Brown Butter Apple Crumble

5

13

Jump to RecipePrint

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase.

Brown Butter Apple Crumble is the best fall dessert! It’s loaded with diced pears and apples, brown sugar and fresh ginger topped with a crisp oat topping made with brown butter and walnuts. It’s sweet and buttery and perfect served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Pair it with Pumpkin Chili and Salted Honey Parker House Rolls for an amazing dinner.

Overhead view of a Browned Butter Apple Crumble topped with scoop of ice cream.

Fall baking is my favorite type of baking. This apple crumble is low effort to make but incredibly delicious, similar to this Apple Cheese Danish, Easy Apple Cobbler, and Caramel Pear Pie with Oat Crumble.

Side view of Browned Butter Apple Crumble in a baking dish topped with scoops of ice cream.

Ingredients For Brown Butter Apple Crumble

  1. Fruit – This is a mix of diced pears and apples. Use Bosc or Bartlett pears and a Granny smith or a Honey Crisp apple.
  2. Ginger – Freshly minced ginger adds a nice zing and it helps to balance out the sweetness of the filling.
  3. Flour – Important to thicken up the apple and pears juices so the filling is syrupy instead of runny. It’s also combined with sugar, oat flakes or rolled oats, walnuts and browned butter to make the crumble topping.
  4. Browned butter – I love to include browned butter in desserts because it adds savory nutty notes and keeps the dessert from tasting too sweet.

For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!

How To Make a Brown Butter Apple Crumble

  1. Make the apple pear filling – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In an 8×8-inch baking dish toss together diced apples, pears, both sugars, flour, ginger, vanilla extract and salt.
  2. Make the crumble topping – In a medium bowl whisk together flour, brown sugar, oat flakes or rolled oats and walnuts.
  3. Brown the butter – Add cubed butter to a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook the butter until it goes from yellow and bubbly to very dark brown in color, it will look burnt but it will taste delicious. Pour the browned butter into the bowl with the flour and oats, stir until your mixture looks clumpy and everything is coated in the butter.
  4. Pour crumble topping over apple and pear filling.
  5. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes or until the crumble is bubbling and golden brown.
  6. Serve crumble warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tips and Tricks

  • Fruit: I used mostly pears for the crumble, but you can use all apples or use half and half. Another option that would be delicious is to include fresh blueberries to the mix.
  • Oat flakes: This is basically rolled oats but larger and flatter. If you can’t find it substitute with old fashioned rolled oats or quick cooking oats.
  • Make ahead instructions: You can assemble the crumble then bake it just for serving. It reheats really well in the oven or microwave.
Straight on view of fruit and sugar in a baking dish.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use different fruits for this crumble?

Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with other seasonal fruits like figs or blackberries. If you use berries, just be sure to combine a tablespoon of cornstarch with the mix so that it thickens properly.

How do I achieve the perfect brown butter flavor?

Cook the butter until it’s a deep golden brown, but be careful not to let it burn.

Can this crumble be made gluten-free?

Yes, simply use your preferred gluten-free flour for the crumble topping.

Is it possible to prepare this dessert in advance?

You can assemble the crumble ahead and bake it just before serving for the best texture.

Can I freeze the baked crumble?

Yes, it freezes well. Just reheat in the oven to serve.

Overhead view of Browned Butter Oat Crumble in a baking dish and in bowls.

More Fall Recipes

If you tried this Brown Butter Apple Crumble Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

5 from 2 votes

Apple Crumble

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Brown Butter Apple Crumble is the best fall dessert! Itโ€™s loaded with diced pears and apples, brown sugar and fresh ginger topped with a crisp oat topping made with brown butter and walnuts. Itโ€™s sweet and buttery and perfect served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Pair it withย Pumpkin Chiliย andย Salted Honey Parker House Rollsย for an amazing dinner.

Equipment

  • 1(8×8-inch) baking dish
  • 1 chef knife
  • 1 small saucepan

Ingredients 

Filling:

Crumble Topping:

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a 8 x 8-inch baking dish (or something equivalent), add the pears, apples, white sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, minced fresh ginger, vanilla extract and salt. Toss until pears are thoroughly coated. Set aside.
  • To a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, oat flakes and chopped walnuts.
  • In a small saucepan, set over medium-high heat, add the cubed butter. Brown the butter until it goes from yellow and bubbling to a very, very dark brown color. It might appear burnt and it is, but not to worry, it’ll taste delicious. Pour the burnt butter into the medium bowl that’s holding the flour and oat mixture. Using a spoon, mix the mixture until clumpy and everything is coated in butter. Pour the crumble atop the filling and spread it out evenly. Transfer it to the oven to bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crumble is bubbling and the top is golden brown.
  • I’m not a super bossy person, but you must, you MUST eat this crumble warm with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Tips and Tricks

  • Fruit:ย I used mostly pears for the crumble, but you can use all apples or use half and half. Another option that would be delicious is to include fresh blueberries to the mix.
  • Oat flakes:ย This is basically rolled oats but larger and flatter. If you canโ€™t find it substitute with old fashioned rolled oats or quick cooking oats.
  • Make ahead instructions:ย You can assemble the crumble then bake it just for serving. It reheats really well in the oven or microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 385IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Like this Recipe? Please Rate & comment below!

Cozy Latin-Inspired Comfort Food Recipes

Hi! I'm Adrianna and this is my cozy space on the internet that is super-charged by butter, flour and copious amounts of pasta. Stay awhile, will you!

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Leave a rating!




13 Comments

  1. Hi- Looking forward to making this dessert for a family dinner tonight! ๐Ÿ™‚ I was wondering what an oat flake is and whether I can just use rolled oats instead. Will that impact the baking time? (side note, I can report back if no one has tried this!)

      1. Thanks so much, Adrianna! It’s taking me so much willpower not to just eat all of the crumble topping right now ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. My mom and I made this, but we had trouble with the topping not getting brown. We think there might be a discrepancy/misprint in the recipe concerning what kind of sugar we use. Do we need to use granulated sugar or brown sugar?

  3. Followed directions exactly, but after 40 minutes in the oven, there was bubbling, but the top was very pale in color. Left it in another 20 minutes, and the topping is still not brown. Any suggestions?

    1. hmm…that’s strange. it’s probably done. maybe it has to do with the butter? not sure. it’s definitely done tho and should still taste good!

    1. for sure! it’s a great make-ahead recipe. you can either warm it back up in the oven or the microwave. ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. kuddos to you! If it was 100ยฐ here, I’d forgo turning on my oven for sure and eat just the ice cream haha. hopefully you get some for fall-like weather soon!