We all have our pie preferences, but anyone who reads this blog will know that I am a crumble topping loyalist. Christie is your girl for a pie with a beautiful top crust, and each time she posts one of her creations, I vow to make a top crust the next time I make a pie. But then that next time rolls around and I cannot bring myself to dedicate a whole other crust in the name of covering up the pie. That extra crust could be a pie to give away! So I revert back to the crumble topping.

Here’s the thing. This blog is all about helping pie making become accessible to the average person. We are so simple over here because it’s the journey of making pie that we are going for, not necessarily a perfect end product. The crumble topping is my way to keeping things simple and delicious so that I can turn out pies quickly and in quantities that allow me to keep giving them away. Many of my pies look exactly the same. But tucked underneath that crumble topping are unique fillings that make each pie distinct and delicious. So, if you need to keep things simple, below is a great crumble topping recipe for just about anything.

Print Recipe

Crumble Topping

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter Cut into small pieces

Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pulse to mix well. Cut butter into tablespoon sized pieces, add to the mixture and pulse until the butter is fully incorporated and mixture looks consistent.
2. Turn mixture into a bowl and using your fingers, bring together small crumbles my pinching the mixture together. Cover and keep in refrigerator if using the same day. Otherwise, place in a freezer bag and keep in the freezer.
3. Tip: Make a double batch and have extra on hand in the freezer for the next time you make a pie. This is a great step to do ahead of time.