Plum Crumble With Oats recipe

There is a specific, magical moment in late summer when the air begins to carry the first whisper of autumn. The sun still feels warm on your skin, but the evenings have a new, crisp edge. This is plum season in our house, and for me, it’s inextricably linked to the creation of this Plum Crumble. I’ll never forget the first time I made it. I had returned from the farmers’ market with a paper bag heavy with dusky, jewel-toned plums—some deep purple, others a blushing red-gold. They were too beautiful to just eat out of hand. I wanted to transform them into something that captured the essence of this transitional season. I decided on a crumble, but not just any crumble. I wanted a topping that was substantial, rustic, and deeply comforting. Oats were the answer. As the crumble baked, my entire home filled with the most incredible aroma: the sweet, tangy scent of bubbling, caramelizing plums mingling with the warm, buttery fragrance of toasted oats and cinnamon. When I pulled it from the oven, it was a masterpiece of textures and colors—a jammy, bubbling sea of purple beneath a craggy, golden-brown landscape of crunch. That first bite was pure bliss. The warm, soft, sweet-tart fruit collapsed against the crunchy, chewy, buttery oat topping. It was cozy and bright all at once. My family fell silent, a rare and beautiful thing, completely engrossed in their bowls. This isn’t just a dessert; it’s a feeling. It’s the taste of summer’s last hurrah and autumn’s first, gentle hello, all baked into one perfect, humble dish.

The Ultimate Plum Crumble with Oats: A Celebration of Seasonal Flavor

A plum crumble is the epitome of rustic elegance. It’s a dessert that requires no special skills, no fancy equipment, and no precise decorating—its charm lies in its beautiful simplicity. This recipe celebrates the glorious plum, cooking it down into a jammy, sweet-tart filling that bubbles up into a crunchy, buttery, oat-strewn topping. It’s the perfect dessert for a family dinner, a casual get-together with friends, or simply as a comforting treat to enjoy on a quiet evening. This guide will provide you with all the details you need to create a flawless, crowd-pleasing plum crumble every single time.

Yields: 8-10 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients: The Perfect Harmony of Fruit and Crunch

The beauty of a crumble lies in its two distinct, yet complementary, components: the fruit filling and the oat topping. Using high-quality, seasonal ingredients will make all the difference.

For the Sweet-Tart Plum Filling:

• Fresh Plums: 2.5 lbs of fresh, ripe plums (about 10-12 medium plums). A mix of varieties like Black Splendor, Santa Rosa, or Italian Prune plums works beautifully.
• Granulated Sugar: ¼ cup. You can adjust this up or down depending on the sweetness of your plums.
• Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons. This is essential for thickening the fruit juices and preventing a soupy filling.
• Lemon Juice: 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. This brightens the flavor of the plums and helps balance the sweetness.
• Ground Cinnamon: ½ teaspoon.
• Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon.

For the Crunchy Oat Crumble Topping:

• All-Purpose Flour: 1 cup.
• Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: 1 cup. Do not use quick-cooking or steel-cut oats; rolled oats provide the best chewy, rustic texture.
• Light Brown Sugar: ¾ cup, packed. The molasses in brown sugar adds a wonderful depth and caramel flavor.
• Ground Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon.
• Ground Ginger (Optional): ¼ teaspoon. Adds a lovely, subtle warmth that complements the plums.
• Fine Sea Salt: ½ teaspoon. This is crucial for balancing the sweetness of the topping.
• Unsalted Butter: ½ cup (1 stick), cold and cut into small ½-inch cubes. It is critical that the butter is very cold.

Equipment Needed:

• A 9×9-inch square baking dish, an 8×11-inch rectangular dish, or a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate or cast-iron skillet.
• Large and medium mixing bowls.
• A pastry cutter or your fingertips.

Instructions: A Simple Path to a Perfect Crumble

This recipe is wonderfully straightforward. The process can be broken down into three simple parts: preparing the filling, making the topping, and assembling and baking.

Step 1: Prepare the Plum Filling

• Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Wash and dry the plums. Slice them in half, remove the pits, and then cut each half into ½-inch thick wedges.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the sliced plums, granulated sugar, cornstarch, fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
• Gently toss everything together with a spatula until the plums are evenly coated with the other ingredients. The cornstarch may look a little white and pasty at first, but it will dissolve as the fruit releases its juices.
• Pour the prepared plum filling into your baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Set aside.

Step 2: Make the Crunchy Oat Crumble Topping

• In a separate medium-sized bowl, add the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, packed light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, optional ground ginger, and salt.
• Whisk these dry ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined.
• Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry mixture.
• Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture. Rub the butter between your fingers and thumbs, breaking it down and coating it with the flour. Continue this process until the butter is incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse, damp sand with some pea-sized and even some small almond-sized clumps of butter remaining.
• Crucial Tip: Do not overwork the mixture. You want visible pieces of butter remaining, as these will melt in the oven and create a tender, crispy, not greasy, topping.

Step 3: Assemble and Bake

• Take your bowl of crumble topping and sprinkle it evenly over the plum filling in the baking dish. Make sure to cover the fruit completely, right to the edges. You can leave it as a loose, even layer or gently squeeze some of the topping in your hand to create larger, rustic clumps as you sprinkle it on.
• Place the baking dish on a large, rimmed baking sheet. This will catch any potential drips from the bubbling fruit juices and save you from cleaning your oven later.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. The crumble is done when the fruit filling is hot and bubbly (you will see it bubbling up around the edges of the dish) and the oat topping is a deep golden brown and feels firm to the touch.

Step 4: The Essential Rest

• Remove the crumble from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack.
• Let the crumble rest for at least 20-30 minutes before serving. This step is critical! It allows the molten-hot fruit filling to cool down and thicken slightly, so it holds its shape better when you serve it.

Nutrition Facts

• Servings: 8-10 servings
• Calories per serving: Approximately 350-450 kcal (This is an estimate and will vary based on the sweetness of your plums and the exact portion size.)

Preparation Time

• Total Time: Approximately 1 hour 5 minutes
• Active Preparation: 20 minutes
• Baking & Resting Time: 45 minutes

How to Serve Your Plum Crumble with Oats

A warm crumble is a canvas for delicious pairings. Serving it with something cool and creamy creates an irresistible temperature and texture contrast.

• The Classic Companion: Vanilla Ice Cream
  • A generous scoop of high-quality vanilla bean ice cream melting into the warm, jammy plums and crunchy topping is the undisputed king of crumble pairings. The cool, creamy sweetness is the perfect foil for the tart fruit.
• A Touch of Elegance: Cream and Custard
  • Heavy Cream: A simple, slow pour of cold heavy cream over the warm crumble is a wonderfully understated and classic British way to serve it.
  • Crème Anglaise (Pouring Custard): For a truly decadent experience, serve each portion with a generous drizzle of warm, velvety vanilla custard.
• The Tangy Counterpoint: Yogurt and Crème Fraîche
  • Greek Yogurt: A dollop of thick, plain Greek yogurt provides a tangy, protein-rich contrast that beautifully balances the sweetness of the crumble.
  • Crème Fraîche: This cultured cream offers a rich, nutty, and slightly sour flavor that complements the fruit filling exquisitely.
• The Day-After Delight: Breakfast Crumble
  • Don’t underestimate the joy of cold, leftover crumble for breakfast. The topping softens slightly, and it pairs perfectly with a scoop of yogurt and a cup of coffee.

5 Essential Tips for the Perfect Crumble Every Time

1. Cold Butter is Your Best Friend. This is the most important rule for a crispy, crumbly topping. The butter must be very cold when you cut it into the flour. This creates little pockets of fat that, when they melt in the oven, release steam and create a tender, light, and crispy texture. If your butter is too warm, it will blend into the flour and result in a greasy, dense, or even cookie-like topping. If your kitchen is warm, you can even pop the bowl of topping in the freezer for 10 minutes before sprinkling it on the fruit.
2. Choose the Right Plums (Firm-Ripe is Ideal). You want plums that are ripe enough to be flavorful and sweet, but still firm to the touch. Overly ripe, mushy plums will break down too quickly and can result in a watery filling. Underripe plums will be too tart and may not soften enough during baking.
3. Don’t Skip the Cornstarch. The 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in the filling are your insurance policy against a soupy crumble. As the plums bake, they release a significant amount of juice. The cornstarch absorbs this liquid and thickens it into a beautiful, jammy sauce that clings to the fruit, ensuring your crumble has the perfect consistency.
4. Embrace a Generous, Craggy Topping. The crumble topping is arguably the best part, so don’t be shy with it! Ensure you have a thick, even layer covering the fruit from edge to edge. For an extra rustic and crunchy texture, gently squeeze handfuls of the topping mixture to form larger clumps before sprinkling them over the fruit. These larger clumps will bake up extra crispy.
5. Let It Rest! Patience is a Virtue. It is incredibly tempting to dig into the crumble the second it comes out of the oven, but letting it rest for at least 20 minutes is crucial. This cool-down period allows the molten fruit filling to set and thicken properly. If you scoop it out too early, it will be runny and won’t hold its shape. A little patience will be rewarded with a perfect, sliceable (or scoopable) dessert.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Can I use other fruits with this recipe?
Absolutely! This crumble recipe is a fantastic template for all sorts of fruits. It works beautifully with peaches, nectarines, apricots, apples, pears, cherries, or a mix of berries. If using apples or pears, you may want to slice them a bit thinner and increase the baking time by 5-10 minutes to ensure they are fully tender. If using very juicy fruits like berries, you might want to increase the cornstarch to 3 tablespoons. A classic combination is plum and apple.

2. How do I make this crumble gluten-free?
It’s very easy to adapt this recipe to be gluten-free. For the topping, substitute the all-purpose flour with a good quality measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend (one that contains xanthan gum). Ensure you are also using certified gluten-free rolled oats, as regular oats are often processed in facilities with wheat. The filling is naturally gluten-free.

3. Can I make the plum crumble ahead of time?
Yes, you have two options for making it ahead.

• Option 1 (Best for Crispy Topping): Prepare the fruit filling and the crumble topping separately. Store the filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator and the topping in a separate airtight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to bake, simply assemble and bake as directed.
• Option 2 (Baked Ahead): You can bake the entire crumble a day in advance. Let it cool completely, then cover and store it in the refrigerator. To serve, you can reheat it in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15-20 minutes until warmed through. The topping may not be quite as crispy as when it’s freshly baked, but it will still be delicious.

4. How do I store leftovers?
Leftover crumble can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It’s delicious eaten cold straight from the fridge or reheated. The best way to reheat it is in the oven or toaster oven at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes to help re-crisp the topping. Microwaving will work, but it will make the topping soft.

5. Can I freeze plum crumble?
Yes, it freezes beautifully! You can freeze it either baked or unbaked.

• To Freeze Unbaked: Assemble the entire crumble in a freezer-safe baking dish. Wrap it tightly in two layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To bake, do not thaw. Remove the plastic and foil, and bake from frozen at 375°F, adding 20-25 minutes to the original baking time.
• To Freeze Baked: Let the baked crumble cool completely. Wrap it tightly as described above and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven to serve.

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