Crumble Topping Recipe

This crumble topping recipe is one of the quickest and easiest dessert hacks you’ll ever use! Use it to top a pie, or simply sprinkle over fruit filling in a baking dish to create a scrumptious dessert everyone will love!

Once you realize how utterly simple this crumble topping recipe is to make, not to mention, mouth-wateringly delicious, you’ll be making it for every occasion possible! This apple crumble topping recipe is the only one I use for all of my crumbles!

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This crumble recipe topping is made using three simple ingredients, flour, butter and sugar, and requires NO SPECIAL EQUIPMENT. It also is ready to sprinkle on top of your pie or fruit filling in under 5 minutes! I’m being completely honest, it’s really so quick and easy.

Once you begin making this topping, you’ll realize that a world of baking opportunities has been opened to you. It’s perfect for topping a pie instead of another layer of crust on top, like on this dreamy peach custard pie or as your go-to peach cobbler crumble topping recipe.

You can even use it in ice cream, like this rhubarb crumble ice cream recipe!

History of Crumble Desserts

I grew up with lots of crumble desserts in Scotland, but I’m not that old, so I turned to the internet for some history on this classic British pudding. It turns out, there isn’t much out there, but what I can tell you is that my go-to source for traditional British recipes, Mrs. Beeton, published a recipe during Victorian times. So at minimum, this recipes is traced back to 1800s Britain.

Making a fruit crumble will become easy as pie! No pun intended, but it’s actually so much easier than making a pie! Just put your fruit of choice, such as cherry pie filling, strawberry rhubarb pie filling or apple, and top with with the crumble topping recipe and bake! You won’t believe the delicious results.

Top any of these desserts with a scoop of ice cream, like I did with this blueberry crumble.

Or make some quick Bird’s or homemade custard which is delicious with rhubarb crumble.

And let’s not forget, plain old heavy whipping cream poured over a crumble is simply divine! I poured cream on this strawberry rhubarb crumble and received rave reviews.

Crumble Topping Recipe

Recipe by Lidia Conte Makes enough for one crumble to serve 8

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients

• flour
• butter
• sugar

Directions

Place the flour into a bowl, and add the cold butter in large pieces.

Using two butter knives, cut the butter into the flour.

Keep cutting until the pieces are the size of a pea. This doesn’t take long at all.

Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it’s uniform and in small crumbs.

Add the sugar.

Stir into the crumble mixture until evenly mixed. Ta dah, you’ve made the entire crumble topping recipe! I told you it was easy!

Now add to your favorite fruit topping, or pie, and bake as desired.

Baking Directions for Crumble Topping Recipe

Bake your crumble at 400 degrees F (200 C) for about 25 minutes, or until the crumble topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling below.

You’ll be delighted at all the different desserts you’ll be able to make with this simple recipe! Try this persimmon crumble with rum sauce.

Once you get comfortable with this crumble recipe, you can expand your repertoire with recipes like this French apple crumble cake from my pal in France, Jill from Mad About Macarons!