A quick and easy cinnamon apple crumble recipe made with tart Bramley apples and a buttery sweet flapjack style oat topping!
Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or vanilla custard for the ultimate baked apple dessert! You might also like my blackberry & apple crumble recipe!

This simple cinnamon apple crumble (apple crisp) is the recipe I go back to EVERY SINGLE YEAR when apple season arrives!
The tart Bramley apples are sliced thinly and topped with an easy flapjack-style crumble topping, made by pouring melted butter onto flour, oats, and sugar. There is no tedious rubbing in required, nor pre-cooking of the apples, which means it literally takes minutes to assemble.
👩🍳 Glut of Bramley apples? Why not give my apple and blackberry turnovers a try too?
Jump to:
✔️ Why should you try it?
- An easy baked dessert for apple season - much easier than making pastry for apple pie!
- No pre-cooking of the apples.
- No rubbing in required - this crumble recipe uses melted butter to create those golden oaty crumbles.
- Uses pantry staples.
- Delicious with cream, custard, or ice cream.
- Filling, warming, and comforting.
- Make ahead and store in the fridge.
- Freezer friendly.
🛒 Ingredients

- Apples - I like to use tart Bramley apples in this recipe, which contrasts nicely with the sweet buttery crumble topping. If you can't get hold of Bramley apples, use a tart eating apple like Granny Smith. There is no pre-cooking of the apples, so the apples should be peeled and sliced thinly.
- Cinnamon - 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon give the crumble a lovely warmth.
- Caster Sugar - Cooking apples, like Bramleys, need a little bit of sweetening. I use a small amount of caster sugar to offset their tartness.
- Water - the water helps soften the sliced apple when baking.
For the crumble topping;
- Flour - plain white flour is needed for the crumble topping.
- Oats - use rolled oats but not jumbo oats. Jumbo oats don't absorb melted butter as well as ordinary rolled oats or porridge oats.
- Light Brown Sugar - to give the crumble topping a wonderful caramel sweetness. Substitute with caster sugar or demerara sugar.
- Butter - unsalted butter is best for this recipe. The butter needs to be melted before being mixed into the dry crumble ingredients.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
- Place the flour, oats, and light brown sugar in a large bowl and pour over the melted butter.
- Mix with a spoon until golden crumbles form.
- Place the thinly sliced apples, cinnamon, caster sugar, and water in a pie dish. Give it a good mix with a spoon.
- Top with the crumble topping and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden and crispy.

💭 Top tips
- Don't skip the water from the apple filling. It really helps to soften the apples so they become tender and fluffy.
- As there is no pre-cooking of the apples in this recipe, make sure you slice the apples as thinly as you can, so they cook evenly and become soft and tender. No big chunks allowed!
🍴 Serving suggestions
The cinnamon apple crumble is delicious with whipped cream, honeycomb ice cream, or vanilla custard.
Eat leftovers for breakfast with Greek Yogurt!
📖 Variations
- Add 1 peeled and sliced pear to the recipe for an apple and pear crumble.
- Add a handful of chopped walnuts to the crumble topping for added crunch and texture.
- Add a handful of dried cranberries or raisins to the apple filling for an extra fruity hit.
- Add half a teaspoon of ground ginger to the apple filling for warmth and spice.
- Make slow cooker apple crumble in your crock pot!

🥡 Storage
Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Reheat in the microwave until hot. Crumble can be eaten at room temperature too.
Freeze: The cinnamon apple crumble can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow the crumble to cool then wrap in foil and place in your freezer. Defrost the crumble in the fridge overnight, before reheating in the oven for 20 minutes.
❓ FAQs
There’s not a big difference between the two. The terms crisp and crumble are mostly interchangeable.
I would advise peeling the apples, especially if you are using cooking apples like Bramleys. They tend to have thicker tougher skin than ordinary eating apples.
Absolutely you can! Apple crumble is easy to prepare ahead of time. Assemble it in your pie dish, cover in foil, and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking.
😋Related recipes
More fruit desserts to try!
- Blackberry Crumble
- Air Fryer Apple Crumble
- Mixed Berry Crumble
- Strawberry Crumble
- Eve's Pudding
- Rhubarb and Ginger Crumble
- Apple and Blueberry Crumble
- Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble
- Caramel Apple Pie Bars
- Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding
- Easy Sherry Trifles
Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!
Recipe
Easy Cinnamon Apple Crumble
Ingredients
- 6 Bramley Apples peeled and sliced thinly
- 50 g Caster Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon Water
For the crumble topping
- 125 g Plain Flour
- 125 g Rolled Oats do not use jumbo oats
- 125 g Light Brown Sugar
- 125 g Unsalted Butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 fan/ Gas 4/ 350F).
- Make the crumble topping by pouring melted butter onto the flour, oats and light brown sugar. Mix with a spoon until crumbles form.
- Place the thinly sliced apples, cinnamon, caster sugar and water in a pie dish. Give it a good mix.
- Top with the crumble topping and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden and crispy.
Notes
- Don't skip the water from the apple filling. It really helps to soften the apples so they become tender and fluffy.
- As there is no pre-cooking of the apples in this recipe, make sure you slice the apples as thinly as you can, so they cook evenly and become soft and tender. No big chunks allowed!
- Add 1 peeled and sliced pear to the recipe for an apple and pear crumble.
- Add a handful of chopped walnuts to the crumble topping for added crunch and texture.
- Add a handful of dried cranberries or raisins to the apple filling for an extra fruity hit.
- Add half a teaspoon of ground ginger to the apple filling for extra warmth and spice.
Keri Bevan
This was so delicious! Love the crunchy topping!
Tavo
One of our favorite recipes by far! This version was extra yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Denay DeGuzman
This is just like the apple crumble my Grandma would make. Thanks so much for bringing back this memory. The recipe is delicious!
Suzy
We loved it! So flavorful and that topping was perfect! Great way to use up apples from apple picking!
Andrea
I love how quick and easy this is to make. A delicious dessert any time I want.