These mini apple crumbles are an easy, scrumptious, and almost foolproof dessert whether you are new to baking or bake often. Almost everyone enjoys juicy cinnamon-sugar apples with a slightly caramelized and crispy topping!
Of course, individual portions are welcome, especially when dessert is on the table.
It also helps that this recipe has less sugar and saturated fat and more fiber than m any other apple desserts, which doesn’t mean that it isn't utterly delicious!
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What You’ll Love About This Recipe
- It’s easy to cut in half or double and relatively quick to prepare. Individual desserts bake faster than large ones.
- It’s a cinch to serve; no need to spoon it out into dishes.
- You won’t run out at a dinner party because everyone has their own dessert.
- This recipe works well for a smaller Thanksgiving gathering.
- Built-in portion control is terrific because size does count when it comes to desserts.
- You won’t worry about serving them to friends and family because the nutritional profile is healthy-ish.
- It’s a great recipe to have in your back pocket if you have an apple tree.
Ingredients
- Apples
- Monkfruit sweetener
- Cinnamon
- Lemon juice (optional)
- Flour
- Oats
- Brown sugar
- Almonds
- Butter
- Canola oil (optional)
- Allspice
- Salt
🍎 Apples: For cooking, choose a tart variety like Pink Lady, McIntosh or Granny Smith.
Monkfruit: I use (affiliate link) Lankanto monkfruit granulated golden sweetener, which is blended with erythritol. Although monkfruit is a better no-calorie sweetener since it is derived from a plant, you may prefer to simply sub in more sugar.
The sugar alcohol erythritol is added to make the sweetener granular. Erythritol is perhaps the most easily digested of the sugar alcohols, which are known for causing digestive issues.
Neither monkfruit nor erythritol will raise blood sugar levels.
Cinnamon: Ceylon cinnamon (affiliate link) is the safest cinnamon you can buy since it does not contain the coumarin, but it’s more expensive and does not taste as strong. Use whatever you have on hand. (Read about coumarin below!)
There currently is a large recall on cinnamon because of elevated lead levels. Consumer Reports recently published an excellent listing of 16 recalled brands.
🍋Lemon juice: It’s optional, but perks up the flavor of the fruit, and is a foil for the sweetness of the dessert.
Flour: Unbleached all-purpose flour is fine, but you could also use (affiliate link) whole-wheat pastry flour to add a bit more nutrition. Of course, you can sub gluten-free types of flour, including almond meal.
🌾Oats: Whole-grain rolled oats (affiliate link) are best for this recipe. Make sure the package says gluten-free if this is a concern for you.
Brown sugar: Use either light or (affiliate link) dark brown sugar. I like the dark because it has a slightly molasses flavor.
Almonds: The nuts need to be chopped and toasted lightly. I use toasted, slivered almonds. But chopped walnuts or pecans would be good too. Or, choose pumpkin or sunflower seeds if allergic to tree nuts.
🧈Butter: Unsalted. Enough said.
Canola oil: You swap in more butter if you are not concerned about saturated fat. Heart-healthy canola has a neutral taste and helps the crust get nice and crispy.
Allspice: It’s completely optional, but the small amount in the recipe boosts the flavor of the cinnamon.
🧂Salt: A pinch will help the dessert taste sweeter!
How to Make
Before you begin assembling the crumbles, be sure and wash your hands thoroughly, lathering with soap and rinsing with running water for 20 seconds.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray four individual ramekins with non-stick baking spray or grease them with canola oil or melted butter.
Note: You want the (affiliate link) ramekins to be about six ounces
Make the apple filling
1️⃣Core and chop the apples into pieces up to ½ -inch thick. No need to peel the apples.
2️⃣ In a medium bowl, mix together the apple pieces with the monkfruit, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
3️⃣ Spoon the apple filling into the greased ramekins.
Make the Brown Sugar Topping
1️⃣ In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon, allspice, and salt with a fork. Use the tines to break the packed brown sugar apart and blend with the other dry ingredients.
2️⃣ Drizzle the melted butter and canola oil over the dry ingredients. Mix everything together with a spatula or spoon.
3️⃣ Spoon the topping over the apple-filled ramekins.
4️⃣ Put the ramekins on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven.
Bake until the apples are soft and bubbly and the topping is set.
Let cool for five to 10 minutes and then serve with ice cream, frozen yogurt, whipped cream, or plain yogurt. (This last option makes a wonderful breakfast.)
❄️Storage
Baked Apple Crumbles can be stored in the refrigerator for five to seven days. They can also be frozen for up to six months.
Make-ahead: They can be made up to three days in advance. If made in advance of serving, it's best to store the apple filling and the topping separately in the refrigerator. Apply the topping just before you plan to bake them.
It’s also a good idea to take the filling and topping out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes and up to two hours before you plan to bake them.
Of course, you can also reheat baked crumbles covered with foil in a 350 F oven for about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the foil for the final five minutes.
Before reheating, take them out of the fridge up to two hours in beforehand.
👩🏽🍳Cooking tips
The recipe calls for three small apples. If your apples are large, you’ll only need two.
I prefer to use a (affiliate link) small paring knife, rather than a coring tool to remove the seeds and tough center.
🔪I cut the apple in half with a (affiliate link) large chef’s knife before removing the tough center parts with a paring knife. Then, using the chef's knife, I make slices of the apple half that are easily cut crosswise into smaller squarish pieces.
Because the topping has oil in addition to butter, it starts off dark atop the apple filling, so it’s not easy to know when it's cooked and set. You’ll be able to tell because the apple filling beneath will bubble and fill the house with scent of cinnamon spice.
The easiest method of getting all the ramekins in the oven is to place them all on a baking sheet rather than putting them in the oven one by one.
When you pull them out of the oven, let the individual crumbles cool for five to 10 minutes. This allows the crust to crisp up a bit and makes the desserts more delightful. You can then add ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy the dessert warm.
FAQ ❔❔❔
Yes. Cover it with foil and place it in a 350 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. You can also microwave it for a minute and a half (if it’s cold from the refrigerator); however, the crust will not be as crunchy when the crumble is microwaved.
Not really. Both feature a streusel-like topping. Often in North America, a crumble will not have any nuts or oats, but a crumble may have both in the U.K. and Australia. However, the terms are nearly interchangeable.
That would not be successful. Perhaps a better choice would be to use a microwave recipe for individual apple crumbles.
Foil (affiliate links) or silicone baking cups, however, would probably do the trick.
No. It’s not absolutely necessary. If you are allergic, don’t enjoy the flavor, or don’t have any on hand, the crumbles will still taste good if you leave it out.
As long as your mug is oven-safe, go for it! You can use any oven-safe dish for this recipe. Also, you don’t have to make this in individual dishes. I recommend a (affiliate link) pie plate if you would rather make this dessert family-style.
No. If you omit the nuts, add another Tablespoon of flour and another Tablespoon of oats. Or, if allergies to tree nuts are a problem, sub in a tasty seed like pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds.
⚕️Is this recipe healthy?
Although this recipe contains a good amount of sugar, this is balanced by many other nutritional qualities. Also, some of the sugars naturally occur in the apples.
Each dessert contains about a Tablespoon of added sugars (12 grams), which are the ones to minimize on a daily basis. That's actually not bad. A can of soda has 38 grams of sugar (more than 3 Tablespoons!).
Apple peels: Here you’ll find a bounty of nutrients. Peels contain fiber and health-promoting phytonutrients like quercetin and other antioxidants. These have been shown to boost immunity and perhaps lower cancer risk.
Plus, much of the sweet taste of an apple is next to the peel.
Canola oil: Using this oil rich in polyunsaturated fats decreases the amount of saturated fat in the dessert, which is healthier for your heart and blood vessels.
Almonds: Many people believe that this is the king of nuts in terms of nutrition. Among the nutrients they provide are heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, protein, vitamin E, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and copper.
Oats: Whole-grain rolled oats are rich in gut-healthy beta-glucan soluble fiber and insoluble fiber, which is good for regularity.
Cinnamon: This spice is often touted as helping with blood sugar management as it can possibly improve insulin sensitivity. It is also an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent and may reduce heart disease risk factors.
It has numerous actions that are good for your health. However, it’s good to distinguish between “Ceylon” cinnamon and Cassia cinnamon. The latter contains coumarin, which may cause liver damage when eaten in large quantities.
A majority of the ingredients in apple crumbles have some sort of tidbit that is good for your health. So, dig in and enjoy this dessert! It's definitely a better choice when it comes to sweet endings.
Related recipes you may enjoy…
The Apple Crisp Granola recipe is a homey, family-style treat baked in a square pan with a crunchy granola-like topping.
This easy and delicious Apple Butter simmers in the Instant Pot and features fresh ginger for a flavor and health.
Maybe you have an apple tree or two? How about some pie? This easy recipe for Pie Crust with just three ingredients is perfect when you crave a homemade apple pie.
You could also put some apples into this Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Tomato and Apples, which straddles the summer-fall seasons.
Chocolate Chip Mug Cake is another satisfying individual dessert. Made quickly in the microwave, it's full of melty chocolate chips. Perfect for one person (okay, maybe you can spare a bite or two for a loved one)!
Individual Apple Crumbles
Equipment
- 2 Medium bowls
Ingredients
For the filling
- 3 small apples, chopped into small cubes
- 2 Tablespoons monkfruit, or use stevia sweetener blend or sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon,
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice, optional
For the topping
- ¼ cup flour, all-purpose, whole-wheat pastry flour, or gluten-free flour
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted. Can also use pecans or walnuts.
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice, optional
- pinch salt, fine
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons canola oil
Instructions
- Wash hands thoroughly, lathering with soap and rinsing under water for 20 seconds before beginning the recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter the ramekins or spray them with non-stick baking spray.
Make the apple filling
- In a small bowl, combine the apples with the monkfruit or other sweetener and cinnamon.
- Spoon the apple mixture into the greased ramekins.
Make the topping
- In a medium bowl, use a fork to combine the flour and oats with the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice (if using), and salt.
- Add the canola oil to the melted butter. Drizzle this over the dry ingredients. Using the fork or your fingers, work it in evenly, making clumps.
- Divide the topping into four equal parts. Spoon onto each of the ramekins, pressing down.
- Place the ramekins on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until the apples are soft, hot and bubbly. The topping should be crispy and dark (but not too dark).
- Let cool slightly so the crumble turns a little crispy, almost like a crust. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or yogurt.
Nutrition
Copyright © 2024 Jani H. Leuschel
Jani H. Leuschel
Love that! Thanks for sharing! 💗
Ruth Hall
It was quick and delicious! I took it to a potluck, so enlarged the recipe by half and it was a hit! Lots of happy comments!!
Topped it with a little vanilla ice cream and as it was already as sweet as it needed to be—it became decadent!!