If you’re looking for an easy no-fuss apple dessert, try these 7-ingredient individual apple crumbles. Prep is uncomplicated and quick, and as long as you have oven-safe ramekins, the crumbles bake in just over 30 minutes. Enjoy warm from the oven and feel free to serve with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel on top. See below for the best apple varieties to use!
For the past few years, I’ve been serving individual desserts from time to time and this includes s’mores chocolate mousse, crème brûlée, upside down key lime pies, and mini pound cakes. (Not just cookies or other handheld treats—specialty desserts just individually portioned.) The general response is usually something along the lines of “what a fun dessert!” or “great portion control!” The novelty of having your own dessert is always appreciated. And since they’re smaller, individual desserts usually bake and cool quicker. A win all around!
Tell Me About These Individual Apple Crumbles
- Texture: Each spoonful is altogether juicy, gooey, soft, and crisp. This medley of textures is especially present if you stick with firm, crisp apples. Granny Smiths & Honeycrisps are my preferred choices for this recipe and I list a few others below.
- Flavor: Have you ever tried this apple crumble pie before? We’re essentially making the same thing only skipping the pie crust. Warm cinnamon apples and buttery brown sugar crumble come together in every single bite. And while the crumbles bake, you can make a batch of salted caramel for garnish. Homemade whipped cream is also fantastic on top!
- Ease: This is a beginner baking recipe because there’s nothing complicated involved. If you have little baking assistants by your side, they love to help put the apples in the dishes and sprinkle on the crumble topping.
- Time: Set aside about 20 minutes to prep and assemble the crumbles, plus another 35 minutes for baking. Serve and enjoy right from the oven!
This recipe does not have any eggs, so it joins many others in the naturally egg-free baking recipes category. If you need another suggestion, these baked apples are egg-free as well.
Here’s Exactly What You Need
Oven-Safe 6 Ounce Ramekins: Bake these mini apple crumbles in individual oven-safe ramekins. I used these (affiliate link) 6 ounce oven-safe ramekins. They’re a convenient size to have in your kitchen because you can use them for snacks, ingredient prep, and for other individual desserts including chocolate soufflé, chocolate fudge cakes, chocolate lava cakes, upside down key lime pies, and lemon pudding cakes. Functional AND multipurpose!
Just 7 Ingredients:
- Butter: Use butter for greasing the ramekins and in the topping.
- Apples: You need 3 large apples for this recipe. Firmer apples are ideal for baking, so avoid soft, mealy, and/or mushy apples. (Same tip I recommend for peaches when making peach pie.) Here are my top choices and what I recommend for these apple crumbles: Granny Smith, Jazz, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Fuji. All the same apples I love in my classic apple pie! You can skip peeling the apples if you’d like, but many prefer peeled apples in desserts. I use and love (affiliate link) this OXO peeler.
- Brown Sugar: You need brown sugar for the apples and for the topping.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon goes into both layers as well.
- Nutmeg: Nutmeg adds extra flavors to the apples.
- Flour: Flour is the main ingredient in the crumble topping.
- Salt: A tiny pinch of salt adds balance to the topping.
Yes, The Process Really Is This Easy:
Mix the apple filling ingredients together and then spoon into greased ramekins.
Use a fork to mix dry ingredients for topping together and then gently mix in the melted butter. Avoid over-mixing which can turn the topping into paste. Literally do less work.
Spoon topping over apples and bake.
If you’re planning for a smaller Thanksgiving celebration, these individual crumbles are a great alternative to full-sized Thanksgiving pie recipes.
3 Success Tips for Baking Mini Apple Crumbles
- Do Not Cut Apples Too Thin: Many apple recipes call for apple slices, but that shape/size is not ideal in these individual crumbles. Cut the apples into chunks so you can fit plenty into each ramekin. 1-inch chunks that are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick are ideal for these apple crumbles. (Same size I recommend for apple crisp.)
- Don’t Over-Mix the Crumble Topping: If you over-mix the butter into the dry ingredients, the crumble topping won’t be crumbly anymore—it will be paste.
- Bake On a Baking Sheet: A baking sheet makes it easy to transfer the ramekins to and from the oven. It also catches any crumbles that may topple over.
This recipe is part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual tradition where I share a handful of new recipes that fit into the pie/crisp/tart category. Join the community below!
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Individual Apple Crumbles
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 6-ounce ramekins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Enjoy an individual serving of apple crumble! Recipe makes six 6-ounce ramekins. Review recipe notes before starting.
Ingredients
Apple Layer
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large apples, cut into 1-inch chunks that are 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick (about 4 cups or 480g chunks)
- 3 Tablespoons (38g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Topping
- 2/3 cup (135g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- small pinch salt (about 1/16 teaspoon)
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- optional for serving: ice cream & salted caramel
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line six 6-ounce ramekins on a baking sheet.
- Prepare the apple layer: First, brush the 1 Tablespoon of melted butter into ramekins to grease them. In a large bowl, stir the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Divide apples between ramekins.
- Make the crumb topping: Use a fork to mix this crumb topping. Mix the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Fold in the melted butter. Keep the mixture as large crumbles and do not over-mix. (If over-mixed, this will turn into a thick paste.) Sprinkle evenly over apples, pressing down into the apples if necessary so it fits. (It’s fine if crumble topping is still piled high on the apples because it bakes down.)
- Bake for 32-36 minutes or until topping is lightly toasted and apples appear softened.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm. If desired, serve with ice cream and salted caramel on top.
- Cover and store leftover crumbles in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven if desired before enjoying. (See next for reheating in oven instructions.)
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: The best way to prepare these apple crumbles ahead of time is to prepare them through step 3. Cover and refrigerate unbaked crumbles for up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature, then continue with step 4. You can also bake 1-2 days in advance, store covered in the refrigerator, then reheat (covered) in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 15 minutes before serving. Baked & cooled crumbles freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links):Â 6-ounce Oven-Safe Ramekins | Baking Sheet | Pastry Brush | Glass Mixing Bowls | Apple Peeler
- Greasing the Ramekins: If you don’t have a pastry brush, you can use a spoon or your fingers to spread the melted butter into the ramekins or just use nonstick spray to grease instead.
- Apples: You need 3 large apples for this recipe. Firmer apples are ideal for baking, so avoid soft, mealy, and/or mushy apples. Here are my top choices and what I recommend for these apple crumbles: Granny Smith, Jazz, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Fuji. You can skip peeling the apples if you’d like, but many prefer peeled apples in desserts. I use and love (affiliate link) this OXO peeler.
- Ramekin Size & Bake Time: You need oven-safe 6-ounce ramekins to make this recipe. I use these (affiliate link) 6 ounce oven-safe ramekins. If your oven-safe ramekins are smaller than 6 ounces, the bake time should be reduced. If your oven-safe ramekins are larger than 6 ounces, they’ll need additional bake time. When the topping looks toasted, they’re done.
- 1 Large Apple Crumble: If you do not have individual oven-safe ramekins, you can make 1 large apple crumble using this apple crumble pie recipe and baking in a greased 9-inch pie dish or 9-inch square baking pan. Simply skip the pie crust and feel free to skip the nuts, too. Same bake time as the pie. This individual crumbles recipe uses *slightly* more crumble topping and you can use this amount if desired.
Hi! this recipe looks heavenly. Can I replace the butter with oil in the topping? if so, how much?
Hi Gitty, we recommend sticking with melted butter for best results. If you do want to try with an oil, we’d recommend melted coconut oil.
Can I use margarine if I want to keep it dairy free?
Hi Gitty, we don’t recommend margarine as it has different baking properties. We’d try the coconut oil or even a plant-based butter instead.
This was delicious and easy to make. I ended up using a 9×5 loaf pan instead of ramekins.
Replaced some of the flour in the topping with quick cooking oatmeal and added some candied pecans that I wanted to use up. I also added a little flour to the apple mixture to thicken the apple juices as it baked.
Hubby and I both loved it and will definitely make this again.
Hi! I was wondering if you could bake these in muffin tins instead. If so, how do the bake times change? Thanks!
Hi Arthi, that should work just fine. We’re unsure of the best bake time, but if you’re distributing it evenly among the muffin tin it will probably be just a bit shorter. Let us know how it goes!
Delicious and easy! Made it for me and my daughter so I split the recipe into 1/3. Didn’t peel the apples and wish I did.. next time I will make sure the peel them! Might try throwing a little granola into the mix too next time. Thank you!
Amazing! I hadn’t made apple crumbles in years and this was a HUGE HIT!! Delicious and very easy recipe!
If I have six 8 oz ramekins, would you recommend doubling the recipe to fill each dish and baking longer? Or would it be better to use the recipe as is and have less depth to each crumble?
Hi Hannah, doubling the recipe would likely be a bit too much, but you can simply fill your ramekins as is. They will need a slightly longer bake time. When the topping looks toasted, they’re done. Enjoy!
Hi! First of all, wanted to say – your recipes are the BEST! they have never failed me and I’ve been using your website for quite a while now. Love it:)
Question – what apples are best for cobbler? is Pink Lady okay?
Hi Hannah, yes! Granny Smith, Jazz, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Fuji are our recommendations.
Hi there! Can I use oats instead of flour for the crumble topping or maybe a mix of both flour and outs?
Hi Andi, you can definitely try replacing some of the flour in the crumble topping with oats. Let us know how it goes!
Sally – Have you ever made chocolate chip cookies in a ramekin?
I have and I plan to share a recipe for that in the future once I perfect it! So nothing as of right now. Hopefully soon!
Delicious and simple! I swapped some of the flour for oats to give a little more texture. My only critique is that the apples gave off a lot of liquid that pooled in the bottom of the ramekins. When I make this again,. I’ll add a little bit of flour or cornstarch to the apples to make the filling less liquidy.
I made these on a whim looking for something sweet and easy to make. Now I have been “sneaking” one every day. I just love them. So easy and such a nice treat. I will definitely make again. Thanks Sally 🙂
Made these today for Thanksgiving and it was the perfect dessert in my opinion. Easy and not as heavy as pie (we will save the pie for tomorrow!). I made it exactly by the recipe and it was perfect! I have made the larger apple crumble before and it’s also very good but this was definitely easier.
Should I add some Lemon juice if I prep the day before baking ? Better to prep and bake the next day or bake and reheat ? Thanks for your expertise Sally!
Hello! The best way to prepare these apple crumbles ahead of time is to prepare them through step 3 – see recipe notes for details, we haven’t found that lemon juice is needed.
Thank you Trina !
if i was to make this gluten free – how much would using an almond flour or a rice flour instead of the all purpose change the dish?
Hi Naidy, I haven’t tested it so I can’t be certain. You could try this gluten free apple crisp recipe instead– and maybe use that topping for these individual ramekins.
Could I make it in a giant baking dish instead of using individual dishes?
Absolutely– see recipe note for specific details.
How long will the cooked crumbles last refrigerated if not serving all at once?
Hi Kristine, you can bake the crumbles 1-2 days in advance, store covered in the refrigerator, then reheat (covered) in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 15 minutes before serving.
Can you use cupcake liners for these and also for the upside down key lime pies?
Hi Raylene, I haven’t tried this recipe in liners in a cupcake pan. I don’t think it would be an issue but again, I have not tested it. Let me know if you do! The upside-down key lime pies would be tricky. Instead, make these mini key lime pies.
Hi! Would it be possible to add a later of pie crust on the bottom?
Hi Amanda, I’m sure you could but it would be best to par-bake the pie crust first. Otherwise it will be quite wet and soggy.