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Individual Apple Crumbles

Individual apple crumbles with a thick, cinnamon-nutmeg apple filling and a golden oat crumble topping. Baked in ramekins until the filling bubbles and the edges caramelize, then served warm with vanilla ice cream.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For apple filling:
  • 5 apples
  • 0.3333333333 cup granulated sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
For oat crumble:
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
Serving
  • 1 vanilla ice cream

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and grease 6 individual ramekins (6–8 oz each). Set them on a sheet pan so they’re ready to fill.
  2. Cook the diced apples with unsalted butter, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a skillet over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring until thickened. The mixture should look glossy and cohesive as the cornstarch activates.
  3. Divide the thickened apple filling among the 6 ramekins. Fill each ramekin evenly so the filling bubbles at the same time during baking.
  4. Make the oat crumble by combining rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until the dry ingredients are uniform.
  5. Cut in the cold unsalted butter until chunky clumps form. Stop when you still see uneven oat-and-butter bits rather than a smooth powder.
  6. Top each ramekin generously with the oat crumble. Cover the apples fully so the topping browns and sets.
  7. Bake on the sheet pan at 375F for 25–30 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling bubbles. Look for a crisp, browned surface and active bubbling at the edges.
  8. Serve the crumbles warm with vanilla ice cream. Add it just before serving so the ice cream melts over the hot apple filling.

Notes

For the thickest filling, cook the apples until the cornstarch mixture turns glossy and visibly thick (5–7 minutes is usually enough). Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days and reheat in the oven at 325F until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the crumble topping can soften. For a lighter option, use coconut oil or plant-butter in place of the unsalted butter in both the filling and crumble.