Mini Apple Crumble

This mini apple crumble combines cinnamon apples and buttery brown sugar streusel in six easy ramekins. The recipe gives you a single serving apple dessert recipe without pie crust, complicated techniques, or a huge pan of leftovers. Bake these individual apple crumbles in ramekins for weeknight cravings, fall dinners, or a mini apple crisp for Thanksgiving. Each warm mini apple crumble tastes even better with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Total Time 55

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

Apple Layer

1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter melted
3 large apples cut into 1-inch chunks that are 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick (about 4 cups or 480g chunks)
3 Tablespoons (38g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping

2/3 cup (135g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
small pinch salt (about 1/16 teaspoon)
6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
optional for serving: ice cream & salted caramel

Equipment

6-ounce oven-safe ramekins
Mixing bowls
Baking sheet
Fork

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line six 6-ounce ramekins on a baking sheet.
First, brush the 1 Tablespoon of melted butter into ramekins to grease them. In a large bowl, stir the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Divide apples between ramekins.
Use a fork to mix this crumb topping. Mix the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Fold in the melted butter. Keep the mixture as large crumbles and do not over-mix. (If over-mixed, this will turn into a thick paste.) Sprinkle evenly over apples, pressing down into the apples if necessary so it fits. (It’s fine if crumble topping is still piled high on the apples because it bakes down.)
Bake for 32-36 minutes or until topping is lightly toasted and apples appear softened.
Remove from the oven and serve warm. If desired, serve with ice cream and salted caramel on top.
Cover and store leftover crumbles in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven if desired before enjoying. (See next for reheating in oven instructions.)

Recipe Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing:
Prepare the crumbles through step 3, cover, and refrigerate unbaked for up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before baking. You can also bake them 1–2 days ahead, refrigerate covered, and reheat covered at 300°F (149°C) for 15 minutes. Freeze baked and cooled crumbles for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as desired.

Greasing the Ramekins:
Use melted butter, nonstick spray, a spoon, or your fingers to grease the ramekins.

Apples:
Use 3 large firm apples for baking. Granny Smith, Jazz, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Fuji work well. Peel them if desired.

Ramekin Size & Bake Time:
Use oven-safe 6-ounce ramekins. Smaller ramekins need less baking time, while larger ones need more. Bake until the topping is toasted.

One Large Apple Crumble:
For one large crumble, use a greased 9-inch pie dish or square pan. Skip the pie crust and nuts if desired, and follow the baking time from the apple crumble pie recipe.