Southern Early-Apple Brown-Butter Crumble

In Southern kitchens, skillet fruit crumbles mark the gentle slide from summer into fall. This one browns butter until nutty and amber, then folds in crisp early apples for a warm, oat-topped dessert that tastes like the season turning.

Serves 6 · 20 min prep · 40 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 355 cal
• 3g protein
• 52g carbs
• 16g fat

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Ingredients

• 5 medium crisp early apples such as Honeycrisp or Gala
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• for serving vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place a 10-inch cast-iron or oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
2. 2Add half a cup of the butter and cook, swirling constantly, until it turns amber and smells deeply nutty, about 4 minutes; pour into a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
3. 3Peel, core, and slice the apples into half-inch wedges; toss them in a large bowl with the lemon juice, granulated sugar, half the cinnamon, and salt.
4. 4Return the skillet to medium heat with the remaining two tablespoons butter; add the apple mixture and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit just begins to soften and release juices.
5. 5In a mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, remaining cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; pour in the cooled brown butter and stir with a fork until large, clumpy crumbs form.
6. 6Scatter the oat crumble evenly over the apples in the skillet, covering most of the surface but leaving a few gaps for steam.
7. 7Bake on the center rack for 25 to 30 minutes until the topping is deeply golden and crisp and the apple juices bubble thickly the edges.
8. 8Remove from the oven and let the crumble rest 10 minutes so the filling thickens.
9. 9Spoon warm servings into bowls and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a cloud of whipped cream that melts into the brown-butter juices.