Spiced Plum Crumble Bars
One of my very good friends, Diana, has a plum tree that produces an abundance of plums every year. One of my favorite memories is when Sanaya was just over a year old, we had gone to her house and she let us pick plums in her backyard. We had so many plums in our hands, I had walked away to put them in a basket. When I came back, Sanaya had eaten half a plum (most of the juice was around her mouth and on her clothes) and was holding another she was getting ready to dive into. It was one the best afternoons ever!
We are a fruit loving family and we don’t discriminate (well, unless it’s mangoes – then everyone has to fend for themselves while I devour them). At any given time, there’s always fresh fruit in the house and I love that my girls share mine and hubby’s love for them. In honor of Diana’s plum tree (which I heard may not be around much longer and I almost cried), I got creative and added a little spice spin to these crumble bars.
I love this recipe because it is so easy to come together. For the filling, I stayed true to Salted Mint‘s filling. I tried out a few different variations but I love this one the best because it is simple, adds the warmth of star anise and cinnamon and tastes amazing!
For the crumble, I added hints of ginger and cardamom (I seriously felt like I could call this a Chai Spiced Plum Crumble because of the similar spices used). And the best is I can use the same mixture for the crust and crumble!
For the oats, I used old fashioned oats and mixed it by hand. You can absolutely pulse it in a food processor until you get a crumbly mixture.
I don’t think anyone can stop eating just one bar! These are so crumbly, flaky, sweet, tart, and have just a little hint of spice which just warms your insides up!
This recipe makes about 16 squares in a 8×8 baking pan.
Notes:
To store, place in a sealed container and keep in fridge for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 2 months.
Keep the skin on the plums! I wasn’t sure about this when I first started experimenting but it just becomes a part of the jam and you can’t even notice it!
From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy these delicious plum crumble bars!
Spiced Plum Crumble Bars
Ingredients
For the oats crumble:
- 2 1/2 c old fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
- 1/2 c dark brown sugar
- 1/2 c butter, room temperature
- 1/3 c almond milk (or any milk you use)
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the filling:
- 8 med plums, cut into chunks
- 1/2 c dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 star anise
Instructions
For the filling:
- In a medium saucepan, add plums, sugar, and spices together.
- On medium flame, cook for 15-20 minutes while stirring constantly.
- When the plums get to a jam like consistency, turn off stove, remove star anise, and let cool for 10 minutes.
For the oats crumble:
- Mix all the dry ingredients together.
- Add in the butter and milk.
- Pulse in food processor or mix by hand until you have a crumbly texture but the dough is moist enough to stick together.
Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper and spray nonstick cooking spray.
- Press half the dough firmly into the pan.
- Add in the filling on top of the crust.
- Use the remaining dough to sprinkle as crumble over the top.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
- Slice into 16 squares.
Here are the tools I used for this recipe:
