Vegan Apple Crumble with Brown Sugar

Apple crumble in a single serving dish with ice cream and caramel sauce on top.

Vegan Apple Crumble with Brown Sugar

This delightful Vegan Apple Crumble recipe celebrates autumn, where tender apple pieces mingle with caramel notes of brown sugar and the richness of vegan butter. Baked to perfection, this vegan crumble features an irresistible, generous layer of crumble on top with saucy cinnamon apples below, making each bite a crunchy, creamy and melt-in-your-mouth delight.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Vegan

Diet Vegan

Keyword vegan apple crumble, vegan crumble

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 10

Servings Servings

Calories 565kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

For the Crumble Topping:

1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150 grams) Unbleached All Purpose Flour I use Bob's Red Mill
2/3 cup (125 grams) Light Brown Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt omit if using salted vegan butter
8 tablespoons (113 grams) Unsalted Vegan Butter cold, straight from the fridge, divided. I use Miyoko's Creamery or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks.
1/2 cup (55 grams) Walnuts rough chopped

For the Apple Mixture:

4 (1 pound 12 ounces / 815 grams) Medium Apples
2 tablespoons Unbleached All Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg fresh if you can
1 Lemon zested
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup (60 grams) Water sub apple juice or cider if desired

Instructions

Get Ready:

Use 1/2 tablspoon of vegan butter to greese an 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) baking vessel. Set aside.
Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celcius).

Make the Crumble Topping:

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt (if using) and cinnamon. Cut the remaining butter (7 1/2 tablespoons) into small almond size chunks, about 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters) pieces. Transfer the butter to the flour mixture.
Using your hands, work the butter into the flour mixture by pinching and tossing the ingredients. Continue working the butter into the mixture until a chunky mealy/sandy texture is formed. Squeeze the ingredients in your fist. If the dough holds its shape, it's ready. For a more chunky mixture, you can form clumps just by squeezing small pieces of the ingredients together.
Gently fold in the walnuts.
Transfer the crumble topping to the refrigerator while you prepare the apples.

Make the Apple Mixture:

*Peel, core and dice the apples to about 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters) chunks. You'll need about 5 cups (610 grams) diced. Transfer the apples to the prepared baking dish.
To the apples, add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, vanilla extract and water (or apple juice or cider). Mix throughly until the ingredients are incorporated.

Assemble and Bake:

Remove the crumble topping from the fridge and sprinkle it evenly over the apples, tucking in any large chunks of walnuts so they don't burn.
Bake the crumble at 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celcius) for 45-50 minutes, laying a sheet of foil loosely over the top of the crumble halfway through baking (this protects the top from getting too dark). Remove the foil 5 minutes before removing the crumble from the oven. It will be bubbly around the edges and dark golden brown on top when ready.
Allow the crumble to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Spoon into serving bowls and share with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.

For Storage:

Cool completely, then store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to three days. Rewarm in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes loosely covered with a sheet of foil.
Leftovers can be frozen for up to two weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Notes

*Peel or Not: You can leave the apple skin on if desired.

Apple Suggestions: Cortland, Honeycrisp, Gravenstein, Cameo, Jonagolds, Pink Lady, Granny Smith - if you like really tart apples.

Get Ahead: Make the crumble topping and store in the refrigerator at least three days ahead. It can be frozen up to several weeks if needed.

Kitchen Tools: I recommend a digital oven thermometer with an air probe and weighing ingredients using a digital kitchen scale for the best outcome (affiliate links). If not using a kitchen scale, use the scoop-and-sweep method for measuring your flour.

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