Plum Crumble

When plums are in season, there’s no better way to enjoy them than in this healthy Plum Crumble.

You'll find the full recipe with step-by-step photos below 👇

Juicy, naturally sweet plums are baked in single-serving ramekins until bubbling under a golden topping spiced with warming cinnamon and cloves.

Unlike most fruit crumbles, this version is entirely plant-based, made with whole food ingredients, and uses minimal added sugar, making it as wholesome as it is delicious. It also happens to be oil-free and gluten-free.

It’s the perfect recipe to bridge late summer and early fall—light and fruity, yet cozy enough for cooler evenings.

Serve it with homemade Vanilla Cashew Cream (recipe below) as a simple dessert, a satisfying afternoon snack, or even as a nourishing breakfast you can feel great about.

I hope you love this Plum Crumble recipe! When you bake it, please snap a photo, share it on social media, and tag me @greensagelife so I can see it and cheer you on! 😀

Have you arrived here from YouTube? If so, welcome!

If you missed it, you can watch me make this recipe in my YouTube video.

Click below to watch (the video will open in a new window), and then return here afterward to reference the ingredient quantities and instructions.

Don't forget to like the video and subscribe to the channel, too!

This recipe yields 4 servings. 

Click here to download a printable copy of this recipe.

Ingredients

👉 You'll also find more detailed ingredient explanations and equipment notes below the recipe. Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means I'll earn a small commission if you purchase through my link, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support, which helps make my work possible! 🥰🙏

For the Plum Crumble Topping

• ¾ cup rolled oats
• 1½ Tbsp almond flour (or low-fat almond powder)
• 1½ Tbsp oat flour
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 2 Tbsp each, chopped walnuts and pecans (optional)
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp date syrup (or maple syrup)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Plum Filling

• 3 medium plums, chopped into a small dice
• 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1-2 Tbsp water as needed

For the Sweet Vanilla Cashew Cream (optional but recommended)

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water to soften
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract (yes a whole Tablespoon, it's not a typo)
• Dash of ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice as garnish, optional

Instructions

If you're making the accompanying Sweet Vanilla Cashew Cream, begin by soaking the raw cashews in hot water to soften them. I use my kettle to heat the water, then cover the cashews in the water and set them aside for at least 15 minutes to soften them (or up to a few hours if you don't have a high-powered blender, as they'll blend more easily if they're softer).

For the Plum Crumble, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place four 7-oz baking ramekins (see equipment notes below, but a 6-oz or 8-oz ramekin will also work just fine) on a baking sheet -- preferably one with a rim so the ramekins won't risk sliding off as you move the pan to and from the oven.

In a mixing bowl, combine ¾ cup rolled oats, 1½ Tbsp almond flour (or substitute almond powder for a lower-fat / lower-calorie option), 1½ Tbsp oat flour, 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1 tsp cinnamon, and ¼ tsp cloves. If you're using chopped walnuts and pecans, you can add those now, as well.

Stir these ingredients well until they're evenly incorporated.

In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp of water with 2 Tbsp of date syrup and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.

If you're unfamiliar with date syrup, you can buy this on Amazon and most health-forward grocery stores. Check the ingredients to make sure it contains only one ingredient: dates. I really like the date syrup from the brand Date Lady.

Because it's made entirely of fruit, I find it to be a healthier alternative to other sweeteners.

As an alternative, you can make your own date syrup by blending pitted dates together with water. It'll help a lot if you soak the dates in hot water first before blending them.

Of course to save time and effort, the simpler substitution is to use pure maple syrup in place of date syrup if you don't have it.

Whisk the water, date syrup, and vanilla extract until dissolved.

Transfer these wet ingredients to the dry rolled oat mixture.

Stir until the wet and dry ingredients are evenly incorporated. Set aside.

Chop your plums into a very small dice.

If you're not already a pro at chopping plums, here's my method:

Make a slice at the center of the plum, all the way around the pit. Twist the two halves apart.

Slice the portion without the pit in half, then dice each quarter.

Place the portion of the plum that still contains the pit on the cutting board pit-side-down. Slice it half and then continue pressing the knife into the pit against the cutting board to hold the pit in place. Use your other hand to twist the opposite quarter of the plum away from the pit.

To remove the pit from the final quarter,

slice a single notch under the pit from both sides, to form a v-shaped cut beneath the pit. The pit will pull away easily.

Now you can dice the remaining half of the plum.

Transfer about ½ cup of the diced plums to a small blender. I use my NutriBullet for this task.

Add 1 Tbsp of pure maple syrup (or date paste, if you prefer), along with 1 to 2 Tbsp of water. If your plums are very juicy, you'll likely need only 1 Tbsp, but if they aren't as ripe, use 2 Tbsp of water.

Blend the plums until they're smooth.

Now add 1 tsp of arrowroot powder. Arrowroot is an herb that will help thicken the plum filling as it bakes. You can find it in the spice aisle of your grocery store, or order it online. If you don't have this, you can substitute cornstarch or tapioca flour.

Blend the plum juice once more to evenly incorporate the powder.

Divide the remaining diced plums among the four baking ramekins.

Then divide the plum juice evenly among the baking ramekins, as well. For me, it ended up being about 2 Tbsp of juice per dish, but this can vary somewhat depending how juicy your plums are and/or how much water you added.

Stir the plums in the juice.

The use the back of your spoon to even out the top layer of the plums.

Fluff up the crumble topping with a spoon.

Then divide the crumble topping evenly across the four baking ramekins.

Here's what they'll look like when they're ready for the oven:

Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. I like to bake these in my toaster oven because my Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is large enough to accommodate a standard baking sheet. If your toaster oven isn't large enough, of course you can bake these in a regular oven.

While the Plum Crumble bakes, we can blend our Sweet Vanilla Cashew Cream.

Drain the soaking water away from the softened cashews and transfer them to a blender.

Add 2 Tbsp of water, 2 Tbsp of maple syrup and 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract.

Blend until smooth.

Store your Cashew Cream in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will thicken as it cools.

This Cashew Cream is versatile! Use it to top our Plum Crumble, but also for dipping fruit, or as a creamer in your coffee or tea. 

After 30 minutes in the oven, your Plum Crumble filling will be bubbling, the topping will have turned a golden brown, and your kitchen will smell incredible!

Allow these to cool until they've reached a safe enough temperature to eat.

Top each with a dollop of Cashew Cream.

Garnish with a dash of ground cinnamon or even pumpkin spice.

Pro tip: Pass the spices through a mesh strainer over your desserts for a very light dusting effect.

Serve and enjoy!

Ingredient and Equipment Notes

Date Syrup

I consider this the healthiest of liquid sweeteners because it's made entirely of fruit. I can recommend the brand Date Lady (available on Amazon), but there are other good ones as well -- just check the ingredient label to make sure it contains only one ingredient: dates. See the notes above in the recipe instructions if you'd like to try making your own, rather than buying it.

Almond Flour or Almond Powder

If you use regular almond flour in this recipe, the topping will be richer. However if you're trying to keep fat intake low (for example if you're managing diabetes or calories), you can use a low-fat almond powder like Naked Almond.

Walnuts and Pecans

Conversely, if you'd like your topping to be richer and have a bit more flavor and crunch, a small handful each of chopped walnuts and pecans would make an excellent addition.

Arrowroot Powder

This ingredient is an herb that helps thicken the filling while it bakes. You can find small jars of arrowroot powder in the spice aisle of your grocery store, or you can order larger quantities online. If you don't have it or can't find it, cornstarch or tapioca flour would be perfectly acceptable substitutions.

Baking Ramekins

I use 7-oz baking ramekins from a larger set of CorningWare ceramic baking dishes I received as a gift a long time ago. It seems the standard size baking ramekin ranges between 6 oz and 8 oz in size, and these are easy to find on Amazon. If you don't have these, you can use oven-safe ceramic mugs instead (preferably all the same size so the Plum Crumble will bake evenly) or combine the entire recipe in a single 1.5-quart ceramic baking dish, in which case you'll likely need to bake it for a bit longer (closer to 45 minutes). For reference, check out how I do this with my Apple Crisp recipe.

Some of the other tools I used in this video:

• Bowls from East Fork Pottery: I don't earn commission but you save $20 on your first order through this link and it's a very worthy company to support!
• Epicurean cutting boards
• Vitamix blender
• Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
• NutriBullet blender

If you see something in my kitchen not listed above and want to know where to get it, please comment below and I'll find you a link if I can!

You can also check out my Amazon Storefront for a pretty complete list of my kitchen equipment recommendations.