Adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Dessert Cookbook (1960)
An Instant Summer Classic
Some recipes earn a permanent place in your summer dessert rotation, and this plum crumble is one of them.
It comes from one of my favorite cookbooks from the 1960s — an era of no-fuss, deeply satisfying home baking — and it has held up beautifully. If you’re looking for a last-minute dessert that looks and tastes like you put in far more effort than you did, this is your recipe.
Why It Works
The genius of this dish is in its simplicity. Fresh plums are tossed in brown sugar and spooned into a baking dish, then blanketed in a streusel — just flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and egg worked together with a fork until crumbly. Then comes the move that sets this recipe apart: a generous drizzle of melted butter poured over the entire top before it goes into the oven.
As it bakes, the butter seeps down through the streusel and mingles with the juices from the plums, creating a glossy syrup at the bottom of the dish. Any variety of plum will do, but a mix of red and black plums makes for a particularly beautiful result.
This dessert is equally good warm from the oven or served at room temperature, which makes it ideal for potlucks, picnics, or backyard barbecues where timing is never guaranteed. Whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside is not optional, in my opinion!
Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator. They reheat well, and honestly, the crumble is pretty wonderful eaten cold straight from the dish the next morning.
The Recipe
Toss plums with brown sugar, spoon into a baking dish, and set aside. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon, then add the egg and toss with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Spread evenly over the plums and drizzle generously with melted butter. Bake at 350°F for 45–50 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the fruit is bubbling at the edges. Cool on a wire rack before serving.
Full recipe below — go find some plums while you still can.
Summer Plum Crunch
Ingredients
Plum mixture
- 3 pounds fresh plums, quartered and pitted (about 12 medium)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Topping
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup salted butter, melted
Accompaniments (optional)
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, combine plums and brown sugar, then spoon into a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add the beaten egg, tossing with a fork until the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the plums.
- Drizzle with the melted butter.
- Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.
- Let cool a bit on a rack before serving. Spoon into bowls and serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream.
