Plum crumble is perfect for autumn time when delicious plums are in season, so easy to make and the ideal comfort food!
I love a fruit crumble all year round – with summer fruit, with blackberries when those are ripe and of course with apples.
Crumble is the perfect comfort food dessert whatever the time of year, though it comes into its own when the temperature starts to drop and we want cosy meals.
I decided to make plum crumble as I spotted these delicious British plums in the shops that just needed to become dessert.
That sweet and tangy flavour is delicious with cinnamon!
Ingredients
Here’s what you will need for this recipe. Grab the quantities from the recipe card further down the page!
- plums – the plums I used here are British Marjorie plums, the kind you ripen at home for a few days before using. These work well cooked in desserts or eaten fresh. You can use other dessert or cooking plums or whatever plums you have on hand.
- cinnamon – used to flavour the plum filling. If you like you can also add a little cinnamon to the crumble topping. You can if you like switch the spice used to flavour the plums for another spice like ginger, nutmeg or star anise.
- baking spread – my usual preference in crumbles is for unsalted butter but baking spread also works well if you don’t have any butter.
- cornflour – I use a little cornflour to thicken the juices of the plums int he crumble.
- plain flour (all purpose flour) – for crumbles always use plain flour, as you don’t want the crumble topping to rise.
- demerara sugar – demerara sugar is a light brown raw cane sugar used in crumble recipes for the lovely crunch it provides. In the USA look for turbinado sugar, which is made in a similar way and can be used in place of demerara. Alternatively you could use light brown sugar.
Instructions
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this plum crumble recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step 1. Wash the plums, remove the stones and chop into small pieces.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
Step 2. Add the cornflour, cinnamon and the sugar to sweeten the plums and mix. Place in your baking dish or pie dish.
Step 3. Measure out your baking spread and plain flour.
Step 4. Using your fingertips, lightly rub the spread into the flour until it has the texture of medium-fine breadcrumbs.
Step 5. Stir in the demerara sugar.
Step 6. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the plum filling in your pie dish.
Step 7. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top of the crumble is golden and the juices start to ooze out of the plums filling around the sides of the dish.
Serving
Lovely warm on its own or with custard, cream or ice cream!
Storage
Keep any uneaten baked crumble for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Crumble can be frozen baked or unbaked for up to 3 months.
Recipe variations
- Add some chopped cooking apple in with the plums for an apple and plum crumble.
- Add some rolled oats (porridge oats) and your favourite chopped nuts (pecans, hazelnuts, almonds are tasty) in with the crumble topping for added crunch.
- Add a touch of warming spice to the crumble topping to contrast with the spiced plum filling – cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg could be used.
Recipe tips
- It can be tricky to remove the stones from plums as in some kinds the flesh adheres to the stone! I like to cut them in half then quarters then cut around the stone.
- Chop the plums into bite-size pieces before cooking.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping over the fruit in your dish so it remains light and not too heavy.
- The crumble topping is ready when it turns golden.
- Another sign your crumble is ready to come out of the oven is when you can see the juices from the fruit oozing out of the sides of the dish from underneath.
Related
Looking for more plum recipes? Try these:
Recipe
Plum Crumble
Ingredients
- 600 g (1⅓ lb) plums
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 40 g (3 tbsp) demerara sugar
For the crumble topping:
- 160 g (1 cup) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 100 g (½ cup) baking spread or butter
- 90 g (¼ cup + 3 tbsp) demerara sugar
Equipment
Instructions
- Wash the plums, remove the stones and chop into small pieces. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).600 g plums
- Add the cornflour, cinnamon and the sugar to sweeten the plums and mix. Place in your baking dish or pie dish.1 tsp cornflour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 40 g demerara sugar
- Measure out your baking spread and plain flour.160 g plain flour (all-purpose flour), 100 g baking spread
- Using your fingertips, lightly rub the spread into the flour until it has the texture of medium-fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the demerara sugar.90 g demerara sugar
- Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the plum filling in your pie dish.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top of the crumble is golden and the juices start to ooze out of the plums filling around the sides of the dish.
Notes
- Add some chopped cooking apple in with the plums for an apple and plum crumble.
- Add some rolled oats (porridge oats) and your favourite chopped nuts (pecans, hazelnuts, almonds are tasty) in with the crumble topping for added crunch.
- Add a touch of warming spice to the crumble topping to contrast with the spiced plum filling – cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg could be used
- It can be tricky to remove the stones from plums as in some kinds the flesh adheres to the stone! I like to cut them in half then quarters then cut around the stone.
- Chop the plums into bite-size pieces before cooking.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping over the fruit in your dish so it remains light and not too heavy.
- The crumble topping is ready when it turns golden.
- Another sign your crumble is ready to come out of the oven is when you can see the juices from the fruit oozing out of the sides of the dish from underneath.
bakingqueen74 says
A gorgeous way to enjoy plums in the form of a comforting crumble which is ideal as dessert on a chilly day.