This toffee apple crumble is the ultimate autumn and winter dessert: tender cinnamon-spiced apples studded with toffee bits, baked until caramelized and topped with a buttery hazelnut-oat crumble. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a cozy, nutty finish.
The hazelnuts bring a toasty crunch that contrasts with the soft apples and the caramel-like toffee pockets, creating a rich, gooey dessert perfect for dinner parties or a relaxed family night.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Toffee pockets: small, melty caramel-like bits throughout the apples add bursts of flavor.
Simple to make: uses common pantry ingredients and minimal equipment — just mixing bowls and a baking dish.
Feeds a crowd: casseroles and crumbles are easy to scale and excellent for gatherings.
Ingredients
- Apples: a mix of tart and sweet varieties (Granny Smith plus Gala, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady).
- Brown sugar: used in the filling and the crumble for caramel flavor.
- Cinnamon: warms the apple filling.
- Toffee bits: create pockets of gooey caramel flavor.
- Flour: thickens the filling and forms the base of the crumble.
- Oats: add texture and chew to the topping.
- Unsalted butter: brings the crumble together and crisps as it bakes.
- Hazelnuts: provide toasty crunch and earthy flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full ingredient details.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap hazelnuts for pecans, almonds, or walnuts, or omit nuts for a nut-free version.
- Use pears instead of apples for a milder, more delicate flavor.
- Quick-cooking oats can replace rolled oats in a pinch.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg, clove, or cardamom for extra spice depth.
- Use store-bought toffee bits or prepare homemade toffee pieces if desired.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Toss apple chunks with lemon juice, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Fold in the toffee bits.
Two: Mix butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, salt, and hazelnuts until crumbly.
Three: Transfer the apple mixture to a buttered baking dish.
Four: Scatter the hazelnut-oat crumble over the apples and bake until the fruit is tender and the topping is golden. Cool slightly and serve with ice cream.
Expert Tips
- Use a combination of tart and sweet apples for the best texture and flavor.
- Cut apples to uniform sizes so they bake evenly.
- If the topping browns too fast, loosely tent the dish with foil while baking.
- Remove the crumble from the oven when apples are slightly firm; they’ll soften as it rests.
- Test apple doneness with a sharp knife — it should slide in with minimal resistance.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Assemble up to 24 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate. If baking from cold, add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
Yes. Freeze unbaked, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, uncovered, and add 15–20 minutes to the baking time.
Storage
Keep the toffee apple crumble covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10–15 minutes until warm, or warm individual portions in the microwave.
More Fall Recipes You’ll Love
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Pear Spice Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
-
Chewy Chocolate Chai Cookies
-
Dutch Caramel Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
-
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- Recipes are tested with Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton’s (about twice as salty), reduce the salt amount by half. Avoid using table salt for accurate seasoning.
- Switch between cups and metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight with a digital scale yields the most consistent results.
- Use the serving multipliers on the recipe card to scale ingredient quantities; note that baking times may need adjustment when changing batch size.
Recipe
Hazelnut and Toffee Apple Crumble
Equipment
- 1.5 qt baking dish (9×9″ or similar)
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 lbs apples (about 6–7 medium)
- ½ lemon, squeezed
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup toffee bits
Crumble Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup roughly chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
Apple Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 1.5-qt baking dish (a 9×9″ pan works well).
- Peel, core, and cut apples into roughly 1″ cubes (or thin 1 cm slices if preferred).
- Place apples in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice.
- Add the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon; toss to combine. Fold in the toffee bits, then transfer the mixture to the prepared dish and spread evenly.
Crumble Topping
- In a bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, salt, and hazelnuts. Use a fork or your fingertips to mix until you have small to medium crumbles.
- Scatter the crumble over the apples, gently spreading with your fingers without packing it down.
- Bake 35–45 minutes until apples are tender and the topping is golden. If the topping is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
- Let the crumble rest about 10 minutes before scooping. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
*A mix of Granny Smith and Gala or Braeburn apples is a favorite for texture and flavor.
Use store-bought toffee bits or prepare homemade toffee pieces if you prefer.
This crumble can be assembled up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated. If baking straight from the fridge, increase bake time slightly.