Apple pie is such a classic, but there are reasons why it may not be perfect for every occasion. For those times when you just need a little bit of dessert or simply don’t have the time (or desire) to make pie dough and assemble a whole pie, this spiced apple crumble is exactly what you need…
Soft, naturally sweet apples seasoned with warm spices and brown sugar are baked under a blanket of buttery, crisp panko crumbles. This crumble is delicious and requires no special ingredients or overly complicated techniques.
You can also make the filling ahead of time, add the crumble topping and bake it up while you are enjoying dinner making it perfect for dinner parties or date nights at home.
Let’s get started…
Begin by combining 2 pounds of peeled and sliced apples (about 4 medium firm apples) with 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of all spice, 1/4 teaspoon of cloves, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of cardamom, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of orange juice, 1 teaspoon of orange zest and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a large bowl.
Toss everything until all of the apple slices are generously seasoned.
Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of butter and once it has melted, add the spiced apples and cook them over medium heat until they have softened a bit and any liquid released from the apples has evaporated. This should take about 10 minutes.
Transfer the apples into a greased 1 quart baking dish. I am using this 7 inch round baking dish, but any fairly deep oven safe dish that holds about 4 cups will do fine.
Now that the apples are ready to go, make the crumble topping by combining 3/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs with 1/3 cup of all purpose flour, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in a small bowl.
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter and mix it into the panko mixture until you have a texture like wet sand.
Be sure that the apples are evenly spread throughout the baking dish and not piled higher in the center and then begin crumbling the panko topping over them.
There are 2 ways to spread the crumble topping: You can do it evenly over the entire baking dish OR you can make it thicker in the middle and gradually thinning as you get toward the edges. Spreading the crumble evenly will give each scoop the same amount of topping, but if you prefer to see the baked apples around the edges of the dish or just want a few thicker pieces of crumble, pile your crumble higher towards the center.
Sprinkle some coarse ground sugar over the topping and bake your crumble in a 375 degree oven until the apples are bubbly and your panko topping is crisp and golden brown.
This spiced apple crumble is fantastic! Cooking the apples ahead of time both removes any excess liquid which helps to prevent the crumble from becoming soggy and it also intensifies the beautiful flavors are the spiced apples. It is definitely worth the extra 10 minutes of prep time.
While the apples are amazing, this panko crumble topping is everything. Super crisp, so buttery and perfectly sweet.
The pairing of those warmly spiced, caramelized baked apples and that buttery, crisp crumble topping is so comforting and delicious that this could quickly become your new favorite dessert.
Don’t love apples? Then try my berry version of this crumble here – Berry Panko Crumble
Spiced Apple Crumble
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of apples (about 4 medium apples), peeled and sliced
- 1/3 cup of brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of all spice
- 1/4 teaspoon of all spice
- 1/4 teaspoon of cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon of ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon of cardamom (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of orange juice
- 1 teaspoon of orange zest
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of butter
Panko Crumble Topping
- 3/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup of all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 6 tablespoons of butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- Combine 2 pounds of peeled and sliced apples (about 4 medium firm apples) with 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of all spice, 1/4 teaspoon of cloves, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of cardamom, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of orange juice, 1 teaspoon of orange zest and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a large bowl.
- Add a tablespoon of butter into a skillet and place over medium heat.
- Once the butter has melted, add the seasoned apples and cook until slightly softened and any liquid has been cooked out of the apples (about 10 minutes).
- Transfer the cooked apples into a greased quart baking dish and set aside for now.
- Combine 3/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs with 1/3 cup of all purpose flour, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in a small bowl and drizzle 6 tablespoons of melted butter over the mixture. Mix until you have a wet sand like texture.
- Crumble the panko mixture over the cooked apples and sprinkle with some coarse sugar (optional).
- Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the apples are bubbly and the crumble topping is golden brown and crisp.
- Allow the apple crumble to rest for 10 minutes and then garnish with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
