Air Fryer Recipe
Blackberry and Apple Crumble
A beloved classic, blackberry and apple crumble is a dessert that’s synonymous with comfort and indulgence, now made easier with an air fryer.
Ingredients
- 300g blackberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 large Bramley apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 100g plain flour
- 75g unsalted butter, cubed
- 50g demerara sugar
- A handful of rolled oats (optional)
Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 170°C.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the apples and blackberries. Stir in the caster sugar and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the demerara sugar and oats if using.
- Transfer the fruit mixture into an air fryer-safe baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the crumble topping over the top.
- Place the baking dish into the air fryer and cook for approximately 20 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the fruit mixture is bubbling around the edges.
- Allow it to cool slightly before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
The air fryer’s fast convection dries the exposed crumble quickly, so demerara and oats crisp before the fruit overcooks. Bramley apples collapse and release pectin-rich juices that thicken the blackberry syrup, while rubbing cold butter into flour coats it with fat, limiting gluten and keeping the topping short rather than bready.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4–6 litre basket that fits a shallow 16–18cm air fryer-safe dish with space around it for airflow. In a single-drawer model, place the dish centrally and rotate once if one side browns faster; in dual-zone drawers, the smaller cavity puts the topping closer to the element, so check from 15 minutes and use a smaller, shallower dish rather than a deep bowl.
Common pitfalls
- Topping dark by minute 12 but no bubbling at the edges: the dish is too deep or too close to the element; cover loosely with foil, drop to 160°C and cook until the fruit visibly bubbles.
- Watery purple liquid under a crisp top: frozen berries have released excess juice; next time add 1–2 tsp cornflour to the fruit and cook 3–5 minutes longer.
- Crumble looks greasy and compact rather than sandy: the butter has softened into a paste; chill the topping for 10 minutes or rub in a spoonful of extra flour before scattering it loosely.
- Apple slices still firm when the top is golden: they were cut too thick; cover the top and continue at 160°C, and slice Bramleys thinner next time.
Variations & substitutions
- Use eating apples instead of Bramleys for a firmer, sweeter filling; reduce the caster sugar slightly and expect less natural thickening.
- Swap half the blackberries for raspberries for a sharper crumble; they collapse faster, so check the fruit at the lower end of the timing.
- Use gluten-free plain flour in the topping; it stays more sandy and may brown a little quicker, so check after 15 minutes.
- Replace the oats with chopped hazelnuts or almonds; they toast quickly in the air fryer, so keep them in coarse pieces and watch for early browning.
Storage & reheating
Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 6–8 minutes until hot underneath and crisp on top.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
