10 Cosy and Comforting Crumble Recipes You Need to Try When It’s Cold
Chillier times of year and long, dark nights give us a hankering for one homely dessert in particular…a hearty homemade crumble!
Cosy and satisfying with a crispy, oven-baked topping, sweet fruits like apples or berries are normally at the centre of a comforting crumble recipe, with warming autumnal spices like nutmeg and cinnamon.
If you’ve been on the lookout for crumble recipes, you may have noticed that most aren’t very slimming friendly. Over the years at Pinch of Nom, we’ve perfected plenty of simple crumble recipes that you can tuck into when it’s cold out, without going off track.
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What makes a fruit crumble so cosy and comforting?
The comfort of crumble comes from the warm, lightly-spiced fruity filling, and the oh-so-crunchy topping. While traditional fruit crumble toppings are made with lashings of butter, sugar and flour, we use a surprise ingredient: porridge oats!
Combined with sweetener and reduced-fat spread, our ‘crumble’ is far lower in calories and you’d never taste the difference, especially once your layer of oats has turned golden in the oven.
Crumble is comfort food on its own, but you can ramp up the indulgence with a dollop of homemade custard or a swirl of low-fat aerosol cream.
Our silky Custard recipe is just 58 calories per serving, made with a nifty blend of slimming-friendly ingredients, including granulated sweetener with the same weight and texture as sugar (bear in mind that a powdered sweetener will not work as well).
1. Apple Crumble
You can’t beat a simple Apple Crumble recipe. Great to warm up with throughout autumn and winter, we’ve sprinkled peeled cooking apples chopped into delicate chunks with a generous helping of cinnamon and sweetener.
To make your humble crumble look even more impressive for little effort, divide it into individual-sized portions inside of adorable little ramekin dishes.
They’re really affordable on Amazon and they’re lovely to cuddle up with when you’re hosting a cosy night-in.
You could also bake one family-sized crumble in a larger oven dish, if you’re looking to make a showstopper for the centre of the table.
No matter how you choose to enjoy it, our twist on apple crumble comes in at just 75 calories per serving.
2. Baked Apple and a Cheesy Crumble
This wholesome Baked Apple and a Cheesy Crumble might sound like an odd mix of flavours, but trust us – it really works!
Instead of a sweet crumble, we’ve baked our appley filling with a savoury blend of oats and tangy reduced-fat Cheddar cheese on top. It makes for a dreamy, crunchy combination, with all the nostalgic textures from childhood snack times (tucking into apples, cheese slices and crackers!).
You can find the full recipes on pages 256-257 of your copy of Pinch of Nom: Comfort Food.
If you’ve never tried apple and cheese together before, you’ve probably already got the ingredients you need to test the waters with our gooey Cheese and Apple Toastie. You can have it ready in just 5 minutes!
3. Apple and Blackberry Crumble
Apples are a great place to start with crumbles, and baking in general, because they turn syrupy sweet in the oven and complement other fruits so nicely. Pair them with blackberries for our twist on a classic Apple and Blackberry Crumble.
To get the texture of your crumble just right, rub the oats, flour, reduced-fat spread and sweetener between your fingers, until it resembles breadcrumbs.
We rustle ours up in a cast-iron skillet because it cooks the fruity filling evenly until piping hot, and it stays warm for longer – ideal for wintery evenings!
Why not try a hot serving with a cooling scoop of low-fat ice cream?
4. Vegan Blackberry and Apple Crumble
There’s no need to miss out on fruit crumble if you’re following a vegan diet. We’ve used nothing but plant-based ingredients for our Vegan Blackberry and Apple Crumble, and it’s gluten-free too!
You’ll want to double-check that the reduced-fat spread you’re using is truly dairy-free (we use Flora Light, but some brands can be ‘plant-based’ with dairy products in their ingredients list).
To keep the topping coeliac friendly, use gluten-free rolled porridge oats and gluten-free plain flour.
Try it hot or cold, with a swirl of non-dairy aerosol cream, if you’re feeling fancy!
5. Pear and Ginger Crumble
There’s no rule that says you have to have apples in a comforting crumble recipe. Our Pear and Ginger Crumble never fails to stave off the cold, and it’s absolutely delicious!
To get the best from pears, simmer them in a saucepan with the grated ginger, a hint of lemon juice and a tablespoon of sweetener, until they’re soft with a syrup-like juice.
Ginger and pear is a perfect pairing, so we’ve added extra ginger into our oaty crumble topping, to give every bite an irresistible punchy crunch.
You can serve this one with custard, or mix things up a bit with fat-free Greek yoghurt (it’s gorgeous with the zingy ginger).
6. Tropical Crumble
A summery take on a wintery pud, our Tropical Crumble is bursting with sunshine flavours. You’ll find fresh mango and pineapple in our juicy filling, stirred together with cinnamon and lime zest.
We use brown granulated sweetener for this recipe, because its texture is so similar to real sugar that it’s almost impossible to tell the difference.
To really help this one stand out from the crowd, ramp up the holiday feeling by infusing the topping with desiccated coconut.
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7. Chicken Pot Pie Crumble
Who says crumble has to be sweet? The savoury oats on top of our Chicken Pot Pie Crumble make for a far more slimming-friendly alternative to puff pastry.
This winter-warmer gets you well on your way to 5-a-day, with a medley of colourful vegetables including sweetcorn, carrots and peas, and it cuts out the faff of dealing with pastry.
We’ve added chicken pieces and simmered them until tender with the veg, in a reduced-fat cream cheese sauce.
Grab your copy of Pinch of Nom: Quick and Easy and turn to pages 166-167 for the full recipe, so you can try a slice tonight.
8. Cherry Bakewell Crumble
The best of two sweet treats in one, our scrumptious Cherry Bakewell Crumble is great to curl up with when it’s cold.
To keep our filling budget-friendly and brimming with fruity goodness, we’ve used frozen dark sweet cherries. You’ll sprinkle ground almonds into our crumble mixture, and add flaked almonds on top, to give each serving an unmissable nuttiness.
The full recipe is on page 121 of our pocket-sized Family Meal Planner (now’s the perfect time to grab one ahead of the new year).
9. Mini Spiced Orange Mince Pie Crumbles
These Mini Spiced Orange Mince Pie Crumbles are too delicious to save for Christmas. A bite-sized fix of gorgeous, oat crumble topping, we’ve filled these dainty little pies with a festive cinnamon and nutmeg infused citrusy filling.
Crumble replaces the traditional pastry lid you’d usually find on top, and we’ve used low-calorie tortilla wraps to shape the casing for each individual pie. It holds the filling really well, and it’s just as satisfying as a pastry-based crunch.
You could always go full Christmassy with a scoop of Winter Berry Ice Cream on the side.
10. Apple Crumble Squares
Yet another miniature, crumble-inspired nibble, these Apple Crumble Squares are ideal for when you fancy a cosy fix of apple flavours at a moment’s notice.
While it takes just over an hour to prep and bake them, there’s nothing to stop you rustling up an extra batch to tide you over throughout the week (they’ll keep nicely in the fridge or freezer).
Each vanilla and apple filled square comes in at just 78 calories, so they’re perfect to try with a cuppa.
All 75 of the recipes in Pinch of Nom: Budget are delicious and affordable, but this is one of our super-saver recipes because it’s really good value for money. Turn to pages 166-167.
Which of our cosy crumble recipes will you make first?
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