This Apple and Cranberry Crumble is the perfect warming pudding for those cold winter nights. Get the recipe below.
Warm winter puddings
Vegan Apple and Cranberry Crumble is the perfect way to warm up at the end of a meal. It's packed full of soft, warm fruit with a crisp crumble topping. The contrast of soft and crisp and sweet and tart makes for the perfect bite.
Warm puddings are essential in the colder months and the UK is fantastic for making delicious cooked puddings. Of course an Oaty Apple Crumble is a classic but I'm also thinking of puddings like jam roly poly, spotted dick and a classic Steamed Pudding. (For more warm winter puddings check out the recipes below.)
Whether the pudding is steamed or baked they fill you up and keep you warm. This Vegan Apple and Cranberry Crumble is no different. And, thanks to the festive flavours of cranberry and cinnamon it makes it the perfect pudding for the festive period.
Crumble topping
The fruit looks after itself in a crumble. It takes minimal effort and as long as you have a dusting of cornflower and caster sugar in the base then you'll have a wonderful saucy pud.
The crumble topping on the other hand requires a little work if you want to make it light and crisp.
To make the crumble top you need to rub the vegan butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Supposedly you know if you're doing the technique right if the palms of your hands stay clean. The fat and flour should only be rubbed between your finger tips.
This technique is most fun done by hand but can also be done using a food processor (pulsed minimally until it is the right texture).
Once you’ve rubbed together the vegan butter and flour just stir through the sugar.
This crumbly mix is then spooned over the apples and cranberries before baking.
Pro tip
Did you know that making sure the crumble top is really cold when it goes into the oven is the secret to getting a really crisp crumble top.
When you make your crumble top, the process of rubbing together the vegan butter and the flour raises the butter's temperature. To cool it back down again, pop it in the freezer for 10 – 15 or keep it in the fridge until you're ready to bake.
The recipe
Vegan Apple and Cranberry Crumble
Ingredients
For the crumble top
- 150 g plain flour
- 125 g vegan butter chilled and cut into cubes
- 75 g demerera sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon rolled oats optional
For the fruit filling
- 500 g apples peeled, cored and diced
- 250 g cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 3 tablespoon caster sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C / 400 F / gas mark 6.
- Combine the flour and vegan butter in a food processor or large bowl, and pulse briefly, or rub with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles very coarse breadcrumbs with a few larger lumps.
- Add the sugar and cinnamon and stir through.
- Put this in the freezer for 10 minutes, or if making ahead, in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
- Meanwhile, toss the apple and cranberries with the cornflour and caster sugar until all coated.
- Add a splash of water (25 – 50ml) to the bottom of your baking dish then layer in the apple and cranberries.
- Spoon the crumble over the apple and cranberries.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the apples are just soft and the crumble top is golden and crunchy.
Nutrition
Serving suggestions
I love to serve my Vegan Apple and Cranberry Crumble with something cold and creamy like:
- Elmlea's plant based double cream or Oatly's whipping cream
- vegan vanilla ice cream; or
- custard (Coconut Collaborative do my favourite vegan custard but Bird's custard powder is vegan too!)
More warm puddings
Believe it or not these puddings are all vegan! Enjoy.
More winter recipes
For the full range of warming winter recipes, check out the recipe archive.
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