Apple Cornflake Crunch
Classic apple cornflake crunch like you’d have in your school dinner! A great way to use up leftover apple sauce, alongside vanilla custard and a crunchy cornflake topping.
One of my favourite desserts from my childhood is an apple cornflake crunch. For those unfamiliar with this pudding, it’s made with layers of stewed or pureed apples and a crunchy mix of cornflakes, golden syrup and butter (like a cornflake cake!). This would be served as part of a school dinner here in the UK, often with vanilla custard or whipped cream.
So my version of this retro pudding is a bit more grown up but is super easy to make and will still give you plenty of nostalgia. And it’s a great way to use up apple sauce, so what’s not to like!
At the bottom of the dish there’s a generous layer of creamy vanilla custard like you’d find in a trifle. On top of this, there’s plenty of homemade apple sauce then the crunchy syrupy cornflakes are piled high on top. A sprinkle of sea salt, to finish brings everything together nicely.
For more easy to follow dessert recipes, take a look at our dessert recipe collection! There’s something for everyone here, including homemade ice creams, chocolate cake, sticky toffee pudding, panna cottas & lots more.
Components Of Classic Apple Cornflake Crunch
This is a super simple dessert, with only 3 components. It’s probably why it was so popular for school dinners! There’s also very little prep involved, as it’s designed to use up leftover apple sauce (or shop bought!).
It’s basically a case of making a batch of custard and what is a essentially a golden syrup cornflake cake mix then layering everything up in glasses. I layer custard in the bottom of glasses, spoon apple sauce on top then pile the cornflakes high on top.
Vanilla Custard
I used my vanilla trifle custard for this pudding, as it’s thick enough to layer up in glasses. It’s also not overly sweet and incredibly creamy so works perfectly with the sweet apple sauce and syrupy cornflake topping.
This batch of custard is made the same way as a regular egg custard but is thickened with cornflour and enriched with butter, for a richer flavour and glossier finish. You’ll need to make this first then let it set in the fridge before you use it but it only takes a few minutes to make!
Apple Sauce
I designed this recipe to use up leftover apple sauce, from when you’ve made a roast dinner as I always seem to have plenty left over. I make a smooth apple puree here but you can make a chunky one if you’d prefer. And it doesn’t have to be homemade, a good quality apple sauce from a jar will work just as well.
Cornflake Topping
The topping for this retro style pudding is basically a golden syrup cornflake cake. It’s made by warming up golden syrup, butter and a pinch of salt over a low heat, until melted then stirring it into a bowl of cornflakes.
Once the mix has cooled down, it’s just a case of spooning it on top of the custard & apple then letting it set in the fridge for 30 minutes. Make sure to eat your apple cornflake crunches within 1 day though, otherwise the cornflakes will lose some of their crunch.
Tips And Tricks
- For the best flavour, make your own apple sauce and vanilla custard.
- Make sure to let the cornflake topping cool before using. It will melt the custard and apple sauce otherwise.
- Let your custard chill for at least 3 hours before using, to give it plenty of time to set. Giving it a gentle whisk before using makes it as smooth as possible.
- Flavour your custard with a good quality vanilla paste or half a vanilla pod.
- Serve your apple crunch puddings within 1 day of assembling them, as the cornflakes tend to soften if they sit in the fridge for too long.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make apple cornflake crunch on an Aga, use the simmering plate to cook the custard and to melt the golden syrup for the cornflake topping.
It’s best to serve apple cornflake crunch within 1 day of assembling the puddings as the cornflake topping will start to soften the longer it sits.
If you don’t want to use homemade apple sauce for this dessert, you could use a jar of shop bought apple sauce or make a chunky apple compote.
More Dessert Recipes To Try
- Sour Cream Chocolate Cake With Dark Chocolate Sauce
- Brown Butter Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Dark Chocolate Mousse
- Blackberry, Pear & Apple Crumble
- Cake Crumb Treacle Tart
- Lemon & Lime Possets With Ginger Crumble
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Classic Apple Cornflake Crunch
Equipment
- Serving Glasses (See Notes)
- Large Saucepan
- Mixing Bowl
- Stick Blender
Ingredients
Vanilla Custard
- 400 g Whole Milk
- 300 g Double Cream
- Half A Vanilla Pod (Or 1 tsp Vanilla Paste)
- 60 g Caster Sugar
- A Pinch Of Sea Salt
- 45 g Egg Yolks
- 30 g Cornflour (Cornstarch)
- 45 g Unsalted Butter (Roughly Chopped)
Cornflake Topping
- 125 g Cornflakes
- 150 g Golden Syrup
- 75 g Unsalted Butter
- A Pinch Of Sea Salt
To Assemble
- 250 g Apple Sauce (See Notes)
Instructions
Vanilla Custard
- Add the milk, cream, vanilla, half of the sugar & the salt into a large pan then set over a low heat and heat until steaming hot (but not boiling). This will take 3-4 minutes.If you're using a vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds then add both the pod and seeds into the pan.
- Whilst the milk is heating up, add the yolks, remaining sugar and cornflour into a mixing bowl then whisk to combine.
- Once the milk is steaming hot, pour a third of it into the yolks, whisking as you do so. Pour the now tempered yolks into the pan of milk.
- Now cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly until the custard is thick & starting to bubble. If you take the temperature of the custard with a food probe, it should be around 85°c/185°f once cooked. This step will take around 4-5 minutes.To check if the custard is ready, stop whisking every 20-30 seconds once it has thickened. If a few bubbles appear & pop, the custard is ready. Be careful not to overcook it though!
- Once cooked, take the custard off the heat then add in the chopped butter and whisk to combine.
- Give the custard a quick blitz with a stick blender then pass through a sieve, into a container. Place a piece of baking parchment (or clingfilm) onto the surface of the custard, leave to cool then chill in the fridge until completely cold. This will take at least 3 hours but overnight is best.If you've used a vanilla pod, take it out of the custard before blending.
Assembly
- Transfer the chilled custard into a mixing bowl then whisk briefly by hand, until smooth.
- Spoon the custard into the bottom of 6 serving glasses, spreading it out into an even layer.
- Spoon an equal amount of apple sauce into each glass then chill in the fridge whilst you make the cornflake topping. Don't worry about spreading out the apple sauce too much, the cornflakes will spread it out when you add them on top.
Cornflake Topping
- Add the cornflakes into a large mixing bowl then set to one side.
- Next, add the golden syrup, butter and salt into a saucepan then set over a low heat and warm, stirring regularly until melted. This will only take a few minutes.
- Pour the melted syrup over the cornflakes, gently stir to combine then leave to cool for 10-15 minutes until no longer warm.
- Take the glasses of custard out of the fridge then top with an equal amount of the cornflakes. Try not to squish them down, spoon them on top of the custard nice and high.
- Chill the puddings in the fridge for 30 minutes then sprinkle lightly with sea salt and serve.
Notes
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