Air Fryer Apple Crumble: Easy Bramley Apple Recipe

Choose a dish that fits safely

Use a firm-based, oven-safe dish around 20 cm wide and approximately 2 litres in capacity. Measure the dish at its widest point, including handles or a rim, and make sure the drawer closes without the dish touching the heating element.

Leave space around the dish for hot air to circulate. Do not line the bare basket with loose foil or parchment to improvise a container; use a proper heatproof dish permitted by the appliance manufacturer.

Ingredients for six

Bramley apples are tart cooking apples that soften readily and balance the sweet topping. Eating apples remain firmer and are naturally sweeter, so they do not behave identically in this timing.

• 900 g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons demerara sugar for the apples
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon for the apples
• 200 g plain flour
• 100 g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 40 g demerara sugar for the crumble
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon for the crumble

Smart tip

Test the apples with a small knife before adding the topping. If they are still firm, continue the fruit stage first; extra time after the crumble goes on risks over-browning the top.

Soften the apples first

Put the prepared Bramley apples into the dish. Add the water, two tablespoons of demerara sugar and two teaspoons of cinnamon, then toss so the pieces are evenly coated.

Air fry at 180°C / 350°F for 10 minutes. Stir carefully, return the dish and cook for another 10 minutes. The apples should be yielding and starting to release juice. If they remain firm, continue before adding the topping, checking in short increments.

Make the crumble topping

While the fruit cooks, rub the cold butter into the plain flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs with a few larger clumps. Stir in the 40 g demerara sugar and remaining two teaspoons of cinnamon.

Work lightly rather than compressing the mixture into dough. A mixture of fine crumbs and small clusters creates a more interesting crisp texture than a completely uniform powder.

Add the topping and finish cooking

Stir the softened apples one final time and spread them level. Scatter the crumble evenly over the fruit without pressing it into a solid lid; cover the apples to limit juice splashing onto the element.

Air fry at 180°C / 350°F for 10 minutes, until the topping is pale golden and the filling is hot and bubbling at the edges. Check early if your element sits especially close to the dish. Rest for five to ten minutes before serving because the fruit will be extremely hot.

Bramley apples versus eating apples

Bramleys break down into the soft, slightly fluffy filling associated with a classic British crumble. Their acidity also balances the sugar. Keep the pieces reasonably large so the finished dish retains some texture.

If substituting a sweet eating apple, reduce the added sugar to taste and expect more distinct pieces. Because variety and cut size alter softening time, test with a knife before covering the fruit with crumble.

Fixing firm fruit or a dark topping

Firm fruit means the apple stage was too short, the chunks were too large or the variety holds its shape. Continue cooking the fruit before adding the crumble. Once the topping is present, lowering the temperature is safer than repeatedly darkening it while waiting for the apples.

A dark top with floury crumbs beneath suggests the element is colouring the surface too fast. Use a deeper approved dish, lower the final stage by 10°C next time and check earlier. Do not add a loose foil cover unless your appliance manufacturer provides a secure method.

Dairy-free and gluten-free variations

Tesco's published recipe suggests replacing the butter with a dairy-free alternative or using a gluten-free flour. Check every label and the suitability of the preparation area if cooking for someone with an allergy or coeliac disease.

Different fats and flour blends absorb differently, so the crumb texture may vary. Keep the same visual test: the topping should resemble loose breadcrumbs before it goes onto the fruit.

Storing and reheating apple crumble

Cool leftovers and refrigerate them within two hours. Eat within 48 hours or freeze them, in line with Food Standards Agency guidance. Cover only once cool so condensation does not immediately soften the topping.

Reheat only once and make sure the fruit is steaming hot throughout. The exact air-fryer time depends on the depth and portion size; smaller portions heat more evenly than a nearly full dish.