Salted Caramel Apple Crumble and Custard

Salted Caramel Apple Crumble and Custard

This is the one we make when we want to absolutely nail a Sunday dessert. Warm, bubbling apples with a proper salted caramel running through them, a crunchy oat and pecan topping, and creamy custard poured over the top. It's everything a crumble should be, and then some. We kept coming back to the kitchen to test this one because honestly we couldn't stop eating it, and we think once you make it you'll completely understand why.

Cook: 50 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • Large baking dish
  • Food processor
  • Large saucepan
  • Medium saucepan
  • Small jug
  • Heatproof serving jug
  • Fork for mashing
  • Whisk

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 banana
  • 50g pecans
  • 100g rolled oats
  • 100g wholemeal flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 100g pitted Medjool dates
  • 120ml boiling water
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 800g apples
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 500ml unsweetened plant-based milk
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric

Method

1

First, make the crumble topping

  • Peel the banana, put it in a bowl and mash it really well with the back of a fork
  • Roughly chop the pecans
  • Add the cinnamon, oil and maple syrup and stir to combine
  • Add the oats, flour, chopped pecans and salt
  • Fold to combine, using your fingers to give a varied texture of large and small pieces
2

Now, prep the caramel

  • Pit the dates, put them in the food processor with the boiling water and salt and pulse until you have a smooth caramel
3

Now, prep the apples

  • Core, peel and thinly slice the apples
  • Put the apples in the large saucepan with the maple syrup and toss to coat
  • Add the water and cinnamon, put it on the hob over a medium heat and simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally to help the apples soften evenly
  • Add the caramel to the pan and fold it into the apples
4

Build the crumble

  • Pour the apple filling into the baking dish, sprinkle over the crumble topping (you may have a couple of spoonful's of crumble left over), put the dish in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until the crumble is crispy and golden
5

While the crumble is baking, make the custard

  • Put cornflour and water in a small jug and stir to form a slurry
  • Add half the milk and the turmeric to the jug and stir to combine
  • Warm the remaining milk in the medium saucepan over a medium heat, stirring continuously until it reaches a gentle simmer
  • Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract to the pan and stir to combine
  • Gently pour the rest of the milk into the pan, whisking constantly, and cook for 5–7 minutes until the custard is thick and smooth
  • Take the pan off the heat and pour the custard into a heatproof serving jug 
  • Remove the crumble from the oven and serve immediately with the custard

Tips & Variations

  • Get the texture right: When you're folding the crumble topping together, use your fingers and don't over-mix it. You want a mix of big chunky bits and fine crumbs, that contrast is what makes a crumble a proper crumble.
  • Swap the nuts: Ian loves this with walnuts instead of pecans if that's what you've got in the cupboard. Both work brilliantly and give that same satisfying crunch.
  • Make more caramel than you need: Genuinely, make a double batch of the salted caramel and keep the rest in the fridge. It's incredible on toast, stirred into porridge, or just eaten with a spoon. Trust us on this one.

Why This Works

The trick here is the date-based caramel. It gives you that deep, sticky sweetness without any refined sugar, and the salt cuts through it beautifully so it doesn't taste overly sweet. Using a mashed banana in the crumble topping is something we stumbled on and now we'd never go back, it binds everything together and adds a subtle richness that makes the whole thing feel really indulgent.