Easy and Versatile Crumble Topping Recipe For Fruit Crisps, Sundaes, and Oatmeal Topping

Enhance your favorite desserts and breakfasts with my delightful and effortless crumble topping recipe.

Star Ingredients

• Rolled Oats: Elevate your crumble with the addition of rolled oats. They introduce a delightful variety in texture, creating a satisfyingly crisp and chewy contrast. Furthermore, rolled oats are a wholesome whole grain, offering both nutrition and a hearty bite. Consider experimenting with rolled barley or mixed rolled cereals for added depth and flavor.

• Butter: The secret to an irresistible crumble lies in butter. It infuses richness and decadence into your topping, creating a golden, crispy layer that's impossible to resist. Butter's creamy goodness enhances the overall experience, making your crumble a true indulgence.

• Brown Sugar: Opt for brown sugar over white for your crumble topping. The addition of molasses in brown sugar imparts a deep, caramelized richness to your recipe. This caramelization not only adds a delightful sweetness but also contributes to a beautifully crisp and golden finish.

• Cold Water: Don't underestimate the significance of cold water in your crumble. It plays a crucial role in defining the texture of your topping. Using ice-cold water when incorporating it into your flour, sugar, and oat mixture ensures that your crumble achieves its distinctive, perfectly textured results.

Chef's Notes | Make Your Own Crumble

This is a very versatile, classic crumble topping that can really be customized to any flavor you desire. I love to use it on blueberry lemon cobbler, apple crisp, oatmeal and peach cobbler, as few examples. It's also great on ice cream sundaes! You can also switch up the spices and flavors within the crumble itself, like cardamom and anise. You can also swap vanilla extract for flavors like orange, lemon, or coconut extracts.

When preparing your crumble, be sure to use your fingers to press the butter, flour, and cold water together. This creates "nooks and nuggets" within the pastry that produces a great texture in your crumble after it bakes. If you want to keep your hands less messy, invest in a pastry cutter which does most of this work for you.

Meal Prep Tips

This recipe makes a significant amount of crumble that you can use in various recipes. You can bake it in on a cookie sheet or sheet pan, and store the cooled crumble in an airtight container for up to two weeks. It can also be mixed and stored in the refrigerator unbaked for up to 5 days. To use, add your favorite fruit or fillings to a baking dish and sprinkle the raw crumble on top, then bake everything together for an easy dessert.

Crumble Topping Pre-Baked and ready to use!

Recipe: Easy Crumble Topping

Ingredients 

• 3 cups of flour

• 1 ½ cups of brown sugar

• 1 cup of rolled oats

• 1 stick of butter

• ½ tsp of salt 

• 2 tsp of vanilla extract

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

• ¼-⅓ cup cold water

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 360. 

1. Combine flour, oats, sugar, salt, and spices in a medium mixing bowl and stir until combined. 

2. Grate or cut butter and fold into dry ingredients until mixture resembles a loose, sandy consistency. 

3. Fold in ¼ cup of water until clumps about the size of a pea form. Add more water if the mixture seems too dry, but do not over-mix. 

4. Spread the mixture evenly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through to prevent burning. 

5. After baking, allow to cool and transfer to an airtight container until ready to use. Crumble will last up to 2 weeks. 

Specialty Tools & Ingredients

Pastry Cutter