A crumble is my go-to dessert: quick to assemble and endlessly adaptable to whatever fruit you have on hand. It’s perfect for dinner guests and makes a great simple project to hand off to someone who wants to help. It sounds fancier than it is, and once they start, they’ll be surprised at how easy it is and eager to make one again.
This was my first time cooking with rhubarb. I’d always loved the tang it brings to strawberry desserts but had never tasted it on its own. While shopping, fresh rhubarb caught my eye and I thought it would pair well with apples in a crumble. I learned that raw rhubarb is very tart and benefits from being paired with a sweet fruit. Cameo apples were recommended to me because they’re sweet and hold up well when baked, but any sweet baking apple — Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji — will work.
Peel and slice the apples to match the rhubarb thickness (about 1/4″). That way they cook evenly. Heat a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then cook the apples and rhubarb with sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt for about five minutes. The fruit will soften and release juices into a lovely sauce. The tart rhubarb sweetens quickly and balances beautifully with the apples.
I prefer to cook the fruit briefly before it goes into the oven. Sautéing concentrates the flavors, releases a wonderful aroma through the house, and lets you control the consistency of the filling before it bakes and reduces further.
The crumble topping is extremely forgiving and easy to customize. The basic ratio I learned years ago is simple: use a two-cup measure and fill 1 1/2 cups with flour and the remaining 1/2 cup with sugar (white, brown, or a blend). Add a stick (1/4 lb) of melted butter, and stir to combine. Start with a fork, then finish with your hands, keeping coarse clumps rather than breaking everything into fine crumbs. I usually add a touch of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. You can also fold in oats, chopped nuts, or swap in brown sugar for extra depth.
This crumble can be baked in a single 7x10x5″ baking dish, a pie plate, a rectangular pan, or in individual ramekins for single servings. The technique is the same: a layer of crumble on the bottom and sides, the cooked filling, then the remaining crumble on top to create a golden, crunchy finish.
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Apple-Rhubarb Crumble
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs sweet baking apples (Cameo, Honeycrisp), peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 lb rhubarb, sliced into 1/4″ pieces
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar (white or brown)
- Cinnamon, to taste
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 lb (1 stick) butter, melted
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until the fruit softens and forms a sauce.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a medium bowl stir the flour, sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt. Add the melted butter and combine with a fork. Finish mixing by hand, keeping coarse clumps intact.
- Grease a 7x10x5″ baking dish (or pie dish) with butter or cooking spray.
- Press a layer of the crumble into the bottom and up the sides, reserving most of the topping for the top.
- Add the cooked filling, then sprinkle the remaining crumble evenly over the top.
- Bake for 30–45 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling.
- Let cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Tried this recipe?
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Special Equipment Used
- 12″ skillet (preferably heavy-bottomed)
- 7x10x5″ or similar baking dish
- Mixing bowl and spoon