Pecan Apple Crumble Recipe (The Perfect Dessert)

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We often need a dessert recipe that’s easy, that’s good for serving several people and that is still yummy. This pecan apple crumble or apple crisp is one of my “saviour” desserts because it takes almost no effort to make and so far I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like it. The apples turn nice and gooey in the brown sugar mix and the crumble with crunchy pecans is delicious. I also added walnuts to the crumble so it has a lovely crunch as well. It’s a simple recipe that takes advantage of apple season, making it the perfect fall dessert.

*This recipe was originally created in March 2018 and revised in September 2020*

Pecan apple crumble

The first time that I posted this Pecan Apple Crumble I used individual ramekins and in the photos, you can see it can also be done in a large baking dish. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I like to give my guests a “mini dessert” each instead of making a large dish and serving it. However, when I asked you guys on Instagram what you preferred this time around, you all voted for a large dish, so yeah, I lost, lol. If you like my baking dish, it’s the Le Creuset Quiche Dish. I served this pecan apple crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice cream because it’s much more delicious when served warm.  Of course, you can switch the flavour for cinnamon, dulce de leche, ginger, etc. Every time we make a dessert that thickens in the oven like an apple pie or a crumble, it’s best to let it cool completely to room temperature before serving. This allows it to thicken a bit more and then you can reheat it to serve.

The base for this pecan apple crumble

At the bottom of the crumble, we have the cinnamon apple filling. It’s extremely easy to make! You will just place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix them together. You can even do this straight in the baking dish you choose. The apples don’t need to be cooked previously which makes it extra simple. Here are the ingredients you will need:

• Apples: What variety of apples should you use? The best apples for this recipe in my opinion are those that are not too sweet nor too tart. Tart apples such as Granny Smith work fine but for me, the acidity is a bit too much. Instead, I prefer varieties such as Pink Lady apples, Royal Gala or Fuji. Other types of apples that work include Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious. Now, of course, this all comes down to what you like. If you prefer a tarter filling, go for Granny Smith apples. I like to peel the apples and cut them into small cubes, but if you prefer you can use apple slices as well.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar is perfect for apples because apart from the sweetness, it adds a caramel flavour to the recipe. Brown sugar and apples work really well together! 
• Ground cinnamon: We all know that apples and cinnamon go incredibly well together and in this Pecan Apple Crumble recipe it’s no exception.
• Salt: A bit of salt is always important when baking sweets, it balances out the sweetness.
• Unsalted butter: The butter makes the filling extra shiny and helps us obtain a creamy mouthfeel.
• All-purpose flour: The flour in the base is a thickening agent. It will help us turn the apple juices into a gooey texture that you will adore.

The crumble topping

The crunchy pecan crumble that goes on top of the dessert can be done in a second by hand or you can also use a food processor. If making it by hand, you will add all the ingredients in a medium bowl and pinch the cold butter with your fingers along with the other ingredients. You can stop when you have a coarse meal texture and you can’t see any large bits of butter. If you prefer, you can use a food processor by placing all the ingredients in there until you get the same result. However, if I’m honest, I think the best way is the hand method because the food processor will make the pecans go too fine. If you don’t have any pecans for this Pecan Apple Crumble, you can replace them with oats and make an oat crumble instead. Here are the topping ingredients you will need for the crisp recipe:

• Unsalted butter: The butter needs to be cold and cut into small cubes for this recipe. This will help you create the crumble as it won’t melt into your hands as you mix. 
• All-purpose flour: The flour will bind all the ingredients as they bake, forming that lovely crisp topping.
• Brown sugar: Just like in the filling, the brown sugar also brings that lovely caramel flavour to the top of our Pecan Apple Crumble.
• Salt: We need a bit of salt to balance the sweet flavours in the recipe and it pairs perfectly with the apple filling.
• Pecans: Chopped pecans go into the mix as well, of course. I like to use them untoasted because they tend to get golden brown really quickly in the oven.

Assembly and baking

Once you have the two components of this Pecan Apple Crumble, it’s time to assemble the dessert and bake it. You will lay the apple mixture on an even layer at the base of your baking dish. Over that, sprinkle the crumble mixture and even it out. We bake this dessert at an oven temperature of 180C/350F for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. It’s a really easy dessert that will make everyone happy always. If you are in need of more apple recipes or apple desserts, here are a few I adore: