afelia's kitchen
As a child I used to hate desserts with fruits in them; apple crumble, rhubarb crumble and any sort of baked goods with raisins in them, I absolutely loathed them! I just couldn’t bring myself to eat the fruit even though I wanted to at times – my older sister loves fruit desserts and watching her eat and enjoy them as a young child used to make my mouth water but as much as I wanted to enjoy them in the same way, I just couldn’t! It was only as an adult that I learnt how to appreciate an apple crumble and all things fruity. My Apple and Date Crumble is a twist on a classic crumble but tastes even better, thanks to the addition of Medjool dates. The dates add an amazing sweetness to the crumble which contrasts well against the sharp apples.
I use any sort of apple in my crumbles (apart from red apples), to be totally honest a crumble for me is a great way of using up apples that are past their prime. I normally have Granny Smiths at home as my daughter loves eating them but sometimes, just sometimes, they get left behind on the fruit tray. It’s times like this that I love using them up in a crumble but I have made apple crumbles using all sorts of other apples, even ones that aren’t tart, adding a squeeze of lemon juice usually does the trick! You should try to use apples that are tart though as they contrast well with the sweetness from the dates – Granny Smith, Braeburn and Golden Delicious are some of my favourites but you’re welcome to experiment with other varieties too.
The best part of an apple crumble has to be the crumble for me, I love the crunchy texture! To make this recipe even better I’ve added blitzed pecans to the topping, it gives it a great nutty flavour which I’m sure you’re all going to love. You can also try using hazelnuts, walnuts or even pistachios.
This recipe has been brought to you in collaboration with The Date Project, Click here to find out more about the amazing work they do and to order your Medjool dates. I hope this dessert brings warm smiles around the dining table when it’s dished up!
The Date Project
Serves – 6
You will need: for Apple and Date Crumble
For the filling:
400g apples (weight after peeling and coring)
7 – 8 medjool dates diced
1 tbsp dark brown soft sugar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
For the crumble topping:
80g butter
80g sugar
160g plain flour
50g pecans (blitzed in a food processor)
Method:
1. Start by coring and peeling the apples, try to slice them to a thickness of 3 – 4mm. Place in a bowl of cold water with a few drop of lemon juice added to stop the apples browning.
2. Dice the Medjool dates then mix with the drained apple slices. Arrange apple and dates in a dish, sprinkle 1 tbsp of dark brown sugar, 1 tbsp of granulated sugar over and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, toss with a spoon to coat everything.
3. To make the crumble topping in a large bowl rub 80g butter, 80g sugar and 160g flour together till it represents breadcrumbs. Add 50g of blitzed pecans and mix to combine.
4. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the apples and dates and bake in a pre heated oven at gas mark 5 for 40 – 50 minutes or until the top of the crumble is golden and the edges of the crumble are bubbling with juices from the apples.
5. Serve hot with your favourite vanilla custard and enjoy!
Enjoy the crumble piping hot and savour every mouthful!
- 400g apples (weight after peeling and coring)
- 7 - 8 medjool dates diced
- 1 tbsp dark brown soft sugar
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 80g butter
- 80g sugar
- 160g plain flour
- 50g pecans (blitzed in a food processor)
- Start by coring and peeling the apples, try to slice them to a thickness of 3 - 4mm. Place in a bowl of cold water with a few drop of lemon juice added to stop the apples browning.
- Dice the Medjool dates then mix with the drained apple slices. Arrange apple and dates in a dish, sprinkle 1 tbsp of dark brown sugar and 1 tbsp of granulated sugar over, toss with a spoon to coat everything.
- To make the crumble topping in a large bowl rub 80g butter, 80g sugar and 160g flour together till it represents breadcrumbs. Add 50g of blitzed pecans and mix to combine.
- Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the apples and dates and bake in a pre heated oven at gas mark 5 for 40 - 50 minutes or until the top of the crumble is golden and the edges of the crumble are bubbling with juices from the apples.
- Serve hot with your favourite vanilla custard and enjoy!
If you like the recipe please share with friends and family, also follow me on Facebook and Instagram. Questions? Leave a comment below or message me on Facebook.
Fathima
can we use green apples?
And also can you please tell me how to make vanilla custard?
afelia’s kitchen
Yes you may use green apples. You can look online for custard recipes.
Mirza ahmed
Hi sis it’s a hit. ive never liked apple crumble before. Thankyou
Rahela
I underestimated how sweet dates can be so I don’t think I will be making this combo again but the crumble topping is amazing, the nuts are lovely in the topping and I’ve made it again without the dates
afelia’s kitchen
Ahhh yes, they can be very sweet but we usually like to drown our crumble with vanilla custard which helps to balance out the sweetness. I’m really pleased you like the crumble topping, it’s my favourite bit! 🙂
Zenab
Thank you so much this recipe is perfect
afelia’s kitchen
Great, thanks for the feedback! x
Shibli
I’m not a fan of apple crumble. The tartness and sweet combination never has been to my liking. Nonetheless whenever this apple and date crumble recipe was posted on Instagram, it would look so appetizing. So today I finally decided to give apple crumble another try. I didn’t have green apples so based on the tip given in the comments sections, I used Gala apples instead. MashaAllah this crumble recipe is delicious! I’m so happy I finally found an apple crumble that I enjoy. Even my dad finished his bowl! Thank you Sister Afia for this delicious crumble recipe.
Fatima
Wow! That looks absolutely delicious. I definitely need to try this recipe.
afelia’s kitchen
Thank you, I hope you enjoy this if you do decide to make it. 🙂
Aaliyah
I had a family Christmas gathering today and made this, along with your recipe for carrot cake and also rainbow pasta. This is by far the most delicious apple crumble I’ve ever had, and it was such a huge hit with the family. Thank you SO much for detailed and easy-to-follow recipes (especially as I don’t have much confidence when it comes to cooking). I can’t thank you enough and look forward to trying more of your recipes!
afelia’s kitchen
Thank you for the awesome review, I think it’s also my most favourite apple crumble recipe too! 🙂 x
Ummara
The best apple and date crumble! Every time ive made it its been a hit! Ive used walnuts aswell as an alternative.. added peach instead of dates and that one was yummy too! Thank you!
Rukshana R
Asa sis, what kind of apples did you use? At home I usually have red apples, which are sweet and sour, or should I use cooking apples, which are usually more sour I believe?
afelia’s kitchen
Red apples are too powdery in texture, you don’t necessarily have to use cooking apples, I would recommend using either granny smiths or gala, they cook quite well. x
Riki
I cooked this recipe as a sweet dish on my husband’s birthday. It was a big hit in the family. Your crumble recipe is so simple and tasty. As you had suggested to have it with custard, so I prepared vanilla custard just before serving it.
Tee
This is such a yummy yummy crumble 😋 I followed the recipe to the t and it came out delicious. I don’t really like the taste of cooked fruit but with the crumble part it was just so moreish. Thanks for a great recipe!
Khadijah Bibi
Can I use light soft brown sugar instead of dark brown soft sugar? If so, how much do I use?
Roughly, how many apples is 400g?
afelia’s kitchen
Yes you may use light brown in place of dark, won’t make a huge difference. Hard to say off the top if my head tbh, it depends on how large your apples are, you really should invest in measuring scales for this if you do plan on baking occasionally. x
Sadika
I made this as soon as i saw afia posted this on her instagram page. Had so many apples lying around.. so thought id give this a go. I didnt have enough dates (i only used two) and also didnt have pecan nuts but still this was by far the best apple crumble iv ever made. It was really tasty. If you eat this crumble with some custard u cant tell how sweet it actually is. My mum had some too. She said to use less sugar next time. She found it too sweet. I will use less sugar next time Insha’Allah. My 6 year old daughter also had some even though she hates apple crumble. She said she had it at school and since then she’s hated it. But when i gave her some to try today, Alhamdulillah she wanted more of it! She said she loved the taste of cinnamon. I think she takes after her nani! Thanks afia for sharing your lovely recipe and for making the instructions clear!