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FROM THE COTTAGE KITCHEN · MABON ♡

Apple &
Blackberry Crumble

Sharp berries, soft apples and a golden buttery crumble

Apples and blackberries are one of autumn’s happiest pairings — soft, sweet fruit with just enough sharpness beneath a warm, buttery crumble. Serve it straight from the oven with custard, cream or ice cream for a simple Mabon pudding made for cool evenings and darker afternoons.

A warm apple and blackberry crumble in a rustic ceramic dish with a bowl of crumble and custard beside it in an autumn cottage kitchen.

From the Cottage Kitchen ♡

AWAITING
COTTAGE
TEST

Ingredients

For the fruit

  • 4 medium eating apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 250g blackberries
  • 40g soft brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon plain flour or cornflour

For the crumble

  • 175g plain flour
  • 100g cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 85g soft brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • A small pinch of salt

Optional for serving

  • Custard
  • Vanilla ice cream
  • Pouring cream

Method ♡

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, 170°C fan, or Gas Mark 5.
  2. Place the sliced apples and blackberries into a medium baking dish.
  3. Sprinkle over the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice and flour.
  4. Toss everything together gently so the fruit is lightly coated.
  5. Put the plain flour into a bowl and rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs.
  6. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
  7. Scatter the crumble mixture loosely and evenly over the fruit. Do not press it down.
  8. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.
  9. Leave to stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
  10. Serve warm with custard, cream or vanilla ice cream if you fancy it.
Fresh apples and blackberries with cinnamon and a rustic baking dish arranged in the Cottage Kitchen.

Apples, berries and a little spice

Traditional flour, butter and brown sugar crumble topping in a rustic ceramic bowl.

Rub together until softly crumbly

Cottage Notes ♡

  • A mixture of sweet and slightly tart apples gives the filling a lovely flavour.
  • Frozen blackberries work too — there is no need to defrost them first.
  • If using frozen berries, the crumble may need a few extra minutes in the oven.
  • The crumble can be assembled earlier in the day and baked when needed.

Dawn’s Kitchen Note ♡

There is something wonderfully reassuring about a crumble bubbling away in the oven while the afternoon turns dark outside.

This recipe is currently waiting on the Cottage testing table.

Community Favourite

Recipes that receive lots of love from visitors may eventually earn a special badge in the Cottage Kitchen.

Could this become a Community Favourite?

YOU TRIED IT! ♡

If you make this crumble, I’d love to hear how it turned out — especially if you changed the fruit, spices or serving ideas.

COMMUNITY FAVOURITE

Recipes that receive lots of love from visitors may eventually earn a special badge here in the Cottage Kitchen.

🍎 ♡ MADE WITH SIMPLE INGREDIENTS & A LOT OF COTTAGE LOVE ♡ 🍂

🍂 This recipe is currently waiting to earn its Cottage Tested badge. Once baked and tweaked in my own kitchen, the page will be updated with my real test-batch photograph.