If you want to make a restaurant-style dessert to serve at your next dinner party, this Apple Crumble with Vanilla Bean and Thyme will hit the spot. Sweet apples mixed with warm baking spices and fresh thyme create a unique and delicious flavor combination that will wow your friends and family.
This Apple Crumble is:
- Sweet
- Tart
- Herbal
- Crumbly
- And has a hint of black pepper spice...
Ingredients You'll Need
- Apples: I used Honeycrisp, but Braeburn or Pink Lady will work great!
- Sugar: brown and white
- Walnuts, chopped
- Butter
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed; use Meyer lemons for the best flavor if you can find them.
- Flour: All purpose
- Vanilla Bean Powder—my new obsession! If you love vanilla beans but don't want to fuss with the pods, check out vanilla bean powder. You can buy it here.
- Fresh thyme (optional) adds an unexpected herbal twist to this apple crumble.
- Cinnamon - Ground
- Black pepper, cracked, adds a subtle spice to the sweet crumble.
- Salt
How to make individual apple crumbles
Make the filling
1. Wash, peel, and thinly slice apples, and add them to a medium bowl. Add sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean powder, cinnamon, thyme, salt, and pepper. 2. Mix gently, making sure all of the sugar and spices coat all of the apple slices. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Make the apple crumble topping
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, walnuts, butter, cinnamon, and salt. 4. Using clean hands or a fork, slowly incorporate the butter into all of the ingredients until a clumpy, sandy-like texture forms. Set aside
Assemble and bake
5. Using ramekins or small (low mason jars), pack 1 cup of the apple filling into each ramekin. Be sure to pile it high; the apples will shrink as they cook.
6. Top with ¼ cup of the crumble filling; be sure to pack it on tight so it doesn't fall off in the oven.
7. Add ramekins to a baking sheet, sprinkle the crumbles with a little black pepper, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes on the center rack.
8. Remove from oven once bubbling and golden. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Then top with some fresh thyme, whipped cream, or ice cream.
Serving Suggestions
Prepare this dessert in advance, but wait until you start dinner to start the cooking. You'll have warm, fresh apple crumbles for dessert!
Serve with whipped cream.
Serve with vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce. YUM.
Storing
You can make and cook this apple crumble up to two days in advance. Leave the crumbles at room temperature, covered.
Reheating the Apple Crumble
Serve at room temperature or reheat in the oven at 325 F (160 C) uncovered for 10 minutes. If the tops start to brown while reheating, cover them with some parchment paper or aluminum foil to prevent burning.
More apple recipes you may enjoy
Apple and Blue Cheese Crostini is easy to make and made extra special with a drizzle of honey and then sprinkled with fresh thyme. It's a great appetizer for entertaining.
Apple and pecan salad is the perfect side salad for brunch, lunch, or dinner. I love to serve this year-round, but I find it's extra tasty when apples are in season.
Recipe
Individual Apple Crumbles with Vanilla and Thyme
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*Easily adjust serving size to your liking by clicking the number under servings or with the boxes below in the ingredients section.
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 4 Small - Medium Apples
- 3 tablespoon Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Bean Powder see notes (or a vanilla bean, scraped)
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme Chopped
- ¼ teaspoon teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- Black Pepper Fews turns, fresh cracked
For the Crumble
- ½ Cup Flour
- ½ Cup Chopped Walnuts
- ⅓ Cup Brown Sugar Light
- ¼ Cup Butter ½ Stick (room temperature) Vegan Butter, if making vegan
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
To Make the Filling
- Wash, peel and thinly slice apples, add to a medium bowl. Add sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean powder, cinnamon, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix to gently but make sure all of the seasonings coat all of the apple slices. Set aside for 10 minutes.4 - Apples3 tablespoon - Sugar3 tablespoon - Lemon Juice1 tablespoon - Vanilla Bean Powder1 tablespoon - Fresh Thyme¼ teaspoon - Cinnamon½ teaspoon - SaltCrack of Black Pepper
To Make the Crumble
- To a small bowl add: Flour, brown sugar, walnuts, butter, cinnamon and salt. Using clean hands, or a fork, slowly incorporate the butter into all of the ingredients until a sandy-like texture forms. Set aside.½ Cup Flour½ Cup Chopped Walnuts⅓ Cup Brown Sugar¼ Cup Butter ½ Stick (room temperature)¼ Tsp Cinnamon¼ tsp Salt
Assemble the Apple Crumbles
- Using ramekins or small (low mason jars), pack 1 cup of the apple filling into each ramekin. Be sure to pile it high, the apples will shrink as they cook.
- Top with ¼ cup of the crumble filling, be sure to pack it on tight so it doesn't fall off in the oven.
- Sprinkle with a little black pepper and bake in the oven, on a sheet tray, for 30 minutes on the center rack.
- Remove from oven once bubbling and golden. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then top with some fresh thyme.
- Serve with love and enjoy! 🙂
Nutrition
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