There are so many adaptations of the good old fashioned crumble topping mix, there is one to suit most taste buds. These include different additions and adjustments to the original, a crumble is an open book and the word crumble really relates to the topping, whether the base is a tart, or for individual dishes or it’s a topping for a gratin style dish. Just remember to keep it crumbly.

How to make a basic Crumble Topping

The traditional sweet crumble mix is – 100g of plain flour to 50g of unsalted butter (or suitable butter alternative) and 50g of sugar. This quantity should be enough for a 4 person crumble, but will depend on the size of your dish and how thick you like your topping. I use a thinnish covering for savoury and thicker for sweet dishes. Crumble toppings keep well frozen, so make a batch and freeze it down then you have ready to serve topping at any time.

To make the crumble topping first cut the butter into small pieces and put into the fridge to keep cold or if in a hurry in the freezer.

Weigh the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the butter, crumb together between your fingers until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs, mix in the sugar and blend well. You can cheat and use a blender but take care not to over mix.

Alternative Crumble Toppings

Crumble toppings can be easily adapted with the addition of alternative ingredients which enhance your crumble base. Below are just a few ideas to give your crumble that individual zing. They are all good for a 4-6 size portion dish, depending how thick you like your topping. Make your crumble base in the usual way, adding the sugar and other ingredients after ‘bread crumbing’ the butter and flour.

Sweet Crumble Alternatives

Oaty Crumble

150g plain flour
75g unsalted butter
75g soft brown sugar
50g porridge oats

Sesame Seed

175g seedy or wholemeal flour
75g unsalted butter
75g soft brown sugar
1tbs sesame seeds

Caribbean

125g plain flour
75g unsalted butter
75g moscavado sugar
25g desiccated coconut
15g dried pineapple – chopped

Almond Biscuit

125g plain flour
75g unsalted butter
50g Demerara sugar
50g almond biscuits – crushed or why not try crushed ginger biscuits

Mixed Nut

100g plain flour
75g unsalted butter
75g Demerara sugar
50g chopped nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, etc. or any combination of nuts)

Walnut

100g plain flour
75g unsalted butter
75g soft brown sugar
50g chopped walnuts
try this with pecans instead

Almond

100g plain flour
75g unsalted butter
75g granulated sugar
30g chopped or slivered almonds
20g ground almonds

Chocolate Digestive

125g plain flour
75g unsalted butter
50g Demerara sugar
50g chocolate digestives – broken
into small pieces

As with using different flours as the base of your crumble topping try different sugars, these can change both the texture and flavour of your crumble.

Savoury Crumbles

There are so many different flours available today so experiment with different ones for your savoury crumbles. Gluten free flours can be used widely for all crumble toppings.

Parmesan Crumble

125g plain flour
75g unsalted butter
30g coarse breadcrumbs
50g grated parmesan cheese
3tsp freshly chopped parsley
natural grey sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper

Cheddar Cheese

175g plain flour
75g unsalted butter
50g grated Cheddar
25g fresh breadcrumbs
3tsp freshly chopped coriander
natural grey sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper

Blue Cheese

175g plain flour
75g unsalted butter
25g fresh breadcrumbs
50g blue Stilton or Roquefort cheese
broken into small pieces
freshly ground black pepper

Spicy Crumble

175g plain flour
75g salted butter
25g fresh breadcrumbs
2tsp my BerBer mix
natural grey sea salt

Fresh Herb

175g plain flour
75g salted butter
25g fresh breadcrumbs
3tbs fresh mixed herbs – chopped
natural grey sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper