Anna Louise Apple crumble is the pudding that almost every British person considers a personal favourite. It is on the menu of every gastropub, in the recipe box of every home cook, and at the table of almost every Sunday lunch from September through to March. There is a reason for this consistency — it is genuinely, reliably, completely wonderful.
This version is the plain, focused, classic apple and cinnamon crumble — no rhubarb, no blackberry, no additional fruit. Just Bramley apples, ground cinnamon, golden sugar, and the best possible crumble topping.
The simplicity is the point. This is the apple crumble that exists in the collective memory of British baking and that no amount of reinvention has managed to improve upon.
The crumble topping uses rolled oats alongside the flour and butter — the oats give a slightly more textured, slightly more interesting topping than plain flour alone, and they crisp beautifully to give a varied surface of golden and slightly caramelised crumble.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Crumble
For the Apple Filling
- 900g Bramley apples — peeled, cored, and cut into 3cm chunks
- 100g golden caster sugar — adjust to taste
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- Zest of ½ unwaxed lemon
- 2 tbsp water
For the Crumble Topping
- 175g plain flour
- 100g rolled oats
- 175g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 125g demerara sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of fine salt
To Serve
- Proper custard — always
- Clotted cream or vanilla ice cream as alternatives
How to Make Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Crumble
Step 1 — Prepare the Apple Filling
Preheat your oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / Gas 5. Butter a deep 28x20cm ovenproof dish generously.
Place the Bramley apple chunks in the buttered dish. Add the golden caster sugar, cinnamon, ginger, lemon zest, and water. Toss gently to coat the apple pieces. Taste a piece of raw apple — Bramleys vary considerably in tartness. If the apple seems very sharp, add an extra tablespoon of sugar now.
Step 2 — Make the Crumble Topping
Place the flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold cubed butter. Rub quickly with your fingertips — lifting and rubbing — until the mixture resembles rough, uneven breadcrumbs. Stop when most of the butter is incorporated but some pea-sized pieces remain. These larger pieces of butter give the most attractive, most varied crumble texture during baking.
Add the demerara sugar and stir through with a fork. Do not rub further.
Step 3 — Top and Bake
Scatter the crumble topping evenly over the apple filling. Do not press it down — scattering it loosely gives the lightest, crispiest topping. Pressing compacts the crumble and it bakes dense rather than light.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the crumble topping is deep golden and crunchy and the apple filling is bubbling vigorously at the edges of the dish — this bubbling indicates the apple juices have reduced and concentrated properly.
Step 4 — Rest and Serve
Leave to stand for five minutes. The bubbling filling settles and the crumble firms very slightly. Serve warm with custard.
Tips For Perfect Apple and Cinnamon Crumble
Use Bramleys — always. Bramley apples are the correct apple for a traditional British apple crumble. They collapse and soften during baking, releasing their juice into the bottom of the dish and giving a tender, slightly saucy apple filling that eating apples cannot replicate. A crumble made with Cox or Braeburn is pleasant but different — firmer apple pieces, less juice, less of the classic apple crumble character.
Do not press the crumble down. Scattering it loosely over the fruit gives a topping that bakes light, varied, and crunchy. Pressing gives a dense, slightly doughy slab rather than a proper crumble.
Leave some butter pieces larger in the crumble. The rough, uneven crumble with larger butter pieces gives more interesting texture — some crunchier, some softer, some slightly more caramelised. Over-rubbing gives fine, uniform crumbs that bake more evenly but less interestingly.
Wait for vigorous bubbling before removing. The apple filling must be bubbling properly — not just at one small point, but around the edges and through the crumble surface — before the dish comes out. Bubbling means the apple has cooked through, the juice has released and concentrated, and the crumble will be properly integrated with the filling rather than sitting on top of undercooked fruit.
Taste the raw apple before baking and adjust sugar. Bramleys are consistently tart but their tartness varies considerably between early and late season, and between different varieties of Bramley. Always taste a piece of raw apple before it goes in the dish and adjust the sugar accordingly.
Serving Suggestions
With proper pouring custard — always. With clotted cream for something richer. With vanilla ice cream. Never without one of the three — apple crumble served without an accompaniment is a wasted opportunity.
How to Store
In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 180°C oven for fifteen minutes until the topping has regained its crunch and the filling is bubbling.
In the freezer: Freeze assembled before baking for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 190°C for 55 to 65 minutes, covering loosely with foil if the topping browns too quickly before the filling is cooked through.
Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Crumble Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / Gas 5. Butter a deep 28x20cm ovenproof dish generously.
- Place apple chunks in dish. Add sugar, cinnamon, ginger, lemon zest, and water — toss gently. Taste and adjust sugar if the apple is very sharp.
- Rub cold butter into flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt with fingertips — rough, uneven crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Add demerara — stir through with a fork. Do not rub further.
- Scatter crumble loosely over the apple filling — do not press down.
- Bake 40–45 minutes until topping is deep golden and apple is bubbling vigorously at the edges. Rest 5 minutes. Serve warm with custard.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add blackberries or rhubarb to this crumble?
Yes — for the apple and rhubarb or apple and blackberry version, see the dedicated recipes on this site. This recipe is the plain, focused apple and cinnamon version.
Can I use eating apples if I don’t have Bramleys?
Yes — increase the cooking time slightly as eating apples take longer to soften. Add two more tablespoons of water to the filling. The result is different — firmer fruit, less juice — but still good.
Can I make the crumble topping ahead?
Yes — make and store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Scatter over the fruit from cold — chilled crumble topping actually gives slightly crispier results than room temperature.
Can I add other spices?
Yes — a pinch of ground cloves, a little ground cardamom, or a small amount of mixed spice alongside the cinnamon give a more complex, more warmly spiced filling. Add cautiously — cloves and cardamom are strong.
Can I use brown butter in the crumble topping?
Yes — brown the butter until it smells nutty and golden, cool until solid, and use in place of cold butter. The brown butter gives a distinctly nutty, more complex crumble topping. Freeze the browned butter briefly to firm it before rubbing into the flour.
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