NST kitchen · dessert
Apple and blackberry crumble
Soft apple and sharp blackberries under a buttery oat crumble. Spoon through the golden topping to the warm purple fruit underneath.
- vegetarian
- Prep (est.)
- 20 min
- Cook (est.)
- 45 min
- Total (est.)
- 80 min
- Base servings
- 4
Total includes 15 minutes waiting time.
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Ingredients
One fixed batch makes 4 servings. Keep the listed quantities, pan and method unchanged. For more, repeat the full batch; for fewer, follow the recipe's storage guidance for unused portions.
Ingredients for 4 servings.
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You will need
- Oven, oven gloves and baking tray
- 20 × 20 cm ovenproof dish, at least 5 cm deep
- Kitchen scales and measuring spoons
- Knife, board, mixing bowl and spoon
- Foil
Let's make it
The method
0 of 5 steps marked
Keep your place for this page visit. Ticks do not confirm doneness or food safety; follow every cooking and storage instruction.
Step 1. Prepare the fruit
Heat the oven to 190°C conventional / 170°C fan. Put the prepared apples and blackberries in the baking dish with the water, 40 g of sugar and cinnamon. Toss gently and spread into an even layer.
Step 2. Make the crumble
Put the flour and cold butter in a bowl. Rub together with clean fingertips until roughly crumbly, leaving a few pea-sized pieces. Stir in the oats and remaining 50 g sugar. Do not taste the uncooked flour mixture.
Step 3. Cover the fruit
Scatter the crumble evenly over the fruit without pressing it down. Put the dish on a baking tray to catch any bubbling juice.
Step 4. Bake
Bake for about 40–45 minutes, until the topping is golden and no raw flour patches remain. Push a knife into the centre to check the apple is tender and the fruit filling is bubbling and hot through. Continue baking if needed, loosely covering the topping with foil if it darkens too quickly.
Step 5. Rest before serving
Leave the dish on a heatproof surface for 15 minutes, then spoon into four bowls. Check the fruit has cooled to a comfortable eating temperature; the topping cooling does not mean the filling has.
Make it work for you
Swaps & variations
- Replace the blackberries with fresh raspberries at the same weight; the filling may be softer.
- Firm eating apples can replace Bramley apples at the same prepared weight, but are sweeter and may take longer to soften.
- A baking block can replace butter only if its packaging says it is suitable for baking; check the resulting allergens and texture separately.
Recipe notes & sources
Sources support the points stated below; they are not evidence that NST has cooked or tested this recipe.
- FSA: handling flour and flour products safely
Do not taste raw flour mixtures; cook them thoroughly and clean utensils. Not a tested baking ratio.
Checked 2026-10-23 - FSA: cooking your food
Thorough cooking, temperature-time checks and reheating once; not validation of the proposed timings or formula.
Checked 2026-10-23 - FSA: chilling, freezing and defrosting food safely
Domestic refrigeration, prompt cooling and leftover limits; not a shelf-life or recipe test.
Checked 2026-10-23 - FSA: food allergy and intolerance advice
Ingredient labels, regulated allergens and cross-contact; no specific product or allergy-safe clearance.
Checked 2026-10-23 - FSA: home food fact checker
Washing produce, avoiding mouldy food and egg handling; no measured yield, taste or dish endorsement.
Checked 2026-10-23
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