Low Sugar Apple Crumble (Apple Crisp)

Name: Low Sugar Apple Crumble (Apple Crisp)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 6 small or 4 medium sized dessert apples such as Braeburn; 1 teaspoons ground Cinnamon or add to taste if you like a lot of cinnamon; 150 g plain flour; 30 g soft brown sugar; 150 g butter of baking spread such as margarine; 100 g ground almonds; ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

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A recipe for Low Sugar Apple Crumble (Apple Crisp) with a reduced amount of sugar in the Crumble Topping and no added sugar in the apple filling.

Ground Cinnamon and a little soft brown sugar add toffee flavours to the crisp crumbly topping.

Apple Crumble with a portion served in a white dish.

For a healthier version of any Apple Crumble try reducing the amount of sugar that you use, or remove it completely.

For this Apple Crisp recipe, I'm not coating the apples in sugar which some recipes suggest. Instead, I'm using dessert apples which have a natural sweetness to them. I find adding sugar can sometimes mask the flavour of the apples.

Bunch of red apples in a dish — A bowl of naturally sweet Dessert Apples

Baking Apples vs Dessert Apples

Baking Apples such as Granny Smiths or similar tart tasting apples will definitely need some sugar adding to them. But the point of this recipe is to reduce the amount of sugar, so choose a dessert variety such as Braeburn, Pink Lady or similar.

If you live in the USA, Eric Samuelson of Eat Like NooneElse has a whole host of posts and information about Apples available in the states.

Ingredients for an Apple Crumble Recipe

Dessert apples - See my note above, avoid using sharp tasting apples for this recipe if you can.

Ground Cinnamon - If you like Cinnamon add more. If not, add your favourite spice or leave out. But you will miss out on some of the comforting flavours of this Apple Crisp.

Plain flour - Bread Flour is fine. Whichever flour you use, ensure it doesn't contain any raising agent, or the crumble topping may rise too much and spill over your pie dish.

Soft brown sugar - White caster sugar is fine, but it will not have the gentle toffee notes that brown sugar has.

Butter - Baking spread such as margarine is fine. If you want to make this a Vegan Apple Crumble, use a vegan spread.

Ground Almonds - If you can't get hold of ground almonds and only have flaked almonds, blitz them to a fine crumb texture and use that.

Baked Apple Crumble with fresh red apples on the side

Why this Recipe Works

I love the taste of this recipe because of the reduced amount of sugar. Using Dessert Apples adds a natural sweetness to the filling without the need for additional sugar. And the spice adds a lovely comforting taste that you want in an apple dessert like this.

It freezes well and can be made in advance. I brought mine back to room temperature before baking and it tasted just as good as the first time I made it.

How to Make a Low Sugar Apple Crumble (Apple Crisp) Step by Step

Preheat the oven to 180 deg fan assisted. I always use fan assisted oven and use a thermometer to make sure it reaches the correct temperature. TIP: Every oven is different, so if using a conventional oven you may need to increase the temp a little, approx 20 deg. Just make sure it reaches 180 deg as this is what I baked the crumble at.

Have ready an 8 inch pie dish that's about 2 inch deep.

Collage of chopped apples in a mixing bowl and on a green chopping board

Wash and Core the apples, there's no need to peel them, then cut them into chunks about ½ inch in size. Toss the apples in the cinnamon until every piece of apple is coated and flavoured with the cinnamon spice.

Chopped apples coated in spice placed in a pie dish

Place the apples into a shallow pie dish about 8 inches in diameter and 2inch deep.

Crumble Topping in a bowl for an Apple Crumble

In a separate bowl, add all the crumble topping ingredients. Using your finger tips rub the mixture together until you have a rough crumble mixture with not too many large chunks of butter, a few is fine.

Pour the Crumble topping onto the chunks of apples

Pour the crumble mix over the top of the apples. Create a slight well around the edges of the pie dish. This will allow for any pools of apple juice to collect rather than spill over the sides of the pie dish.

Don't worry about how deep the crumble topping looks at this point, it will settle down a little during baking as the butter melts.

TIP: It's at this point ( before baking) that you can freeze the Apple Crumble for later.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 – 35 mins or until you have a nice golden topping with a few juices bubbling on the side. There may not be too many juices because of the lack of sugar in the apple filling.

Allow the crumble to cool a little before serving with custard, ice cream or thick whipped cream.

FAQ'S and Tips for Make an Apple Crumble (Apple Crisp)

Can you Warm Apple Crumble?

You can reheat Apple Crumble for a few minutes in the oven at a medium temperature for about 15 mins. Cover the top with baking foil or baking parchment to prevent it from burning.

Should Apple Crumble be served hot or cold?

Apple Crumble is delicious when served warm. You can add freshly made custard, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream to make it the perfect dessert. You can also serve it cold also with icecream. But most people prefer eating their apple crisp and apple crumble warm, soon after it has been baked.

Which Apples are best for Apple Crumble?

The best Apples for making an Apple Crumble are dessert apples because they are naturally sweet and don't need to add additional sugar and keep their shape better when baked. Baking Apples are also good to use, but they tend to cook down softer than dessert apple and don't often keep their shape.

How Long will Crumble Topping Last?

Crumble and Crisp topping will freeze for up to 3 months when stored in a tightly sealed freezer proof container. When ready to bake, add the topping to your prepared apples and bake according to your recipe.

Can you cook Apple Crumble From Frozen?

To bake straight from the freezer, preheat your oven to 180 fan assisted or 160deg conventional and bake for an extra 5 - 10 mins longer than the recipe says or until baked and the crumble topping looks nice and golden in colour.

What Fruit Goes with Gooseberries in a crumble?

Apples will make the ideal fruit to go with Gooseberries in a Crumble. Although they will help balance out the tartness of the Gooseberries, you may want to add a little extra sugar.

More Recipes using Apples

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