt topping, which will make both you and us sad.

What are the best apples for baking apple crumble? ›

The Best Apples for Baking
  • Jonagold. Tart with a honeyed sweetness, Jonagolds hold up exceptionally well in the oven. ...
  • Honeycrisp. This is our desert-island apple. ...
  • Braeburn. This superbly crisp apple has a concentrated taste and bakes up juicy but not mushy.
Sep 21, 2017

What's the difference between apple crumble and apple streusel? ›

A crumble is just a crisp without oats in the streusel. It may feature nuts, but the streusel topping is usually a simple combination of butter, flour, and sugar that is more clumpy than that of a crisp.

Why is Costco apple pie so good? ›

Costco's apple pie is frequently praised for its pleasing crunchy texture and nice balance between sweetness and tanginess when it comes to the filling. In fact, lots of people claim that this pie tastes like it was made from scratch.

Should apple crumb pie be refrigerated? ›

We recommend refrigerating right away, but if your pie sits out on the counter overnight, don't fret. The pie will be just fine on the counter, but only for a day or two, at which point it needs to go into the fridge.

Why is it called Brown Betty? ›

This has led some historians to believe that Betty was the name of the cook and creator of the recipe and that brown was in reference to her skin color.

Why is it called a buckle? ›

A buckle is a funny name for an old fashioned fruit studded coffee cake. Like many other desserts in the extended cobbler family buckles take their name from their appearance—grunts grunt as they cook, slumps slump when served, buckles—you guessed it—buckle.

Is apple Betty the same as apple crumble? ›

A brown betty is similar to a crisp or crumble, except the topping is layered into the fruit mixture before baking for an intensely crunchy effect. Food Network Kitchen's Grilled Rhubarb Brown Betty is warm, sweet and super-crisp — excellent when served with a scoop of strawberry ice cream.

What do they call crumble in the US? ›

Crumbles in varying forms are common in Britain, Ireland, and across the Commonwealth of Nations. While the dish is also found in the US, a similar dessert known as an "apple crisp" bears the same name in American English.

What is another name for a fruit crumble? ›

A crisp is “a type of dessert consisting of fruit baked with a crumble topping,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary's definition, citing an early use in a 1916 recipe for an apple crisp with a topping of butter, sugar, and flour that's mixed together by rubbing your fingertips “*ntil crumbly.” Often, at least ...

What is crumble vs crisp vs streusel? ›

These names tend to be used interchangeably, but if you want to get technical, there is a difference. Crisp streusel includes oats, while crumble streusel does not. It's pretty easy to remember this because the oats crisp up when baked, giving a little bit of that extra toothsome quality to your treat.

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