Plum Crisp (Buttery Pecan Oat Topping & So Easy!)
Plum crisp is summer's most underrated dessert — and this version, with its buttery pecan oat topping and a secret pinch of cardamom, is the one that converts skeptics.
Ingredients
Plum Filling
- 6 cups pitted and chopped plums
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom optional but recommended
- ¼ cup sugar cane or granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pecan Oat Crisp Topping
- ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- Large pinch salt
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar or additional cane sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup cold coconut oil or butter chopped into small pieces
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish (8x8-inch) with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine plums, flour, cinnamon, cardamom, sugar, and lemon juice. Toss until just combined. Pour into prepared baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Add cold coconut oil or butter. Cut in with a fork or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse pebbles. Stir in pecans.
- Sprinkle crisp topping evenly over the plums.
- Bake 45–50 minutes until fruit juices bubble around the edges and topping is deep golden brown. Tent loosely with foil if topping browns too quickly.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Cardamom — optional but worth using. It pairs beautifully with plums and adds a subtle floral depth.
- Taste the filling — adjust sugar to taste before baking if plums are very tart.
- Cold fat — keep coconut oil or butter cold for the crispiest topping.
- Don't peel the plums — the skin softens completely during baking.
- Frozen plums — use straight from the freezer; add 10–15 extra minutes of bake time.
- Gluten-free — use a 1:1 GF flour blend in both the filling and topping, and certified GF oats.
- Storage — refrigerate 5 days, freeze up to 3 months.
- Adjust the sweetness as needed. Sample the plum filling before adding it to the pan. If it's too tart for your liking, add an extra tablespoon of sugar or two.
- Don't over- or under-bake. You'll know the crisp is done baking when the plum filling starts to bubble around the edges, and when the crisp topping is a beautiful golden brown. If you're noticing the top is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
- Cool slightly before serving. I recommend letting the crisp cool at least 30 minutes on a wire rack before enjoying, to let the sauces thicken as it cools. I know, patience is hard, but it's worth it here!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (⅛ of the recipe) made with coconut oil and served without ice creamCalories: 305kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 314mgFiber: 5gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 431IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 2mg
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