Apple Crumble With Olive Oil is probably my favorite dessert to make. I figure since I love baking and cooking, why not merge the two? It’s really easy to make, and there are many variations that you can do with it. Be sure to read through all the steps before starting as this might be a little tricky as first. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll use it for other recipes as well!
APPLE CRUMB PIE WITH OLIVE OIL CRUST (AND CRUMBLE!)
No, peeps, I did not set out to develop a vegan apple pie recipe, but yes, peeps, that is EXACTLY what I have done. The crust calls for olive oil rather than butter – and yes, I used Coalvita Olive Oil (and I’d love it if you did, too) and yet it is still incredibly flaky and perfectly crisp (no need to worry about any soggy bottoms here . . . ). And flavorful, to boot – not flavorful like butter, obvs, but flavorful never the less. Also, this pie dough is of the press-in variety (my fave, as you might have guessed, because it is the easiest kind).
A press-in crust (in case you did not pick up on this) means that you literally PRESS the crust into the pie plate immediately after assembling the dough – no resting of dough in the fridge necessary and rolling pins need not apply. In other words, this means the dough is not-only easy to make, but will not require that you cover your work space in flour, that you then conveniently get all over your floor, etc., and that you then spend an annoyingly long time cleaning up. Oh, and in case it is not obvious, the crust is vegan, on the off chance you are into things like that.
You do not need to pre-bake the crust (you’re welcome) instead you merely generously fill it with thinly sliced apples coated in cinnamon and sugar. The crumble topping is – you guessed it – made from olive oil, as well, and so is (again, I know you’ve got this) vegan! The crumble recipe comes from my Colavita mixed berry crisp recipe and is easy to assemble and wildly delicious (so delicious in fact that few can tell the crumble is not made with butter . . . ). In short, this wonderfully (and unintentionally!) vegan pie is perfect for the fall, when perhaps you are turning to apples kind of on the regular to satisfy your sweet cravings and of course it’d be perf for that November holiday, which at this point, is kind of just right around the corner.
Apple Crumb Pie with Olive Oil Crust (and Crumble!)
Ingredients
- Olive Oil Pie Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup Colavita olive oil
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar cold
- Apple Filling
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
- Pinch of table salt
- 3 teaspoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 1 1/2 pounds baking apples about three large ones
- Olive Oil Crumb Topping
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup Colavita Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- To make the crust, whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, water and vinegar and whisk again.
- Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate and using your fingers, evenly press it over the bottom of the plate and up the sides.
- To make the crumble, whisk the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together in a medium mixing bowl. Add the oil and stir to combine with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula – or better yet, use your fingers, pinching the crumble together to form clumps. Place in the freezer while you prepare the apples.
- To make the filling, place the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and arrowroot powder in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Peel and core the apples and slice them quite thin, about 1/4 inch thick. Place them in the large bowl, tossing them in the sugar mixture to cover.
- Transfer the filling to the prepared crust. The apples should be piled in a heap so that they just stick out over the edge of the crust – they will shrink as they bake. Crumble the topping over the apples – you may not end up using all of it – in which case freeze it for a rainy day (ie: the next time you’re craving a berry crisp for one . . .). It’s helpful if you leave a little space between crumbles, so the apples peak through and you can check that they are bubbling when it is time to pull the pie.
- Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for about 75 minutes, rotating the pie at the halfway point and checking on the pie after about an hour. A paring knife should easily slide into an apple and ideally you will see the juices bubbling through the crumb. If the crumb takes on too much color while the pie bakes, cover it in aluminum foil at the halfway point.
- Let the pie cool until only the center bottom of the plate is warm, two to four hours. Slice and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Fall Favorite: Apple Crisp With Olive Oil Crumble
We put a spin on the traditional festive apple crisp by adding a homemade olive oil crumble topping, a recipe you won’t want to miss this season.
This dish is simple to make: All you need is ten minutes to prep the crumble and the apples, then let the dessert bake in small tins for thirty minutes. These crisps are the perfect dessert to make for festive occasions, a group of people, or whenever you’re in the mood for a sweet treat without the dairy.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Apple Crisps with Olive Oil Crumble
Serves 6
Ingredients
For Olive Oil Crumble:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- 7 tbsp Colavita Olive Oil
- Turbinado sugar
For the Apples:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp freshly ground cinnamon
- pinch of table salt
- 3 tsp arrowroot powder, or corn starch
- 1 ½ lbs baking apples, about 3 large ones
For Serving:
- Dairy-free heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Have read 4 six-ounce ramekins. Or a 2-quart baking dish.
- To make the crumble, whisk the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together in a medium mixing bowl. Add the oil and stir to combine with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula – or better yet, use your fingers, pinching the crumble together to form clumps. Place in the freezer while you prepare the apples.
- To make the filling, place the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and arrowroot powder in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Peel and core the apples and slice them quite thin, about 1/4 inch thick. Place them in the large bowl, tossing them in the sugar mixture to cover.
- Divide the apples between the ramekins or place in the 2-quart dish. Sprinkle the crumble on top, clumping it together with your fingers before doing so to avoid a sandy topping. If you are using ramekins, you may not use all of the crumble. Lucky you. Freeze it for a rainy day.
- Sprinkle generously with Turbinado sugar. If using ramekins, place on a baking sheet, before baking for 30 minutes, rotating at the halfway point. The crisps are ready when the fruit is bubbling and the topping is nicely browned. Let cool briefly before serving with a drizzle of heavy cream or vanilla ice cream.
- The crisps will keep lightly wrapped in plastic wrap on the counter for a day or two, or in the refrigerator for a tad longer. Reheat briefly in the oven at 350°F.
Nutritionals
Calories 474 | Total Fat 16.7g | Saturated Fat 2.4g | Sodium 390mg | Total Carbohydrate 83.9g | Dietary Fiber 2.2g | Total Sugars 60.1g | Protein 2.9g | Calcium 51ng | Iron 2mg | Potassium 193mg |
Apple Crisp with Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Many traditional Greek sweets, especially during periods of fasting, such as Lent, call for olive oil instead of butter. An apple crisp isn’t exactly traditional Greek food. I’ve “hellenized” a classic American dessert by adding two distinct greek flavors, that of olive oil and the scented geranium, arbaroriza in Greek, which Greek cooks often use when poaching fruit.
RATING
SERVES
4
PREP TIME
15 min
COOK TIME
40 min
Ingredients
- 4 golden delicious Macintosh, or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into thin slices
- 5 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 2 scented geranium leaves if available; optional
For the crust
- 1 1/2 cups instant oatmeal
- 1/2 cup coarsely ground blanched almonds
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ tsp. cinnamon powder
- 8 tbsp. Greek extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Lightly oil an ovenproof glass baking dish large enough to hold the apple slices (not in one layer, but so that they are about 2 inches / 5 cm deep). Preheat the oven to 375°F / 180°C.
- Toss the apples with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread the apples in the prepared baking dish. If using scented geranium leaves, place them in two places, nestled between the apples.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the oatmeal, almonds, whole wheat flour, sugar, cinnamon and olive oil. Spoon this mixture over the apples, evenly covering the surface. Bake the apple crisp for about 35 – 45 minutes, or until the topping has turned golden and crisp and the apples are soft.
- Remove, let cool slightly and serve. Remove the scented geranium leaves if you happen to spoon them onto a plate with the crisp.