Oat-Free Oven Baked Apple Crumble

There’s nothing that screams fall season more than the traditional Oven-Baked Apple Crumble. Gooey cinnamon butter apples is layered with that classic, oat-free shortbread-style crumble, and baked until the top is beautifully golden brown. Trust me, a serving of this freshly baked crumble with deliciously creamy vanilla ice cream will put you right into the holiday spirits. And, it’s super, super easy to make! You have to try this apple dessert when you’re hosting friends and family!

Holiday Season Oat-Free Apple Crumble

Today we’re making a buttered apple crumble that’s perfect for the fall season. When it comes to a crumble, there’s 2 teams: there’s team apple, and team crumble. My opinion? 60% apple, 40% crumble, 100% butter. But, the best part about cooking is trying until you get the version that you love!

If you know me you know dessert is not my thing. So, if you see a dessert on my channel i can promise you 3 things: it is delicious, it is super, super easy, and you don’t need any special equipment. For an Air Fryer Version of this Apple Crumble, you’ll have to try my Individual Air Fryer Apple Crumble!

Ingredients For Apple Crumble

Cinnamon Apple Filling

You can use any variety of apples you can find. But, I have a secret apple combo that I think makes the best crumbles. I use two Granny Smith and two Honeycrisp apples for a balance of tart and sweet. I cut them into bite-sized pieces and saute them in a brown sugar cinnamon butter mix. Don’t forget the lemon juice and the vanilla extract, which will make the flavors of your apples more dynamic and festive!

We added apples in our filling today, but you can make this crumble with any other fruit. Depending on the seasonal fruits, you can use peaches, blackberries, or pears.

Buttery oat-free Crumble

On top of this delicious dessert is that crumbly, crispy shortbread-style crumble. It’s actually the more traditional way of making crumbles. In my Air Fryer recipe, I use an oat-based crumble, which has a more nutty, crunchy texture. For shortbread-style crumble, all you need is brown sugar, white sugar, butter, and flour. It’s so easy to make, you just mix and sprinkle it on The result is a rich, indulgent buttery flavor in every single bite that pairs well with the sweet, tender apples. If you like, you can also experiment with the oat crumble from my other recipe!

How To Make Oat-Free Apple Crumble

1. Prepare the oven and dishes. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Lightly butter a casserole dish or baking pan. For individual servings, lightly butter four oven-safe individual ceramic ramekins or containers and place them on a baking sheet.
2. Make crumble topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and gently stir with a fork until crumbly and no dry flour remains. Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes while preparing the apples.
3. Cook apples: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened but still holding their shape. If the mixture is watery, cook for another 1–2 minutes to reduce the liquid. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
4. Assemble. Add apple fillings into the dish (or evenly between 4 dishes). Break the chilled crumble into small and medium clusters, then scatter evenly over the apples. Do not press down or fill above the rims.
5. Bake. Bake for 25–35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown, the apples are tender, and the filling is bubbling around the edges. If the topping browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
6. Rest and serve. Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

A Few More Cozy Desserts To Make This Holiday Season