The Easy Way To Make Apple Crumble Without An Oven

Maybe it is a chilly night and you are craving something warm and comforting, or perhaps you realized that you have to make some headway on the apples you bought in bulk from Costco. Either way, apple crumble sounds perfect, but it can take a bit of time and effort — however, there's actually no need to break out a baking dish or even turn on the oven. You can make a version of your favorite spiced apple crumb recipe in the microwave.

Start by cubing or slicing up your fruit. Since the pieces will not be baking for an extended period of time, it is a good idea to go ahead and peel the apples. However, if you prefer the textural variety, it is totally fine to leave the skin on. Fresh pears, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries can also be used in this shortcut recipe. You can even upgrade canned fruit into a quick dessert this way.

Toss your fruit with sweetener to taste, a touch of lemon juice, and your favorite warm spices. Apple pie or pumpkin pie spice mix is great here, or keep it classic with just ground cinnamon. Adding a dusting of flour or cornstarch to the mix is optional, but it helps to turn the natural juices of the fruit into a syrupy sauce. Microwave the apples uncovered in a heat-safe dish, and you are already halfway to a caramelized and comforting dessert. 

There are two ways to make a crumble topping in the microwave, but they both use the same ingredients. It might seem miraculous, but the topping actually comes out crispy and golden, as if you baked it in the oven. You will need softened butter, flour, oats, a pinch of salt, and white or brown sugar. Toasted and chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds are also a nice addition for texture and richness. Mix everything with a fork or your fingers until you get a gravelly texture.

You can choose to microwave the crumble in a bowl on its own before combining it with the fruit. With this method, toss the mixture around a couple of times throughout the cooking process, so it gets evenly browned. Then, just sprinkle the softened apples with the topping. The benefit here is that you can get the mixture as toasted as you like without worrying about the apples getting too mushy.

If you would rather dig into a crumble with the crispy topping "baked" right on top of the fruit, just partially cook the apples until they are beginning to soften, but still have a little bite to them. Then put the crumble on top for the last phase of the cooking. This will give you more of a traditional treat, but the topping will not get quite as crisp all the way through. Either way, some high-quality store-bought vanilla ice cream or a dollop of ultra flavorful whipped cream is the perfect finish!

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