Josephine Moon’s Rustic Apple Crumble Recipe (with Gluten Free Option)

I don’t know about you but I’m a total sucker for anything with baked apples in it. This recipe is a winner because it can be made gluten free and with a few tweaks it can even slide into the realm of being healthy. (Yep, I’ve eaten it for breakfast.)

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What I love about this recipe is that it is so flexible. In fact because I wanted to share this recipe so much, I had to force myself to write it down as I went because I usually make it up on the spot.

One of the opening scenes in The Cake Maker’s Wish involves an illicit apple crumble (you’ll have to read it to find out why that one is illicit!) and was inspired by my own trip to the Cotswolds in 2015.

This is a generous dish because you really do have the flexibility to make it all your own and I’ll leave you some notes on some suggested variations. Ready to get baking? Here we go.

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Josephine Moon’s Rustic Apple Crumble (gluten free optional)

Ingredients

6-8 apples (a mixture of varieties is perfectly fine, and leaving the skin on adds nutritional value and the ‘rustic’ vibe… also, it saves time!)
1 Tbs water
100g butter
60g brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats (make sure they’re certified gluten free if you want it to be GF)
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup plain flour (or GF all purpose flour blend)
1/4 cup sultanas (or cranberries, or other dried fruit)
1/4 cup nuts, chopped roughly (walnuts are traditional but equally I have used pecans or almonds)
sprinkle of cinnamon (or nutmeg, or both) to taste
drizzle of maple syrup (optional)

Method

Preheat your oven to 190C (170C fan forced). Locate your cooking pot. I use a 25cm round cast iron pot with lid.
Cut your apples into quarters to remove the core, then slice into approximately even slices (maybe 1-2mm wide). Layer them roughly into your pot, sprinkle with cinnamon, and add the tablespoon of water, which will give them a bit of steam to begin with.
Combine your butter, sugar, oats, almond meal and flour into a bowl and work with your fingers to create sticky crumbles.
Spread your sultanas and nuts over the top.
Distribute your crumble topping evenly over the top and drizzle with maple syrup, if using.
Place the lid on the pot and slide it into your pre-warmed oven for 15 minutes. Then remove the lid and leave to cook for another 25 to 30 minutes (depending on your oven) or until golden brown and apples are tender.
Serve with cream, ice cream or yoghurt. Enjoy!

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Tips for healthier versions

Add chia seeds and/or coconut shreds to the crumble topping–this makes it worthy of being a breakfast food in my opinion