Apple Crumble with Custard is one of those homely desserts that brings to mind blustery Fall days and the warmth of a cozy meal inside.
This dessert is bursting with tart apples and a crunchy golden crust, topped with a silky vanilla custard. Eaten warm by the bowlful, it is sure to bring you comfort and satisfy your sweet tooth.
A traditional British dessert, apple crumble pairs perfectly with eggy vanilla custard. Of course, you can always swap the custard out for vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream, but I find the custard gives it a bit of a nostalgic air of which I will greedily devour.
What to Expect from this Apple Crumble Custard Recipe
- A crunchy crumble topping using only 3 ingredients
- Soft apple filling but not mushy
- Slightly thickened custard with a light vanilla flavour
- Ready from start to finish in 1 hour
What You’ll Need to Make this Recipe
- 8 x 8 dish (or similar)
- all-purpose flour
- sugar
- cold unsalted butter
- granny smith apples (or other tart, firm apple)
- milk (whole milk or 2% works best)
- egg yolks
- vanilla
How to Make Apple Crumble and Custard
- Heat oven to 375°F/190°C.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, and sugar. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add it to the flour. Using both hands, rub the butter into the flour and sugar until it looks like large breadcrumbs. You can also use a pastry blender or two knives to do this step, but I find it easiest just to get stuck in with my fingers. Set the bowl aside while you prepare the apples.
- Peel and core the apples and chop into big pieces. I like to keep my apples chunky so that they don’t stew down completely when baked. We don’t want applesauce here!
- Place the apples into your dish and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top. Give the apples a quick stir so the sugar gets incorporated.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping over the apples, taking care to cover the apples.
- Pop your dish into the oven and bake for 45 minutes until the top starts to turn golden brown and the apples are bubbling happily away in their juices.
- While the apple crumble is baking, you can make the custard. You could use custard powder to make your custard, but I find making it completely from scratch is just as easy. I am fond of Jamie Oliver’s recipe for custard and share my own way of making it here: begin by warming the milk in a medium pot over low heat. Remove the milk from the heat once it begins to simmer.
- Next, separate the egg yolks from the whites. Keep the whites to use in other recipes. I’ve shared a few suggestions in the notes below. Add the yolks to a small bowl along with the cornstarch/cornflour and sugar and whisk until pale.
- Add some of the hot milk into the egg mixture, a little bit at a time, and stir continuously. You are tempering the eggs here so they don’t scramble when you add them back into the milk. After you have added a couple of spoonfuls of milk to the eggs, pour the entire egg mixture into the pot with the milk and place back on the heat, finally, add a teaspoon of vanilla. At this point, you are going to stir continuously while the custard cooks. It will take about 20 minutes over a low heat to thicken. You will know it is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and you can run your finger down the middle while leaving a trail.
- Strain your custard through a fine sieve to strain out any lumps and catch any egg that might have scrambled.
- Serve the apple crumble warm with a big drizzle of warm custard over the top.
- The apple crumble and custard is best eaten on the day it’s made, but you can save both in the fridge to indulge in again on the second day.
Julianne’s Notes
Granny Smith apples are great to use in apple crumble or apple pie. They aren’t overly sweet and they hold their shape well when baking. You could also try Golden Delicious or Honey Crisp apples for their similar characteristics to Granny Smith’s. Most importantly, you don’t want to use soft apples with this recipe that will cook down to an applesauce consistency.
If you’ve got leftover egg whites, don’t worry, there are a number of delicious recipes you can make with them! Try making macarons, meringues, or pavlova. You can also make a chocolate mousse or soufflé or enjoy an egg-white omelet.
If you don’t intend to use the egg whites right away, you can freeze them easily in a small plastic freezer bag. 2 tablespoons of egg whites is equal to one large egg.
Custard powder has a base of cornstarch/cornflour with vanilla, salt and added colouring. That’s why you’ll notice that custard made from custard powder has more of a yellow tone than this custard recipe.
Apple crumble with custard is a warm and comforting dessert you can make in a matter of moments. Welcome anytime, but especially in Fall when apples are at their best, this dessert is always a crowd pleaser.
If you like this recipe, you might like:
Easy Pineapple Pie with Ginger Graham Crust
Easy Creamy Yogurt Cheesecake Bars
Share your baking!
If you make this crumble recipe, be sure to leave a comment. I love hearing from you! Also, if you make this recipe, I’d love for you to share your photos on Instagram! Remember to use the hashtag #bakersbookshelf.
Apple Crumble with Custard
Equipment
- 8 x 8 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb Granny Smith apples
- 2 tablespoons sugar
For the crumble
- 1 ⅜ cup all-purpose flour (6 ounces)
- ½ cup sugar (4 ounces)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (4 ounces)
For the custard
- 600 ml whole milk (or 2%)
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F/190°C.
Make the Crumble
- In medium bowl, mix together the flour, and sugar. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add it to the flour. Using both hands, rub the butter into the flour and sugar until it looks like large breadcrumbs. You can also use a pastry blender or two knives to do this step, if you prefer. Set the bowl aside while you prepare the apples.
Prepare the Apples
- Peel and core the apples and chop into big pieces.
- Place the apples into your dish and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top. Give the apples a quick stir so the sugar gets incorporated.
- Sprinkle the crumb over the apples and put dish into the oven and bake for 45 minutes until the top starts to turn golden brown and the apples are bubbling happily away in their juices.
Make the Custard
- Begin by warming the milk in a medium pot over low heat. Remove the milk from the heat once it begins to simmer.
- Next, separate the egg yolks from the whites. Keep the whites to use in other recipes. Add the yolks to a small bowl along with the cornstarch (or cornflour) and sugar and whisk until pale.
- Add some of the hot milk into the egg mixture a little bit at a time and stir continuously. After you have added a couple of spoonfuls of milk to the eggs, pour the entire egg mixture into the pot with the milk and place back on the heat. Add a teaspoon of vanilla. At this point, you are going to stir with a wooden spoon continuously while the custard cooks. It will take about 20 minutes over a low heat to thicken. You will know it is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and you can run your finger down the middle while leaving a trail.
- Strain the custard through a fine sieve to strain out any lumps and catch any egg that might have scrambled.
- Serve the apple crumble warm with a big drizzle of warm custard over the top.
Barb says
How do I save this recipe
Julianne says
Hi there,
You can always bookmark the recipe on your computer or mobile device to return to again. Another option is to hit the Print button at the top of the post or recipe and this will take you to a printable version of the recipe. You can either print the recipe to keep or save it as a pdf on your computer.
Hope this helps!
Julianne