This Plum and Apple Crumble is an ideal late-summer or autumn dessert — easy to prepare and topped with a buttery streusel. Warm, comforting and simple to make, it pairs beautifully with vanilla ice cream, custard or whipped cream.
Reasons to Love This Crumble
If you enjoy straightforward fruit desserts, this crumble is for you.
- Seasonal favorite: Apples and plums shine together when in season, making this a perfect late-summer or fall dessert.
- Comforting and fragrant: The combination of warm fruit and a buttery streusel creates a cozy aroma and satisfying texture. Serve with ice cream, custard, or yogurt for an extra treat.
- Easy to make: This recipe is unfussy — chop the fruit, toss with a few pantry staples, and top with a simple streusel. Great for weeknights or weekend baking.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below are the main components for this plum and apple crumble.
- Fruit mixture: Chopped apples and plums tossed with a little sugar, flour, lemon juice and warming spices (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg). Any variety of apples and plums will work.
- Streusel topping: A classic butter streusel made from flour, sugar, butter, vanilla and a pinch of salt. This recipe produces larger, cookie-like crumbs rather than a fine crumb topping.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and full directions.
How to Make Plum and Apple Crumble
Making this crumble is straightforward. The most time-consuming step is chopping the fruit.
STEP 1: Prepare the fruit mixture. In a large bowl, gently combine the chopped apples and plums with sugar, flour, lemon juice and the spices. Set aside while you make the streusel.
STEP 2: Make the streusel topping. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add softened butter and vanilla and beat until large clumps form. The mixture may look dry at first; continue mixing until the crumbs come together into sizeable pieces. You can also make the streusel by hand by rubbing pieces of butter into the dry ingredients until large crumbs form.
Tip: Aim for large, cookie-like crumbs. If you have small bits, press them together with your fingers to create bigger pieces.
STEP 3: Assemble. Transfer the fruit mixture to a lightly greased 9-inch baking dish (or similar size) and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top.
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 the crumble 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 or whipped cream, or enjoy on its own.
Helpful Tips for Success
- Place a baking sheet under the dish if it looks very full to catch any bubbling overflow.
- If the topping browns too quickly, tent the dish with foil and continue baking until the fruit is tender.
- Measure streusel dry ingredients by weight for consistent texture — a kitchen scale ensures reliable results.
Use a kitchen scale
A kitchen scale gives the best and most consistent results for the streusel topping. It reduces variation compared to volume measurements and makes cleanup easier.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Crumbles are best fresh, but leftovers keep well and can be reheated.
- To store: Keep covered in the refrigerator for 3–5 days. Reheat in the oven or serve cold.
- To freeze: Cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and warm in the oven; the topping will be less crisp but still tasty.
- Make ahead: Prepare the streusel in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. When ready, assemble with the fresh fruit and bake.
Possible Variations
- Add nuts: Stir chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds into the streusel for extra crunch.
- Adjust spices: Swap or add spices such as ginger or allspice to suit your taste.
- Individual servings: Bake in ramekins for single portions.
- Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free flour blend.
- Vegan/dairy-free: Substitute vegan butter.
- Less topping: Reduce the streusel for a lighter topping, or double the fruit to make two crumbles.
A Few Questions Answered
The topping defines the difference: a crumble uses a flour-butter-sugar streusel, while a crisp typically includes oats and sometimes nuts for extra crunch. This recipe follows the traditional crumble style with a butter streusel.
Yes — berries, cherries, or peaches are good substitutes depending on the season and your preference.
Use any apples and plums you enjoy. Firmer apples like Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady or Fuji hold up well; red or Italian plums add great flavor, but any ripe plums are fine.
More Easy Fruit Crumbles & Crisps
Apple and Blackberry Crumble
Strawberry Coconut Crisp
Blueberry and Apple Crumble
Pear Crumble
Did you make this Plum and Apple Crumble? I’d love to hear about it — leave a comment below or tag the creator on Instagram.
Plum and Apple Crumble
- Author: Vanessa | Maple + Mango
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 50 min
- Yield: 6
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American, British, German
Description
This Plum and Apple Crumble combines chopped plums and apples with a buttery streusel for an easy, comforting dessert. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, custard or whipped cream.
Ingredients
For the fruit mixture:
- 1 ½ pounds (680 g) apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 4 medium apples)
- 1 pound (454 g) plums, pitted and chopped
- 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the streusel topping:
- 250 g (about 2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 125 g (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 170 g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Make the fruit: Combine apples, plums, sugar, flour, lemon juice and spices in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Make the streusel: Combine flour, sugar and salt in a mixer. Add butter and vanilla; beat until large crumbs form. Alternatively, rub butter into the dry ingredients by hand to form coarse crumbs.
- Assemble: Transfer fruit to a lightly greased 9-inch baking dish and spread evenly. Top with the streusel.
- Bake: Bake 35–40 minutes until filling is bubbly and topping is golden. Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving.
- Serve: Serve warm with ice cream, custard or whipped cream.
Notes
- Fruit weights are given for whole fruit before peeling and pitting.
- Making streusel by hand: Rub softened butter into the dry ingredients and pinch together until large crumbs form.
- Use a kitchen scale: Measuring by weight gives the most consistent streusel texture.
- Large crumbs: Aim for sizable, cookie-like clumps rather than a fine crumb topping.
⬇ PIN it for later! ⬇
