Plum and Apple Crumble Recipe — Warm Autumn Fruit Dessert

Reasons To Love This Crumble Recipe

If you enjoy straightforward fruit desserts, this crumble is for you.

• Seasonal favorite: Great when apples and plums are at their best.
• Comforting and fragrant: The fruit filling is topped with a cookie-like butter streusel that fills your kitchen with a wonderful aroma. Serve with ice cream, custard, yogurt, or whipped cream.
• Easy to make: Minimal prep — chop fruit, toss with a few pantry ingredients, and top with a simple streusel.

Ingredients You’ll Need

To make this plum and apple crumble you will need two components: the fruit mixture and the streusel topping.

• Fruit mixture: Chopped apples and plums tossed with sugar, flour, lemon juice, and warm spices (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg). Any varieties you enjoy will work well.
• Streusel topping: A traditional, oat-free crumble made from flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt — baked into large, cookie-like crumbs.

See the recipe card below for exact measurements and full directions.

How To Make Plum And Apple Crumble

The method is straightforward — prepare the fruit, make the streusel, assemble, and bake.

STEP 1: Prepare the fruit mixture. In a large bowl, gently combine the chopped apples, plums, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and spices. Set aside to let the flavors meld.

STEP 2: Make the streusel topping. Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add softened butter and vanilla and beat until the mixture forms large crumbs. It may first look sandy — continue until you have sizable clumps rather than a fine powder. You can make this in a mixer with the paddle attachment or by hand by pinching the butter into the dry ingredients.

Tip: Aim for large crumbs — this topping is a German-style butter streusel, cookie-like and clumpy rather than fine.

STEP 3: Assemble. Pour the fruit mixture into a lightly greased 9-inch baking dish (or similar). Spread evenly, then sprinkle the streusel evenly over the fruit.

STEP 4: Bake. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35–40 minutes, until the fruit is tender and bubbling and the topping is lightly golden. Let rest 5–10 minutes after baking so the filling can thicken slightly.

STEP 5: Serve and enjoy. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, custard, yogurt, vanilla sauce, or whipped cream, or enjoy on its own.

Helpful Tips For Success

• Place a baking sheet under the dish if it’s full to catch any bubbling overflow.
• If the topping browns too quickly, tent the dish with foil and continue baking.
• Use a kitchen scale: Weighing dry ingredients yields the most consistent streusel texture and makes the process cleaner and easier.

Use a kitchen scale!

A scale gives consistent results for the streusel. If you prefer, measure by cups, but weighing ingredients helps you achieve the intended crumbly texture every time.

Storage + Make Ahead Tips

Crumbles are best fresh, but leftovers keep well and the recipe is make-ahead friendly.

• To store: Refrigerate covered for 3–5 days. Reheat in the oven or enjoy cold.
• To freeze: Cool completely, then freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat. The topping may lose some crispness but will still taste great.
• Make ahead: Prepare the streusel in advance and store it airtight in the fridge for up to a week. When ready, assemble and bake.

Possible Variations

• Add nuts: Stir chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds into the streusel.
• Adjust spices: Swap or add spices such as ground ginger or allspice to suit your taste.
• Individual portions: Assemble in ramekins for single-serve desserts.
• Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free flour blend for the topping.
• Vegan: Substitute vegan butter to make the crumble dairy-free.
• Less topping: Reduce the streusel if you prefer a lighter topping, or double the fruit and make two crumbles.

A Few Questions Answered

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