Plum Crumble Twist
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A plum crumble with crunchy almond topping and a hint of cardamom for warmth. Uses arrowroot instead of corn starch for thickening, adjusted almond quantities for better texture. The fruit is tossed in brown sugar for deep caramel notes. Baking time and temperature slightly lowered to 180 °C for gentler cooking. Serves six. Mix of textures; juicy plums burst under a thick, buttery crisp. Great when the crumble edges bubble and brown unevenly—sign of a well-ripened fruit base. Notes on substitutions and common kitchen fixes included.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
50 min
Total:
Servings:
6 servings
#plum dessert
#almond crumble
#arrowroot
#cardamom spice
#baking tips
#fruit desserts
#French-inspired
Plum crumble. The aroma fills the kitchen—sweet caramel, toasted nuts, a whisper of cardamom wrapping the sharp fruit. Crumble topping, gritty but buttery; I used to overmix it, needless, ends flat and clumpy. Now, rough bits and fine powder, teasing the taste buds. Arrowroot instead of cornstarch—less common, but gives a glossy finish, keeps juices thick without cloud. Tried brown sugar in topping, but it sinks in too much, so switched half to raw, for crunch. Oven temp dropped by 10 degrees; slightly longer bake but more even cooking, less burnt edges. Watch the bubbling fruit—it’s the first sign your kitchen’s about to smell like late summer. No need to fiddle with timers too much, look at the color, listen for the pop and sizzle, and trust your senses. Serve warm, not hot, for that perfect sticky yet firm bite.
Ingredients
Crunchy Topping
- 265 ml (1 ⁄1 cup) ground almonds, slightly coarser grind
- 140 ml (somewhat heaping ½ cup) sliced almonds or chopped hazelnuts for twist
- 65 ml (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour, non bleached
- 55 ml (a little less ¼ cup) raw brown sugar, packed
- 130 ml (a shade over ½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 5 ml (1 tsp) ground cardamom, optional but recommended
Filling
- 135 ml (about heaping ½ cup) light brown sugar
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) arrowroot powder instead of corn starch
- 1.75 liters (7 cups) pitted plums cut in eights, about 6 to 8 medium
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract, added for depth
About the ingredients
Changing a few quantities sharpens textures: 265 ml ground almonds instead of 250 ml adds more rustic nuttiness; 140 ml sliced nuts swapped hazelnuts for amandes blanchies, little twist—hazelnuts toast quicker, so flavor pops. Brown sugar reduced in topping and increased in filling to balance caramelization between layers. Cardamom is subtle but lifts the crumble; can omit if you only have cinnamon but the flavor dulls slightly. Arrowroot replaces corn starch because it’s less gummy, holds fruit juices tighter, and is better for acidic plums—cornstarch can turn slimy if overcooked. Butter quantity decreased just a touch to keep topping flaky, not greasy. Vanilla in fruit? Optional but elevates the whole. Ideally fresh plums, but frozen thawed also work if excess juice drained well. Adapt nuts, sugars, and spice based on pantry finds and preferences. This mix avoids eggs and dairy beyond butter; sub coconut oil but expect slight texture changes toward crumblier, less rich.
Method
Baking Setup
- 1. Rack in center of oven. Preheat oven 180 °C (350 °F), knock 10 °C down from usual because sugar can scorch. Lower temp gives more time for juices to dance and thicken.
Filling Prep
- 2. In a large sturdy bowl, toss plums with brown sugar, arrowroot powder, melted butter, and vanilla extract until well coated. The arrowroot is less gloopy than corn starch, keeps fruit bright and glossy while thickening beautifully once hot. Set aside to macerate briefly, 10 minutes enough. You want plums starting to bleed juice but not drown in it.
Crunchy Topping
- 3. Combine ground almonds, sliced nuts, flour, brown sugar, and cardamom in a medium bowl. The cardamom adds warm complexity, which cuts the plum's tartness. Pour in melted butter; mix with fingers until mixture just holds together under pressure but still crumbly. Don't overwork or it turns heavy.
Assembly and Bake
- 4. Use a roughly 20 cm (8-inch) square baking dish about 2 liters capacity; a bit deeper works too. Spoon plum mixture into dish, spread evenly. Scatter crumb topping over fruit in uneven clumps instead of pressing. Bite texture requires irregularity; chunks that toast more, others less.
- 5. Slide into oven; bake 50 minutes. Watch edges: when bubbling juices leak and crumble turns golden-brown with some dark bits, done. The batter will smell sweet-nutty, plums tender but still shape intact. Let cool 15 minutes minimum to allow juices to gel; otherwise, runny mess.
Serving
- 6. Serve warm or room temp, perhaps with coconut whipped cream or thick yogurt for dairy free. Avoid reheating too aggressively or crumble sogs out.
Pro Tips & Fixes
- - If plums underripe and tart, add extra tablespoon sugar and splash vanilla before baking.
- - Butter needs to be cool enough before mixing into dry to avoid greasy clumps.
- - Crumble topping can be prepared ahead and stored cold 1 day, just bake fresh fruit. Cuts prep at serving time.
- - Too runny? Bake a bit longer uncovered, listen for crackling juices, edges darkening. If burnt, next time reduce sugar by 10%.
- - No almonds? Chopped walnuts or pecans swapped 1:1. Texture changes but still elegant.
- - Arrowroot lends clearer thickening than corn starch; less cloudy juice, better fruit flavors.
Cooking tips
Begin with gentle oven heat, mid-rack for even warmth; lowered temp avoids shriveling the plums. Toss the fruit first with sugar and arrowroot to infuse early and encourage juice release—not just stir once before baking. Mixing topping by hand preserves gritty crumb bits; no lumps but some variance. Unevenly scatter to get those toasted spots, classic crumbles turn golden unevenly. During baking, rely on visual cues: bubbling sides, deep amber color in topping, and subtle nutty aroma replacing raw flour smell. Cooling is crucial; rushing to serve ruins texture—juices set better, flavors marry. Reheating in microwave usually soggy; prefer room temp next day. If topping gets soft, broil a minute but watch it—nuts burn fast. Between ingredients and steps, the emphasis is on paying attention to textures and aromas, not just timing. Experience here teaches more than the clock.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Toss plums early with arrowroot and sugar. Arrowroot thickens but stays clear, avoids slimy texture corn starch sometimes gives. Fruit should bleed slight juice but not swim. Wait 10 minutes pre-bake. Boost sugar or vanilla for underripe.
- 💡 Mix almond topping by hand, finger pressure only. Overmixing crushes crumbs, gives tough dense topping. Aim for uneven sandy bits plus chunkier pieces. Melted butter cool enough or topping turns greasy, not flaky.
- 💡 Bake at lower temp than usual; 180 °C works well. Sugar can scorch easily at higher temps, ruining the crisp edges. Watch bubbles at edges closely for doneness signal, little dark spots appear. Smell changes from raw flour to nutty.
- 💡 Scatter topping loosely, don’t press down. Texture depends on uneven toasting. Crunch contrasts soft fruit better this way. Edges more caramelized, center still tender. Cooling 15 minutes minimum sets juices firm. Hot slice means runny mess.
- 💡 Sub nuts to walnuts or pecans if almonds absent—different flavor and toast time. Coconut oil instead butter changes texture—more crumbly, less rich. Vanilla and cardamom optional but both lift the fruit flavor complexity subtle ways.
Common questions
Why arrowroot instead corn starch?
Less gummy finish. Starches like corn starch swell too much, slimy if overcooked. Arrowroot keeps juice clear, thick but shiny. Acid fruit like plum reacts better. Mix it well before baking or clumps form.
What if topping is greasy or flat?
Butter too warm or overmixing. Cold butter or cooled melted is key. Finger mix only; no machine. Also, less butter keeps topping flaky not oily. Let crumb dry a bit before baking helps with crisper result.
How check doneness without timer?
Visual cues best. Watch for bubbling juice leaks on edges; topping amber with dark spots. Aroma shifts from raw flour to nutty, rich smell. If bubbling slows or crumble dulls, may be overbaked. Cooling firm up runny fruit.
Can crumble be stored?
Fridge up to 2 days okay, cover loosely so topping doesn’t sog. Reheat gently in oven, no microwave—gets mushy. Freeze raw fruit separate if needed. Bake topping fresh day of serving for best texture.
