Recipe

Apple and Guava Crumble with Cinnamon

Name: Apple and Guava Crumble with Cinnamon
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 600 g apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1.5 cm dice; 120 g guava paste in small 5 mm dice; 15 ml lemon juice; 15 g sugar; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; 120 g all-purpose flour; 80 g cold butter, cubed; 60 g dark brown or brown sugar; ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; 1 pinch of salt

Baked apple with diced guava paste and cinnamon under a crunchy buttery crumb topping. A fusion dish, with no pie crust.

CiberCubaNovember 7, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation20 min
Cooking40 min
Total time1 h 15 min
Servings6 servings
DifficultyEasy

Crumble is a baked dessert from British cooking: juicy fruit in a baking dish, covered with loose crumbs of flour, butter and sugar that turn golden in the oven. There is no pastry underneath and no puff pastry lid, just fruit and topping.

This fusion version pairs that idea with a flavor that is very much our own: guava paste. The apple is the star and the guava goes in as small dice for accent, so that as it bakes it leaves sweet pink streaks among the fruit. The cinnamon ties the two worlds together.

It is an easy dessert for a family Sunday or for when you have guests. Serve it warm, with the topping still crunchy.

Method

Filling

Preheat the oven to 180 °C (355 °F) and have a baking dish of about 20 x 25 cm ready.
Peel the apples, core them and cut them into 1.5 cm dice.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Cut the guava paste into small 5 mm dice, preferably cold so it doesn't stick to the knife.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
In a bowl, mix the apple, guava, lemon juice, sugar and the ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Spread the filling in the dish in an even layer.

Topping

In another bowl, combine the flour, dark brown sugar, the ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and the salt. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it in with your fingertips until you have coarse, uneven crumbs, some about the size of a pea. Don't knead it or let the butter melt.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Baking and serving

Scatter the crumbs evenly over the fruit without pressing, leaving the topping loose.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes (about 40 as a guide). Check at 35: it is done when the crumbs are golden, the juices bubble at the edges and the apple is tender when pierced with a knife. The time varies depending on the oven, the apple variety and the depth of the dish.
If the topping browns too much before the fruit is tender, cover it loosely with aluminum foil for the last few minutes.
Take the dish out of the oven and let the crumble rest for 15 minutes so the juices thicken a little.
Serve warm portions with a large spoon, making sure each one gets both fruit and topping.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Tips and variations

The apple: use a firm variety that holds up in the oven without falling apart, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Pink Lady. If the apples are very sweet, reduce or omit the 15 g of sugar in the filling: the guava paste already adds plenty of sweetness.

Cutting the guava: guava paste is sticky. Cut it cold, straight from the refrigerator, and run the knife under hot water or rub it with a little neutral oil between cuts.

Crunchy crumbs: the butter has to be cold. If it is hot in the kitchen and you notice the butter softening as you rub it in, put the bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before scattering the topping. Don't press the crumbs down onto the fruit: left loose, they turn out crunchier.

About the baking time: the range of 35 to 45 minutes depends on your oven, the apple variety and how full the dish is. Check at 35 minutes; it is done when the topping is golden, the juices bubble at the edges and a knife slides into the apple without resistance.

Storage: once cool, cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To bring back the crunch, reheat it for about 10 minutes in the oven at 180 °C (355 °F) instead of in the microwave.