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This Caramel Apple Crumble will have you licking your plate clean! Soft apples, topped with a buttery crumble top and homemade salted caramel sauce. Pure heaven! Serve with some Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
I remember being a little girl and watching my mom make her recipe for apple crumble which was heavy on the apples and very light on the crumble and I remember thinking what a travesty it was. I was probably 5.
So, as an adult armed with a decent amount of kitchen knowledge, I took matters into my own hands promising myself that I would create a recipe that even I, the cooked fruit hater, could love.
And I did it! I took it pretty easy on the apples, doubled the normal amount of crumble topping, and was quite heavy-handed with the warm salted caramel sauce for the ultimate fall dessert that everyone and their mom will love. So let’s make this baby!
What Kind of Apples are Best to Use?
For this recipe I used Granny Smith green apples. I love that they are crisp, sweet & tart and hold up really well when cooked. Other good apple options are Honeycrisp, Jonagold and Braeburn apples.
What Type of Pan Should I Use?
I like to use a cast iron skillet. I am able to cook the apples in it on the stove top, then add the caramel and crumble topping to the apples and bake in the oven, all without transferring anything to a different baking dish. A big bonus is less dishes to wash after! If you don’t have a cast iron skillet or other pan that can go in the oven, using a 9×13 casserole dish will work just fine. If you do use a different pan, you’ll need to adjust your baking time.
How to Make Caramel Apple Crumble
This caramel apple crumble recipe has three main components. The sauce, crumble, and apple filling. Each section needs its own set of ingredients and so I’m going to break it down for you. See the printable recipe card below for full details on ingredients & measurements. Here is step by step what you can expect when making this recipe.
Make the Crumble Topping
This is a super easy process where you just measure, dump, and mix. Combine flour, brown sugar, white sugar, butter and salt into a bowl (or stand mixer bowl) and mix. The mixture will be crumbly but stay together when squeezed. Set aside.
Make Salted Caramel Sauce
The hardest part of this recipe is probably making the homemade salted caramel. I’m going to walk you through the steps pretty well but if it still intimidates you in any way, there are plenty of salted caramel sauces on the market which are great options. Even warming up store bought caramel sauce and adding in a little sea salt will work too. Here we go 🙂
- Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat to melt the sugar. Continue cooking and swirling sugar until it turns amber in color.
- Whisk in sea salt and heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up violently briefly. Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth.
- Stir in butter and vanilla. Set aside.
Prep Apples + Cook
Prepare apples and toss in lemon juice. The best apples to use for this dish are granny smith apples. This is simply because of their taste, texture, and good baking qualities.
Cook apples in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat in butter to draw out moisture. Sprinkle with salt to draw out all the moisture possible. Drain apples and place back into skillet. This process should take about 5-7 minutes of cooking.
Layer + Assemble Apple Crumble
Pour 3/4 of prepared caramel sauce into the apples and stir gently. Top with the crumble topping.
Bake + Serve
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown. Serve with remaining caramel sauce.
Apple Crumble Toppings
Besides the caramel sauce, you can also top this dessert with ice cream or whipped cream. Think of it as a deconstructed apple pie. So all that creaminess perfectly compliments this apple crumble recipe.
Storing Leftover Caramel Apple Crumble + Make Ahead Directions
I doubt you’ll have any leftovers because this dessert is SO divine! But if you do, don’t worry. Cover with plastic wrap and store your apple crumble in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time or pop it into the oven to warm it up.
To Freeze: Allow apple crumble to cool completely. Place in a freezer safe container with a good fitting lid and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven or the microwave. It’s also tasty eaten cold!
Make Ahead
If you want to do the prep work the day before, cover and store the apple filling, crumble topping and caramel separately in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
More Apple Recipes to Try!
Be sure to save, print, bookmark or share this recipe so you have it and use it all Fall long. It’s a good one!
The printable recipe card below. Have a great day, friends!