Crumble Topping Recipe for Fruit Pies - Crazy for Crust (2024)

Home | Recipes | Pie | How to Make Crumble Topping for Fruit Pies

Written ByDorothy Kern

Published OnSeptember 28, 2023

Jump to RecipeLeave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.

This recipe for crumble topping is the perfect crumble for any pie recipe. You can make it with brown sugar or granulated sugar and it’s even the perfect topping for muffins or fruit crisp.

Crumble Topping Recipe for Fruit Pies - Crazy for Crust (2)

Crumble Topping for Pie

When I was in college I created my recipe for crumb apple pie. It was the first pie I’d ever made completely from scratch and it became my signature recipe that is constantly requested at every holiday. (Mel doesn’t even eat my dessert but my apple pie is one he will eat!)

We always joked that the pie would be fantastic with just crust and crumble, no filling. After all, the crust and the crumble are the best parts! That conversation led to this blog being created.

Ever since I first made this crumble recipe, I’ve been topping other pies with it. So many things change over time but the one thing that stays the same is this recipe. It’s the BEST crumble topping recipe you’ll ever make or eat and it goes perfect with any fruit pie.

I’ve also used this recipe with muffins and coffee cake, so it’s a super versatile crumb recipe. The beauty of this crumble topping recipe is that you can use any sugar or combination of sugar you like. Use all white, all brown, or a combination of the two!

Crumble Topping Recipe for Fruit Pies - Crazy for Crust (3)

4 Ingredients Needed

Butter: Use slightly softened unsalted butter. You can use salted butter, but then omit the added salt. Soften it just a bit – not as soft as when you’re making cookies but not hard straight from the refrigerator.
Sugar: You can use granulated sugar, brown sugar, or a combination of sugars in this recipe. Just use 2/3 cup of either or the combination.
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the crumble it’s body. If you prefer an oat crumble, use this oatmeal crumble recipe.
Salt: Just add a bit of salt only if using unsalted butter.

Crumble Topping Recipe for Fruit Pies - Crazy for Crust (4)

Crumble Topping Recipe for Fruit Pies - Crazy for Crust (5)

How to make Crumble

Whisk your dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add your butter in small chunks or grated (see below)
Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
The crumble is done when it’s crumbly and pea-sized with no loose dry ingredients.

Grating the Butter makes it easier!

There is nothing harder than using a pastry cutter to cut in cubed or diced butter. It takes a lot of time and arm strength, so I created a shortcut: I grate the butter. If you want to make mixing the crumble much easier, grate the butter.

Freeze the butter for about 30 minutes.
Grate it using a box grater.
Use as directed in the recipe.

Crumble Topping Recipe for Fruit Pies - Crazy for Crust (9)

Crumble Topping Recipe for Fruit Pies - Crazy for Crust (10)

Tip From Dorothy

Expert Tips

Grating the butter makes it easier to cut into the ingredients, but it’s not required if you don’t want to.
Crumble topping is delicate and should be crumbly, so you don’t want to use a mixer. You want to make crumble topping by hand, so I like using a pastry cutter.
If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can use a fork or two knives, but a pastry cutter is easier.
You can make this up to a day ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Crumble Topping Recipe for Fruit Pies - Crazy for Crust (12)

Uses for Crumble Topping

Use this recipe on peach pie or apple pie, blueberry pie, blackberry pie or any fruit you like.
You can also top mini apple pies or mini berry pies.
It makes enough topping for slab pie also!
It’s also the perfect topping for peach crisp or apple crisp.
Make crumble topping for muffins too!

Crumb Topping Recipe

4.87 from 162 votes

Crumb topping for pie is such an easy recipe. This crumble recipe can also be used to top muffins or coffee cake!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Yield 8 servings

Serving Size 1 serving

Save RecipeRate RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients

▢ 12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter
▢ ⅔ cup (133g) sugar (packed brown sugar or granulated sugar or a combination)
▢ 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Grate cold butter into a large bowl. Alternately, you can dice it small.
Add sugar: use all brown or all white or a combination to make ⅔ cup. Use whatever combination you like (I like using ⅓ cup each brown and white).
Add flour and then, using a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
Use crumble as recipe directs, on a fruit pie or on muffins or coffee cake. Bake as directed in recipe.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Store crumble in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before using.
If using salted butter, omit added salt.

Recipe Nutrition

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

Did you try this recipe? Click the stars to rate the recipe below

Favorite Pie Recipes

Pie

Hula Pie

Pie

5-Minute Ice Cream Pie

Pie

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Pie

Banana Cream Pie Recipe from scratch

Last Updated on September 28, 2023

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

Learn More About Me

119 Comments

Best topping I’ve ever had
Reply
Can the pie be done with caned peaches?
Reply
Yes, drain them well – I have several peach/fruit pies on here with the cornstarch/flour ratio for you
Reply
Nice but nowhere do you give cooking time or temp so it seems rather useless. Also if your grater isn’t flat and ice cold how do you get all the excess butter of your equipment? I reckon I wasted almost 15%.
Reply
Cooking time and temperature depends on what you’re baking. If the butter is frozen, there should be minimal transfer. but you can use a spatula or your hands.
Reply
Made this for Christmas Apple pies, and they were perfect. I shared this recipe with a friend, and she asked about adding cinnamon. Especially for an apple pie.
Reply
THE BEST crumble. AMAZING!! Do not skip any steps. Made the VERY BEST apple pie with it for Thanksgiving and it was GONe! Real butter always!
Reply
nice texture n flavor i used dark briwn sugar
Reply
Terrible. No crunch, just goop.
Reply
Did you make any changes? What recipe did you use it on? Did you use real butter?
Reply
I made it just as printed. I used it on a caramel apple pie. I think if it had oatmeal as an ingredient it might have worked better.
Hi, are you cooking the crumble before you put it on the pie? Or do you let it cook as the pie cooks
Reply
Raw onto the pie – it will bake as the pie does.
Reply
I would like to make a large quantity and freeze for easy crumble topping when needed. How does this crumble hold up when frozen ? Thank-you
Reply
Too much butter in this recipe. It turns into a soup. Other recipes have less butter, so it gets crumbly rather than soupy.
Reply
Do you mean after baking or before? How warm was your butter? I have made this recipe so many times I can’t count – just did it yesterday, in fact – and it is not soupy.
Reply
I made this recipe it was grt I also put my butter in freezer for a lil extra stiffness and it came out grt thanks I will be using this recipe for the holidays
Comment navigation
Older Comments
Featured In
'),b.insertAdjacentHTML(d,e));return document.getElementById(a)};c.prototype._repeatDynamicAds=function(b){var a=[],d=this._removeRecipeCapExperiment.result&&"Recipe"===b.location?99:this.locationMaxLazySequence.get(b.location),e=b.lazy?u(d,0):0;d=b.max;var f=b.lazyMax;e=Math.max(d,0===e&&b.lazy?d+f:Math.min(Math.max(e-b.sequence+1,0),d+f));for(f=0;f
=d;a.push(y(y({},b),{sequence:g,lazy:h}))}return a};c.prototype._locationEnabled=function(b){b=this._clsOptions.enabledLocations.includes(b.location);var a=this._clsOptions.disableAds&&this._clsOptions.disableAds.all||document.body.classList.contains("adthrive-disable-all"),d=!document.body.classList.contains("adthrive-disable-content")&&!this._clsOptions.disableAds.reasons.has("content_plugin");return b&&!a&&d};return c}(),Za=function(c){function b(a,d){var e=c.call(this,a,"ClsVideoInsertion")||this;e._videoConfig=a;e._clsOptions=d;e._IN_POST_SELECTOR=".adthrive-video-player";e._WRAPPER_BAR_HEIGHT=36;e._playersAddedFromPlugin=[];d.removeVideoTitleWrapper&&(e._WRAPPER_BAR_HEIGHT=0);return e}v(b,c);b.prototype.init=function(){this._initializePlayers()};b.prototype._wrapJWPlayerWithCLS=function(a,d,e){void 0===e&&(e=0);return a.parentNode?(d=this._createGenericCLSWrapper(.5625*a.offsetWidth,d,e),a.parentNode.insertBefore(d,a),d.appendChild(a),d):null};b.prototype._createGenericCLSWrapper=function(a,d,e){var f=document.createElement("div");f.id="cls-video-container-".concat(d);f.className="adthrive";f.style.minHeight="".concat(a+e,"px");return f};b.prototype._getTitleHeight=function(a){a.innerText="Title";a.style.visibility="hidden";document.body.appendChild(a);var d=window.getComputedStyle(a),e=parseInt(d.height,10),f=parseInt(d.marginTop,10);d=parseInt(d.marginBottom,10);document.body.removeChild(a);return Math.min(e+d+f,50)};b.prototype._initializePlayers=function(){var a=document.querySelectorAll(this._IN_POST_SELECTOR);a.length&&this._initializeRelatedPlayers(a);this._shouldRunAutoplayPlayers()&&this._determineAutoplayPlayers()};b.prototype._createStationaryRelatedPlayer=function(a,d,e){var f="mobile"===this._device?[400,225]:[640,360],g=G.Video_In_Post_ClicktoPlay_SoundOn;d&&a.mediaId&&(e="".concat(a.mediaId,"_").concat(e),d=this._wrapJWPlayerWithCLS(d,e),this._playersAddedFromPlugin.push(a.mediaId),d&&this._clsOptions.setInjectedVideoSlots({playerId:a.playerId,playerName:g,playerSize:f,element:d,type:"stationaryRelated"}))};b.prototype._createStickyRelatedPlayer=function(a,d){var e="mobile"===this._device?[400,225]:[640,360],f=G.Video_Individual_Autoplay_SOff;this._stickyRelatedOnPage=!0;this._videoConfig.mobileStickyPlayerOnPage="mobile"===this._device;if(d&&a.position&&a.mediaId){var g=document.createElement("div");d.insertAdjacentElement(a.position,g);d=document.createElement("h3");d.style.margin="10px 0";d=this._getTitleHeight(d);d=this._wrapJWPlayerWithCLS(g,a.mediaId,this._WRAPPER_BAR_HEIGHT+d);this._playersAddedFromPlugin.push(a.mediaId);d&&this._clsOptions.setInjectedVideoSlots({playlistId:a.playlistId,playerId:a.playerId,playerSize:e,playerName:f,element:g,type:"stickyRelated"})}};b.prototype._createPlaylistPlayer=function(a,d){var e=a.playlistId,f="mobile"===this._device?G.Video_Coll_SOff_Smartphone:G.Video_Collapse_Autoplay_SoundOff,g="mobile"===this._device?[400,225]:[640,360];this._videoConfig.mobileStickyPlayerOnPage=!0;var h=document.createElement("div");d.insertAdjacentElement(a.position,h);d=this._wrapJWPlayerWithCLS(h,e,this._WRAPPER_BAR_HEIGHT);this._playersAddedFromPlugin.push("playlist-".concat(e));d&&this._clsOptions.setInjectedVideoSlots({playlistId:a.playlistId,playerId:a.playerId,playerSize:g,playerName:f,element:h,type:"stickyPlaylist"})};b.prototype._isVideoAllowedOnPage=function(){var a=this._clsOptions.disableAds;if(a&&a.video){var d="";a.reasons.has("video_tag")?d="video tag":a.reasons.has("video_plugin")?d="video plugin":a.reasons.has("video_page")&&(d="command queue");q.error(d?"ClsVideoInsertionMigrated":"ClsVideoInsertion","isVideoAllowedOnPage",Error("DBP: Disabled by publisher via ".concat(d||"other")));return!1}return this._clsOptions.videoDisabledFromPlugin?!1:!0};return b}(function(c){function b(a,d){var e=c.call(this)||this;e._videoConfig=a;e._component=d;e._stickyRelatedOnPage=!1;e._contextualMediaIds=[];a=void 0;void 0===a&&(a=navigator.userAgent);a=/Windows NT|Macintosh/i.test(a);e._device=a?"desktop":"mobile";e._potentialPlayerMap=e.setPotentialPlayersMap();return e}v(b,c);b.prototype.setPotentialPlayersMap=function(){var a=this._videoConfig.players||[],d=this._filterPlayerMap();a=a.filter(function(e){return"stationaryRelated"===e.type&&e.enabled});d.stationaryRelated=a;return this._potentialPlayerMap=d};b.prototype._filterPlayerMap=function(){var a=this,d=this._videoConfig.players,e={stickyRelated:[],stickyPlaylist:[],stationaryRelated:[]};return d&&d.length?d.filter(function(f){var g;return null===(g=f.devices)||void 0===g?void 0:g.includes(a._device)}).reduce(function(f,g){f[g.type]||(q.event(a._component,"constructor","Unknown Video Player Type detected",g.type),f[g.type]=[]);g.enabled&&f[g.type].push(g);return f},e):e};b.prototype._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage=function(a){var d=this;a=this._potentialPlayerMap[a].map(function(e){return{player:e,playerElement:d._getPlacementElement(e)}});return a.length?a[0]:{player:null,playerElement:null}};b.prototype._getOverrideElement=function(a,d,e){a&&d?(e=document.createElement("div"),d.insertAdjacentElement(a.position,e)):(d=this._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage("stickyPlaylist"),a=d.player,d=d.playerElement,a&&d&&(e=document.createElement("div"),d.insertAdjacentElement(a.position,e)));return e};b.prototype._shouldOverrideElement=function(a){a=a.getAttribute("override-embed");return"true"===a||"false"===a?"true"===a:this._videoConfig.contextualSettings?this._videoConfig.contextualSettings.overrideEmbedLocation:!1};b.prototype._checkPageSelector=function(a,d,e){void 0===e&&(e=[]);return a&&d&&0===e.length?("/"!==window.location.pathname&&q.event("VideoUtils","getPlacementElement",Error("PSNF: ".concat(a," does not exist on the page"))),!1):!0};b.prototype._getElementSelector=function(a,d,e){if(d&&d.length>e)return d[e];q.event("VideoUtils","getPlacementElement",Error("ESNF: ".concat(a," does not exist on the page")));return null};b.prototype._getPlacementElement=function(a){var d=a.pageSelector,e=a.elementSelector;a=a.skip;var f=da(d),g=f.valid,h=f.elements;f=S(f,["valid","elements"]);var k=ca(e),l=k.valid,p=k.elements;k=S(k,["valid","elements"]);return""===d||g?l?this._checkPageSelector(d,g,h)?this._getElementSelector(e,p,a)||null:null:(q.error("VideoUtils","getPlacementElement",Error("".concat(e," is not a valid selector")),k),null):(q.error("VideoUtils","getPlacementElement",Error("".concat(d," is not a valid selector")),f),null)};b.prototype._getEmbeddedPlayerType=function(a){(a=a.getAttribute("data-player-type"))&&"default"!==a||(a=this._videoConfig.contextualSettings?this._videoConfig.contextualSettings.defaultPlayerType:"static");this._stickyRelatedOnPage&&(a="static");return a};b.prototype._getMediaId=function(a){return(a=a.getAttribute("data-video-id"))?(this._contextualMediaIds.push(a),a):!1};b.prototype._createRelatedPlayer=function(a,d,e,f){"collapse"===d?this._createCollapsePlayer(a,e):"static"===d&&this._createStaticPlayer(a,e,f)};b.prototype._createCollapsePlayer=function(a,d){var e=this._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage("stickyRelated"),f=e.player;e=e.playerElement;var g=f?f:this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated[0];g&&g.playerId?(this._shouldOverrideElement(d)&&(d=this._getOverrideElement(f,e,d)),d=document.querySelector("#cls-video-container-".concat(a," > div"))||d,this._createStickyRelatedPlayer(y(y({},g),{mediaId:a}),d)):q.error(this._component,"_createCollapsePlayer","No video player found")};b.prototype._createStaticPlayer=function(a,d,e){this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated.length&&this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated[0].playerId?this._createStationaryRelatedPlayer(y(y({},this._potentialPlayerMap.stationaryRelated[0]),{mediaId:a}),d,e):q.error(this._component,"_createStaticPlayer","No video player found")};b.prototype._shouldRunAutoplayPlayers=function(){return this._isVideoAllowedOnPage()&&(this._potentialPlayerMap.stickyRelated.length||this._potentialPlayerMap.stickyPlaylist.length)?!0:!1};b.prototype._determineAutoplayPlayers=function(){var a=this._component,d="VideoManagerComponent"===a,e=this._config;if(this._stickyRelatedOnPage)q.event(a,"stickyRelatedOnPage",d&&{device:e&&e.context.device,isDesktop:this._device}||{});else{var f=this._checkPlayerSelectorOnPage("stickyPlaylist"),g=f.player;f=f.playerElement;g&&g.playerId&&g.playlistId&&f?this._createPlaylistPlayer(g,f):q.event(a,"noStickyPlaylist",d&&{vendor:"none",device:e&&e.context.device,isDesktop:this._device}||{})}};b.prototype._initializeRelatedPlayers=function(a){for(var d=new Map,e=0;e
Rate This Recipe

Crumble Topping Recipe for Fruit Pies - Crazy for Crust (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to crunchy crumble? ›

However, we also love adding porridge oats for extra chewiness, as in these recipes for very-berry oat crumble and American-style apple crisp. Chopped and toasted nuts such as pecans, almonds or hazelnuts also make a lovely addition to a traditional crumble, for taste as well as an extra-crunchy texture.

What is crumble topping made of? ›

As its name suggests, crumb topping is a dessert topping. It's a simple mixture of butter, sugar, and flour, and is typically used to top pies or muffins prior to baking for a crunchy, sweet contrast.

Read On ›

Why is my crumble topping not crunchy? ›

Too much butter and your topping will become a greasy blob or disappointingly soggy. Some recipes will ask you to cut in cold butter along with your dry ingredients, resulting in pea-size pieces that are sprinkled across the hot fruit filling.

Get More Info Here ›

How do you keep crumble topping from getting soggy? ›

I always have oats in my crumble topping. I think without oats, it's more a streusel, but I might be wrong. Either way-a thicker layer of it helps it stay more moisture resistant and give that nice crunch.

Discover More ›

What is the difference between fruit crisp and crumble? ›

So what's a crumble vs. a crisp? A crumble is just a crisp without oats in the streusel. It may feature nuts, but the streusel topping is usually a simple combination of butter, flour, and sugar that is more clumpy than that of a crisp.

Keep Reading ›

What does cornstarch do in a crumble? ›

Then, make sure to bake the crumble long enough so that the fruit filling comes to a profuse simmer at the edges of the pan. This shows that the cornstarch has been activated enough to thicken the juices, turning them supple and silky.

Get More Info Here ›

What is the difference between a crumb topping and streusel? ›

Ingredients: Streusel is typically made with a 1:1:2 ratio of flour, sugar, and butter. Crumble topping, on the other hand, has a higher ratio of sugar to flour, typically 1:1 or 1:1.5. This gives crumble topping a sweeter and more crumbly texture. Texture: Streusel is denser and more chewy than crumble topping.

Is streusel topping the same as crumble topping? ›

If you are wondering what the difference is between crumb topping and streusel, not much is the answer. Both are crumb toppings containing the same ingredients but streusel often has more sugar, cinnamon, nuts and or oats included.

See Details ›

What is apple crumble topping made of? ›

An apple crumble is a baked dessert consisting of tender pieces of cooked apple tucked under a buttery, crumbly topping made from flour, sugar, butter, and other ingredients, such as rolled oats, spices, and nuts. The apple crumble is a play on traditional apple pie that requires less time, effort, and baking prowess.

Tell Me More ›

Why is my crumble topping more like dough? ›

Why does my crumble topping look like dough? This is usually down to the butter being too warm when mixed together. Also, if the ambient temperature is warm, then the butter will soften after the crumble mix is made and cause it to turn into a dough-like consistency.

View Details ›

How do you keep crumble from sinking into fruit? ›

Double-bake your fruit crumble topping

For the crunchiest crumble ever, pre-baking the topping is the key. Otherwise, once in the oven, the crumble topping will mop up the fruit's juices like a sponge. The undersides of the topping never even had a chance to achieve their golden glory days.

Should butter be cold for crumble? ›

If it's warm, the butter won't “break” because it will smear and the fat will stick to the pieces, which is the opposite of what you want. Once you cook it, the butter will melt but you'll have these nice pieces of crumble, rather than a greasy layer of it.

Show Me More ›

How do you thicken fruit for crumble? ›

Tips For Making a Classic Fruit Crumble

Use cold butter and work it into the flour mixture for a pastry-like topping. The top should be brown and the filling should be bubbling. In order to thicken properly, the cornstarch in the filling must boil.

Show Me More ›

Can you overwork crumble? ›

"Do not overwork the crumble; lift it with the tips of your fingers and rub it lightly between your hands. Do not try to compress the mixture as you will end up making a dough!" "Traditionally, the crumble is added on to the top of the cooked filling and then baked.

Read The Full Story ›

What does baking powder do in a crumble? ›

First, adding a teaspoon of baking powder to the flour mixture makes the crumble topping more tender. Second, using cold butter and working it into the flour mixture makes for a pastry-like topping reminiscent of pie crust. Pro tip: Crumble topping freezes incredibly well and can be kept on hand for crumble anytime.

Read On ›

What is the difference between a crumble and a crisp and a cobbler? ›

Cobbler: A fruit dessert made with a top crust of pie dough or biscuit dough but no bottom crust. Crisp/crumble: In Alberta, the terms are mostly interchangeable. Both refer to fruit desserts similar to cobbler but made with a brown sugar streusel topping sometimes containing old-fashioned rolled oats.

View Details ›