Single Serve Apple Crumble | One Pot One Portion
The ultimate single-serve dessert, perfect for solo self-care nights or cosy baking days- a welcome warmth on these chilly autumn winter nights There’s a reason apple crumble is my favourite pudding of all time and THIS version is the crème de la crème if you ask me! The perfect mixture of soft fruit, a sliiightly stodgy centre and crisp, crumbly topping, Served with lashing of warm custard- always!! You can find the recipe, along with 100 others, in my cookbook One Pot One Portion or get a sneak peak below!
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My Single Serve Apple Crumble: Your Cosy Dessert for One (No Oats!)
Craving a warm, comforting dessert that's perfectly portioned just for you? My Single Serve Apple Crumble is the answer! This recipe delivers all the classic, cosy flavours of apple crumble in a perfectly sized portion, designed for an utterly satisfying treat. This recipe is also oat-free, ensuring a lighter, more delicate crumble topping that perfectly complements the soft, sweet apples.
This dessert for one is the ultimate in easy indulgence. Imagine tender, spiced apples bubbling beneath a golden, buttery crumble, all ready in under an hour. It’s the perfect way to end a solo meal, a delightful afternoon treat, or a comforting pick-me-up any time you need a little something special.
About This Dish: A Classic Comfort, Perfectly Portioned
My Single Serve Apple Crumble is a celebration of classic comfort food, reimagined for the modern solo cook. It captures the essence of a traditional apple crumble – the sweet, slightly tart apples, the warm spices, and the buttery, crumbly topping – but in a perfectly scaled-down portion. This ensures you get all the satisfaction without any leftovers or the temptation to overindulge.
This recipe is my go-to when I crave a warm, comforting dessert without the fuss of making a full-sized crumble. It's the perfect balance of sweet and buttery, with the apples becoming beautifully tender and the crumble achieving a lovely golden-brown crispness. I prefer my crumble to be oat-free for the perfect crisp crumbly texture that still holds together well, but feel free to add oats if you wish.
Why You'll Want to Make My Recipe: The Ultimate Dessert for One
My Single Serve Apple Crumble is a dream come true for anyone who loves a warm, comforting dessert but doesn't want to make a large batch. Whether you're a busy solo cook, a student craving a sweet treat, an empty nester enjoying a quiet evening, a single parent needing a quick indulgence, or simply someone who appreciates perfectly portioned desserts, this recipe is for you.
Single Serve
This recipe is designed for single-serve perfection. Every ingredient is carefully measured to create one satisfying portion, eliminating waste and ensuring you have just the right amount for a delightful dessert. It's truly a dessert for one that hits the spot without any leftovers.
45-Minute Treat
From prepping the apples to enjoying your warm crumble, this recipe takes approximately 45 minutes, including baking time. The hands-on time is minimal, making it a quick and easy treat to whip up whenever the craving strikes.
One Pot Dessert
This recipe is all made in one pot so it's as easy as it is delicious! With minimal washing up, cooking dessert for one has never been easier.
Top Tips for Perfect Single Serve Apple Crumble
Creating a perfectly baked single-serve apple crumble is simple with these key tips.
- Dice Apples Evenly: Cut the apple into roughly 1cm dice. This ensures they cook evenly and become tender without turning to mush.
- Don't Overcook the Apples: The tablespoon of water in the base helps the apples to steam slightly and soften. They should be tender but still retain some of their shape.
- Rub the Butter in Properly: For the perfect crumble texture, rub the butter into the flour and sugar using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Don't overwork it, or the crumble will become dense.
- Press the Crumble Down Slightly: Gently pressing the crumble topping down slightly before baking helps it to adhere to the apples and create a more cohesive, less messy crumble.
- Bake Until Golden: Bake the crumble until the topping is golden brown and the apples are bubbling underneath. This indicates that the crumble is cooked through and the apples are perfectly tender.
- Serve Warm: This crumble is best served warm, straight from the oven.
Ingredients and Tools
Having the right ingredients and a few basic tools makes creating this comforting dessert for one a breeze.
Essential Ingredients:
- Small Apple: Approximately 100g, peeled, cored, and diced. A Bramley, Gala, or Honeycrisp apple works well.
- Water: Helps the apples to soften and prevents them from drying out during baking.
- Caster Sugar: For sweetness in both the apple filling and the crumble topping.
- Butter: Cold, cubed butter is essential for creating a crumbly texture in the topping.
- Plain Flour: Forms the base of the crumble topping, providing structure and a slightly crisp texture.
To Serve:
- Ice cream, Cream, or Custard: These are all classic accompaniments to apple crumble, adding a cool, creamy element that contrasts beautifully with the warm, sweet crumble. Vanilla ice cream or a rich custard is particularly delicious.
Essential Tools:
- Small Baking Dish: An oven-safe dish, approximately 15-20cm in diameter, is perfect for a single-serve crumble.
- Chopping Board: For safely and neatly preparing the apple.
- Sharp Knife: For dicing the apple.
- Mixing Bowl: For combining the crumble ingredients.
- Measuring Spoons: For accurate measurements of the sugar, butter, and flour.
Delicious Variations
My Single Serve Apple Crumble is easily adaptable to your preferences and dietary needs.
- Making it Gluten-Free: Simply substitute the plain flour in the crumble topping with a gluten-free flour blend. A blend designed for baking works best.
- Making it Dairy-Free: Replace the butter in the crumble topping with a dairy-free butter alternative. Ensure it's cold for the best crumble texture. Serve with a dairy-free ice cream or custard.
- Adding Spices: Enhance the apple filling with a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger for a warmer, spicier flavour.
- Different Fruits: While this is an apple crumble, you could experiment with other fruits, such as pears, berries, or a mix of fruits. Adjust the baking time as needed.
- Adding Nuts: Add chopped nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans, to the crumble topping for extra crunch and flavour.
- Making it Vegan: Use dairy-free butter and serve with a plant-based ice cream or custard.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can I double this recipe to serve two people?
A: Absolutely! Simply double all the ingredients and use a slightly larger baking dish. The baking time should remain approximately the same.
Q: Can I prepare this ahead of time?
A: You can prepare the apple filling and the crumble topping separately ahead of time. Store them in the refrigerator, and then assemble and bake the crumble just before serving.
Q: What kind of apples are best for apple crumble?
A: Apples that hold their shape well during baking and have a good balance of sweetness and tartness are ideal. Bramley, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith apples are all good choices.
Q: Can I add oats to the crumble topping?
A: While this recipe is for an apple crumble with no oats, you can certainly add them if you prefer. Add about 20-30g of rolled oats to the crumble mixture along with the flour. This will create a slightly chewier, more substantial crumble.
Q: What's the best way to reheat leftover apple crumble?
A: Reheat leftover apple crumble in a preheated oven at 175°C (155°C fan) for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also microwave it in short bursts, but the topping won't be as crisp.
Enjoy my warm and comforting Single Serve Apple Crumble! It's the perfect dessert for one, offering all the deliciousness of a classic crumble in a perfectly portioned treat.
Ingredients
- 1 small apple (approx. 100g), peeled, cored and cut into 1cm dice
- 1 tbsp water
- 20g caster sugar
- 30g butter
- 40g plain flour
To serve:
- Ice cream, cream or custard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 195°C (175°C fan).
- Add the apple to a small baking dish with the water.
- In a bowl, combine the caster sugar, butter and flour.
- Rub the butter into the flour and sugar until you have a crumbly texture.
- Place the crumble on top of the apple and press down slightly.
- Bake for 30 minutes until golden.
- Serve with ice cream, cream or custard.
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I buy a lot of cook books and this is genuinely one of the best l've ever bought. I've tried 6 or 7 recipes so far and they're all winners. I'm well used to scaling recipes down to one portion, but not having to calculate measurements as l go along feels like a little luxury. One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up! Highly recommended.
I have been following Eleanor on IG for a while and have made several of her dishes before the cookbook came out. I was thrilled to see so many new things to try and have already made about 6 of them. Her recipes are approachable, the dishes are delicious, and they make me feel like I can cook! Highly recommend.
If you love eating good home cooked food but can't be bothered to cook just for yourself, then this is the book for you. Using ingredients that are easy to find, then mixing, cooking and eating from the same pan or dish means a minimum of washing up. Every recipe I have tried so far has been delicious and have all turned out well which isn't always the case with many cookery books. Definitely recommend!
Following Eleanor on Instagram and seeing her recipes come to life is one thing but then having them in my own kitchen is quite another. Not only are the recipes easy to follow and delicious she also help you not to waste food. This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?
Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This is perfect, as far as influencer chefs go, I find this book refreshing in what has become a cohort of lauded influencers who really aren't doing much more than the bog standard meals most people make anyway, or making googled recipes and adding their own "flair". This book is different as it's your normal fare you'd likely make yourself, given a little bit of a twist to speed up the process / use less utensils / ingredients / food waste, in really creative and tasty ways, all perfectly portioned for one.
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This recipe book is stunning and fulfils its role brilliantly in catering for individuals who want to eat delicious meals, but don't want to prepare family sized portions or devote their entire evening to cooking. Who'd believe you could make an entire roast for one person and only use one pan in the process! She is a genius and I couldn't recommend this book any more highly.
One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up!
This is the book I've been waiting for! I (very happily!) live alone, love to cook and read cookery books, but every recipe is for two people or more. This gorgeous book contains recipes perfectly proportioned for one person (and I'm always a very hungry one person!) which ensures more variety, less food waste, and pure, gluttonous joy.
It's so nice to finally have a recipe book that I can go to if I want a quick easy meal with minimal cleaning up required! Everything l've tried so far is delicious. And I salivate at the thought of everything in there!
Totally reignited my cooking mojo which had been MIA for a while. I'm going to buy my daughter a copy to take back to Uni too as everything is simple and delicious - perfect for a student!
Best cookbook for somebody single!
The fact I know I won't have loads to wash up really feels motivating and l've earmarked so many of the recipes already.
This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?