When I first saw this recipe I couldn't imagine it making a nice apple crumble. I thought the crockpot would turn it all into a apple porridge type mush. But my curiosity got the best of me before too long and I gave it a try. I was delighted to find that you can make a beautiful apple crumble in a crockpot! The crumble comes out crisp and crumbly, the apples are cooked beautifully, and since you're cooking in a crockpot it couldn't be easier.
Ingredients:
4-5 cooking apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup flour (leave out for wheat free version)
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 teas ground nutmeg
1 teas ground cinnamon
4 T butter, softened
Directions:
Lightly butter the crockpot and lay the apple slices at the bottom of the crock. Combine the sugar, flour, rolled oats, nutmeg and cinnamon, and cut in the butter. Sprinkle the topping over the base of apples. Cook on low or auto for 3-5 hours.
Wheat Free Variation:
I've also made this without the flour and it still turned out perfect. It was quite by accident that I left the flour out, but my wheat allergy was starting to come back, so it's good to find another delicious gluten free dish.
Important note for those on a gluten-free diet
Amanda, a reader of The Healthy Eating Site, made an important comment about wheat-free and gluten-free that I wanted to include here:
Just a little FYI. Technically, even though there is no flour/wheat, it is still not gluten free as it has oats. SO…this is good if you have a wheat allergy, but for people with celiac more modifications still need to be made in order for it to be gluten free.
just about to make this
Enjoy it! Let us know how you like it 🙂
Hi Cheryl! It is so yummy. Sometimes I’ve just had a big bowl of it for dinner in the winter… sitting by the wood stove. The simple pleasures! I love cooking in the slow cooker because it’s so forgiving. You don’t have to watch it so closely in those crucial moments between perfectly done and burnt. I hope you enjoy it, let me know how it goes!
Yeah crockpots are great aren’t they? I haven’t had mine for a while now because the ceramic crock got a crack in it and started leaking. 🙁 I need to get a new one. They are absolutely great for making a meal for you when you are at work or school (are you a college student?) I had one when I was in college, and I even cooked brown rice with it, it did a fantastic job.
Let me know what you think of the crock pot apple crumble!
Yumm! I just finished eating my first batch and it was very satisfying. I used what I had, 3 apples that were getting older, two packets of instant oatmeal (brown sugar and maple and cinnamon & sugar) so I cut back on the brown sugar. I had some aniseseed powder and cardomon along with the nutmeg and a little more cinnamon. I only had cheap margarine. But it still turned out delish! Thanks for the recipe. I will be looking forward to making it again with real butter next time.
~H
Hey Heather, I’m glad you liked it. Sounds great with the maple flavor in the instant oatmeal and the extra spices you added. Thanks for posting back and letting us all know. One of the most valuable kitchen skills to learn in my opinion is improvisation – using what you’ve got. I love it when readers try recipes, add their own twist and then write a comment about it. It’s inspiring, thank you!
I’m so glad I found this recipe. I needed a yummy way to use up a few apples. I can’t wait to try it out in a few hours!
Hi Katie, thanks for stopping by. Let us know how it turns out!
Just a little FYI. Technically, even though there is no flour/wheat, it is still not gluten free as it has oats. SO…this is good if you have a wheat allergy, but for people with celiac more modifications still need to be made in order for it to be gluten free.
Hi Amanda, thanks for adding that. You are so right. I have a gluten-free category as well as a wheat-free category, and I’ve put this only in the wheat-free category, but that doesn’t explicitly point out the fact that there is still gluten in it for those who are still learning about gluten intolerance. Do you mind if I move your comment up into my article as well? I think it is important, and it’s something I overlooked when I wrote that recipe. Thanks again!
I do not mind at all. I just wanted to point that out. I am going to check out your GF section now! Always looking for yummy GF alternatives for my kids! Thank you!
Actually you can find gluten free oats! Normally oats get contaminated with gluten in the manufacturing process so you cannot trust that all oats are gluten-free.
It might be nice to move Amalia’s comment up as well. Oats in and of themselves do not contain gluten, it is the cross contamination between crop fields and in factories that make oats iffy for those who need gluten free food. HOWEVER, gluten-free oats are easy to find. This is valuable information, especially for those new to the GF diet.
I doubled the batch for a Halloween potluck I’m having at work tomorrow. Can’t wait to see how it comes out!
Hi Jessica, what a great idea for a potluck! So appropriate for Autumn too, if you’re in the cooler parts of the Northern hemisphere. You must have a huge crockpot! Let us know how it turns out… and how well it goes down 🙂
Yum, I just made this and it was delicious! I have a tiny crock pot so I had to halve the ingredients, but it still turned out wonderfully 🙂 I ended up substituting a pack of instant maple and brown sugar oatmeal for the rolled oats, and then I poured the apple crumble over pancakes for dinner. It didn’t turn out crispy and crumbly per se, but the consistency was perfect for pancakes! Thanks for the great recipe!
Awesome, thanks for posting back your feedback and the alterations you used. I love it when people take the recipes here and create new variations and uses for them. Thanks Shannon!
This recipe was wonderful, I cannot wait to make it again! I was looking for Plum crumble for a slow cooker since I don’t have an oven. So I used 4-5 soft plum, 2 old apples, and a handful of fresh cherries. I placed a paper towel under the top to collect the condensation to prevent it from getting soggy. Thanks for sharing it!
Thank you Kayte! Your plum crumble version sounds delicious, thank you so much for sharing that! Great tip about the paper towel to soak up the moisture. I love it when people post back their variations of my recipes! Thanks again 🙂
Yeah, the great thing about crock pots is that you don’t have to always keep checking to make sure it’s not burning or getting too overcooked. It does make it so easy.
Can truvia or splenda b used in place of brown sugar if so how much & is there a substitution for the butter? I am on a strict diet for a competition & would <3 a healthier version! Thanks!
I used some pears that I had that were getting a little over-ripe and it was awesome!!! I don’t bake, so I was super excited to have my house smell so delicious!
Wow, I never would have thought of pear crumble! Thanks for sharing that Tina. It’s such an easy way to bake too isn’t it?
I have a variation for the apple crumble.
I use almond flour instead of regular flour, other flakes like quinoa flakes to replace oat flakes and instead of sugar I use maple syrup. it takes about 10 more minutes in the oven I’ve tried it in the slow cooker before and it turns out fine.
Oh that sounds really nice Joan, thank you! I bet it’s even nicer than this original version.
I have a 4-quart slow cooker. Can anyone let me know how to convert the ingredient amounts to suit that size?
Thank you!
I’d love to make this for my sons birthday party. Can anyone tell me how many this serves and if it turns out well if doubled or tripled? Thanks!
If you use certified gluten-free oats, this would be gluten-free!
What size crock pot is this recipe for? It sounds divine.
This looks amazing and I am going to try it right now. I am going to make a gluten free version using coconut flour and gluten free oats, which can be easily found at a health food store.
Has anyone tried this with juicier fruit such as plums? I have a TON I need to use AND my stove just gave up the ghost on me.
Hi,
Can I also bake in the oven for this recipe as I don’t own a crock pot?..If so, at what temperature and for how long?
Thanks
S
I’m sure you can. I don’t know the details though because I have only done it in a crock pot so far, sorry.
If you place a towel or 3-4 paper towels over crock-pot/slow cooker then put the lid on it will absorb some of the moisture so your topping isn’t so soggy.
That’s a good tip, thank you Linda!
Seemed like a great recipe. Mine did not turn out! I am a terrible cook. Even with crock pots. I think I put on high instead of low 🙁 lol! Gave it a try
This is more like an apple oatmeal. Very thick and dry, had to keep adding apple cider to crock. I may try again with no flour. Should have realized adding that much flour plus oats would absorb every bit of liquid. If you want to thicken the sauce you can always do this just prior to serving. Also the flour makes it very pasty!
I made this last night and it was fantastic! I didn’t want to dirty a bowl to mix the topping ingredients and butter so I honestly just dumped them on top of the apple slices. Then I dropped a whole stick of margarine (it was all I had) on top and let it cook for 4.5 hours on low. It was moist and just tasted fantastic. Thank you.
That’s great to know Stephanie. Any time I can get rid of an extra step, especially clean I’ll take it. Thank you for posting that.
So I made this for the first time using McIntoh apples. Everything came out great! However, I want to hAve the apples to be more “there.” Right now they were mushy. Any advice on how to have the apples have more of a presence? I cooked this on low for 3 1/2 hours.
Hi Edmond, I’d say try experimenting with not cooking it for as long if you want the apples to be not so soft. You could taste it after 2.5 hours and see how you like it and then just keep taking samples until you get it how you want and note what the time is. Crockpots can be different wattages, and so they don’t all cook quite the same. So if you do that you’ll find what works for you, to your taste with your crock pot.
Did you use regular or unsalted butter? Thanks! 🙂
I use salted because I like the taste better.
i make this every week and we al love it. my wife is not a big apple fan and she loves this!
today, i am eliminating the white flour to make it healthier. i have also found by accident that the cascadian farms granola cereal works well with this if you dont have all the ingredients.
I know I’m a little late to the game, but how many does this recipe serve?
Can this be frozen at all for future use or do you need to eat it all right away?
Thanks!!
Can this be made gluten free? I have rice flour and coconut flour.
Yes it can Kim. Just leave out the flour, as it says in the recipe. Make sure you have gluten free oats. The oats themselves are gluten free as I understand it. It’s just that sometimes they are processed on the same equipment that wheat and other gluten-containing products are. So depending on how sensitive you are you may need to get a brand that is specifically gluten-free. You could try substituting the coconut flour for the flour in this recipe. That should add a nice flavor too.
I made this last week after apple picking… I loved it and so did my boyfriend (he’s very picky). I still have some apple left so I’m making it again 🙂
To get the good nutrition in the peel, put peel in a Magic Bullet and blend with a little water, pour over apples.