Baked Apples with Oat Crumble Recipe
Baked apples with oat crumble are a simple dessert in Polish style – something between apple pie and baked apples. Juicy, slightly tart apples covered with a crunchy layer of oats and butter are a perfect way to use up fruit that is no longer at its freshest. It tastes great warm with a dollop of yogurt or ice cream.
Baked apples with oat crumble are a homely dessert in the style of Polish apple pie, but in a looser, more rustic form. Tart apples soften in the oven, releasing juice that combines with the crunchy, buttery layer of oats and flour, creating something between a crumble and the baked apples of childhood. It’s a great way to avoid wasting slightly wrinkled apples, which taste like new after baking.
Chef's tips
It’s worth dusting the apples lightly with cinnamon and a bit of potato starch – this will thicken the juice they release during baking and keep the crumble from getting soggy. Use rolled oats, not instant, as the latter break down too quickly and lose their crunch. Watch the end of the baking time: if the top is already deeply golden while the centre is still bubbling, cover the dessert with aluminium foil for a few minutes so it doesn’t burn.
How to serve
Serve the dessert still warm with a spoonful of thick natural yogurt, sour cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream – it’s a great finale to a Sunday dinner with roast chicken. To drink, tea with lemon, a cinnamon infusion or a glass of cider work well. This dessert is also perfect as a sweet supper on a chilly autumn evening with a film.
Ingredients
- tart or slightly tart apples e.g. Szara Reneta, Ligol, Szampion - 5 piece
- rolled oats about 1 cup - 80 g
- flour about 4 tablespoons - 40 g
- butter chilled - 60 g
- sugar about 4 tablespoons, divided - 50 g
- honey optional, for deeper flavour - 1 tablespoon
- ground cinnamon or less if you don’t like an intense aroma - 1 teaspoon
- lemon juice prevents the apples from browning - 1 tablespoon
- pinch of salt enhances the flavour of the crumble
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Prepare an ovenproof dish about 20×20 cm or similar.
- Peel the apples, remove the cores and cut into medium-sized cubes or thin slices.
- Transfer the apples to a bowl, drizzle with lemon juice, add half the sugar (about 2 tablespoons), cinnamon and honey if using. Mix until the apple pieces are lightly coated with the spices.
- Transfer the apples to the ovenproof dish and level the surface.
- In a second bowl, add the oats, flour, remaining sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix.
- Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Rub the butter into the oats and flour with your fingers until you get clumps resembling wet sand or coarse crumble.
- Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the apples, pressing down lightly with your hand but not too firmly – it should remain loose.
- Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25–30 minutes until the apples are soft and the crumble is golden and crisp.
- After removing from the oven, wait 5–10 minutes so the dessert cools slightly and the juices from the apples thicken.
Storage
Store cooled baked apples with crumble in the fridge for up to 2–3 days, lightly covered. Reheat in the oven so the crumble regains some crispness; avoid covering tightly while hot to prevent it from going soggy.
