We love our vegan apple crumble with oats recipe, it’s a sweet and simple dessert. By its very nature the great British baked crumble is an easy dessert to make, and it’s typically lean on ingredients too.
Our plant-based adaption came about because a friend delivered to us a fresh batch of cooking apples and rhubarb from their garden. And for us, there is nothing better to do with Bramleys than stew them, cover them with a crumble topping, and bake everything until you have one piping hot delicious dessert.
From the oaty biscuit textured top to the fruity filling, an apple crumble is great with vegan custard or a dairy-free ice cream, and makes for the perfect after-dinner dish.
Admittedly when we wrote this recipe we didn’t purchase any apples or rhubarb. And we were gifted so much we found ourselves eating crumble for a week. However, this is a pretty inexpensive dish to make, and you can make a lot for very little.
If you don’t want to use any rhubarb and are looking to use apples only, just substitute out the 250 g of rhubarb from the recipe and use the equivalent weight in cooking apples. But we just want you to know that the added tangy flavours the rhubarb brings is great. But if you’re looking to add other flavours consider sultanas or a pinch of cinnamon.
The quantities we’ve quoted in the ingredients list will serve four people, but it’s so easy to scale up, and after you’ve made it once you might decide you would like more crumble or more filling until they’re in the baking dish together, they’re made completely separately.
Also if you have a big family, or you’re having a gathering, just upsize your baking dish and multiply the whole ingredients list. We use a 17 x 22 cm Pyrex dish to serve 4 people.
Top tip as well, the crumble topping ingredients are an easy-to-remember ratio. For whatever amount of flour you use, just add to it half that amount of vegan butter, sugar and oats (200 g flour: 100 g butter, 100 g sugar and 100 g rolled oats).
So other than the ingredients to make your rhubarb and apple crumble (which is nothing more than flour, sugar, vegan butter, fruit and water) we definitely recommend you grab a carton of your favourite plant-based custard. You’ll want to leave the crumble to cool slightly on the side for a few minutes anyway, so it’s the perfect time to warm some up to pour over once served.
If you’re feeling a little adventurous then there’s a perfect partner to your vegan apple crumble as well. Have you considered making your own creamy vanilla flavoured, coconut milk vegan gelato? It melts brilliantly over warm crumble and really compliments the rich fruity flavors.
You can also check out our other desserts if you’re looking for more sweet treat ideas. Or if you haven’t decided on what dinner to cook with you’re crumble then have a look at all our savoury dishes. For the perfect winter warmer combination, what about a vegan bangers and mash with a red onion gravy?
Vegan Apple Crumble with Oats Ingredients
375 g cooking apples
250 g rhubarb
300 g brown sugar
600 ml water
200 g plain flour
100 g plant-based butter
100 g rolled oats
How to Make Vegan Apple Crumble with Oats
There are two parts to an apple crumble, the syrup-like fruit filling stewed with sweet brown sugar, and the golden buttery, oat-filled crumble.
We’re going to start with the prep for the filling, by first peeling the cooking apples and then cutting them into 2 cm thick slices, around and disposing of the core. Next, you should wash the sticks of rhubarb and then chop them into 3 cm long pieces, while weighing out 250 g in total. Now you can measure out 600 ml of water and 200 g of brown sugar.
Place a suitably sized saucepan onto your stove and add the apple, rhubarb, sugar and water. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat, occasionally stirring everything in the pan to ensure it’s well mixed and not sticking.
Once you see the sugary water boil, turn the heat down slightly to a simmer and continue to stir the stewing fruits, until you have a thin smooth lumpy jam-like mixture with soft apples and stringy pieces of sugar-soaked rhubarb. This should take about 10 minutes to get the right consistency. Now is also the perfect time to preheat your oven (170 Fan / 190 / Gas Mark 5).
Take your sweet and tangy filling off the heat and set it to one side while you make the crumble topping. You’ll need to weigh out 200 g of flour, 100 g of rolled oats, 100 g of plant-based butter and 100 g of brown sugar. Add everything to a mixing bowl and then with your fingertips, gently need everything together until you have a bowl of light-brown soft crumbs.
In a 17 x 22 cm or similar baking dish, pour in your warm fruit medley from the saucepan, and then evenly sprinkle on the crumble topping. We use the word sprinkle because you shouldn’t spread or press down on it as you’ll lose the texture that a crumble crust should have once baked. Place the baking dish into the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the crumble crust will feel biscuit like to and has touch has just turned golden brown.
Remove from the oven, leave to cook for a few minutes and then serve hot with warm custard poured over the top or even some cold dairy free ice cream.
Vegan Apple Crumble with Oats
Ingredients
- 375 g cooking apples
- 250 g rhubarb
- 300 g brown sugar
- 600 ml water
- 200 g plain flour
- 100 g plant-based butter
- 100 g rolled oats
Instructions
- First, peel the cooking apples and then cut them into 2 cm thick slices, around and dispose of the core.
- Wash the sticks of rhubarb and then chop them into 3 cm long pieces, while weighing out 250 g in total.
- Now you can measure out 600 ml of water and 200 g of brown sugar.
- Place a suitably sized saucepan onto your stove and add the apple, rhubarb, sugar and water. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat, occasionally stirring everything.
- Once you see the sugary water boil, turn the heat down slightly to a simmer and continue to stir the stewing fruits, until you have a thin smooth lumpy jam-like mixture. This should take about 10 minutes to get the right consistency.
- Now is also the perfect time to preheat your oven (170 Fan / 190 / Gas Mark 5).
- Take the filling off the heat and set it to one side while you make the crumble topping.
- Weigh out 200 g of flour, 100 g of rolled oats, 100 g of plant-based butter and 100 g of brown sugar.
- Add everything to a mixing bowl and then with your fingertips, gently need everything together until you have a bowl of light-brown soft crumbs.
- In a 17 x 22 cm or similar baking dish, pour in your warm fruit medley from the saucepan, and then evenly sprinkle on the crumble topping. Do not spread or press down on it as you’ll lose the texture that a crumble crust should have once baked.
- Place the baking dish into the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the crumble crust feels biscuit-like to touch, and has just turned golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, leave to cook for a few minutes and then serve hot with warm custard poured over the top or even some cold dairy-free ice cream.
Do I need to peel the apples for an apple crumble?
It’s not necessary, but most people prefer to peel them for a smoother texture. If you like the added fiber and texture from the apple skins, feel free to leave them on.
Can I use instant oats instead of rolled oats in my apple crumble topping?
Instant oats can be used, but rolled oats provide a better texture for the crumble topping. Instant oats tend to make the topping softer.
How can I serve this vegan apple crumble?
It’s delicious on its own, but you can also serve it with dairy-free ice cream, coconut whipped cream, or vegan custard for an extra treat.
Can I add other fruits to the apple filling?
Absolutely! You can use rhubarb as we do in this recipe, or berries, pears, even peaches work well alongside apples. Just adjust the sugar accordingly based on the sweetness of the added fruits.
