This easy Plum Crisp recipe uses readily available fresh plums and is ideal for beginners. It’s much like a pie but with with no crust. The crispy topping stays crunchy under sweet-tart softened plums while a heavy dose of vanilla, turns a ho-hum crisp into a delicious dessert.
There are yellow plums, red plums, black plums and green plums. They come in all sizes for all tastes. Mirabelles are considered the sweetest, while Italian prune plums are exactly that – especially sweet when dried into prunes. There are American, Japanese, and European plums. All About Gardening has an interesting article with photos about the variety of plums.
My Best Plum Dumplings uses fresh Italian Blue Plums while the Gateau Breton uses them dried as prunes. Both are worth a look!
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I used black plums for this recipe. They aren’t actually black but a deep purple which I suppose looked black to whomever named them. They are of the larger variety and hold their shape well when baked. Santa Rosa's work well also. While plums aren’t peeled, the stones can be a challenge to remove but I’m going to show you an easy way to do that.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple and Quick to Make - There is nothing complicated about this recipe. It comes together literally in a matter of minutes and is a great finish for any meal. Just stir the topping together, the fruit together, into the pan it goes and bake. That's it!
- Not too Much Sugar - At the bakery, we reduced the sugar in all of our pies so the flavor the the fruit is forward, not the sugar. I continue to make my fruit desserts this way and think you'll enjoy the enhanced flavor.
- The crisp topping is plentiful and the crunchy texture blends perfectly with the soft fruit underneath.
- A plum sauce is how I like to describe the looser than pie juiciness that bakes up.
- This plum crisp is so delicious on it's own, I don't serve ice cream or anything else with it. Just enjoy the full flavor of the plums and the crisp for an old fashioned dessert that is just as popular today as ever it was.
- The recipe uses Pantry Ingredients that are probably on hand with the exception of the plums.
- This dessert is a great family dessert and especially good after barbecue.
Recipe Ingredients
Crisp Topping
Ingredients read left to right.
BACK ROW: Brown sugar, flour, old fashioned oats
FRONT ROW: Baking powder, unsalted butter, baking soda
Plum Ingredients
BACK ROW: Plums, granulated sugar
FRONT ROW: Salt, flour, vanilla
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Variations
- Use half plums and half apricots for a change.
- Substitute all fresh apricots for the plums in equal amounts.
- Make individual crisps in 6 or 8 ounce ramekins. Place them on a tray and bake until the fruit is soft and the crisp is golden.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Cut the plum through its equator and twist in opposite directions to separate them.
Step 2. Using a spoon with a serrated tip makes removing the pit of the plum much easier. Just go around the pit and lift it out.
Step 3. Cut the plums in about ¼" slices. This is easiest done by turning the plum halves over and cutting from the skin side. Place in a large bowl.
Step 4. Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the plums. Stir to coat them evenly. Set aside.
Step 5. Place all of the ingredients for the crisp in a mixing bowl.
Step 6. Mix on low to bring ingredients together, then on medium to form the crumbs. Do not mix past the crumbs or it will become a paste.
Step 7. Pour the prepared plums into the baking dish.
Step 8. Cover the plums evenly with the crisp. Bake as directed.
The good news is they don't. Their skins are thin and they add texture to the baked dish.
Slightly under ripe or just ripe plums are best so they don't become mushy when baked as fully ripened fruit would do.
Late June or early July to September. Asian plums usually ripen earliest in the season, followed by complex cross varieties, and then European plums - some of which will continue ripening into the beginning of fall. The Italian prune plum has a very short season in late August or early September close to the end of the plum season.
More Fruit Desserts
If you love this Plum Crisp or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card and let me know how it went the in 📝 comments below. I appreciate each of you being here!
Plum Crisp
Ingredients
Plums
- 2 pounds black or santa rosa plums
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (40 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crisp Topping
- ¾ cup old fashioned oats (not quick oats) (75 grams)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (150 grams)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (105 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (85 grams)
Instructions
Plums
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x9 in square pan or the equivalent size with a non-stick baking release. Set aside.
- The amount of flour to use depends upon how loose you like the plums. Use more if you like a tighter filling.
- Cut the plums in half along their equator. Twist them in opposite directions to separate. Remove the pit. It is easy to do by going around the pit with a serrated spoon and scooping it out. Prepare all of the plums.
- Turn the plums, skin side up and slice them about ¼ inch thick. Put them in a large bowl. Add the vanilla.
- Combine the dry ingredients and stir the into the plums. Let the sit while you prepare the crisp, stirring once in a while.
Crisp Topping
- Place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix on low speed to bring together. Raise the speed to medium to medium high and mix until crumbs form.
Assembly
- Stir the plums well and pour them into the prepared dish. Top with the crisp, spreading it evenly over the plums.
- Place the dish on a parchment line rimmed sheet pan and place in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes until the plums are soft, the crisp is a medium golden brown and the juices are bubbling out.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Jo Gee says
I did not read your "Notes" until all my ingredients were mixed in about
not using quick oats, just wished you would have noted that above in the
list of ingredients..
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Jo, How did the crips come out? I did say rolled outs in the ingredients picture but will fix it to be more explicit. However, having said that, the crisp should have been fine - maybe just not quite as crisp.
Stephanie says
This was so perfect, I had to leave a comment and say so. I made a few adjustments and it came out perfect. Used a glass 9x12 baking dish. Doubled the recipe with these exceptions. Plums used about 3-4 lbs (enough to fill a 1 gal plastic zip lock, I freeze them cut up for later use and it was the perfect amount). sugar mixed in plums I used 1 1/4 cup with 9T flour. For the crisp topping I used 9T butter. Let it cook for 45min. This is sweet but still some tart coming through - next time I may decrease sugar even more to 1 cup as I love tart. I have 2 more gallon bags of plums in the freezer and I will absolutely be making this over and over year after year as I have a plum tree. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Stephanie, lucky you with a plum tree! I can see why you freeze them....and you never see them frozen in the frozen fruit section. Thanks for sharing.
Stephanie says
I also wanted to add that I did not use a mixer, but mixed the dry ingredients by hand with a pastry cutter. It worked perfectly to cut the butter in.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Stephanie, My theory is anything that works.
Milly S says
I appreciated that you give ingredient amounts by weight. So much more precise!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Milly - I agree and the recipe will come out correctly every time. Consistency is wonderful!
Terry says
Tried this with nectarines as they were firmer than the plums I had.
It was delicious! Well received by all. Any other options for the topping? I am not a streusel topping fan myself, although everyone else love it! Thanks Helen!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Terry - not really - it is integral to the dessert.
Carla says
Hi Helen - thank you for a fabulous recipe. I tend to overbuy at the farmer’s market this time of year and this is such a wonderful use of plums. I had to modify a bit, no mixer in a vacation rental, but melting the butter before adding to the crisp mixture and mixing by hand turned out great.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Carla, so happy you figured out a way to make this. It was one of my best recipes this summer and I'm super happy so many people like it. Thanks for letting me know. I love to hear from everyone.
Diane says
Wow! This was incredible! Deceptively simple and soooooo delicious. I can normally maintain my self-control around desserts, but I've already had 2 servings since making it this morning and bedtime is still a longtime off! Thanks, Helen (I think)!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Diane, that was our reaction also. My husband and I just gobbled it down and had to restrain ourselves from not eating all of it in one sitting. I have a good idea how my baking ideas are going to turn out but this was a real winner. So happy you had the same response.
Terry says
Would this work with peaches?
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Terry, it absolutely would and it would be great!
Rocky says
Hi Helen,
Thanks for reminding me about the plums. I have not tried this yet but am sure it will be great. When I was growing up we had lots of fruit trees, mostly different kinds of apples, some sour cherries but I always love the italian prune plums. So I will look for some. They should be available soon.
Hope all is well with you.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Rocky - happy to hear from you. All is well, just really busy. Hope you are loving your new home.