This Easy Apple Crumble recipe is simple, easy, and delicious. I generally make this crumble when cooking for one or two as it’s just as easy to increase the quantities of the ingredients if you want more than a small crumble. Apples come in many forms, and offer a wide variety of health benefits. While consuming apples regularly is an easy way to improve your health, a lot of people don’t understand those benefits. Here are the top eight health benefits of apples that you should know about.
Easy Apple Crumble
With a sweet, caramelized apple interior and a crunchy cinnamon topping, this simple apple crumble recipe is the definition of comfort food. Completely charming the crowd and ready in less an hour!
Why This Recipe Works
Everyone enjoys a warm apple pie, but occasionally you just need something that takes a little less time. similar to this homey apple crumble.
With this Blueberry Lime Crumble and this Apple Cranberry Crumble, I recently shared my love of crumbles.
But let’s get to the point first before we discuss variations.
The apple crumble we’re serving today can be prepared in less than an hour, making it the ideal dessert to bake while you have dinner.
This recipe is the greatest when looking for the ideal apple crumble because:
- Apple stays soft, but not watery.
- Not too sweet, but not dry either.
- Ready in under in hour (less time than eating dinner and doing dishes).
Ingredients
Filling:
- 4 large Golden Delicious apples (about 3 pounds)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Topping:
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch fine salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving, optional
Directions
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Peel, core, and slice apples into 1/4-inch slices. Place apples in a large mixing bowl and toss with sugar, lemon juice, flour, and cinnamon. Pour into a lightly greased 9 by 13-inch baking dish, and spread out into an even layer. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, mix together the nuts, flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the topping. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, gently work in the cold butter until pea-sized lumps are formed.
- Top apples evenly with mixture and bake until apples are bubbly and topping is golden brown, about 45 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.
Recipe FAQs
Can Apple Crumble be made in advance?
Absolutely! To make ahead, just assemble, cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake (up to 24 hours).
Can you freeze Apple Crumble?
I don’t recommend freezing a crumble, as I haven’t seen good success. The filling tends to get too watery, and the topping doesn’t have a good crunch.
What is the difference between apple crisp and apple crumble?
A crisp is a fruit dessert topped with a crunchy layer of ingredients. A crumble is more of a streusel combination of flour, oats, sugars, and butter.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF APPLES
1. Nutritious
Apples are categorized as fruits that are high in nutrients and offer a lot of nutrients per serving.
For a 2,000 calorie diet, the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 2 cups of fruit per day, with an emphasis on whole fruits like apples.
The nutrients in a medium 7-ounce (200-gram) apple are as follows:
- Calories: 104
- Carbs: 28 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Vitamin C: 10% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Copper: 6% of the DV
- Potassium: 5% of the DV
- Vitamin K: 4% of the DV
Vitamins E, B1, and B6 are also present in the same meal at 2-5% of the DV each.
Vitamin B1 (thiamine), often known as vitamin B1, is required for growth and development, whereas vitamin B6 is crucial for protein metabolism. Vitamin E acts as a fat-soluble antioxidant.
A significant class of antioxidants called polyphenols is also abundant in apples. Antioxidants are substances that shield your cells from free radicals, which are dangerous molecules that aid in the development of chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.
Although these plant components are not listed on nutrition labels, they are probably the source of many of apples’ health advantages.
Leave the skin on apples to get the most nutrients out of them as it includes the majority of the polyphenols and half of the fiber.
SUMMARY
Apples are a good source of fiber and vitamin C. They also contain antioxidants, like vitamin E, and polyphenols that contribute to the fruit’s numerous health benefits.
2. May support weight loss
Apples are full because they are high in fiber and water.
An increasing sense of fullness can aid in weight loss because it controls hunger. Consequently, you can decide to consume less energy.
According to one study, compared to drinking apple juice or purée in the same amounts, eating whole apples prolonged feelings of satiety for up to 4 hours. This occurred because entire apples slow down the rate at which your stomach discharges its contents (a condition known as gastric emptying).
Additionally, studies suggest eating apples could considerably lower Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure of weight-related heart disease risk.
It’s interesting to think that apple polyphenols may potentially help prevent obesity.
SUMMARY
Apples are particularly filling due to their high fiber and water content. Their polyphenols may also have anti-obesity effects.
3. Could be good for your heart
Apple consumption is associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
They may include soluble fiber, which could be one factor. The blood cholesterol levels can be lowered with the use of this type of fiber.
It’s also possible that they provide polyphenols as a factor. Among these, the flavonoid epicatechin may help decrease blood pressure.
Additionally, studies have connected high flavonoid intake to a reduced risk of stroke.
Additionally, flavonoids, which reduce the building of plaque in your arteries and lower blood pressure, LDL cholesterol oxidation, and atherosclerosis, can help prevent heart disease.
Eating fruits and vegetables with white flesh, such as apples and pears, has also been related to a lower risk of stroke in another study. The risk of stroke dropped by 9% for every 1/5 cup (25 grams) of apple slices ingested daily.
SUMMARY
Apples promote heart health in several ways. They’re high in soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. They also have polyphenols, which are linked to lower blood pressure and stroke risk.
4. Linked to a lower risk of diabetes
Apple consumption may also lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A review of studies revealed that consuming apples and pears was linked to an 18% lower incidence of type 2 diabetes. In fact, a weekly dose of just one could lower the risk by 3%.
This advantageous result might be due to their high levels of the antioxidant polyphenols quercetin and phloridzin.
The anti-inflammatory properties of quercetin may lessen insulin resistance, a significant risk factor for the development of diabetes. Phloridzin, meantime, may lessen the absorption of sugar in the intestines, resulting in lower blood sugar levels and a decreased chance of developing diabetes.
SUMMARY
Eating apples is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, potentially due to their polyphenol content.
5. May promote gut health
Pectin, a form of fiber that serves as a prebiotic, can be found in apples. This indicates that it nourishes the beneficial bacteria in your stomach, known as the gut microbiota.
Your gut microbiota contributes significantly to your general health by being involved in a wide range of processes that are related to both health and disease. Frequently, the secret to better health is a healthy stomach.
Pectin enters your colon intact because dietary fiber cannot be digested, which helps the growth of healthy bacteria. It specifically raises the proportion of Firmicutes to Bacteriodetes, the two major bacterial species in your gut.
According to recent studies, apples may help prevent chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer by enhancing the gut bacteria.
SUMMARY
The type of fiber found in apples improves your gut-friendly bacteria, which may be why the fruit is thought to help protect against chronic diseases.
6. Might help prevent cancer
Apple antioxidants may be effective in preventing some malignancies, including as tumors of the digestive system, breast, and lungs.
According to research conducted in test tubes, apple polyphenols may be responsible for these effects by preventing malignant cells from proliferating.
Additionally, a study conducted on women found that eating more apples was associated with a lower risk of dying from cancer.
Apples’ ability to combat cancer may also be attributed to their high fiber content.
For instance, a different test-tube investigation discovered that apple pectin fiber could prevent the development of cancer cells and even cause their demise.
To further understand the potential relationship between apples and the prevention of cancer, however, human studies are required. For instance, it would be helpful to determine the right amounts and times to eat apples.
SUMMARY
Apple’s fiber and antioxidant content have been linked to a reduced risk of certain types of cancer. However, more research in humans is needed.
7. Could help fight asthma
Apples are high in antioxidants, which may help shield your lungs from oxidative damage.
Oxidative damage can be brought on by an abundance of dangerous chemicals known as free radicals. Your body may respond by becoming inflammatory and allergic as a result.
The anti-inflammatory antioxidant quercetin, which is abundant in apple skin, can help control your immune system and lessen inflammation. This might theoretically make apples useful against reactions in the later stages of bronchial asthma.
Quercetin may be a viable treatment for allergic inflammatory disorders like asthma and sinusitis, according to test-tube and animal research, which support this claim.
Proanthocyanidins, among other substances present in apples, may also lessen or stop allergic asthmatic airway inflammation.
SUMMARY
Apples contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that may help regulate immune responses and protect against asthma. However, more research, especially in humans, is needed.
8. May help protect your brain
Apples’ quercetin may shield your brain from oxidative stress-related harm.
According to mouse studies, quercetin’s antioxidant properties may shield the brain and nerves from oxidative stress and shield them from damage that could lead to degenerative brain illnesses like Alzheimer’s or dementia.
In addition, quercetin controls oxidative and inflammatory stress indicators, which may protect against stress-related nerve injury.
However, bear in mind that the majority of study focuses on a particular chemical rather than whole apples. As a result, more investigation is still required before any judgments can be made.
SUMMARY
Quercetin in apples may protect your brain against oxidative stress. However, further research is needed to validate the effect of eating the whole fruit.