Frosted Apple Sweet Delight (Printable Version)
Tender baked apples topped with a sweet, crumbly frosting for a comforting treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Apples
01 - 4 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
→ Filling
02 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
→ Frosted Topping
05 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 1/2 cup rolled oats
07 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
11 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
→ Frosting
12 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar
13 - 1 tablespoon milk
14 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a large bowl, combine apple slices with lemon juice, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Toss until evenly coated, then spread the apple mixture in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in chopped nuts if using.
04 - Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the apple layer, covering completely.
05 - Bake for 35 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with a fork.
06 - While the treat bakes, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
07 - Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle the frosting over the warm crumble before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The tender apples underneath that buttery crumble create the most perfect warm and cool contrast when you drizzle on the frosting
- It comes together in under an hour but tastes like something that simmered all afternoon
02 -
- Cold butter is absolutely non negotiable here, room temperature butter will make the topping turn into a solid sheet rather than crispy crumbs
- Letting the baked dessert cool for exactly 10 minutes before frosting gives the fruit time to set slightly so the frosting creates beautiful swirled patterns instead of melting right in
03 -
- If your apples are particularly sweet, reduce the granulated sugar in the filling to 2 tablespoons to prevent it from becoming cloying
- Adding a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom to the crumble topping layers in warmth that people will notice but not be able to identify