Fall in love with these easy, buttery, cinnamon-spiced, Apple and Plum Crumble Bars! They are loaded with tart apples, sweet plums, and a crispy oat topping. Who knew apple and plum made such a delicious pair?!
If you are looking for another crumble recipe, you have to check out my Apple Crumble Tart!
Growing up on a farm we are no stranger to crumbles, crisps, and cobblers! They are a rustic classic and we LOVE them all equally. But, if I am being honest my family eats fruit crumble bars the most because they are an easy, hand-held, any time of day type of snack. We also love the added texture from old fashioned oats in crumble recipes.
Anyways, when my neighbor offered me a bushel of their apples I knew I needed to make crumble bars. I thought about going classic but I also had some plums and that was when this recipe was born.
I guarantee you’re going to love how simple yet flavorful these bars are! The bottom and top layer is an oat crumble and the middle is an apple and plum filling. Surprisingly the apples and plums pair together beautifully and one does not overpower the other. I kid you not, I never make apple crumble without plums now, it is that good!
If you love oatmeal based bars like we do, try these Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars. And if you have leftover plums I love this easy Plum and Almond Cake.
Let’s Make These Crumble Bars Together! Click To Watch
3 Reasons to LOVE This Apple and Plum Crumble Recipe
- They are super versatile. Make them gluten free, dairy free, and even vegan without any issues! You can also use different types of plums and apples, leave the peels on or take them off.
- Great for meal prep or school lunches. Heck, they can even be your reduced guilt late night snack or the sidekick to your morning coffee!
- They are made into bars which makes them even easier than traditional crumble.
The Best Apples and Plums for Crumble
The amount of apples and plums there are at the grocery store can be quite overwhelming! I typically use farm harvested apples or Fuji apples and always red plums.
To be honest, any plum will work great and the only apples I do not recommend are Red Delicious or Granny Smith apples. Keep in mind the harder the fruit the longer the crumble bars will take to cook.
Ingredients for Apple and Plum Crumble Bars
These apple and plum crumble bars are 3 delicious layers, but only 10 ingredients. Other than the apples, plums, and lemon, the remaining ingredients are pantry staples which makes this so easy. Keep reading for notes on each ingredient and potential substitutions.
- Oats: This recipe uses old fashioned rolled oats and I do not recommend swapping them out. Quick cook oats tend to not hold up as well and the crumble bars fall apart.
- All-Purpose Flour: Feel free to use 1:1 gluten free flour in its place (I make these that way quite often).
- Almond Flour: A little bit of almond flour adds so much moisture and texture to these bars. It can be substituted for all-purpose flour if you do not have any.
- Brown Sugar: Use either dark or light brown sugar, it will add deep caramel notes as well as moisture to the crumble bars. Easily swap it out for coconut sugar, cane sugar, or even granulated sugar. Just note it can slightly alter the texture and taste.
- Ground Cinnamon: Because every crumble deserves some yummy cinnamon spice.
- Unsalted Butter: Any variety works, including dairy free and plant butter. You can use salted butter as well.
- Apples: Wash them thoroughly, peel, and dice them into small, bite sized pieces.
- Plums: Again, wash and dice them into same size pieces as the apple. You do not have to peel the plums, I don’t because it takes too long and they break down in the baking process anyways.
- Cornstarch: This will help to thicken the fruity mixture as it bakes. Arrowroot powder or a little all-purpose flour works as well.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Bottled just doesn’t cut it, but if you do not have lemon juice, apple cider vinegar in its place is a great substitute.
Equipment Needed:
- 8×8 Baking Dish fitted with parchment paper and a little non-stick cooking spray. I like to use binder clips to help hold the parchment paper in place (see it in the image above or below). If you need a new baking pan, I recommend my USA Pan (they are made from aluminized steel here in the US).
How to Make Apple and Plum Crumble Bars
Here’s a quick summary of how easy these Apple and Plum Crumble Bars are to make. Once the two mixtures are combined it is easy as 1,2,3, bake! The recipe card below will have additional instructions and details.
1. Preheat your oven to 375° F and prepare an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and non-stick cooking spray.
2. Toss together the oat crumble- old fashioned oats, all-purpose flour, almond flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, melted unsalted butter. Press 2/3 of the oat crumble mixture in the bottom of your prepared baking dish.
3. Combine the apple and plum filling- diced apples and plums with cornstarch, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and brown sugar. Pour it on top of the oat crumble mixture.
4. Sprinkle the remaining oat crumble topping on top and bake until golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Allow your crumble bars to cool in the pan until they are room temperature. Cut into 9 equal squares and enjoy!
PRO TIP: Double the recipe to make a 9×13 pan of these!
Storing Information
The best way to store Apple and Plum Crumble Bars is in pre-cut squares and in an airtight container. Just place layers of wax paper between the crumble bars to keep them from sticking together. At room temperature they will last up to 3 days, and in the refrigerator up to 7 days.
And if you’re wondering, can you freeze apple and plum crumble bars? Yes! And they freeze great actually. All you have to do is place the cut bars in a reusable gallon bag and freeze them for up to three months. This makes them an easy to grab and go snack. Just thaw them at room temperature prior to serving and eating.
A Few Fun Recipe Variations
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make these feed like a traditional Apple and Plum Crumble.
- Try other firm stone fruits like peaches, apricots, or even cherries to pair with the apples.
- Make them vegan- To make this dish vegan by subbing out the brown sugar for cane sugar, coconut sugar, or the sweetener of your choice and have no issues.
- Try a gluten free version- If you want this to be gluten free, try using 1:1 gluten free flour and gluten free old fashioned oats.
- Swap out the dairy for dairy free- Try using dairy free or plant butters made with oil. I do this all the time and there is no difference at all. I honestly think I like plant butter better than regular dairy butters.
Frequently Asked Questions
No the apples and plums do not need to be peeled. If you want to make these crumble bars easier while capturing the nutrients from the peels, you can leave them on. Just wash them thoroughly so you do not get wax and pesticides in your bars.
For More Apple Recipes, Check These Out!
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Apple and Plum Crumble Bars
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
Oat Crumble
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter - melted
Apple and Plum Filling
- 1 cup apples - peeled and diced
- 1 cup plums - diced
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - fresh (or use apple cider vinegar)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 375 °F and center the oven rack.
- Prepare an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and non-stick cooking spray. NOTE: Use binder clips to hold the parchment paper in place (remove them before baking).
- In a medium sized bowl combine the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, almond flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Combine with a fork until the butter has evenly saturated the mixture.
- Place ⅔ of the oat crumble into the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Evenly distribute and press down with the back of a glass or measuring cup. Set aside.NOTE: Heavily pack and press the oat crumble into the pan so it doesn't fall apart.
- In another medium sized bowl combine the peeled and diced apples and plums, corn starch, lemon juice, and brown sugar.
- Top the oat crumble mixture with your fruit mixture. Make sure it is evenly distributed throughout.
- Crumble the leftover ⅓ oat crumble mixture on top of the fruit mixture. It doesn't have to be perfect.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow the Apple and Plum Crumble Bars to cool in the pan until room temperature.
- Cut into 12 equal squares and serve.
VIDEO
RECIPE NOTES
Storing Information:
- Covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Covered in the refrigerator for up to ten days.
- Covered and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
I love crumble topping. Peaches are in season. That would be awesome!
Yes! Peaches would be great in this as well!
~Elizabeth
Love the addition of plum! These sound amazing – can’t wait to try!
Thank you! I believe apple and plum are truly underrated!
~Elizabeth
Those look good. I like anything with a crumble topping!
Me too! A good oat-ey crumble is the best!
Thank you for taking the time to rate and comment on this recipe!
~Elizabeth
Super easy ingredients!!
Yes they are! Thank you for taking the time to rate and comment!
Enjoy!
~Elizabeth