Raspberry Crumble Recipe

Name: Easy Raspberry Crumble
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 12 oz Raspberries; 1 tbsp Lemon juice; ¼ cup Light brown sugar; ¼ cup White sugar; 1 tbsp Cornstarch/cornflour; ¼ tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Unsalted butter; 1 cup All-purpose flour; 4 tbsp Light brown sugar; 4 tbsp Sugar; ½ cup Unsalted Butter; 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 1 tsp Spice mix (cinnamon, gingerbread); ¼ tsp Fresh grated nutmeg; ½ cup Almond meal or rolled oats

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There is nothing more delicious in summer than crumbles with seasonal fresh berries for dessert like this raspberry crumble. It takes five minutes to prep and 30 minutes to bake. And you can serve this warm or cold with ice cream or whipped cream.

A ramekin and spoon with raspberry fruit crumble. — Raspberry Fruit Crumble Recipe

A fruit crumble is really the easiest dessert you can make in summer with any fruit. Berries and stone fruit such as apricot, plums, peaches, and nectarines, are always a big hit.

Why make this crumble?

One of the reasons I love berry crumbles is this. Look at that thick tart yet sweet chewy fruit syrup. Next, look at the crisp buttery bits of crumble on the top. Now imagine a spoonful of that syrupy fruit with the crispy crumble that just bursts in the mouth. There's a mouthful you cannot resist. Explosion!
A fruit crumble is really the easiest dessert you can make in summer with any fruit. Berries and stone fruit such as peaches, apricots, and apples are always a big hit.
Today, I am making these with raspberries but you can also make them with other berries such as blueberries, blackberries, or even a combination of mixed berries. Of course, stone fruits such as apricot, plums, peaches, and nectarines, are also the perfect candidates for crumbles.
By the way, a crumble bar is a great way to take these fruit crumbles to family and friends when you visit.

A raspberry crumble in a ramekin. — Perfect Homemade Crumble, Fruit Crumble with Raspberries, Easy homemade Raspberries Crumble

Ingredients and substitutes

Raspberries - Today I am using fresh, and yet you can also use frozen. If you use frozen you can keep the amount of sugar the same. I'd love to say you can also use canned, and yet with canned, I find the fruit is too soft and becomes syrupy by the time it's cooked. It still tastes good, but the fruit is almost down to a syrup consistency.
Sugar – I like using a mix of white and brown sugar. The white adds sweetness and keeps a beautiful white color while the light or brown sugar brings with it the flavor of molasses.
Unsalted Butter – I always use unsalted because I like to control the amount of salt I use. If you use salted butter that’s fine. Just omit salt in the recipe. Margarine or veg shortening works as well, and yet they both will affect the texture of the crumble.
Cornstarch - Raspberries are juicy, and the cornstarch helps thicken the juices giving you that thick syrup-like consistency instead of a pool of liquid.
Vanilla - Always use good quality vanilla extract, bean paste, or vanilla sugar.
Spice mix –There are so many flavors you can add. Like pumpkin spice or gingerbread spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I admit that when it comes to crumble, I often prefer the fruit to shine. So I usually add just a pinch of cinnamon and a grating of nutmeg.

Ingredients shot collage for raspberry fruit crumble. — Raspberry Fruit Crumble Recipe

Step by step instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C/ Gas Mark 5
Crumble - In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, nuts/oats, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, spice, and chilled cubed butter. Pulse a few times – until crumbly until you have a combination of small and large breadcrumb consistency. Keep chilled.
Pro tip - the crumble mixture can be made. up to 4 days in advance. Keep it in the fridge at all times to ensure the butter stays chilled.

Progress pictures collage making crumble for fruit crumble. — Raspberry Fruit Crumble Recipe

Fruit - Combine the raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a greased 8 x 8 square pan or 6-inch pie pan. Alternatively, you can also use 4 x 4 oz ramekins for individual servings. Set aside.
Pro tip - greasing the pan with butter is optional but will prevent the crumbles from burning into the pan.
Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top of the raspberries. Making sure to cover all areas.
Pro tip - I like to do this with my hands and make sure to cover all areas. Try to put the large crumble pieces on the top as they do look prettier.

Progress pictures collage for fruit crumbles. — Raspberry Fruit Crumble Recipe

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is crisp and golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before you serve.
Pro tip - if you choose to make small individual ramekins you will need only 12 to 15 minutes of baking time.
Fruit crumble can be served hot or cold. We love to serve it warm with chilled ice cream or cold with whipped cream.
Pro tip - the fruit syrup is very hot so make sure to wait for 10 minutes to prevent anyone from getting hurt.

A ramekin with raspberry fruit crumble and a spoon. — Raspberry Fruit Crumble Recipe

Frequently asked questions

Can I make this raspberry crumble in advance?

I love baking the crumble fresh, so the topping stays wonderfully crisp. And yet, you can make this crumble in advance. Cool it completely before you wrap it well and place it in the fridge.

What is the difference between cobbler and crumble?

Both are baked fruit desserts. A cobbler uses dollops of biscuit dough or pie dough topping, which often when baked looks very similar to a cobblestone. A crumble uses a streusel-like topping made of flour, sugar, and butter with the addition of nuts.

What is the difference between a crumble and a crisp?

Again a crumble and a crisp are also both baked fruit desserts and both use a streusel topping made with butter, sugar, and flour. And yet, a crumble uses the addition of nuts while crips use rolled oats. These oats become crisp and flaky when cooked while the crumble topping is cakey and dense.

Why did my crumble topping melt when baked?

It is very tempting to add more butter to the crumble topping, but too much butter will blend the mixture of flour and sugar. Creating the perfect crumb with flour and sugar requires that you do not add too much butter. Ideally, a ratio of 1:1:2 works best - One part butter: one part sugar: two parts flour