When it comes to home baking, few names carry as much weight as Mary Berry. The former Great British Bake Off judge and Cordon Bleu-trained chef has shared countless tips over the years, from how to make the perfect Yorkshire pudding to giving rocky road a gourmet upgrade.

And she has delivered once again which a delicious apple crumble recipe. Mary Berry’s apple crumble is not your typical dessert. It’s lighter, crunchier and built entirely differently from the stodgy, soft-topped versions many of us grew up with. And the key to its transformation is a generous handful of walnuts.

Rather than layering raw crumble mix over stewed fruit and baking it all together, Berry breaks the rules. Her version involves preparing the apples and crumble topping separately, giving each element its moment to shine.

The result is a dish with crisp contrast and real texture, a proper showcase for both the tender fruit and the golden, nutty topping.

Instead of stewing the apples on the hob, Berry thinly slices them and roasts them in the oven with a splash of water, lemon juice, and muscovado sugar.

It’s a fuss-free method that lets the apples keep their shape and natural tartness, without descending into mush.

The topping, however, is where things get really interesting. Berry combines flour, oats, brown sugar, sunflower seeds, and those all-important walnuts, then rubs in softened butter until the mixture forms satisfying clumps.

But she doesn’t spoon it straight onto the apples, instead, she spreads it out on a baking tray and bakes it on its own. The topping becomes deeply golden and crunchy, more like granola than traditional crumble.

Once both components are cooked, the crumble is broken into chunks and scattered over the warm apples, no second bake required.

Some traditionalists might miss the soft layer where crumble and fruit melt into one, but thousands of bakers online have given the dish top marks.

If you’re someone who loves crisp textures, roasted flavours, and a modern twist on a classic, Mary Berry’s crumble might be your new go-to.