Spiced Plum Crumble (Print Version)

Juicy spiced plums baked beneath a golden buttery crumble, perfect for a warm comforting treat.

# Recipe Ingredients:

→ Fruit Filling

01 - 2 lbs ripe plums, pitted and cut into wedges
02 - ½ cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - ½ teaspoon ground ginger
06 - ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

→ Crumble Topping

08 - 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
09 - 1 cup rolled oats
10 - 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
11 - ⅓ cup light brown sugar
12 - ⅛ teaspoon salt

# Directions:

01 - Set the oven to 350°F (180°C) to preheat.
02 - In a large bowl, combine plums with sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and lemon juice; toss until evenly coated.
03 - Spread the plum mixture evenly in a 9-inch (23 cm) baking dish.
04 - In a separate bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt. Add cold butter cubes and rub in with fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
05 - Evenly distribute the crumble topping over the plums.
06 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling at the edges.
07 - Let the dish cool slightly before serving warm; optionally serve with vanilla ice cream or custard.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The spices turn ordinary plums into something that tastes like you planned it for weeks.
  • It comes together fast enough that you can decide to make it after dinner and still have it warm before bed.
  • The oat topping gets crispy at the edges and chewy in the middle, which means everyone fights over those corner pieces.
02 -
  • If your butter is even slightly soft, the crumble will clump instead of crumble, so cube it straight from the fridge and work fast.
  • Don't skip the lemon juice, without it the filling tastes one dimensional and too sweet.
  • Check the crumble at 30 minutes, some ovens run hot and you don't want the top to burn before the fruit softens.
03 -
  • Use a mix of ripe and slightly firm plums for the best texture, all soft ones turn to mush and all firm ones stay chalky.
  • Press a few extra oats onto the top right before baking, they toast up beautifully and make it look more rustic.
  • If you want deeper spice flavor, let the plum mixture sit for 15 minutes before baking so the spices bloom in the juice.

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