Black Plum Crumb Bars
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These Black Plum Crumb Bars are perfect when plums begin showing up in the market. Juicy and delicious, they’re a simple recipe that enhances the fruit’s irresistible flavor.
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In a season of potlucks and cookouts, picnics, and barbecues, these crumb bars are the perfect dessert to bring. They’re tangy and buttery, sweet and crumbly.
Perfect for seconds and even thirds.
If you love plums, you may love our always-popular plum cake, an easy treat during the season!
Ingredients for Plum Crumb Bars
Specific ingredient measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a summary of what you will need:
For the Crust:
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Large egg
For the Filling:
- Black Plums (or other variety) about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
- Nutmeg
How to Make Plum Crumb Bars
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper with an overhang for easy removal.
Step 1: Make the Crust
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Cut the cubed butter into the flour mixture with a fork or pastry cutter; add the egg and mix together. The dough will be crumbly—Pat half of it into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
Step 2: Make the Filling
In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and nutmeg. Fold in the chopped plums. Sprinkle the plum mixture evenly over the bottom layer of crust in the baking pan. Then, crumble the remaining crust dough and spread over the plums.
Step 3: Bake the Crumb Bars
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top begins to brown and the plumbs are bubbling. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Refrigerate to speed up the process!
How to Select Plums
When you’re shopping for plums, keep these tips in mind from Whole Foods:
If you want to purchase ripe and ready-to-eat plums, look for ones that yield gentle pressure and are slightly soft at their tip. Good quality plums will feature a rich color and may still have a slight whitish bloom, reflecting that they have not been overhandled. They should also be free of punctures, bruises, or any signs of decay. Plums are generally available in the marketplace from May through the early fall.
Plums that are not yet ripe can be left at room temperature. As these fruits mature quickly, check on them in the next day or two to ensure they do not become overripe. Once they are ripe, plums can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. While plums can be frozen, remove their stone pits before placing them in the freezer to ensure maximum taste.
Fruit variations
I love to use Black Plums in this crumb bar recipe. But while they are especially tasty, you can substitute other plum varieties, berries, cherries, or peaches. There are so many ways to imagine this incredibly delicious crumble cookie.
Can I make these crumb bars with frozen fruit?
Absolutely! However, you will need to prep the frozen berries differently than you do with fresh fruit. Here’s how:
- Add frozen berries to a saucepan and warm over low heat until softened— about 5 minutes.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in 4 tablespoons of water and then stir it into the berries.
- Bring to a low boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until thickened.
- Remove from the heat and let cool while making the crumble. You can also make the filling one day ahead and store it in the refrigerator.
More Recipes to Try:
- Season’s Finest Savory Italian Plum Chutney
- Cranberry Crumb Bars with Cinnamon and Ginger
- Tomato Basil Pie with Garlic Butter Crumb Crust
- Easy Strawberry Crumble Bars
- Blackberry Crumble Jam Bars with Oat Streusel
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Black Plum Crumb Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup butter cold, cubed
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- large egg
Filling:
- 4-6 large Black Plums or other variety about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs, chopped
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper with an overhang for easy removal.
For the Crumble Crust
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Cut the cubed butter into the flour mixture with a fork or pastry cutter; add the egg and mix together. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half of it into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
For the Filling
- In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and nutmeg. Fold in the chopped plums. Sprinkle the plum mixture evenly over the bottom layer crust in the baking pan. Then crumble the remaining crust dough and spread over the plums.
Bake
- Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is beginning to brown and the plumbs are bubbling. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Refrigerate to speed up the process!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I’m trying to use a large bag of frozen mixed berries. Should they thaw before using? If yes, should I adjust the amount of l cornstarch?
Hi Lara, to use frozen berries, add the berries to a saucepan and warm them over low heat until softened— about 5 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in 4 tablespoons of water and then stir it into the berries. Bring to a low boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until it’s thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool while making the crumble. You can also make the filling one day ahead and store in the refrigerator.
I have a big bag of tiny plums from a kind neighbor’s tree. Can you tell me about how many pounds the 4-6 large plums in your recipe would be equivalent to?
Hi Chris! You will want about 1 pound of plums, or roughly 2 cups sliced. Enjoy — I love neighbors with plum trees!
Thank you!!
Hi. What do you think about using canned plums? We were given several cans.
That’s a great gift! And I do think they would work well in the bars. I’m not sure about adding the cornstarch to the filling with canned plums as I’ve not tested it that way. I would use my best judgment on that depending on how jelled the plums are. I would love to hear how they turned out!
Thanks, we really enjoyed these- tasty and easy!
Great recipe. What size pan do you use?
Hi Tamara — I use a 9 inch by 13 inch baking pan. If it’s dark metal, I watch it closely and end up reducing the baking time for a couple of minutes.
The crust is already brown before I bake it in preheated oven because of the brown sugar in the ingredients, how can you make the top lightly brown when you bake it? …its still delish.
Hi Norma! All ovens are a bit different. The gas oven I’m using right now bakes a bit differently than the electric oven I was using last year. The crumble topping differs in color, I think, every time I make these. I do begin checking them at about 30 to 35 minutes. At that point, I will sometimes add a sheet of tented foil to keep the bars from over-browning.
I used 8 plums instead of 5-6; It turned out very well and it is delicious.
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s one of our favorites too.
I used 8 plums instead of 5-6; It turned out very well and it is delicious.
Could this be made omitting the egg?
Although I’ve not made it without using the egg in the crumb portion of the recipe, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. It may be a bit more crumbly without the egg to bind, but I know it would be delicious too!