We all have our pie preferences, but anyone who has followed this blog will know that I am a crumble girl. Every time I see a beautiful lattice, I vow to make a top crust the next time I make a pie. But then that next time rolls around and I cannot bring myself to dedicate a whole other crust to the endeavor (and I’m running out of patience right around then). That extra crust could be another pie to share! So I revert back to the crumble topping.

Here’s the thing. This blog is all about keeping pie accessible to the average person. I keep it super simple over here because it’s the practice of making pie that we are going for, not necessarily a perfectly aesthetic product. The crumble topping is my way of keeping things easy and delicious so that I can turn out pies quickly and in quantities that allow me to keep sharing them. Many of my pies look exactly the same. But tucked underneath that crumble topping are unique fillings that make each pie distinct and delicious. So, if you need to keep things simple, below is a great crumble topping recipe for just about anything.

Print Recipe

Crumble Topping

Servings: 1 pie

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour 60 grams
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter cut into tablespoon sized pieces

Instructions

In a food processor, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pulse to mix well. If preparing by hand, whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Scatter pieces of butter on top of dry mixture. Pulse until the butter is fully incorporated. By hand, use a pastry cutter, fork or your hands to incorporate the butter until the mixture starts to come together in small crumbles.
If using a food processor, turn the mixture into a bowl and using your hands, pinch the mixture together into small crumbles.
Cover or place into a freezer bag or use immediately to top your pie. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days or you can freeze for up to three months.

Whenever I make crumble topping, I make a double or triple batch and freeze the extra. That way, I always have some on hand if I need to make a pie on short notice.

I'm all about less dishes to do. If I am making a pie crust in the food processor, I make the crumble topping right after. The food processor is already out, you don't have to clean it, just add the ingredients and make some before you wash it and put it away.

Notes

I prefer to use a food processor for this recipe because it breaks the oats down a bit and makes the mixture more consistent. However, making this topping by hand is super easy and usually results in a more textured topping because the oats don’t break down as much. This is equally as delicious but it does tend to brown more in the oven because of the larger crumbles. When I do this by hand I usually use room temperature butter or you can even use melted butter.