Caramel Apple Crumble

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Caramel Apple Crumble will have you licking your plate clean! Soft apples, topped with a buttery crumble top and homemade salted caramel sauce. Pure heaven! Serve with some Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

I remember being a little girl and watching my mom make her recipe for apple crumble which was heavy on the apples and very light on the crumble and I remember thinking what a travesty it was. I was probably 5.

So, as an adult armed with a decent amount of kitchen knowledge, I took matters into my own hands promising myself that I would create a recipe that even I, the cooked fruit hater, could love.

And I did it! I took it pretty easy on the apples, doubled the normal amount of crumble topping, and was quite heavy-handed with the warm salted caramel sauce for the ultimate fall dessert that everyone and their mom will love. So let’s make this baby!

What Kind of Apples are Best to Use?

For this recipe I used Granny Smith green apples. I love that they are crisp, sweet & tart and hold up really well when cooked. Other good apple options are Honeycrisp, Jonagold and Braeburn apples.

What Type of Pan Should I Use?

I like to use a cast iron skillet. I am able to cook the apples in it on the stove top, then add the caramel and crumble topping to the apples and bake in the oven, all without transferring anything to a different baking dish. A big bonus is less dishes to wash after! If you don’t have a cast iron skillet or other pan that can go in the oven, using a 9×13 casserole dish will work just fine. If you do use a different pan, you’ll need to adjust your baking time.

How to Make Caramel Apple Crumble

This caramel apple crumble recipe has three main components. The sauce, crumble, and apple filling. Each section needs its own set of ingredients and so I’m going to break it down for you. See the printable recipe card below for full details on ingredients & measurements. Here is step by step what you can expect when making this recipe.

Make the Crumble Topping

This is a super easy process where you just measure, dump, and mix. Combine flour, brown sugar, white sugar, butter and salt into a bowl (or stand mixer bowl) and mix. The mixture will be crumbly but stay together when squeezed. Set aside.

Make Salted Caramel Sauce

The hardest part of this recipe is probably making the homemade salted caramel. I’m going to walk you through the steps pretty well but if it still intimidates you in any way, there are plenty of salted caramel sauces on the market which are great options. Even warming up store bought caramel sauce and adding in a little sea salt will work too. Here we go 🙂

1. Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat to melt the sugar. Continue cooking and swirling sugar until it turns amber in color.
2. Whisk in sea salt and heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up violently briefly. Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth.
3. Stir in butter and vanilla. Set aside.

Prep Apples + Cook

Prepare apples and toss in lemon juice. The best apples to use for this dish are granny smith apples. This is simply because of their taste, texture, and good baking qualities.

Cook apples in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat in butter to draw out moisture. Sprinkle with salt to draw out all the moisture possible. Drain apples and place back into skillet. This process should take about 5-7 minutes of cooking.

Layer + Assemble Apple Crumble

Pour 3/4 of prepared caramel sauce into the apples and stir gently. Top with the crumble topping.

Bake + Serve

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown. Serve with remaining caramel sauce.

Apple Crumble Toppings

Besides the caramel sauce, you can also top this dessert with ice cream or whipped cream. Think of it as a deconstructed apple pie. So all that creaminess perfectly compliments this apple crumble recipe.

Storing Leftover Caramel Apple Crumble + Make Ahead Directions

I doubt you’ll have any leftovers because this dessert is SO divine! But if you do, don’t worry. Cover with plastic wrap and store your apple crumble in the fridge for up to 4 days.

You can reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time or pop it into the oven to warm it up.

To Freeze: Allow apple crumble to cool completely. Place in a freezer safe container with a good fitting lid and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven or the microwave. It’s also tasty eaten cold!

Make Ahead

If you want to do the prep work the day before, cover and store the apple filling, crumble topping and caramel separately in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.

More Apple Recipes to Try!

• Apple Turnover
• Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
• Buttery Apple Crisp
• Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Danish
• Apple Streusel Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
• Buttery Apple Pie Recipe

Be sure to save, print, bookmark or share this recipe so you have it and use it all Fall long. It’s a good one!

The printable recipe card below. Have a great day, friends!

PrintPrint Pin ItPin It

Caramel Apple Crumble

This Caramel Apple Crumble recipe will have you licking your plate clean! Soft Apples, topped with a buttery crumble top and homemade salted caramel sauce. Pure heaven!

servings 8 servings

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

For the caramel sauce-

• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ 1/4 cup water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 3/4 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the crumble-

• ▢ 1 cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• ▢ 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 6 tablespoons butter softened
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the apples-

• ▢ 4 granny smith apples peeled, cored and sliced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

For the caramel sauce-

• Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat to melt the sugar. Continue cooking and swirling sugar until it turns amber in color.
• Whisk in sea salt and heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up violently briefly. Continue whisking until sauce is smooth.
• Stir in butter and vanilla. Set aside.
  

For the Crumble

• Combine all ingredients together using a stand mixer. The mixture will be crumbly but stay together when squeezed. Set aside.
  

For the Apples

• Prepare apples and toss in lemon juice.
  
• Cook apples in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat in butter to draw out moisture. Sprinkle with salt to draw out all the moisture possible. Drain apples and place back into skillet. This process should take about 5-7 minutes of cooking.
  
• Pour 3/4 of prepared caramel sauce into the apples and stir gently.
  
• Top with the crumble topping.
  
• Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and serve with remaining caramel sauce.
  

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 659mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 860IU | Vitamin C: 5.8mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Apple crumble, apple crumble recipe, Caramel Apple Crumble, how to make apple crumble, salted caramel sauce